Gaining Perspective

Over the last two weeks, our collective focus has been on the equity markets. But the sharp drop in prices among U.S. stocks has been matched by a dramatic spike in municipal bond yields. That has created a compelling, but little-noticed opportunity to buy safe, highly rated muni bonds at exceptional spreads to U.S. Treasury bonds.

When this podcast was recorded, on March 11, U.S. equities were down 13.7% since February 21, when the threat of the coronavirus infected the markets. At best, advisors are faced with clients asking what this means for their future. At worst, clients are calling to demand that advisors sell and de-risk their portfolios. My guest and I will focus on the importance of client communication, especially in today's market conditions. What can advisors do to keep their clients calm and informed in the "panic" we've seen recently?

My guest today is Dave Whitaker, who is president of Foreside. Foreside provides a suite of services and a platform-based model to automate and simplify compliance and distribution for asset management firms. Dave is going to talk to about some of the latest developments in the regulatory arena, including form CRS, and what they mean for advisors.

Our topic today is multi-asset class and multi-factor-equity strategies. One of the leaders in that field is QS Investors. It offers a quantitative approach that unites the intellectual and academic precision of science, engineering, mathematics, and finance and investment expertise with the power of data and technology.

There is an income challenge for advisors that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Virtus ETFs offer a distinctive and innovative solution to that problem, which is a collection of non-traditional income-oriented investment strategies that provide investors the potential for higher levels of income.

In recent years, U.S. stocks have far outperformed international stocks, and growth stocks have far outperformed value stocks. That has led many to question the benefits of diversification and ask what they should do when an investment strategy performs poorly. This podcast will answer that question.

In today’s low-interest-rate environment, a pervasive challenge for advisors is the need for income-oriented solutions for clients, especially those at or nearing retirement. That need has led many to seek high-risk sectors of the bond and equities markets. The consequences of those decisions could be disastrous for investors. So we are going to look at another solution.

We are here to talk about hedge fund replication and how advisors can access hedge fund strategies without the burdensome cost and illiquidity of alternative investment classes.

SSGA issued the first ETF in 1993 and today is a dominant leader in the ETF industry. It offers the world’s biggest ETF, SPY, with $314 billion in assets. From sectors and smart beta to fixed income, SSGA has relentlessly pursued new ways to solve client's most complex investment challenges.

Advisors Asset Management (AAM) is a leading provider of income-generating investment solutions. It entered the ETF market in 2017 and offers investors an innovative high dividend value strategy across domestic, emerging and international developed markets. These ETFs focus on income and value, seeking to help investors meet their current cash flow and future capital appreciation goals.