Given the large pool of options available to fixed income investors in the bond market, the ideal option given the current economic uncertainty is still Treasuries. With that, Vanguard has three options worthy of consideration for any portfolio.
With tariffs toggling on and off and a major tax bill still in flux, investors should brace for headline-driven volatility through July, particularly around trade and fiscal policy.
Bond traders priced in an earlier start to expected Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts on fresh clues the US job market is losing momentum.
Since 2019 and the establishment of the ETF Rule, traditional active managers, armed with decades of expertise, have flocked to ETFs.
In the last three months tariff news has whipped financial markets around remarkably in response to President Trump’s ever changing tariff policies. The most pronounced reactions were concentrated in the US stock market.
Early signs of diminishing economic activity and inflation could be a harbinger for bond prices to rise. If so, consider taking advantage of a potential bond rally with a pair of ETFs from Vanguard.
Stocks rallied in May 2025 as trade tensions eased, but investor confidence remains fragile.
Investors may revisit international exposure in their portfolios amidst reduced market reactions to tariff announcements, uncertain U.S. policy and lagging U.S. stock performance.
On the trade front, investor uncertainty eased for a short time as President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs seemed to lose traction. Several key developments contributed, including a 90-day tariff pause with China, the signing of a US-UK trade agreement and progress on negotiations with other partners, including Europe.
As early signs emerge that tariffs will drive up prices, the Federal Reserve faces a crucial question: Will tariff-induced inflation be short-lived, as the level of prices adjusts to the higher tariffs, or will it persist, as a series of feedback loops lead to further price increases?
The economic narrative took a decisive turn last week. A stunning collapse in the trade deficit suggests we could be looking at near 4% GDP growth in the second quarter—a massive upward revision from the consensus of 2%.
The “sell and stay” approach in wealth management mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is a transformative trend reshaping how advisors approach their succession planning and business transitions.
Mortgage rates last week climbed to their highest levels since the beginning of the year on elevated economic risks. With markets still hopeful of at least one interest rate cut in the second half, the real estate sector stands poised to bounce back in a lower rate environment.
Buying stocks is always hard. Particularly during corrections. Or, near market peaks. Or, when stocks are falling. And when they are rising. Oh, buying stocks is also tricky when valuations are high. And when they are low. You get the point.
Our role isn’t just to manage assets; it’s to help clients stay grounded. We remind clients that investing is a long-term journey, and short-term volatility doesn’t have to knock them off course.
Most of us are facing longer working lives, but that also means we need to remain healthier for longer. While linking the pensionable threshold to improving longevity is fair, up to a point...
As investors grapple with nagging macro uncertainty, market volatility’s likely to continue. But we also see reasons for optimism — and new opportunities.
Treasury floating rate notes and ETFs like the WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund (USFR) are often seen as beneficial tools to fixed income investors when yields on U.S. government debt are rising.
Conventional wisdom was that the tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration would cause higher inflation and slower growth – stagflation as far as the eye could see. But this past week brought economic news that defied this prediction.
This past week, news flow around policy came in hot and heavy, with President Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful’ tax cut bill passing the House of Representatives, and Trump threatening 50% tariffs on the European Union (EU).
Most clients are relatively conservative when it comes to determining how much they can afford to spend in retirement. All things being equal, clients would generally rather die with too much money than too little.
This article presents a different perspective on the question of why bond yields are rising. I focus on the difference between narratives and fundamentals.
Last week's economic data presented a mixed but generally more positive outlook. Inflation continued its downward trend in April.
Similar to the equity market’s response to the recently announced tariffs, the bond market responded with a widening of credit spreads. These spreads represent the difference in yield between a U.S. Treasury bond and other bonds of the same maturity but different credit quality.
For anyone on Wall Street still clinging to a time-honored macro-investing playbook, Trump 2.0 has been a source of endless punishment.
It doesn’t take much to understand that Ray Dalio, a hedge fund titan, is like every other human being and is prone to error. I will not dismiss Dalio entirely, as his track record of managing money at Bridgewater is nothing to be scoffed at.
While headlines scream about the latest deal or tariff suspension, Maharrey argues that investors are dangerously distracted from the real threat: America’s exploding national debt and the systemic consequences that follow.
Gold reached a fresh all-time high in April, continuing its strong upward trajectory over the past six months.
The House passed a comprehensive tax bill to avoid an expiration of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) at the end of the year.
Chief Economist Eugenio J. Alemán discusses current economic conditions.
Assessment and selection of covered call funds is based on criteria like total return, distribution rate (sometimes referred to as yield), and fees.
Corporate credit spreads, whether investment grade or high yield, can often hint at hiccups in the stock market and the economy. But they tend to keep a low profile.
It’s been a tough few months for believers in the currency market version of Pax Americana.
Emerging markets debt held its ground in the first quarter, but staying ahead means staying selective. We’re reassessing positioning across high-, low-, and frontier-beta currencies and rates as trade tensions and U.S. policy inject fresh uncertainty.
The "One Big Beautiful Bill" tax-and-spending plan was passed by the House of Representatives and now moves on to the Senate. Here's what's in it.
The Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, recently announced he will be stepping down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
A lot of people are worried about the level of US interest rates. “I think we should be afraid of the bond market,” billionaire investor Ray Dalio said last week.
Matching assets to long-term liabilities without compromising on return potential can be a challenge for insurers with long-duration liabilities.
There is still a wide divergence between hard and soft data, and a recovery in the latter is likely to be weak absent a meaningful reduction in policy uncertainty.
Markets have recovered from their post-Liberation Day sell-off. Investors are feeling better about the outlook. But there are still clouds on the horizon.
Margin debt is the amount of money an investor borrows from their broker via a margin account. This video provides an update on FINRA's margin debt with data through April 2025.
While official estimates remain fluid and subject to change, our preliminary analysis at the time of this writing suggests that the House Reconciliation Proposal could significantly increase the national debt over the next decade.
Rising imports of glass containers are just one sign of how the US lost its manufacturing culture.
Friday’s market tremor was ignited not by economic data, which brought limited new releases, but by revived political uncertainty—specifically, President Trump’s abrupt reinvigorated tariff threats.
VettaFi’s Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth discussed the abrdn Bloomberg All Commodity Strategy K-1 Free ETF (BCI) on this week’s “ETF of the Week” podcast with Chuck Jaffe of “Money Life.”
How do you make sure your nest egg lasts as long as you do? Figuring out a safe withdrawal rate is tricky, because life is unpredictable. Markets and inflation rise and fall, tax laws change, and political philosophies come and go.
US consumer confidence rebounded sharply in May from a near five-year low as the outlook for the economy and labor market improved amid a truce on tariffs.
There’s a lot to like about the travel industry right now from an investment standpoint. You just have to know where to look.
My next few letters will share some initial thoughts from SIC organized around the major topics. Today we’ll start with inflation, and specifically the sharply different views of David Rosenberg and Jim Bianco, then balance them with some thoughts from other speakers.
Keep your market perspective in check, avoid anchoring, and focus on your investment goals rather than market volatility.
