The college journey is one of the most significant milestones for families. In this episode, John Bryson is joined by Nancy and Gail to share insights on financial planning, admissions decisions, family dynamics, and managing the emotional transition.

Together, they discuss the wide range of decisions and emotions families have to navigate, and offer practical strategies advisors can use to support clients. Here’s a snippet of the conversation.

How can advisors help parents through the college admission process?
Nancy: Meet with families early, when kids are young, to come up with a college savings plan. Then meet with them again as college approaches to set a realistic budget with the family, including the details of where that money is coming from. Advisors can also help families be clear with their children about the college budget, so they can visit appropriately priced schools and get excited about them.

What are practical ways advisors can support families in the first few months of college?
Gail: The most valuable thing an advisor can do isn't necessarily to have a financial answer ready. It’s about noticing this new development. If a client is talking about a child who just left for school, it’s worth asking further, “How’s that adjustment going for you?” and “What does this next chapter look like for you, not just for your child?” This isn't about solving anything. You just need to be one of the people in their life who notices.

Few trends have influenced markets more this year than the AI buildout, evolving policy expectations, and uncertainty in energy markets. On this timely episode with host John Bryson, Matt and Emily share their latest insights on what's ahead for investors.

They explain why economic growth and corporate earnings have remained resilient, and how equities and bonds are responding to the Fed’s evolving policy stance. The conversation also explores what’s ahead and how investors can position their portfolios. Read a snippet of the discussion below and listen to the full podcast for more insights.

1 What’s driving the momentum in global economic growth?

2 How can investors position their portfolios for what's ahead?

Matt: Investors shouldn't become too attached to any single outcome. The key is building a portfolio that can navigate multiple scenarios. In fixed income, we continue to favor corporate credit. Corporate bonds should perform reasonably well if growth remains solid. We’re positioned slightly below benchmark duration while maintaining exposure to areas such as high yield.

Although the next decade presents a significant wealth transfer opportunity, many business owners lack a formal exit or succession plan to capture the full value of their life’s work.

As investors navigate a volatile market shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, host John Bryson welcomes Jeff to discuss what it all means for bond investors.

1 What does the current macro environment mean for investors?

2 How should investors think of corporate fundamentals?

3 How can investors approach fixed income going forward?

As equity markets continue to gain momentum following a March drawdown, host John Bryson welcomes Matt to help investors make sense of the market and economy, and how to navigate an uneasy rally.

Matt shares his perspective on the drivers behind stronger-than-expected corporate earnings, portfolio concentration risks in AI, and attractive opportunities for diversification. Here’s a snippet of the conversation.

1 What’s driving stronger performance in U.S. equity earnings?

2 How can investors diversify to reduce portfolio concentration in AI?

3 Where are you seeing other opportunities right now?

As investors look to adapt portfolios to a more complex and uneven equity market, host John Bryson is joined by Josh to discuss how global long/short equity strategies can support portfolios in volatile times.

Josh shares his perspective on why volatility and dispersion can create attractive opportunities for active investors, and how long/short strategies may help manage downside risk while seeking market like returns. The conversation explores the role of active security selection and its suitability to the current environment as investors adapt to shifting market conditions. Here are some highlights from the conversation:

1 What role can global long/short strategies play in a portfolio?

Josh: We think about a global long/short strategy as a return driver. We’re trying to generate market-like returns, or better. The benchmark is the MSCI World Index, and we're targeting returns of roughly 8%-12% over a full cycle. Over time, the strategy should generate returns but behave differently. And in years when the rest of a portfolio struggles, it should perform well.

2 Why does this strategy suit the current market environment?

Josh: We’re in a longer-term inflation cycle that began during the pandemic, driven by government deficits and spending. From 2023 through 2025, inflation was settling, and we focused more on taking long positions. Coming into this year, valuations became richer, and short opportunities increased. We’re more aggressive on the short side now, particularly with emerging credit risks. On the long side, we like some tech companies tied to data center buildouts, memory companies, and metals and mining.

As investors assess both the opportunities and challenges in private credit, host John Bryson is joined by David T. Vincent, CFA, CAIA, Co-Head, Alternatives Intermediary Distribution at Manulife Investment Management, to discuss how the market has evolved and what investors should consider as they look beyond traditional asset classes.

David shares his perspective on the growth of private credit and investor concerns around liquidity and concentration. The conversation also explores asset based finance and hard asset strategies, highlighting the questions investors can ask to better understand risk, structure, and portfolio fit.

1 What’s happening in private credit today?

2 How would you address concerns of a potential bubble in private credit?

3 What alternative strategies may investors be overlooking right now?

As markets navigate energy supply disruptions and mixed economic data, Matt and Emily join the podcast to provide a timely, broad market update.

They share their perspectives on how oil supply shocks are affecting markets, how energy dynamics are influencing inflation and growth expectations, and where they see potential opportunities across equities, fixed income, and alternatives.

1 What’s driving the markets at this moment?

2 How do energy prices affect the broader economic outlook?

3 Where do you see opportunities in this environment?

Emily: We also like infrastructure, long short equity strategies, and multi alternative approaches. Infrastructure offers defensive characteristics and benefits from AI driven power demand.

After a bumpy year with shifting supply dynamics and uneven performance, the muni market has regained its footing. In this episode, host John Bryson speaks with Adam for a discussion on what’s driving improved performance and the opportunities for investors.

Adam breaks down how issuance trends, investor flows, and structural factors are shaping the market. He also shares why investors should consider munis and how active management can drive value in this environment. Here’s a quick look at the conversation:

1 What is driving the improved performance of municipal bonds?

Adam: We started the year with a bumpy backdrop. Supply had been heavy for a couple of years as municipalities faced growing infrastructure needs, the replacement of older projects, and the rising cost of labor and materials. Early in the year, the supply overwhelmed demand, but as the year went on, flows came back into the market, and demand eventually outstripped supply. What we’re seeing now is a reversion to the mean, with lighter supply and money returning. It sets us up for a more balanced environment as the rest of the year plays out.

Adam: Munis work well for investors with taxable accounts or at higher tax brackets. Beyond that, they provide diversification and risk management as they tend to be less volatile than other fixed income instruments and act as a dampener in the portfolio. They also have one of the lowest correlations with the stock market, as they’re backed by more stable state and local revenues rather than corporate earnings. And there’s also the altruistic act of supporting your community infrastructure projects.

Adam: We’re looking for bonds that we believe are priced below their intrinsic value. Then, hopefully, as they move back toward their intrinsic value, we’ll sell them and move on to the next opportunity. We take an active approach—muni bonds are one of the asset classes where active management adds the most value because it’s an incredibly inefficient market.

International equities have recently generated meaningful outperformance relative to U.S. equities, suggesting a material shift after an extended period of U.S. dominance. Host John Bryson is joined by Dean Bumbaca, CFA, portfolio manager at Axiom Investors, to discuss why international markets could continue to gain momentum and how global exposure can help investors capture these dynamic opportunities.

Dean shares insights into the most attractive investment opportunities as the global economy restructures. The conversation also touches on the AI trade, equity valuations, and the consequences of a weaker U.S. dollar for investors with U.S.-focused portfolios.

1 How would you describe Axiom’s investment approach?

2 Why should investors consider international equities in 2026?

3 What are the specific regional opportunities available in international markets?

We also see meaningful upside in defense and aerospace. Defense demand is supported by rising government budgets, while aerospace should benefit from stronger international travel, which increases aircraft utilization and drives higher maintenance needs.

In addition, we expect positive earnings momentum in European financials, supported by credible cost takeout programs that should translate into substantial capital returns over the coming years.