What is socially responsible investing?

From: REAP, LLC. | Retirement & Estate Advisors & Professionals

The demand for socially responsible investing has grown 33 percent since 2014, signaling increasing investor interest in making a positive difference in the world. Is this a passing fad or an investment factor worth considering?

SRI and ESG
Sustainable, responsible and impact investing (SRI) focuses on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria in…

Lengthening the Investment Time Horizon

From: MFS White Paper

Summary

• Investors are increasingly short term in their orientation, even while demographic trends point to longer life expectancy and the need for larger pools of retirement funds.
• Various reasons have been posited for this short-term view; they include the role of incentives, media and financial reporting and numerous decision-making biases identified by behavioral researchers.
• An arbitrage opportunity exists for managers with a longer investment horizon: There are more…
  
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How to become financially independent in 5 years

From: money.cnn.com

Done with the job? Ready to do your own thing?

Those who are on track to be “financially independent and retiring early” — or “FIRE” — are.

You’d need to be fired up to sock away enough money to quit your job and retire in just five years. But it’s not impossible.

Some people, like Claudia and Garrett Pennington take extreme measures like…

Callan Periodic Table of Investment Returns

Annual Returns for Key Indices Ranked in Order of Performance (2007–2016)

3 Questions to Ask Before Investing in a Franchise

From: REAP, LLC. | Retirement & Estate Advisors & Professionals

As a consumer, you’ve probably visited a franchise at least once in the last month. But have you ever thought about owning one? If you’re the entrepreneurial type and looking for a career change or another income stream, it might be worth considering. This kind of business venture allows you to be your own…

Stop Fooling Yourself About 8% Easy Returns

From: www.bloomberg.com

There's an amazing amount of denial going on right now.

Investors are simply ignoring current market dynamics and are still expecting average annual returns of 8.6 percent, according to a Legg Mason Inc. survey of income investors released this week. Those who were employed expected more than 9 percent gains, with retirees expecting less. Actual returns have come…

Five Reasons to Consider High-Yield Bonds

From: lordabbett.com

High-yield corporate bonds still present a compelling opportunity, despite tighter credit spreads.

High-yield bonds have performed very well over the past year, with the Bank of America Merrill Lynch High Yield Master II Constrained Index returning 12.65% for the 12-month period ended June 9, 2017. Although positive performance has come with tighter credit spreads, here are five reasons why we believe investors should continue to…

Key Takeaways

• Morningstar was tracking 881 strategies from 162 firms with total assets of $86.7 billion through December 2016.
• Total assets in these strategies as reported to Morningstar increased 2.2% in the fourth quarter of 2016.
• This marks the fourth consecutive quarter of growth in this space. Approximately $95 million of the $1.9 billion in quarter-over-quarter growth was driven by the addition of new strategies to…
  
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White Paper: An In-Depth Look at Defined Maturity ETFs

From: Guggenheim Investments

As the ETF market has evolved, so too has the depth and breadth of available products.

Defined maturity exchange traded funds (ETFs), a recent structural innovation in the rapidly growing ETF market, have created a wide range of new opportunities for fixed income investors. Today, these ETFs provide sectorspecific exposure to fixed income markets, including segments of the market previously only accessible…

Just 1% More Can Make A Big Difference

From: forbes.com

Often it’s the little things in life that can make the biggest difference. That’s true when it comes to saving for retirement. Putting just 1% more into a tax-advantaged retirement account like a 401(k), 403(b), or traditional IRA could make a noticeable difference in your lifestyle in retirement.

“The retirement savings mountain might appear imposing from a distance, but the climb isn’t as…