Twin Oak ETF Company has introduced its first fund, the Twin Oak Short Horizon Absolute Return ETF (TOAK), which started trading on the NYSE Arca on August 20, 2024. The ETF will feature active management and securities with less than one year duration. 

It caters primarily to family offices and tax-conscious investors, offering a new option in the active ETF space. According to Twin Oak CEO Zach Wainwright, the fund combines high-quality portfolio management with the tax efficiency and accessibility of an ETF. 

Co-managed by Wainwright and Greg Stoner, the ETF marks the firm's first step in bringing institutional-level strategies to a wider audience. Twin Oak's goal is to offer innovative investment solutions through a tax-aware approach.

Finsum: These absolute return strategies aren’t without risk but they can be a way to generate less correlated returns in the current environment. 

Interest rates are on the decline, yet economic growth remains steady. As the year wraps up, investors are feeling optimistic despite some slowdown in growth, which is occurring gradually rather than sharply. 

With more clarity around interest rate movements, Alliance Bernstein anticipate increased investor confidence, which should spur capital formation and boost private market transactions. Lower borrowing costs, following the sharp rise in recent years, are expected to encourage mergers and acquisitions as well as demand for middle market loans. 

Additionally, the trend of bank disintermediation is creating new opportunities for private credit investors to diversify and grow their portfolios. Overall, navigating this evolving economic landscape will require a focus on quality and thoughtful diversification to manage risks effectively.

Finsum: We expect lower rates to facilitate further expansion of private credit as there is more consumer spending to support investments. 

The investment landscape is buzzing with new possibilities as fund companies aim to make private equity more accessible to everyday investors through vehicles like interval funds. These funds are generating interest by allowing portfolios to include significant allocations to private assets, sidestepping the limitations imposed on traditional mutual funds. 

While the ability to invest in private equity within an interval fund offers diversification, the illiquid nature of these holdings presents serious challenges. Liquidity issues, compounded by venture capital structures, can severely limit the ability to trade private assets. 

Despite these hurdles, the demand for private market exposure in interval funds continues to rise, presenting both opportunities and significant risks for investors seeking to enter this space.

Finsum: If liquidity concerns are not very high then this alternative makes a lot of sense for many investors. 

A new survey by Orion reveals that financial advisors are increasingly viewing AI as an opportunity, though its adoption is still gradual. Currently, about a third of advisors are already utilizing AI in their practices, with 42% experimenting with its potential uses. 

Nearly half of advisors plan to integrate AI into their strategies within the next three years, though some remain cautious, with 36% expressing concerns about its implementation. The survey also highlights a divide in preferences for tech solutions, with a majority favoring a mix of bundled and unbundled platforms to balance efficiency and customization. 

Additionally, 84% of advisors see high-net-worth clients as critical for their firm's growth, with most actively expanding in this segment.

Finsum: Its clear that higher up the wealth chain, clients want not only AI thematically but also integrated into their services; making sure their advisors are on the cutting technological edge. 

Investors seeking high-yield dividend income have traditionally favored Dividend Aristocrats and Dividend Kings, but the rise of ETFs has created new alternatives. Many ETFs now offer competitive yields and enhanced diversification, making them attractive to income-focused investors. 

The JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPI) and Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) stand out for their strong yields and market exposure. JEPI, an actively managed fund, employs a covered call strategy and delivers monthly payouts, while SCHD, a passively managed fund, tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and provides quarterly dividends. 

Both funds have demonstrated solid performance, even in volatile markets, with JEPI boasting a 12-month yield of 7.55% and SCHD offering 3.34%. 

Finsum: ETFs offering a reliable alternative to individual dividend stocks, balancing income generation with long-term market resilience, are a great income source in the current environment.