Displaying items by tag: income

Goldman Sachs has a new financial product that is giving its investors a chance to bet on special purpose acquisition vehicle performance. The new product acts as a two-year bond that plays out according to SPAC performance, and gives institutional investors an income option with SPAC exposure. Goldman will take a portion of the SPAC stock itself as opposed to a fee, and will offer the option for investors to lever-up on the SPAC as well. Some are concerned about Goldman’s relationship because they are also financers and advisors of SPACs themselves, potentially posing a conflict of interest.

FiNSUM: This is one of many new products that can replace income investors’ missing-link in their portfolio, and with rates at ultra lows it’s a nice alternative to dividend stocks.

The fixed income (FI) portfolios of institutional investors are evolving rapidly. Investment strategists around the globe are noting that, in the search for yield, many investors are...see more on our partner's site

Whether the US’ current bout of inflation is caused by transitory supply-side factors, or trillions of dollars poured into the economy by policymakers, is irrelevant because investors are now tasked with finding a way through the stock market jitters. As inflation rises it eats at yields and the value of fixed coupons falls. To avoid the pitfalls of rising prices look to dividend stocks, whose yields are pushed higher by inflation. Of course not all dividend stocks are created equal and some will outperform in an inflationary environment. The best income stocks are in the financial sector because they benefit from rising interest rates, as their interest rate margins expand in such environments. Energy is next, at least currently. Higher demand boosts prices of oil and gas, which benefits energy sector investors as it is one of the highest dividend payers. These sectors are the most likely to boost their dividends in the rising price environment.

FINSUM: Dividend stocks have no doubt outperformed just about every segment of the bond market, and expanding your dividend holdings may be a good idea as inflation comes in at 20-year highs. 

(New York)

Most advisors know and respect Wade Pfau, a retirement guru in our space. Well Wade has just offered a new take on annuities as part of a broader conversation on retirement income strategies. According to Pfau, “Annuities deserve an equal seat at the table with any other retirement income strategy … The whole idea that annuities mean giving up something is not true”. Pfau says that understanding a client’s retirement income preferences is key. For example, the total return approach is not for everyone, and the peace of mind of guaranteed income can be a big winner for certain clients.

FINSUM: Pfau’s one-size-does-not-fit-all view is a very apt one and it highlights how annuities could be the bedrock of a strategy for one client, and completely absent for another, with the majority being somewhere in between.

In our continued coverage of Morningstar’s top model portfolios, today we are featuring those ranked 6-10. Morningstar is soon going to double the coverage of the growing model portfolio universe, which is great news for advisors having trouble deciding on which to choose. Without further delay, here are the rankings. Number 10: Vanguard S&P (Silver rating). Number 9: Vanguard Russell (Silver rating). Number 8: Vanguard CRSP (Silver rating). Number 7: American Funds Tax Aware Income (Silver rating). Number 6: American Funds Tax Aware Growth and Income (Silver rating).

FINSUM: Well the list isn’t very diverse in terms of managers, but the Russell model from Vanguard looks like an interesting way to play small caps. Additionally, given Biden’s proposals, tax aware income would be a wise strategy in which to take a holistic approach.