Did you know… The noise surrounding the impending interest rate hike tends to send quivers through the average investor’s boots. While the details remain uncertain, let’s take a moment to point out some of the positive implications that may come along with an interest rate hike. Higher Returns on Interest Income Rising interest rates would benefit... Read more »

What’s in the news: In a recent interview Blackrock’s Global Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income, Rick Rieder, was asked a series of questions surrounding the election, his views on the biggest risks in the bond market, and his thoughts on where to invest. The snippet below caught our eye… Source: Market Insider What are we thinking? As an... Read more »

Did You Know... The U.S. Treasury Yield Curve is one of the most used charts to explain economic health. Typically the longer end of the curve will show higher yields and as the curve climbs, risk premiums and inflation risk increase. Ergo, the shape of the curve can serve as a good indicator of growth and inflation. When yields on longer term... Read more »

Did you know… Many shares of preferred securities produce qualified dividend income which can be taxed at rates ranging between 0% to 20%, which is significantly lower than those of bond tax interest rates that can be taxed at a rate of as high as 39.6%. While much depends on an investors’ tax bracket and when the security was held, preferred... Read more »

Did you know… While they are often referred to as “stocks”, preferred securities are a cross between stocks and bonds, possessing attributes of both. In general, preferreds lack the same potential for capital appreciation as common stocks. However, their relative price stability compared to common stocks, and their ability to generate higher... Read more »

What’s in the News: On Friday, August 26th, Federal Reserve Chairwoman, Janet Yellen, signaled the possibility of an interest rate hike in the near future: “I believe the case for an increase in the federal funds rate has strengthened in recent months. Of course, our decisions always depend on the degree to which incoming data continues to confirm... Read more »

What's in the news: Investment grade corporate bond yields are currently at the lowest level since the 1950’s. This is concerning to income oriented investors as higher yields are becoming harder to find within the investment grade space. Source: Bloomberg The Moody's Baa Index yield is at its lowest level since 1957 What are we thinking? We... Read more »

What's in the news: The global flight to safety continues as some of the world’s most developed countries experience lower bond yields on both short term and longer dated maturities. Slower growth and tumbling inflation expectations will likely put central banks between a rock and a hard place as they face more quantitative easing and discover the... Read more »