Hike, Pause or Cut? Preparing for the Fed’s Next Move June 27, 2023 Economy and the Markets federal reserve, interest rates Bond traders are already betting on several Fed policy moves to lower rates starting this fall. Read more here.Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
The End of Interest-Rate Hikes: Are We There Yet? May 11, 2023 Bonds bonds, fed funds rate, federal reserve, interest rates, rate cuts, rate hikes Curious bond investors everywhere want to know: Are we there yet? “There” refers to the end of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate-hiking cycle. It’s not a certainty, but our view is that the Fed is on the cusp of shifting policy. The economy may be weakening, which supports this view. Softening data … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Protecting Retirement Savings Against Losses August 5, 2022 Investing bear market, interest rates, Jeff DeMaso, recession, The Fed, webinar Investors approaching retirement or already there are understandably concerned about the impact of a bear market on their hard-earned assets. What can they do to protect their retirement savings? Manager of Financial Planning Andrew Busa and Interim Director of Research Jeff DeMaso discussed some options in our recent webinar,* Bear … Listen Nowkeyboard_arrow_right
What’s the Difference Between a ‘Hard’ and ‘Soft’ Landing? August 4, 2022 Investing bear market, interest rates, Jeff DeMaso, recession, The Fed, webinar If, like so many of our clients, you’re a regular consumer of financial news, you’ve surely heard Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell discussing the central bank’s aim for a “soft landing” resulting from its interest-rate hike policy. Interim Chief Investment Officer and Director of Research Jeff DeMaso parsed the difference between a … Listen Nowkeyboard_arrow_right
Chart of the Week: Why Home Prices Are So High July 5, 2022 Economy and the Markets Chart of the Week, home prices, housing market, interest rates, Jeff DeMaso, mortgage rates, real estate, supply and demand We often get asked when home prices will stop rising. The short answer: When more houses come onto the market. This week’s chart was inspired by Bill McBride’s Calculated Risk blog—my go-to resource on the housing market. The chart neatly shows the Econ 101 relationship between supply and demand. When supply (the inventory of … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
All About I-Bonds April 18, 2022 Bonds bond yields, bonds, i bonds, inflation, interest rates, rising rates All About I-Bonds What are I-Bonds? Well, they won’t cure high inflation or reduce volatility in the stock market, but they have become a popular portfolio component of late. You just have to keep their limitations in mind. Here’s a quick primer: Like plain-vanilla Treasury bonds, Series I U.S. Savings Bonds (I-Bonds) … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Are Your Bonds Broken? March 29, 2022 Bonds bond yields, bonds, inflation, interest rates, rising rates There’s nothing wrong with your high-quality bonds, though I can’t blame you for thinking otherwise. Your eyes are not deceiving you—there’s red on the screen and market values have declined this month, which is frustrating to witness. Here’s my perspective on what it means and what it doesn’t. To begin with, I … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Dump Your Bonds? Not So Fast! February 16, 2022 Bonds bond alternatives, bond yields, bonds, Cash, inflation, interest rates I can’t blame anyone for raising their eyebrows and asking about their bond investments right now. A recent CNBC segment on bonds featured a market strategist who said he would “short the whole lot of them.” While he’s not alone in that sentiment, I wholeheartedly disagree. In fact, anytime someone tells you … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
Bond Allocations in a Rising Rate Environment October 28, 2021 Bonds bonds, Cash, fixed-income, interest rates, webinar With rates on the rise and inflation stubbornly high, what’s the appropriate allocation to bonds for your portfolio? What about cash? Here’s what Vice President and Portfolio Manager Steve Johnson said in our recent webinar, Booster Shots, Market Shocks and the End of Fed Intervention:* * * * * … Listen Nowkeyboard_arrow_right
Steve Johnson on Buying the Dip September 24, 2021 Economy and the Markets China, coronavirus, interest rates, Investing, video Amid market volatility this week, traders proved willing to buy the dip—a lot of money is still out there capable of driving markets higher. Dig into the data with Vice President Steve Johnson on Today's Market Takeaway.Watch Nowkeyboard_arrow_right
Are REITs Better Than Bonds? June 28, 2021 Bonds bonds, fixed-income, inflation, interest rates, REITs This week’s reader question takes us into the realm of income-producing investments: Are REITs a good alternative to bonds in the current market? Are they a safe and solid investment overall? REITs can certainly be a sound investment, but they are not an apt bond replacement in a diversified portfolio. … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right
With Interest Rates Low, Why Bother With Bonds? February 9, 2021 Bonds bonds, fixed-income, interest rates Given low interest rates, have we changed our allocation to bonds among government, corporate, high-yield and international debt? Vice President Steve Johnson spoke about how we’ve positioned our fixed income investments for 2021 in our recent webinar,* A Tale of Two Recoveries: Will Main Street Catch Up With … Read Morekeyboard_arrow_right