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Fixed Income Insights
Positioning for Higher Yields
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With higher government bond yields looking increasingly likely, Head of U.S. Fixed Income Greg Wilensky explains why investors should consider how much interest rate risk they have in their portfolios, and make sure it is appropriate for their needs.
Sustainable Investing
Global Sustainable Equity: News and Opportunities
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Reflecting on the last quarter of 2020 and looking ahead to the opportunities in the world of sustainability.
Sustainable Investing
Influencing for good: 20 years of engagement
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The way investors conduct engagement has transformed. From a niche approach largely confined to mission-orientated investors, engagement is now a mainstream investor activity. The success of the Climate Action 100+ initiative in bringing together investors, representing close to US$40 trillion in assets, shows how far we have come.
Sustainable Investing
ESG Viewpoint – COVID-19 and the pharmaceutical industry
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Public trust in the pharmaceutical industry has eroded. The pandemic provides drug-makers a chance to begin re-building their reputation – but only if they prioritise socially responsible practices.
Tax Management
2021 Financial Planning Limits and Tax Rate Schedules
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Addressing the complexities of financial planning can be difficult.
Fixed Income Insights
January 2021 Fixed Income Market Update
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A new coronavirus strain first observed in the United Kingdom, which is believed to be significantly more contagious, has spread across borders and been observed in the U.S. in several states.
Sustainable Investing
Green bonds: Financing the transition to a new economy
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Green bonds are a type of fixed income instrument where the proceeds raised are used to finance clearly defined projects that have environmental benefits. Projects financed include renewable energy, water conservation, energy efficiency, green buildings, clean transport and sustainable land use.
Sustainable Investing
Performance with principles: How can ESG investing support financial returns?
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When ethical funds were in their infancy, a common assumption was that funds that incorporate ESG characteristics, and in particular those with a strict ethical screen applied, must necessarily involve a trade-off with performance.But over time, the debate about performance has turned on its head. Increasingly, investors recognize the potential financial materiality of issues such as corporate governance, labor management and environmental performance — and history is littered with examples of companies that have neglected these issues and paid the financial price.
Retirement
Plan Talk: How to Use Client Motivations to Encourage Better Social Security Decisions
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Many American workers fear that the Social Security trust could be depleted in the not-so-distant future, which may lead some individuals to collect their benefits early – a decision that can significantly reduce their earned benefit. In this episode of Plan Talk, Retirement Director Ben Rizzuto explains research-based techniques that can be used to help ensure people more fully consider their options and make better decisions regarding when to claim this important earned benefit.
Fixed Income Insights
The Shape of Credit
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In this Q&A, Portfolio Managers Jason England, Nick Maroutsos and Dan Siluk discuss the factors shaping credit markets, from central bank support to potential resilience from financials.
Key Takeaways
- Corporate earnings and cash flows are under strain, but while defaults are likely to increase, they should continue to be largely contained to sub-investment-grade issuers.
- Massive and proactive central bank support measures have injected confidence into markets, but this does not preclude sporadic bouts of future volatility and warrants a selective approach.
- We believe more resilient opportunities are likely to be found in higher-quality, shorter-dated investment-grade issues and continue to favor financial sector bonds and corporates with defensive attributes.