Wealth Management
Cerulli Associates' recent report predicts substantial growth for structured notes, debt securities linked to underlying assets, in the upcoming year, prompting advisors to take heed of this emerging trend.
Despite their reputation for being illiquid, inaccessible, and costly, structured notes are gaining traction, with only about 22 percent of advisors currently incorporating them into their strategies, but the landscape is changing, with roughly 8 percent of advisors planning to adopt structured notes within the next year matching industry standards with the likes of hedge funds and private debt.
While alternative investments pose challenges for many clients, Cerulli's findings reveal advisors' concerns about the lack of liquidity and product complexity associated with structured notes, alongside hurdles related to expenses and subscription/redemption processes. Nonetheless, asset managers are adapting by targeting retail investors and partnering with advisory firms to introduce structured notes capabilities. Advisors could be missing out on a key alternative to improve the performance of clients portfolios.
Finsum: Liquidity concerns should come down as the interest rate schedule becomes more certain and advisors should consider assets that are traditionally less liquid such as structured notes.
Last year, assets in passive mutual funds and ETFs overtook assets in active mutual funds and ETFs. This is remarkable considering that passive funds accounted for 31% of total assets in 2015. The trend has been gaining steam since 2008 due to the strong performance of market-cap, weighted indices, and a greater preference for lower fees.
In 2023, only 47% of active managers outperformed their passive benchmarks. Over the last decade, only 12% of active managers have survived and outperformed their benchmarks. Due to this, it’s not surprising to see that passive strategies are being adopted in separately managed and unified accounts. Currently, it accounts for 32% of assets in these accounts and is forecast to grow at a 12% rate over the next 4 years, faster than growth in ETFs and mutual funds.
Direct indexing is a customizable, passive investing strategy. It’s designed to track a benchmark but allows for customization for tax purposes or to align investments with a client’s values. According to research, direct indexing can add between 85 and 110 basis points to a portfolio’s after-tax returns.
Direct indexing also allows advisors to offer clients more personalization while retaining the benefits of passive investing. Already, asset managers and custodians are responding by offering direct indexing solutions at scale to advisors.
Finsum: Passive strategies have overtaken actively managed strategies in terms of their share of assets. Direct indexing is one factor, as it is a way for advisors to retain the benefits of investing in an index with greater customization and tax efficiency
A major trend in wealth management is personalization. Due to new technology, financial advisors are now able to offer customized products and solutions without sacrificing scalability. It can help clients reach their financial goals while also creating a stronger relationship between advisors and clients.
A survey conducted of high net worth investors by PwC showed that 66% are interested in more personalization, while 46% are looking to change or add new advisors within the next couple of years. For advisors, offering personalized solutions will be increasingly important in terms of recruiting and retaining clients.
Personalization is also impacting model portfolios. Until recently, most model portfolios were built around the traditional portfolio, combining stocks and bonds, which limited customization. Now, there are more options to customize model portfolios, including factors, themes, and values.
According to research from MSCI, wealth managers can allocate to these strategies without worrying that they would have an adverse impact on a portfolio in terms of returns or diversification. Further, these model portfolios are customized but still retain their core benefits. For advisors, this means spending less time on investment management and more time on client service, financial planning, and growing the business.
Finsum: Personalization is a major trend in wealth management. Now, model portfolios can be customized, which brings a variety of benefits for advisors and clients without having an adverse impact on returns or diversification.
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Prudential conducted a survey of 198 financial advisors to gain insight on how they are investing and constructing portfolios for retirees. 80% use separate portfolios that are specifically designed for retirees. Additionally, the use of targeted portfolios was higher among advisors who were more knowledgeable about planning for retirement.
Another takeaway from the survey is that 50% of retirees prefer to live off of income from their portfolios. Thus, advisors need to ensure that their portfolios generate income for clients while balancing other factors like total return and diversification.
In terms of asset classes for retirement portfolios, advisors favored long-term fixed income, US large-cap stocks, and TIPS. Advisors who were more knowledgeable about retirement planning favored long-term bonds and TIPS to a greater degree than less knowledgeable advisors.
The survey also showed that most advisors are constructing retirement portfolios themselves or with the assistance of third-party recommendations or allocators. Advisors with less knowledge about the subject were more likely to outsource portfolio construction.
Most advisors are helping clients plan for retirement by optimizing for goals such as flexibility in spending or timeframe. This is in contrast to other approaches, which include using a bucket strategy or segmenting the portfolio into different strategies for different purposes.
Finsum: Prudential conducted a survey of financial advisors. Those with more knowledge about retirement planning favored long-term bonds and tend to use differentiated strategies.
Bonds are generally lagging behind this year, with the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index down by 3% year-to-date as of April 2022. Municipal bonds are similarly affected, with the ICE AMT-Free US National Municipal Index showing a 1% decline since the year's start. However, pockets of strength exist within the municipal bond space, particularly in high-yield offerings like the VanEck High Yield Muni ETF (HYD), which has seen nearly a 1% increase year-to-date.
Despite the higher risk associated with high-yield bonds, HYD maintains a balanced risk profile, with a significant portion of its portfolio allocated to investment-grade bonds. Offering a 30-day SEC yield of 4.49%, HYD presents an attractive option for investors seeking enhanced yield opportunities, particularly those comfortable with added risk and in higher tax brackets.
Overall, high-yield munis could serve as a credible alternative to junk corporate bonds, especially considering their relative resilience amid rising interest rates and the potential for enhanced returns compared to traditional municipal bond funds.
Finsum: Munis market is capitalizing on the current environment and investors don’t want to miss out.
Amid ongoing concerns over inflation, the Federal Reserve opted to maintain its key interest rate at its highest level in over a decade, ranging between 5.25% and 5.5%. Despite solid economic expansion and strong job gains, the central bank noted a persistent lack of progress toward its 2% inflation target. Annual inflation rates remained elevated, with the consumer price index registering at 3.5%, driven primarily by surging housing and insurance costs.
Although there is optimism about reaching the 2% inflation goal, economists caution that significant progress is still needed. The Fed's strategy of keeping interest rates elevated to curb inflation has yielded mixed results, with inflation rates plateauing between 3% and 4% after initial declines. Complex factors, including rising costs passed on by insurance companies and varying consumer spending behaviors, contribute to the inflationary pressures beyond the Fed's control.
While concerns about the labor market and future business conditions persist, analysts believe the likelihood of a recession remains low. Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized the ongoing uncertainty, indicating a cautious approach to monetary policy adjustments in the near term.
Finsum: Expect rates to hold steadier than markets might expect with this stubborn of inflation.