Envestnet Institute
Curated educational content to accelerate your practice in an evolving industry.
Editor’s Picks & Trending
Sustainable Investing is No Longer Just Trendy - It's Table Stakes
To say 2020 was a strong year for sustainable investing would be an understatement. Not only were there prodigious fl ows into sustainable strategies, such as ESG (environmental, social and governance) funds, sustainable strategies outperformed non-sustainable strategies during the market turmoil – providing validation that incorporating ESG data and analytics can help manage both portfolio risk and returns.
Inflation: Much discussed but rarely witnessed
Alongside the prospect for a strong economic recovery, a growing debate has sprung up around the path of inflation and whether it could derail growth.
[Webinar] How to thrive in uncertain times
2020 brought unprecedented challenges, but despite the disruptions many have thrived in this environment. Find out how to overcome today’s obstacles and focus on building tomorrow’s success.
“No Jules, It’s High-Yield Bonds”
If you think back on Wall Street in the ‘80s, a few things come to mind: the ‘87 Crash (the S&P 500 was up that year), a secular bull market, interest rates in the teens, the movie Wall Street, corporate raiders and junk bonds.
[Webinar] Think Beyond: Building Your Business with Managed Models
The pandemic has accelerated a shift in market conditions that calls for rethinking portfolio allocations. How you respond could make a big difference for your clients and your business.
Emergency savings: Planning for the unplannable
The COVID-19 crisis exposed an already dire problem – families could not come up with money for unexpected expenses, such as replacing a flat tire or repairing a busted pipe. As such, many advisors have been reemphasizing the importance of optionality and financial wellness to help their clients and communities properly prepare for these unpredictable emergencies.
Currency Hedging Can Boost Yields and Reduce Volatility
U.S.-based bond investors who hedge the currencies of foreign bonds can obtain higher yields and mitigate portfolio volatility.
Community Investing: How To Invest In The Underserved
Community investing presents a strong opportunity for direct, meaningful, and measurable impact for an investor – and can often serve as a low-risk, high-impact component of an investment portfolio – delivering social benefit alongside financial return.
Equity and fixed income return volatility
People need no help picturing equity return volatility. Anyone invested in the equity market in the middle 2000s still likely feels the scars from the subprime mortgage crisis. Prior to that, there was the dot com burst of the early 2000s.
Fed Did Not MOVE Enough, Bond Index Suggests
We believe the Fed's 25-basis-point July cut was a policy error. The MOVE Index signaled that it was not an insurance cut.
AAM Viewpoints: Inflation and Bond Duration
Bond yields are close to all-time lows across the yield curve, current inflation rates appear not to be an issue, and the Fed has stated they will not raise rates until 2023.
The Dire Outlook for Bonds in the Wake of COVID-19
Over the coming decade or two, bonds are unlikely to fulfill their dual role of income and capital preservation. Bond investors will be forced to choose between income or capital preservation, and there is a good chance they could end up with neither.