Um, fixed income investors seemingly were more than glad to host the going away party, according to JP Morgan.com.

That’s especially in the aftermath of one of the worse years on records for bonds. The culprit? Yep; the Fed, and its hyper active barrage of rate hikes. And, yes again, the last of it should spell stability this year to the bond market. That said, investor should bear in mind:

How far will the Fed go before concluding its rate hiking campaign?

How might credit perform in a year where both economic and profit growth are set to slow?

How will impaired liquidity impact price action?

Now, on one hand, of course, with volatility comes risk. But it also can be the land of opportunity, according to lazardassetmanagement.com. Consequently, investors shouldn’t duck and dodge fixed income like a bill collector but embrace the possible upside by going eye to eye and confronting volatility.  

“In this unusual environment, we believe investors may want to move out of a passive mindset and consider investments beyond ‘plain vanilla’ bonds. By being creative, being active, and diversifying globally, investors can find fixed income solutions that may set up portfolios for the longer term with attractive return potential.”

Algo Chain, a fintech wealth management startup, is launching an AI powered toolkit subscription service which utilizes ChatGPT 3.5 Turbo. The service offers a variety of ETF model portfolios that use technical signals and macro data points to help users navigate markets and optimize asset allocation. 

The AI is designed to generate signals and suggest allocations based on historical precedent. It enables advisors to sort through thousands of ETFs to find the ideal combination of factors to suit a client’s needs. 

Given the proliferation of AI tools following the release of ChatGPT 3.0 earlier this year, it’s not surprising to see the technology applied to wealth management. The company believes that the bulk of a portfolio’s returns are due to asset allocation. Thus, it offers insight into how various asset allocations have performed in various circumstances. 

This is Algo Chain’s second model portfolio offering. Earlier this year, it launched six model portfolios in tandem with HANetf, representing various themes. It’s expected that we will continue to see a proliferation of AI-backed tools to enhance model portfolio offerings over the coming months.

Finsum: Algo Chain is launching an AI powered toolkit to help enhance and optimize ETF model portfolios offerings.

In an article for InvestmentNews, Jeff Benjamin discussed the need for succession planning especially as there are about 100,000 advisors that are expected to retire over the next decade. In total, they are estimated to control $10 trillion in assets. 

Of this group, 45% intend to transfer ownership to employees or a family member. Around 30% are looking for an external transition, while 25% do not have a firm succession plan. According to industry insiders, this is a major challenge for the industry especially as succession plans take time to prepare. Additionally, there needs to be guidelines for alternative scenarios especially as fewer young people are entering the industry.

Even in the event of a sale, there are complications and contingencies that need to be considered such as your clients’ comfort and the financing of such a transaction. With internal transitions, unexpected events can also arise such as relationships souring with prospective owners that result in a shift of strategy or advisors being recruited away to other firms. 

Finsum: Financial advisors need to have a succession plan. This is especially critical given the wave of retirements that is expected to hit over the next decade. 

In an article for MarketWatch, Morey Stettner discussed various options for alternative investments including non-traded real estate, private debt, venture capital and hedge funds. The asset class delivered strong returns in 2022 especially compared to stocks and bonds. 

Looking ahead to the next decade, alternative investments are expected to fare better especially as they offer diversification to investors with the potential for higher returns. The traditional 60/40 allocation does not seem sufficient for a higher-rate, higher-inflation regime, and alternatives could be one solution for advisors to help clients reach their goals. 

There are also some additional considerations about alternatives that advisors need to understand. For one, money isn’t immediately deployed especially in private equity and venture capital. Additionally, money often cannot be immediately redeemed, while there is less transparency about pricing in less liquid markets. 

Many investors see opportunities in private real estate and venture capital especially as savvy managers will be able to take advantage of the dislocations in these arenas. Many also believe the asset class would outperform in a recession or inflation scenario which would likely continue to be a major headwind for stocks and bonds. 

Finsum: Alternative investments continue to attract interest especially due to stocks and bonds coming off a poor year in 2022.

Fixed income: yer up.

While it was hardly a go to when rates were south, they’ve rediscovered their mojo, with a hefty infusion of capital, according to prominent investors at a recent major industry conference in Beverly Hills, reported money.usnews.com.

Fund managers at the Milken Institute Global Conference said among popular products are bond funds.

So, what’s going on? Well, given the uncertainty over interest rates, a potential recession and U.S. debt default, stocks and  real estate are getting the cold shoulder.

"Things are very different now," said Elizabeth Burton, a managing director and client investment strategist at Goldman Sachs.

"You get a good sense of consensus at these conferences," noted Katie Koch, president and CEO of investment firm TCW. "And I think people are still feeling a little too good."

Heading into the second quarter, Principal Financial Group indicated there were opportunities for investors in fixed income; that is, if they’re up to brooking rocky times in the short run. The tradeoff? Results in the long run, according to seekingalpha.com.