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Sustainable Investing
International Women’s Day: Women at the heart of the COVID-19 recovery
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We celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day whilst at a critical juncture for global gender equality.Although recent years have seen progress on, for example, female presentation in leadership positions, the Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare and deepened already existing inequities
Retirement
Can I invest my IRA in this?
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Alternative assets, such as cryptocurrencies, art, private equity and more, have seen a surge in press coverage over the past decade, to the point that many of these alternative investments have become more mainstream than ever before.
Retirement
Adapting to the changing landscape of income
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Retirement is, for many, the culmination of their life’s work. As their financial advisor, you’ve been helping your clients strategize and plan for that milestone. But what happens if what you’ve been planning for changes right before the goal line? We’re seeing that today in the world of retirement income.
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.
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.
Policy and Regulatory Commentary
COVID-19 isn’t going away
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Colossal policy responses in the second quarter reassured investors that the U.S. economy can weather the COVID-19 downturn, with a relatively quick return to risk assets pushing the S&P 500® up 20.5% for the period, its best quarter since 1998. After bottoming in March, U.S. stocks rose as much as 44% before the rally stalled a bit over the last few weeks of the quarter. We saw a few signs of hesitation for more policy among lawmakers as indicators improved, but overall both Congress and the Federal Reserve (Fed) remain prepared to do more.
Policy and Regulatory Commentary
The U.S.-China relationship in a changing global economy
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An inevitable blame game between the U.S. and China has followed COVID-19, but the crisis has really just extended the “trust deficit” that has been steadily building between the two countries in recent years. Though the “Phase One” agreement between the countries remains intact, it is very fragile and China is turning to a more domestic focus. The U.S.-China relationship, however, remains pivotal for the global economy, and in our mini-forum devoted to the topic, we began with a discussion of the relationship from China’s perspective.
Policy and Regulatory Commentary
U.S. presidential election outlook
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As the 2020 election season heats up and President Trump’s odds of winning continue to run cold, we believe it is important to understand the investment implications of a potential change in government versus the status quo. We have outlined the policy implications of the three most likely election outcomes: a Democratic sweep, a Biden presidency with a Republican Senate and a Trump presidency with a Republican Senate. This analysis assumes that Democrats hold the House, which we believe is highly likely.
Behavioral Finance
Creativity, economics and life with Russ Roberts
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For many, economics is viewed only through the lens of numbers. But what can economics teach us about planning and making life decisions?
Russ Roberts joins the podcast to discuss the intersection of economics and life. From embracing uncertainty to evaluating financial tradeoffs, Russ will help broaden your perspective and apply economic principles to your clients’ daily lives.
Retirement
Retirement income planning in the “new normal”
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Retirement policy, interest rates and market volatility have made retirement planning more challenging for clients and advisors alike. What are the philosophies, opportunities and challenges you need to be aware of to help your clients navigate decumulation in today’s environment?
In this episode, we’re joined by Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research at Carson Coaching and co-creator of the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) designation. Jamie discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with creating retirement income in this new environment, including how to help shift the mindset of individuals to adapt to these changes.The IRS recently announced that it will allow plan sponsors to pay out pensions as a lump sum to plan participants. In this video BMO Global Asset Management discusses what considerations should be made by plan sponsors and plan participants before choosing lump sum as an option.