With half the year over, BlackRock's commentary delivers an overview for the rest of the year. Read the excerpt here, or download the full BlackRock Midyear 2016 Golobal Investment Outlook report. Markets are torn between anxiety over the fallout from the UK’s vote to exit the European Union and the prospect of a strengthening U.S. economy. Downside risks to global growth point to a U.S. Federal Reserve on hold — and reinforce our view of low global interest rates for long. Our key views: Outlook Forum: At a mid-June gathering of some 90 BlackRock portfolio managers and executives, we had vigorous debates on the outlook for a rebound in U.S. inflation, the prospect of a turnaround in beaten-down emerging markets (EMs) and the woes afflicting the global financial sector. Themes: We updated our three themes for this year: 1) We are living in a low-return world; 2) Monetary policy has been a key driver of asset prices — but its effectiveness looks to be waning; 3) We see more volatility ahead as Brexit-related anxiety weighs on Europe’s economy and the business cycle matures. Risks: We see geopolitical uncertainties and a renewed rise in the U.S. dollar as near-term risks, and populism as a medium-term challenge for trade, growth and markets. A potential surprise: a rally in risk assets prompted by investors shifting out of cash and low-yielding assets in search of higher returns. Markets: We have turned more positive on most fixed income due to elevated geopolitical risks and easy monetary policy in a low-growth world. We like income, including investment-grade credit and EM debt. We are cautious on equities, particularly in Europe, given the turn in risk sentiment and poor profit growth. We prefer dividend growers and quality companies. We like gold as a portfolio diversifier. To learn more about BlackRock and other Money Managers, give us a call at 1-800-541-7774 or contact us here to speak with one of WrapManager's Wealth Managers. Download Full Commmentary Here Get Free Research Reports about Blackrock Inc [+] Read More

On Wednesday, April 6, the U.S. Department of Labor finalized what they’re calling the “rule to address conflicts of interest in retirement advice.” Many advisors have been concerned about what the rules would actually entail, and how it might affect their business models. According to a survey of 485 financial advisors conducted by Fidelity, 73% are concerned the rule will have a negative impact on the way they do business. In short, the rule states that any advisor/broker that handles retirement accounts must adhere to the fiduciary standard (to note: WrapManager already adheres to the fiduciary standard, so we do not anticipate any significant changes to how we operate). That means that no matter what the product involved—stocks, annuities, mutual funds, separately managed accounts, or commission products—the advisor must by law put the client’s best interests ahead of their own. Before the law, certain brokers and types of advisors could recommend a product as long as it was “suitable” for their clients. [+] Read More

When it comes to investing and retirement planning, there’s one certainty everyone must address as part of their planning: there are a lot of uncertainties. Of course, as an investor you’ve known that all along. Market returns are unpredictable in any given year. But it doesn’t end there – investors sometimes miss the other, lesser emphasized variables that create different kinds of uncertainties over time. We’re talking about factors like: you and your spouses’ life expectancies, the inflation rate over time, and the levels of cash flows you expect to take over your lifetime. All of these factors impact how your portfolio value will change over time. [+] Read More

Financial advisors often ask the questions: what are your retirement goals? What do you dream of accomplishing? These are important questions and are central to the investment planning process. But they are broad in scope and it can be difficult to know exactly how to answer them. An important feature of solid retirement planning is prioritizing your retirement goals into groups. Do you have enough to cover healthcare expenses? Do you want to buy a second home? Pass along a certain amount of assets to your heirs? Which goal is more important than another? [+] Read More

BlackRock recently surveyed 17,600 investors across 12 countries in an effort to gather wisdom about investing and retirement. Here’s what retirees said they regretted the most: 36% said they would have started investing for retirement earlier and contributed sooner to their 401(k) at maximum levels 32% said they would have spent less 21% said they would have worked longer 12% would have sought professional advice1 If you’re still working and saving for retirement, or retired already, it’s important to take note of these four regrets so you can avoid falling into any of these categories. An investment plan can address—and even eliminate—these concerns. [+] Read More

According to a recent survey conducted by BlackRock, “investors are uncertain about investing their savings, with only 35% confident that their retirement plan can cope with the ups and downs in the financial markets.”1 This leaves 65% of folks unsure of whether their portfolios can handle volatility and market declines over time, a number we think is too high. Here are two ways to feel more confident about how your portfolio is positioned. [+] Read More

Financial Advisors should run a detailed analysis of your current financial situation before creating an investment plan for you. Part of that analysis includes taking a look at your portfolio’s asset allocation and examining each investment’s purpose, efficacy, and cost. When was the last time you asked a third-party investment professional to take a look at your portfolio, examine its investment fees, and offer their thoughts? Get a Second Opinion on Your Current Investment Portfolio Like going to a doctor for a second opinion, it makes sense to have an investment professional (other than the one that advises you) take a look at your current portfolio and provide you with an analysis of what you pay in investment fees. [+] Read More

An investment plan is a tool you can use to help you understand where you stand in retirement at every step of the way. Are you still on track to reach your retirement goals? How likely is it you be able to maintain your current lifestyle throughout retirement? Can you afford your current and potential healthcare costs? How much will you be able to leave behind for your loved ones? A well-constructed investment plan can give you a good sense of the answers to these questions. Instead of figuring it out as you go, you can examine a variety of outcomes to help you make more informed choices. Factoring Spending Goals into Investment Plans Before you can use an investment plan to help monitor your spending in retirement, it’s important to provide detailed answers to some fairly basic questions: what are your income needs/desired income in retirement? How might those needs change over time? [+] Read More

As we enter the New Year, many folks will set out to focus more attention on their health and wellbeing. Indeed, the month of January experiences almost 50% more gym membership sign ups than other months. According to the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association, “more than 12 percent of gym members join in January, compared to an average of 8.3 percent per month for the full year.”1 While improving your personal health is a wonderful goal, we are encouraging investors to put more time and energy into strengthening their financial health. Taking a fresh look at your investment plan—or creating one for the first time—is a great way to get started. Four Steps to Strengthen the Health of Your Investment Plan Taken together, the below four steps can help put you on a better path to knowing where you stand financially, relative to your long-term goals. Try you to review these four things in detail with your financial advisor. If you don’t have one, it could be a good opportunity for you to seek one out, using this process as a means to evaluate the type of job a financial advisor could do for you. [+] Read More