A little forward thinking, anyone? Surely, now, there must be some…

Either way, as reported in a Global Market Insights Inc research study, by 2032, it’s anticipated the alternative financing market valuation will surge past $40 billion, according to globenewswire.com.

The trigger? The financial industry’s been revolutionized by grease lighting strides in tech – especially fintech. Borrowers and investors have been in the position to link up directly, with no use of intermediaries. You can attribute that to alternative financing platforms taking advantage of technology to dispense services that are efficient and user friendly.

Furthermore, from anywhere – and at any time -- borrowers and investors can take part in alternative financing transactions fueled by the popularity of online platforms and mobile apps, according to hk.finance.yahoo.com.

Industry trends also are being cultivated by regulatory frameworks set by governments and financial authorities.

Going….going…..gone.

Nope; no precious four baggers here. Instead, ESG recently took something of a hit as the United Nations convened a climate alliance for insurers, according to reuters.com. A minimum of three additional departures – including the chair of the group – took place. What had them heading for the exits? Opposition from U.S. Republicans pols.

As of the time of this report, on May 25, that meant at least seven members of the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance had bid the group adieu, with five of the eight founding signatories included. NZIA was founded in 2021.

Over the past year, in terms of reaching decisions evolving around investments, negativity stemming from the contemplation of EGS factors has dominated the landscape, according to weforum.org.

The invasion of Ukraine, inflation and, in some parts of the world, a spike in populism, have aroused criticism surrounding ESG.

The caveat: integral to abetting the swing to a greener, more sustainable future hinges on investing that’s truly sustainable and, consequently, shouldn’t be shucked aside.

Even so, the period of negative scrutiny in so much as arriving at investment decisions generated by ESG factors, has been unprecedented.

Every year, there are countless innovations in wealth management but only a few prove to have staying power and become a disruptive force. It’s increasingly clear that direct indexing is here to stay given its massive growth over the last couple of years.

It also serves a unique niche, because it offers the benefits of index investing with more customization and tax savings. According to a report from Cerulli Associates, direct indexing is expected to continue growing at a similar pace over the next decade due to these reasons. And, it’s especially useful for investors who want to prioritize tax loss harvesting and ESG. 

The report also shows that there’s considerable room for growth given that only 14% of advisors are aware of it and recommending it to their clients. However, the firm is confident in its growth especially as fee-based models continue to take market share. It forecasts 12.3% growth over the next 5 years.

Given its usefulness and newness, direct indexing is one way that advisors can differentiate themselves. It can also help create a more personalized experience for clients which can lead to more loyalty and retention. 

FinSum: Direct indexing is expected to continue rapidly growing over the next decade, and it’s particularly beneficial for tax loss savings and ESG investing. 

A perplexing situation is the sanguine state of volatility despite a torrent of risks and negative headlines such as deep stress in the banking system due to an inverted yield curve, rising recession risk, inflation, a hawkish Fed, geopolitical concerns, and a looming debt ceiling deadline. 

In Barron’s, Lauren Foster covered some recent comments from Vanguard on the debt ceiling and its impact on volatility. According to the asset manager, more volatility is likely but there’s little to worry about in terms of a default on the debt as it believes an agreement will be reached. However, it sees volatility rising into the deadline.

It also believes that the deadline could be shifted later or that a temporary agreement could be reached. Even if a technical default happens, it’s unlikely that the US would not meet its obligations but it could affect the timing of a payment. But, the asset manager doesn’t think that investors should worry about this scenario. Instead, they should focus on good risk management practices and sticking to their long-term investment plan. 

Finsum: Volatility has remained subdued despite the market facing considerable risks. Vanguard shares its perspective on the matter and how a debt ceiling breach would play out.

2023 has been quite different compared to 2022 especially from a financial markets perspective. Due to raging inflation and a hawkish Fed, 2022 saw weakness in both stocks and bonds. In contrast, both asset classes have delivered positive returns in 2023 YTD despite significant and continued headwinds.

This is particularly the case for active fixed income. In an article for the Financial Times, Madison Darbyshire and Harriet Agnew highlight how large asset managers have been increasing allocations to the category as they look to lock in higher rates with the Fed in the final innings of its rate hikes. Analysts are noting demand from institutional and retail investors, across the active fixed income spectrum. 

In 2022, $332 billion moved out of the category, but 2023 has already seen inflows of $100 billion in the first third of the year. This trend is expected to only strengthen with active fixed income ETFs expected to continue taking a larger share of the fixed income and ETF universes. According to State Street CEO Yie-Hsin Hung, "It feels like the beginning stages of what happened in equities.”

Finsum: After a poor 2022, inflows into active fixed income are sharply higher as they look to lock in higher rates given the end of the Fed’s tightening and increasing odds of a recession.