Op-Ed: Modernizing Fixed Income in Plan Lineups: Addressing Four Key Challenges
Self-Directed Investors Favor Equities, Especially Tech Stocks
Despite substantial market volatility, third-quarter trading volumes in self-directed brokerage accounts brokered by Charles Schwab were similar to those seen a year ago.
J.P. Morgan: Doing Well and Doing Good Are Compatible
Historically, investors tended to consider ESG factors either to increase risk-adjusted returns (doing well) or to achieve sustainable outcomes (doing good). A new analysis suggests there is no meaningful trade-off between the two when investing in public markets.
Market Watchers Focus on Inflation
Some capital markets experts say the ‘transitory message’ on inflation from the U.S. Federal Reserve is beginning to overstay its welcome.
The Bond ‘Misclassification’ Debate
Inflation Fears Ease (for Some) Amid a Murkier Market Outlook
As some investment analysts argue inflation has peaked, and that it should soon return to an average annual rate in line with recent history, others are focused on the effects of growing wage pressure and the competition for labor.
Is Bond Fund Misclassification a Serious Problem?
Investing Aggressively Doesn’t Match Saving Consistently
Results of a new analysis published by Dimensional Fund Advisors suggest that embracing higher equity exposures prior to and during retirement is an inadequate tool to manage longevity risk.
Average 401(k) Equity Allocation Surpasses 70%
The latest update of the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index shows the average asset allocation to equities rose in June to the highest level in 20 years. The index shows investors were content to watch their balances rise, as there were no days of above-normal trading activity. Average net trading activity was 0.009% of 401(k) balances, down from 0.011% in May.
Some Experts Foresee ‘Supercharged’ Recovery Coming
Sources say 2021 was already coming together as a year of very strong economic growth, and with the passage of an additional $1.9 trillion in fiscal stimulus support, a broad-based recovery could come sooner than later.
Senators Talk GameStop, Meme Stocks, Payment for Order Flow and More
Who gets to define best execution? Is T+1 or T+2 better for market stability? What even is payment for order flow? The Senate Banking Committee tackled all these questions and more at a dynamic Tuesday morning hearing.
The Future of the 60/40 Portfolio
Looking for Investment Standouts in the Current Environment
401(k) Investors Traded Exclusively Into Fixed Income in October
It was the first time in the more than 20-year history of the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index that this happened over the course of an entire month.
Can Fixed and Variable Annuities Go Together?
Investing experts say smartly pairing the two types of annuities with other investments in a retirement portfolio can deliver significantly more income compared with a traditional withdrawal strategy.
Interest Rates’ ‘New Normal’
Coronavirus Rocks Long-View Capital Market Assumptions
Comparing asset managers’ five-year capital market assumptions published in late 2019 and early 2020 with the newly updated versions being circulated today is an eye-opening exercise that underscores the staggering economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Market Observers Mixed on Where Stocks Go From Here
While the S&P 500 has recovered all its losses from the first quarter plunge, the comeback hasn’t been equal across all sectors. What comes next is anyone's guess.
FOMC Action Cements New Normal for Rates, Inflation Outlook
The economy is always evolving, says Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and so the nation’s monetary and fiscal strategies for achieving its goals must evolve as well.
401(k) Participants Barely Touched Accounts in July
However, the movement from equities to fixed income continues, according to the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index.