July 08, 2019 Custom or Packaged? The Target-Date Choice Revisited by Jennifer DeLong, Andrew Stumacher Many plan sponsors wrestle with the decision of choosing—or changing—a target-date solution. Is a packaged product appropriate for plan participants, or are there advantages to using a custom solution? Or is there perhaps another choice? Business Owners, Multi-Asset, Target-Date Solutions Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
April 23, 2019 Misreading the Signs: Is Yield-Curve Inversion a False Alarm? by Sharat Kotikalpudi The US yield curve dipped into inverted territory recently. But that’s not necessarily a bad omen for equities. There are several important warning signals—and lately the yield curve’s slope is the only one flashing red. Multi-Asset Likes 1 SHARE Bookmarks
April 02, 2019 Emerging Markets: Don’t Be Spooked by Bleak Headlines by Morgan Harting Signs of a recovery in emerging markets early this year have given way to worries about China’s economic slowdown and sluggish growth in Europe and Japan. But beyond the negative headlines we think many risks that weighed on the market last year have faded and the earnings outlook is relatively strong. Fixed Income, Multi-Asset Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
January 14, 2019 It’s Different This Time: Risk Is Up and Here to Stay by Daniel J. Loewy, Caglasu Altunkopru, Martin Atkin Investors are likely to remember 2018 as the end of the era of easy money, low volatility and steady margin expansion. Investing will be more challenging in 2019—and diversification will be more important than ever. Multi-Asset, Volatility Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
January 08, 2019 DC Plan Participants Voice Their Interest in Responsible Investing by Jennifer DeLong In our new survey, DC plan participants voice their interest in aligning their retirement investments with their ethics. But the Department of Labor has apparently put up some roadblocks that cause DC plan sponsors to hesitate. Multi-Asset, Responsible Investing/ESG, Target-Date Solutions Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
January 03, 2019 Don’t Rely on Cheap Oil to Power Equity Markets by Sharat Kotikalpudi It’s taken for granted in financial circles that lower oil prices are a boon for stocks, as they fuel an economy-boosting cycle in which money saved at the pump ultimately flows to the market. But oil prices that are too low could be too much of a good thing. Multi-Asset, Volatility Likes 1 SHARE Bookmarks
October 25, 2018 Living the Retirement Dream? by Jennifer DeLong Retirement reality for many Americans may not be as grim as forecasters predict. Could it be better? Yes. But many retirees in our new survey see a glass that’s more than half full. Multi-Asset, Target-Date Solutions Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
August 30, 2018 How Contagious Is Turkey? by Morgan Harting, Christian DiClementi The Turkish lira has dropped 38% as of August 28, putting pressure on inflation as well as the country’s debt-heavy corporations and banks. Investor jitters have spread over the past week to some other emerging markets and European banks with Turkish exposure, but we don’t expect contagion to expand much further from here. Currency, Emerging Markets, Fixed Income, Multi-Asset, Volatility Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
July 11, 2018 Is All-Passive Really the Best Thing for Target-Date Funds? by Christopher Nikolich With market returns expected to be lower going forward, target-date funds that invest in passively managed underlying components are at risk of underdelivering. We think diversifying beyond traditional asset classes and tapping alpha opportunities with a multi-manager structure can increase the chances of success. Active & Passive , Multi-Asset, Target-Date Solutions Likes 2 SHARE Bookmarks
June 22, 2018 Four Reasons Why It’s Time to Get Real About Inflation by Vinod Chathlani, Brian Resnick, Karen Watkin With the global economy moving into its late-cycle stages, we think it’s a good time to bolster portfolio inflation protection by embracing several recently unloved investments—including natural resources and commodities. Asset Allocation, Inflation, Multi-Asset Likes 1 SHARE Bookmarks
May 21, 2018 Income…but at What Cost? by Morgan Harting, Karen Watkin There are a lot of suggestions these days about where to get extra income, but less discussion about the cost attached to it. A diversified multi-asset approach can help—and provide additional growth potential. But how it’s designed matters. Multi-Asset Likes 1 SHARE Bookmarks
March 21, 2018 Do Your Target-Date Funds Measure Up to Rising Rates? by Jennifer DeLong, Daniel J. Loewy, Christopher Nikolich Rising US interest rates could pose a challenge for target-date funds (TDFs) that concentrate on “core” US fixed-income exposure. Diversifying across a broad range of bond markets and strategies can create a cushion in a rising-rate environment. Multi-Asset, Target-Date Solutions Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks
February 28, 2018 With Target-Date Funds, History Does Repeat by Jennifer DeLong Target-date funds played a big part in helping defined contribution (DC) plan participants stay invested through February’s market turmoil. And history does repeat: in the severe 2008–09 financial crisis, these funds kept many participants positioned to take part in a lengthy bull market. Multi-Asset, Target-Date Solutions Likes 0 SHARE Bookmarks