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Fixed Income Insights
May 2020 Fixed Income Market Update
This piece is approved to use with clients.
In our view, the markets feel much healthier at the end of April than a month ago, but underappreciated in the improved sentiment is not only the scale of March policy action, but its continuation into April. Actions announced in April would ordinarily have remained in headlines and discussion for weeks, but the nearly half trillion dollar U.S. fiscal stimulus package has been treated almost as a footnote to its much larger cousin in March. Similarly, Fed and other central banks not only continued to implement the massive programs initiated last month, but significantly expanded on them.
Fixed Income Insights
Municipal Yields Have Converged
This piece is approved to use with clients.
Over the past several weeks, yields between short- and intermediate-term Municipal Bonds have converged. This may be an opportunity for investors to significantly reduce interest rate risk while sacrificing minimal income since shorter-term bonds typically have less sensitivity to rates.
Fixed Income Insights
Neither bulls nor bears last forever
This piece is approved to use with clients.
While bull markets don’t last forever, neither do bear markets. Since 1928, the strength and duration of S&P 500® bull markets has meaningfully outweighed that of bear markets.
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Goals/Needs-Based Investing
It’s personal: The growing need for financial wellness programs
78% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, 43% of student loan borrowers are not making payments and nearly half of all employees can’t cover a $400 emergency. In an effort to help employees understand and improve their personal financial health, many plan sponsors and their advisors are turning to workplace financial wellness programs. Phyllis Klein is a senior director at Captrust Financial Advisors, a firm that specializes in institutional advisory work. In this episode, Phyllis discusses the benefits and challenges of helping employers implement financial wellness programs for their employees.
Advisor Value & Fees
The power of designations
CFP, CPA, CLU, ChFC, RICP. You likely know what these designations are, but do your clients? And how important are these designations when prospective clients choose a financial advisor? Mike McGlothlin from the Society of Financial Service Professionals joins the podcast to discuss how designations act as a reinvestment in yourself and can provide outward credibility for your practice.
Fixed Income Insights
Did the Fed just go Minority Report?
We believe the Fed is taking a risk — one we hope works — in shifting from reactive to preemptive monetary policy. It was not that long ago that the Fed was more forthright about the uncertainty inherent in economic forecasting as Chairman Powell used the analogy of walking into a dark room and slowing down to avoid furniture as an analogy for the Fed’s situation. Today, they seem more certain that they know the future and aim to alter it.
Goals/Needs-Based Investing
Risk management: Life insurance
Talking about life insurance as part of a financial plan isn’t always easy, but it is important. What steps can you take to ensure these difficult conversations make it into your client’s financial plan?
Goals/Needs-Based Investing
Managing wealth for same-sex couples
Of course, working with same-sex clients is largely no different than working with any other group of clients, but in order to properly serve this community, advisors should understand the mindset, key issues, and changing laws and policies that directly impact their money and wealth.
Advisor Value & Fees
What am I paying you for: The evolving pricing models of advice
Change is on the horizon when it comes to fee structures, and this has many advisors and advisory firms at a crossroads. Today’s episode is all about how advisors should think about the topics of charging fees to clients – commissions, retainers, and all other sorts of models.
Behavioral Finance
Money mindset: Using behavioral economics to help investors succeed
Theory tells us that humans are generally rational beings and that they make decisions from an optimal perspective. This podcast discusses how the concept affects the investment decision-making process and how advisors can use a client’s biases to lead better conversations.
Goals/Needs-Based Investing
The Power of Women: How to reach your financial success
This piece is approved to use with clients.
While many women are incredibly on top of their finances, others feel less confident. Today we’ll spend some time talking about the questions we frequently hear from women, ask you to reflect on your personal situation and hope that you come away from our time together with an even clearer view of your financial future and your path to deeper engagement.