Wealth Management
Southeast Asian wealth manager StashAway and Blackrock announced that the two firms will partner to offer a suite of multi-asset model portfolios. The portfolios will be managed by StashAway and built using Blackrock’s analytics and ETFs. StashAway launched in 2017 with its own General Investing portfolios but has since expanded its offerings to include ESG investing, thematic portfolios, and cash growth. The new partnership will provide Asia-based investors access to BlackRock’s investment capabilities through StashAway’s platform. Investors will be able to choose from three investing strategies optimized for long-term risk-adjusted returns. StashAway’s General Investing portfolio optimizes for long-term risk-adjusted returns while keeping risks constant. Its Responsible Investing portfolio follows the same strategy but is also optimized for ESG impact. The third portfolio, which will be powered by BlackRock, is a long-term investment strategy offering broader diversification for investors.
Finsum:AsianDigital wealth managerStashAway has partnered with BlackRock to provide investors access to multi-asset portfolios built using Blackrock’s analytics and ETFs.
As investors grapple with inflation and economic uncertainty, there is one industry that has been outperforming the market, and that’s cybersecurity. While most technology companies have cautioned investors about slower corporate spending, cybersecurity firms are still seeing massive demand. For instance, CrowdStrike and SentinelOne, both recently increased their forecasts for this year. While cybersecurity has always been important, companies are now even more concerned about system vulnerabilities due to an increase in cyber-attacks amidst the war in Ukraine. In addition, the advent of remote and hybrid working arrangements has also increased the demand for cybersecurity solutions. While companies can trim spending on software items such as CRM, cybersecurity is too important to risk. The minute a company lets up, they are at risk of a ransomware attack. This has resulted in the Global X Cybersecurity ETF (BUG) outperforming the NASDAQ this year.
Finsum:While other software companies are seeing slowing demand, the sheer necessity of cybersecurity has resulted incybersecurity ETFs outperforming the NASDAQ this year.
RBC Wealth Management’s aggressive recruiting has landed another team. The firm was able to lure Coatoam Wealth Management Group, a $560 million team, away from Merrill Lynch. The team, which is led by Managing Director Brian Coatoam, is joining RBC in their new office in Winter Park, FL. Coatoam has been in the industry for 24 years. He got his start with Advantage Trading Group and worked for Morgan Stanley before joining Merrill Lynch. He leads a six-person team, which includes two Certified Financial Planners, Derek Grimm, and Ryan Plank. RBC, like many firms, is pushing expansion in Florida as the state lures more wealthy investors due to a lack of income and capital gains taxes. RBC had previously announced a father-son advisor team joining its office in Palm Gardens and in January the firm recruited a $1 billion Florida team from Truist.
Finsum:With more wealthy investors moving to Florida, RBC continues its aggressive expansion in the state by recruiting a $560 million Merrill Lynch team.
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One of the most popular allocations for model portfolios in recent history has been the 60/40 model. A classic allocation with 60% invested in stocks and 40% invested in bonds. Until recently, this model has generated stable returns for investors. However, this year’s brutal returns for both the equity and fixed income markets have investors wondering if the traditional 60/40 model provides adequate protection. In most previous equity downturns, investors have been able to count on bond instruments to hedge negative equity performance due to an inverse relationship between stock returns and bond yields. But this year, investors have been faced with both a down stock market and a hawkish Fed, leading to losses in both asset classes. This has made the 60/40 model seem outdated as of late. While the 60/40 model may not be dead yet, investors may want to consider model portfolios with additional asset classes in the current market environment.
Finsum:With a down stock market and a hawkish Fed, investors may want to reconsider the 60/40 model portfolio.
Based on comments made at the Fed's Jackson Hole conference, volatility is here to stay. Many of the economic policymakers who spoke at the conference believe we are entering into a highly volatile economic period. If the last few years, which have included inflation, supply chain disruptions, and back-and-forth growth, weren’t enough, we are likely to see more frequent and larger shocks in the years to come. Plus, the continued hawkish stance from Fed chair Jerome Powell means a reversal in Fed policy isn’t likely any time soon. This means more volatility in the market for the foreseeable future. Investors can no longer rely on central bank rate cuts to support markets during downturns. The Fed is now expected to raise interest rates another 75 basis points during its next policy meeting in September. According to CME Group data, approximately 75% of traders are now pricing a third consecutive increase of 75 basis points.
Finsum:Based on comments made at the Fed's Jackson Hole conference, investors can expect continued economic and market volatility for months and even years to come.
The American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) has put its support behind a lawsuit challenging the Labor Department’s subsequent guidance on the fiduciary rule. The ACLI is the nation’s largest life insurance trade association. The group added an amicus brief to an ongoing lawsuit by the Federation of Americans for Consumer Choices against the DOL. The suit, which was filed in March, claimed that agents “oftentimes make rollover recommendations for purchase of annuities to IRA owners and participants in employer-sponsored 401k and similar benefit plans, for which they receive commissions or other compensation from annuity issuers.” The concern is that these agents will be adversely affected by the DOL’s new interpretation of the Fiduciary Rule that categorizes their status as investment advice fiduciaries under ERISA. ACLI believes that the new interpretation would achieve the same outcome as the 2016 Fiduciary Rule, which was rejected in the Fifth Circuit court. ACLI was one of the lead plaintiffs in that decision.
Finsum:The American Council of Life Insurers has put its support behind an ongoing lawsuit against the DOL and their new interpretation of the Fiduciary Rule.