Southeast Asian wealth manager StashAway and Blackrock announced that the two firms will partner to offer a suite of multi-asset model portfolios. The portfolios will be managed by StashAway and built using Blackrock’s analytics and ETFs. StashAway launched in 2017 with its own General Investing portfolios but has since expanded its offerings to include ESG investing, thematic portfolios, and cash growth. The new partnership will provide Asia-based investors access to BlackRock’s investment capabilities through StashAway’s platform. Investors will be able to choose from three investing strategies optimized for long-term risk-adjusted returns. StashAway’s General Investing portfolio optimizes for long-term risk-adjusted returns while keeping risks constant. Its Responsible Investing portfolio follows the same strategy but is also optimized for ESG impact. The third portfolio, which will be powered by BlackRock, is a long-term investment strategy offering broader diversification for investors.

Finsum:AsianDigital wealth managerStashAway has partnered with BlackRock to provide investors access to multi-asset portfolios built using Blackrock’s analytics and ETFs.

The Great Debate. 60 Minutes’ Point Counter Point.

Call it what you want, but over time, there’s been a perpetual back and forth over this: should investors leverage active or passive strategies when committing dollars in fixed income markets, according to wellington.com.

Problem is, in light of the diatribe, a question remains: is the investor hitting the mark in terms of their investment goal or merely maintain a scent on a particular benchmark. The main issue, then, is whether investors are all In on the “appropriateness” of fixed

A perpetual discussion among those in financial services: active opposed to passive investment, according to ftadviser.com.

On one hand, as far as fees are considered, passively managed funds are viewed as easier on the wallet. Conversely, active managers purportedly offer valuable expertise; that’s why their rates are slightly higher.

Also asked is why large bond allocations might be the hands of investors. Is it for income? If so, do they want to fork over money to a manager to provide that little extra?, the site continued.  

During a recent Goldman Sachs webcast, advisors were surveyed and asked by VettaFi: “When it comes to fixed income investing, do you believe in active management, passive management, or a mix?” according to etftrends.com.

Fifty five percent touted a cocktail of active and passive, while 36% firmly fell into the passive camp. Active drew nine percent.

While active strategies still are in vogue and when it comes to their relative upside,, advisors must have their antenna up, according to data from VettaFi.

You know what they say about timing? Well, plenty, probably, but among them is now an idyllic time – the best in years, in fact -- for financial advisors to bolt one firm for another, according to Mindy Diamond, founder and CEO of Diamond Consultants, according to diamond-consultants.com. It originally appeared on thinkadvisor.com.

So, why now, you might ask? Diamond says quality advisors are receiving transition packages “at real high water marks.” She added that it’s a “real sellers market” where advisors are “more likely [to] find [their] version of utopia versus five or 10 years ago.”

Okay, that can be persuasive.

Now, compensation aside, financial advisors with an eye making a change also are keen on “freedom and control,” said Diamond. Autonomy, she continued, in squarely in their wheelhouse.”

And there’s more, she noted. A burgeoning number of options are on the plate for advisors eyeing parting ways with large firms. Among them: aligning with “boutiques” that offer freedom and control, more opportunities for those with entrepreneurism on their radar to start RIAs of their own

That said, tempted though you might be, before delver deeper into a potential job switch, consider a few things, advises vantageinpact.com.

1. Thoroughly Review the Expense Structure Details
2. Upfront Bonus (Loan) - Proceed with Caution!
3. Develop a Comprehensive Proforma to Compare and Contrast Firms

You might say this is why major ETF firms are bringing home the bacon: factor investing, which an increasing number of ETFs are tapping into, according to fa-mag.com.

These days, the likes of Invesco State Street and Global Advisors dispense a wave of factor ETF choices.

ETFs associated with, for example, value, low beta and momentum, are more investments tactics that dispense clients with a chance to overweight areas of the market that are performing the best while paring down exposure to those that are missing the boat.

Factor investing aside, you might say inexpensive ETFs are, well, the cat’s meow as they draw blossoming attention, according to finance.yahoo.com. The article originally appeared on ETFTrends.com.

Faced with opting for a pair of exchange traded funds that monitor themes or markets that are alike, cheaper options, more and more, are in the sights of long term investors. 

As it has been, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) remains highly popular still is an investment option with wide exposure to the U.S. equity markets. That said, reported Bloomberg, SPY, year to date, has incurred around $25 billion in outflows.

As investors grapple with inflation and economic uncertainty, there is one industry that has been outperforming the market, and that’s cybersecurity. While most technology companies have cautioned investors about slower corporate spending, cybersecurity firms are still seeing massive demand. For instance, CrowdStrike and SentinelOne, both recently increased their forecasts for this year. While cybersecurity has always been important, companies are now even more concerned about system vulnerabilities due to an increase in cyber-attacks amidst the war in Ukraine. In addition, the advent of remote and hybrid working arrangements has also increased the demand for cybersecurity solutions. While companies can trim spending on software items such as CRM, cybersecurity is too important to risk. The minute a company lets up, they are at risk of a ransomware attack. This has resulted in the Global X Cybersecurity ETF (BUG) outperforming the NASDAQ this year.

Finsum:While other software companies are seeing slowing demand, the sheer necessity of cybersecurity has resulted incybersecurity ETFs outperforming the NASDAQ this year.

A manager at Artemis believes now is the perfect time to consider active fixed income solutions. Grace Le, who co-manages the Artemis Corporate Bond Fund, told Financial Times that an active bond manager’s job is to protect their clients during uncertain times and that is exactly what we are experiencing now. She believes that the reversal of quantitative easing led to more volatility in bond markets, resulting in a “boon for active investors.” Investors are dealing with inflation, macroeconomic uncertainty, and the potential for a recession. Muzinich & Co's co-head of public markets Michael McEachern told the publication that active managers can invest in shorter-duration bonds less impacted by increasing rates and rotate into higher-quality credit that is less sensitive to the current environment. Managers can also avoid concentration in a portfolio and deploy carry trades, which means borrowing at a low-interest rate and investing in an asset that provides a higher return.

Finsum:According to two bond fund managers,investors should consider active fixed income in times of economic and market uncertainty. 

NEOS Investments, an investment firm specializing in options-based income solutions, launched three actively managed ETFs this week, including two fixed income ETFs designed to help advisors and investors navigate the current market environment. The NEOS Enhanced Income Aggregate Bond ETF (BNDI) generates monthly income from investing in a representative portfolio of the U.S. Aggregate Bond Market and implementing a data-driven put option strategy. The NEOS Enhanced Income Cash Alternative ETF (CSHI) generates monthly income from investing in a portfolio of 1–3-month Treasury Bills and implementing a data-driven put option strategy. Both ETFs, which now trade on the NYSE, utilize a put spread approach that involves selling short puts and buying long puts to generate option premiums to be distributed as income without taking on outsized risk.

Finsum:Options-based investmentfirmNEOSrecently launched two fixed income ETFsoffering investors a novel approach to monthly income.

RBC Wealth Management’s aggressive recruiting has landed another team. The firm was able to lure Coatoam Wealth Management Group, a $560 million team, away from Merrill Lynch. The team, which is led by Managing Director Brian Coatoam, is joining RBC in their new office in Winter Park, FL. Coatoam has been in the industry for 24 years. He got his start with Advantage Trading Group and worked for Morgan Stanley before joining Merrill Lynch. He leads a six-person team, which includes two Certified Financial Planners, Derek Grimm, and Ryan Plank. RBC, like many firms, is pushing expansion in Florida as the state lures more wealthy investors due to a lack of income and capital gains taxes. RBC had previously announced a father-son advisor team joining its office in Palm Gardens and in January the firm recruited a $1 billion Florida team from Truist.

Finsum:With more wealthy investors moving to Florida, RBC continues its aggressive expansion in the state by recruiting a $560 million Merrill Lynch team.

One of the most popular allocations for model portfolios in recent history has been the 60/40 model. A classic allocation with 60% invested in stocks and 40% invested in bonds. Until recently, this model has generated stable returns for investors. However, this year’s brutal returns for both the equity and fixed income markets have investors wondering if the traditional 60/40 model provides adequate protection. In most previous equity downturns, investors have been able to count on bond instruments to hedge negative equity performance due to an inverse relationship between stock returns and bond yields. But this year, investors have been faced with both a down stock market and a hawkish Fed, leading to losses in both asset classes. This has made the 60/40 model seem outdated as of late. While the 60/40 model may not be dead yet, investors may want to consider model portfolios with additional asset classes in the current market environment.

Finsum:With a down stock market and a hawkish Fed, investors may want to reconsider the 60/40 model portfolio.

Based on comments made at the Fed's Jackson Hole conference, volatility is here to stay. Many of the economic policymakers who spoke at the conference believe we are entering into a highly volatile economic period. If the last few years, which have included inflation, supply chain disruptions, and back-and-forth growth, weren’t enough, we are likely to see more frequent and larger shocks in the years to come. Plus, the continued hawkish stance from Fed chair Jerome Powell means a reversal in Fed policy isn’t likely any time soon. This means more volatility in the market for the foreseeable future. Investors can no longer rely on central bank rate cuts to support markets during downturns. The Fed is now expected to raise interest rates another 75 basis points during its next policy meeting in September. According to CME Group data, approximately 75% of traders are now pricing a third consecutive increase of 75 basis points.

Finsum:Based on comments made at the Fed's Jackson Hole conference, investors can expect continued economic and market volatility for months and even years to come.