2017 National Conference: On Long-Term Financial and Economic Trends

Callan’s 37th annual National Conference in January drew a range of high-profile speakers who touched on a diverse slate of topics in their talks for the more than 500 attendees, which included plan fiduciaries, chief investment officers, and investment managers. This post and others (previous post here) will recap their views on key economic and geopolitical […]

In Context: Market Volatility

Yesterday, equity market volatility touched off a host of headlines and commentary. Here, we present a longer-term context around market volatility. Market volatility can be measured in a number of ways. We address three in the following exhibits, two historical (or experienced) and one expected (or implied). Sizable Daily Moves The table below shows a […]

(No) News at 11:00 – Fed Raises Interest Rates

Yesterday, the Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates in the U.S. by 25 basis points, or one-quarter of a percent. Fed Chair Janet Yellen said, “the simple message is that the economy is doing well.” The Fed’s announcement was likely the most widely telegraphed and fully expected policy move in its history. The stock market […]

Periodic Table of Investment Returns

One glance at the crazy quilt of colors in the Periodic Table of Investment Returns suggests the challenge investors face in picking an investment class “winner” year-by-year and illustrates the benefit to diversification. Last year offered investors a wild ride, with sentiment overwhelming fundamentals for much of 2016. Bonds rose in value and stocks fell […]

Risky Business

Download PDF Interest rates are historically low in the U.S. and abroad. Couple this with modest growth, and fund sponsors reluctant to lower return expectations face one of the most difficult investing environments in history. To find out how difficult, our experts wondered, “What would an investor need to do to achieve a 7.5% return […]