(Silicon Valley)

Fintech Company Upstart experienced a rally reminiscent of the Reddit-fueled GameStop frenzy weeks back as its stock jumped…read the full story on our partner Magnifi’s site

(New York)

The Pandemic has shifted the paradigm for many investors as they look to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) to make up…read the full story on our partner Magnifi’s site

(Washington)

Investors may fear it, but we all know the big tax package is coming. Personal income tax rates, and likely business rates will rise. State and local taxes will be affected too. So one big question is how this will pay out for muni bonds. The answer, at least according to Franklin Templeton, is that munis are going to do great. The reason why could not be simpler: with tax rates rising, the relative value of munis rises since their tax exempt status because relatively more valuable.

FINSUM: Anxiety about the forthcoming tax plan is rising, and that is a great tailwind for munis. Couple that with the fact that Democrats are more in favor of federal support for municipalities and you have a great combination for muni bonds.

(New York)

Interest rates are still very low. So low that retirees are being starved of income. With that in mind, some are employing annuities in unique ways to help increase interest income. In particular, one strategy being employed for older investors who want to boost income in the “safety” portion of their portfolio is to use multi-year guaranteed annuities (MYGAs) to boost interest income. MYGAs typically pay well in excess of what CDs and other cash management products pay. This is because the insurer behind the annuity can invest the capital in a diversified portfolio, including longer-term holdings. MYGAs are not FDIC insured like CDs, but they do come with contractual guarantees and are often from companies with great credit ratings.

FINSUM: This is a very good strategy for certain investors who can afford to tie up capital in an annuity and are looking for ultra-safe but above-market interest income relative to similar instruments.

(New York)

Most investors had their eyes on growth, particularly in the rebound of the pandemic, but things are starting to look good for value stocks. Investors at Columbia Threadneedle Investments said that stimulus from the Fed and Government put investors' value metrics on pause, but as the economy continues to normalize and rates rise, value stocks will be the beneficiaries. Companies like Citizens Financial Group Inc., United Community Banks Inc., and Sunstone Hotel Investor Inc. are all small-cap value companies that Tugman of Columbia Thread Needle finds attractive. P/E ratios are better for small and mid-cap value stocks, and are trading at heavy discounts compared to the broad S&P.

FINSUM: As life returns to normal stocks might do the same, which would be a return of value investing and attractive price-to-earnings ratios.