News and Insights

How advisors boost client outcomes by partnering with a trusted investment expert

Collaborating with a trusted investment expert allows advisors to extend their services to more people. Not only do individuals benefit from access to financial guidance, society as a whole is better off because more people are making better decisions with their... read more

How collaborating with a trusted investment partner can fix advisors’ top 10 problems

The wealth advisor’s role is becoming tougher than ever due to increasing regulation, changing consumer expectations, volatile investment markets and the emerging robo-advice threat. Here we discuss the ten biggest problems faced by advisors today and explain how... read more

How managed accounts help advisors boost scale and deliver better client outcomes

Making advice scalable has been a major problem for many practices. With a fixed number of hours in each week, there is a limit to the number of client meetings and advice documents that can be completed. This also says nothing of the highly labour-intensive... read more

Case Study: Wealth advisory firm cuts costs and doubles fees for some clients

Advisor groups typically gain significant business efficiencies and improve the outcomes for their clients by partnering with a trusted investment specialist. Here we demonstrate the significant value created by one group that was seeking to free up time, incorporate... read more

Shift to lower rates unsettling markets

Global growth is slowing as the rebound from pandemic disruptions fades. The US economy was surprisingly strong through 2023, helped by fiscal support and consumers bolstered by plentiful work opportunities, high pandemic savings and the positive wealth effect from... read more

Navigating opportunities in volatile markets

Activity is slowing, more volatile and with starkly different characteristics across regions. Growth has surprised on the upside this year, but signs of slowing are becoming more evident. Conditions should be far weaker next year as delayed constraints from higher... read more

Surprising economic resilience adds to rates pressures

Global economic activity has held up remarkably well in 2023. Tighter monetary policy has been offset by improving supply chain efficiency as conditions normalise from pandemic and Ukraine war shocks. Interest-rate sensitive spending has been hampered by the... read more

Strong employment shows rates pressure far from being released

International activity is slowing significantly and is likely to remain subdued in the next several years. To quell demand, monetary policy is likely to be persistently tighter than might have been expected given strength in employment and services, which is less... read more

Spending softening as savings exhausted

Challenging conditions reflect tightening monetary settings and stubborn inflation. Economic growth is decreasing with mild recessions likely in key regions as the year progresses. Manufacturing and construction are softening significantly given the stimulus-fuelled... read more

Growth slayed as central bank knights fight inflation

A global economic slowdown of significance is underway. Rolling recessions are likely in the next eighteen months as key regions are pounded by supply shocks relating to pandemic complications, war in Ukraine and rising interest rates. A more challenged outlook... read more

Bad news on inflation may unsettle markets

Key issues impacting the investment landscape include the pandemic which continues to complicate activity, inflation which may stay surprisingly high for an extended period, interest rate hikes which will likely weaken economies next year and recession risks which are... read more

Changing conditions to provide opportunities for alert investors

The supply shocks emanating from the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia are weighing on growth and lifting inflation through higher energy, food and metals prices. Supply chains and trade flows, already complicated by the pandemic, are further troubled. Business... read more

Concerns over higher interest rates appear overstated for now

Growth is likely to surprise on the upside this year, laying a solid platform for corporate earnings growth for those companies that manage their cost bases well. Jobs and wages are likely to grow strongly and households are likely to release pent-up demand using up... read more

Investors should be alert to the shifting economic environment

Fundamentals are strong given rebounded output with business and consumer balance sheets in good shape. Vaccines, rapid testing, quarantine procedures and mask wearing have made it possible to live alongside the virus. The strongest period in the rebound is now... read more