The Power of the PENsion: What is OCIO? A Discussion of Advisory Relationships
OCIO, CEO, E-I-E-I-O: Is OCIO just another abbreviation to remember? For those in need of investment management, this is one you don’t want to forget. The term OCIO, or Outsourced Chief Investment Officer, originated in the 1970s and was designed to add the responsibility of asset management to the duties of the traditional investment consultant….
Read MoreAugust 2022
Summary On the heels of a July that was as hot as the temperatures outside, markets entered August seeking to maintain positive momentum. But after a choppy start, equities faded and interest rates shifted upward, leading to losses for most major stock and bond indexes. While inflation fell, aided by a steep drop in energy…
Read MoreHighland Open Benefits ALS
Highland Consulting Associates, Inc. sponsored the inaugural Highland Open golf outing on Tuesday June 23, 2022 at Avon Oaks Country Club in Avon, Ohio. This inaugural charity event was held in honor of our colleague, Marc Williams, with all net proceeds benefiting the ALS Association. The shotgun event began at noon, followed by an open…
Read MoreJuly 2022
Summary July brought a sizeable rebound for both stocks and bonds as mixed news and cloudy economic outlooks gave way to optimism, with equity markets and interest rates rallying to the end of the month. The month began with more tough inflation news as the June CPI exceeded 9%, and while corporate earnings for the…
Read MoreJune 2022
Summary Investors entered June with optimism, the previous month had provided hope that inflationmay be easing, perhaps giving the Fed some breathing room to slow the pace of thetightening cycle, and markets had produced positive returns in May. Perhaps the worst wasover? Instead, it was more bad news, as inflation came in higher than expected,…
Read MoreThe Power of the PENsion: Labor Day and the Pension Plan
Although summer may end officially on September 21, for most Americans, the season ends with Labor Day. The first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882. Far from marking the end of summer fun, it was meant to be a “workingmen’s holiday” between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. Two years later, the first Monday in…
Read MoreClients Ask:
What do rising inflation and interest rates mean for fixed income investments and the economy?Are we seeing mixed signals? Highland Responds Our Highland clients have wanted to know how rising inflation and interest rate hikes impact fixed income investments and the broader economic picture. Are we seeing mixed signals? Possibly. And there may have been…
Read MoreThe Power of the PENsion: Understanding the Costs
What’s the cost of providing a defined benefit pension plan? Beyond employer contributions, when determining costs, we consider custody, asset management, and consulting fees. These fees vary depending on the management of the plan and whether it is active or passive. Active management employs professionals who actively buy and sell investments on behalf of the…
Read MoreMay 2022
Summary After a dismal April, and a late May rebound, U.S. markets ended May almost flat. Developed equities shrugged off global recession concerns to rally strong into month-end, erasing earlier losses. Emerging markets continued to be weighed down by China’s aggressive COVID lockdown measures. Interest rates reversed trend and declined in May, giving bonds their…
Read MoreIt’s a Long Road. (But Look How Far You’ve Come.)
Don’t Let Emotional Biases Cloud Your Financial Outlook The S&P 500 has declined 12.8% so far in 2022 (through May 2022). That’s hard to stomach, but with a shift in perspective we can see that maybe it isn’t as bad as it feels. Humans are prone to a multitude of emotional biases and cognitive errors,…
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