Today on the podcast, Ben Vaske is joined by Jason Mertz from AllianceBernstein. Jason Mertz is a Vice President and Investment Strategist for AB’s Municipals team, covering all mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and separately managed account solutions. He works extensively with the firm’s portfolio management, credit research and trading team to monitor and communicate portfolio positioning and analysis to clients around the US. Prior to joining AB in 2016, Mertz worked at BlackRock as a separately managed account analyst. He holds a BA in finance and international business from Muhlenberg College.

Key Takeaways

• What is Jason’s favorite home-cooked meal or recipe?
• Learn about Jason’s career journey and how he ended up in his current role at AllianceBernstein.
• Did being the captain of his lacrosse team in college teach Jason any lessons that he has carried forward to the present day?
• What were some of the drivers behind the underperformance of Municipal bonds for the first 7-8 months of the year?
• If Jason  is not seeing great opportunities in the Municipal bond market, are there other areas in the market that he can lean into and what would spark him to do that?
• As an active manager, how is Jason thinking about balancing all of the unique risks present in today’s environment?
• How is Jason generally viewing broad, municipal credit health right now? Are there any real pockets of concern around the credit space?
• As Jason is thinking about his outlook for the next 12 months or so, how do Municipal bonds fit into the portfolio and where is he seeing that part of the portfolio acting in the next year?
• What is some of the proactive tax management that Jason and his team at AB are doing?
• What kind of technology and tools does AllianceBernstein use to allow them to manage tax-aware  SMA’s for their plethora of clients?
• Learn more about AB’s advisor partnership model and how it works within the broader Orion community.
• When someone thinks of AllianceBernstein Municipal Bonds, what should be the first thing they think about? Also, as they think about partnerships what is the key takeaway there as well?

Links

• Jason Mertz on LinkedIn
• Alliance Bernstein

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Jason Mertz: Air Fryer Salmon Recipe

Ingredients: Salmon, Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Soy Sauce, Teriyaki and Lemon (optional)

1. Boil water and pour over the skin of the salmon for easy removal of the skin (salmon hack!)
2. Cube the salmon into 1 inch pieces and toss into a bowl
3. Marinate the salmon with salt, pepper, garlic, soy sauce, and a touch of teriyaki. Lemon squeeze optional
4. Toss the Cubes into the air fryer for 8-10 minutes (I normally rotate halfway through)
5. ENJOY! The salmon should be crispy on the outside with a soft center.

Disclosure(s)

Wealth management services provided by Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC (“OPS”), a registered investment advisor. Orion OCIO services provided by TownSquare Capital, LLC (“TSC”), a registered investment advisor. OPS and TSC are affiliates and wholly owned subsidiaries of Orion Advisor Solutions, Inc.

Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC d/b/a Brinker Capital Investments a registered investment advisor. 

This podcast is sponsored by BlackRock, Inc. Orion Advisor Solutions, Inc. (“Orion”) or its affiliates and subsidiaries received compensation from BlackRock, Inc. for the placement of this advertisement content. BlackRock, Inc. and Orion are not affiliated companies, and the advertisement is not a recommendation or endorsement by Orion for any of the services referenced or provided.

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