ESG investing is all the rage, but it has its limitations. Passive funds prevent real change by creating a stagnant environment that doesn’t encourage change, just look at how much C02 has increased despite all of the ESG inflows, or greenwashing where companies appear to be more environmentally servicing than they necessarily are. Active ESG investing (AESG) could be a game changer because it can rely on qualitative analysis and trends of a company to select them in an ESG fund rather than a gameable statistic. Additionally, active funds can have a bigger impact on diversity in board selection because it can have real corporate accountability rather than once again hitting a target statistic. Active funds can also put together better incentive structures to bring more companies into the ESG fold.

FINSUM: AESG funds is the logical evolution of standard ESG by merging two booming subsectors, and this is the time for active fund outperformance given ultralow yields.

Strategists for Goldman Sachs, Christian Mueller Glissmann and Peter Openhiemer, say that government bonds are failing to meet the traditional hedging requirements and to consider higher cash and equity allocations. There is still a small negative equity/bond correlation and investors shouldn’t leave the traditional 60/40 split immediately. There are other reasons to allocate more to equity though such as a higher equity risk premia. Inflation is eating away very low yields, making cash a better relative investment, and rate volatility could be even higher in the upcoming Fed cycle. If bonds/equity correlation moves to zero then a balanced portfolio is futile and cash is the safer option.

FINSUM: Investors should need to watch the real return on their fixed income investments and high yield debt might not be worth the risk to generate the ‘normal’ bond returns.

President Biden spoke at the Port in Baltimore to celebrate the passage of the $550 billion dollar spending bill which will allocate $17.1b to ports like the one he spoke at. In order to expedite the spending spree, the White House said that $240 million of the bill will be allocated to grants that they plan to move on in the next 45 days. The Biden administration sees port infrastructure spending as part of a key process to alleviate the supply constraints in the U.S. economy that are a key contributor to record inflation in many policy makers' eyes. The Bill is already facing criticism from former President Donald Trump who says only a fraction of the bill's allotment will be spent on infrastructure. However, it was 11 republicans who stepped across the aisle that was key to passing Biden’s first signature piece of infrastructure legislation.

FINSUM: It would be a big win for the U.S. economy if the infrastructure bill could make substantial gains toward reducing inflation which has markets flummoxed and consumers concerned.

The COP26 summit was last week, and the United Nations climate change conference drew leaders from around the globe to address rising global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions. On Tuesday the conference pivoted to the role of science and innovation in greenhouse gas reduction. The 23 countries came together to announce four ‘innovation missions’. These missions would undertake projects for new clean technologies, c02 removal and new renewable fuels and chemicals. Global temperatures on a projection to rise by 2.4 degrees celsius by 2030, outpaces the target set by the Paris agreement. French President Macron suggests that nuclear energy be a larger part of the energy production in Europe moving forward in order to combat climate change.

FINSUM: C02 reduction is a growing technology field in the combating climate change and plants are being built around the globe.

Congress continues to look for ways to fund the $1.85 trillion bill that aims to spend on social and climate policy. While they have already considered objectives that would align the U.S. with the G20’s global minimum tax rate, the current bill will also affect wealthier individuals’ retirement vehicles. Congress will put limits on large accounts for individuals or couples with $10 million dollar retirement balances. The newest Build Back Better bill also eliminates the ‘backdoor’ Roth IRA by minimizing rollovers and conversions. The date for the former rule change isn’t until Dec. 31, 2028 but the backdoor loophole is set to close Dec. 31st of this year in the current bill.

FINSUM: Substantial changes to savings and retirement could be coming in the upcoming legislation, and investors should be aware of how these changes could affect their retirement vehicles.

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China has banked an inordinate amount of U.S. dollars in the last couple of months as trade surpluses and inflows flow into its bond market. The Chinese trade surplus through September was about $100 billion larger than its 5 year average preceding the pandemic. This current account will provide a buffer against any foreign debt problems regardless of any economic situations China faces this year. The current account surplus could allow China to deleverage its corporate debt market, particularly in real estate, which has faced a difficult bond market. China’s dollar holdings have allowed the yuan to appreciate like other emerging market currencies, such as in Russia and Columbia. Holding greenbacks is a bet on a growing U.S. Economy, and could help China hedge their slower growth.

FINSUM: The large current surplus could mean myriad things for China, but it could also just be another symptom of the global economic disruption due to Covid-19.

Job growth had been performing below expectations in recent months, but the Recent BLS Report showed the Economy has bounced back with 531,000 jobs. Perhaps even more significant is the gender breakdown of these new positions: 57% of the new jobs were created for women. While the report is a positive, it is not all good news. Many of the new jobs created were for retail and hospitality, which have lower wages and don’t offer as many benefits. Still, wages are on the rise in this sector of the economy given the domestic labor glut. Finally, it will take time to restore the labor market to its pre-pandemic numbers. In fact, at this rate it will take another 8 months to recoup the job losses.

FINSUM: Minimizing labor disparities is a sign the economy is healing, but it's also a means for better economic growth in and of itself.

The Trump administration put rules in place which forbid employers from considering social or environmental impact when it came to fund selection from enrolling in retirement plans. However, the Biden admin is turning a new leaf on this front as they have proposed a rule which will ease the decision-making process for employers if they want to add ESG funds to their employees’ retirement plans. This is yet another proposal from the Biden admin that favors renewables and green corporations in the country's transition to net zero emissions. Part of the response is a boost in demand as investors have overwhelming interest in ESG in their portfolios. It isn’t a no brainer that ESG should be a part of a retirement portfolio, as it does prepare for downside risk, but it may not outperform.

FINSUM: The U.S. 401(k) savings machine is a huge pool of investment, and institutional savings could be a major boost to ESG demand.

The COVID-19 crisis has kept our industry on its toes, pushing firms and clients to find new ways to communicate and collaborate in spite of new difficulties. If anything, it has underscored how important it is to use technology to your benefit.

This case study covers how advisors like Mike McCann have used technology to automate routine tasks, stay connected with clients and colleagues, and ensure they provide responsive service for every client. His firm, Perspective Financial Services, has used technology to power growth in the face of these challenges – growth for both their clients and their firm.

In reading Mike’s story and his advice, you too can learn to apply these technology tools to your own practice and be better prepared to take on the unexpected.

We’ll cover powerful and practical tech insights and guidance, including:
• Ways technology can help you anticipate client needs and deepen relationships
• How technology can make firms more agile and secure
• Advice based on real-world success

Disclosures:

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This is a sponsored feature developed by Schwab and supported by FINSUM.

FINSUM is not affiliated with The Charles Schwab Corporation. Any mention of third-party firms or individuals is not and should not be construed as a recommendation, endorsement, or sponsorship by Schwab.

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