The events of the past year have reinforced the importance of being financially prepared for unexpected emergencies. Retirement Director Ben Rizzuto discusses some of the options – both inside and outside of retirement plans – that are available for plan sponsors and business owners to help employees build up adequate savings.

With higher government bond yields looking increasingly likely, Head of U.S. Fixed Income Greg Wilensky explains why investors should consider how much interest rate risk they have in their portfolios, and make sure it is appropriate for their needs.

In this Q&A, Portfolio Managers Jason England, Nick Maroutsos and Dan Siluk discuss the factors shaping credit markets, from central bank support to potential resilience from financials.

Key Takeaways
 - Corporate earnings and cash flows are under strain, but while defaults are likely to increase, they should continue to be largely contained to sub-investment-grade issuers.
 - Massive and proactive central bank support measures have injected confidence into markets, but this does not preclude sporadic bouts of future volatility and warrants a selective approach.
 - We believe more resilient opportunities are likely to be found in higher-quality, shorter-dated investment-grade issues and continue to favor financial sector bonds and corporates with defensive attributes.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that rising unemployment would have discouraged consumers from making large contractual obligations like buying a new home, but the pandemic has affected the way many Americans think about housing. Portfolio Managers John Kerschner and Nick Childs discuss why this is happening and what it could mean for bond investors.

The stabilization of U.S. economic growth amid unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus has raised questions about the likelihood of inflation returning. Global Head of Fixed Income Jim Cielinski explains why he does not see significant risk of sustained higher inflation materializing in the next few years – but cautions that short-term spikes are possible and that investors should evaluate the diversification that their fixed income portfolios provide.

As employment in the U.S. begins to recover following the devastating job losses incurred during the first few months of the pandemic, some younger adults are now seeing their job searches bear fruit. In the second of a two-part series, Retirement Director Ben Rizzuto outlines three steps to help those who have recently started new careers stay on track to their long-term financial goals.

While the U.S. job market is slowly recovering from the soaring unemployment rates seen in April and May, it remains an exceptionally challenging environment – particularly for young adults who were preparing to enter the workforce just as COVID hit. In the first of a two-part blog post, Retirement Director Ben Rizzuto offers actionable strategies for young adults who may find their career prospects dimmed in today’s job market.

Fed policymakers will not tighten monetary policy until inflation remains above 2% and job gains are robust.

Lower CLO issuance and slowing loan downgrades, along with some attractive yields, have produced value in certain CLOs.