Has the 70-80% replacement rate for retirement income met its use-by date?

With deregulation seemingly high on the agenda for President-elect Donald Trump, the fate of the Department of Labor’s “fiduciary rule” is now unclear.

The 15 December Consumer Price Index (CPI) release was more or less in line with expectations, but it did show a moderate deceleration in inflation from recent months.

We assess three global economic scenarios for 2017.

While most observers had expected correctly that the Federal Reserve would hike interest rates by 25 basis points today – markets had priced in literally a 100% chance – they did not think the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) would materially change its September projection for two hikes in 2017.

You are probably familiar with the well-known statistic that, on average, the U.S. stock market has historically performed better when a Democrat rather than a Republican occupies the White House.

Donald Trump took the world by surprise in winning the U.S. presidential election.; While the Trump triumph and ensuing policy conjecture held the spotlight, a flurry of positive economic releases globally signaled solid fundamentals.; Risk sentiment built, particularly in the U.S.

At its 8 December Governing Council meeting, the European Central Bank (ECB) extended its asset purchase program by nine months to the end of December 2017, but at a rate of €60 billion per month – a decrease from €80 billion currently.

We believe the impact on balances and prices ultimately will depend on five key variables.

With around 60% of voters opting for a “no” and nearly 70% turnout, Italians on Sunday firmly rejected a constitutional reform that would have removed power from the Senate and left the lower house as the key legislative chamber.

Secular forces in the global economy suggest we aren’t likely to see a new paradigm of stronger growth, higher inflation and higher interest rates under the Trump administration.

The board’s expertise constitutes a valuable input into our investment process.

The minutes reveal a committee that had expected to hike at the meeting on December 13-14. Developments since could only have strengthened the case.

Trump’s fiscal and immigration policies appear likely to boost the near-term inflation trajectory.

The how of transitioning to a new or revised benchmark rate will be as critical as defining what the new benchmark should be.

The tax-exempt municipal market has faced some challenges this fall: Yields trended higher in early October as the market struggled to digest the largest new issuance period of the year, and the indigestion has only increased following last week’s U.S. election outcome.

With low interest rates across global markets, a number of investors are turning to credit assets to enhance returns.

For much of 2016, a unique alignment of push and pull factors has driven strong performance in emerging markets (EM). The election of Republican Donald Trump and Republican majorities in the U.S. Congress on 8 November, however, represents a pivot point.

Here’s our view on what a Trump presidency and Republican Congress likely mean for markets over the near, medium and longer terms.

A review of the month’s market-moving events across countries and asset classes.

With less than a week to go until the U.S. presidential election, investor anxiety about next Tuesday’s outcome is running high, as evidenced by the recent move in risk assets.

Last month, when the minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in September were released, they revealed that the decision not to hike the policy rate was a close call.

Have you ever wondered why global markets have been so calm since the volatile first quarter? Well, the halt in the U.S. dollar’s appreciation played a major role.

Since the Conservative Party Conference earlier this month, UK asset markets have become increasingly sensitive to the UK’s prospective trading arrangements post Brexit.

Understanding asset class correlation patterns is key to understanding true portfolio risk factor exposures and the embedded assumptions that inform investment decisions.

A review of the month’s market-moving events across countries and asset classes.

Ensuring a smooth exit from extraordinary monetary policy will be no enviable task.

Today’s CPI release was a bit of a mixed bag, but overall it doesn’t change our view that headline year-over-year inflation should accelerate toward 2.0%–2.5% over the coming year.

As reform alters the landscape, investors look beyond money market funds.

The SEC’s sweeping changes will likely make money market funds less risky – but far less attractive – to participants in defined contribution plans.

As new SEC rules take effect, it may be time to look “under the hood” of your money market fund.