Insights Now

Watch the video version on YouTube. With comprehensive oversight and deep expertise in a diverse array of investment vehicles, including real estate, real assets, hedge funds, private equity, private credit and liquid alternative solutions, our mission is to demystify these often lesser-known asset classes. By providing clear, real-world examples, we aim to bridge the knowledge gap and empower inv...

Watch the video version on YouTube . As rising geopolitical tensions and the pandemic fallout have uncovered weaknesses in global supply chains, many nations have begun to rethink their trading relationships. U.S. policy, for example, has turned increasingly nationalistic, with recent administrations implementing tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade, allocating funds toward domestic developmen...

Watch the video version on YouTube.   2020 and 2021 were banner years for the private equity market as fiscal and monetary stimulus boosted fundraising, deal and exit activity. More recently, however, macro uncertainty and higher interest rates have put a damper on the asset class, which is highly dependent on leverage. Still, better-than-expected economic growth has supported recent performance....

Watch the video version on YouTube . So far, this U.S. election cycle has been nothing short of turbulent and a looming source of volatility for much of this year. With the summer now behind us and November quickly approaching, investors should more seriously consider the implications of the upcoming election, and the opportunities and risks that may arise from it. That is why for the 11th season...

Watch the video version on YouTube . In this episode:  The classic 60/40 stock-bond allocation has long been the accepted stalwart portfolio strategy. Currently, however, higher inflation has made the protection typically offered by the negative correlation between stocks and bonds less certain. Equity risk premiums are low, and interest rate volatility is high. On top of all that, public markets...

Watch the video version on YouTube . The 2024 presidential election is well underway and has already delivered a host of surprising twists and turns. Against a backdrop of relatively stable economic growth and quite impressive U.S. stock market returns, the election adds a source of uncertainty for investors. Could the election outcome pose a risk to markets, or certain sectors and asset classes?...

Watch the video version on YouTube .  Deficit spending is not at all a new phenomenon in the United States. In fact, it is the norm, and the U.S. has run a budget deficit in 81 of the last 95 years, or 85% of the time since 1929. What is abnormal, however, is how large the pile of U.S. debt has grown relative to the broader economy. In fiscal year 2023, U.S. debt held by the public ballooned to $2...

Watch the video version on YouTube .  Before 2021, the United States hadn’t seen a major bout of inflation for almost 40 years. And even when inflation peaked in June 2022, consensus estimates showed that most thought inflation would be almost back to 2% by the end of 2024. However, the journey to 2% has been more challenging than expected. Since mid-2023, inflation has remained in the 3-4% range,...

Watch the video version on YouTube .  Going into 2023, almost everyone was predicting a recession within the next 12 months. However, what we saw was quite the opposite: the U.S. economy grew at a 2.5% year-over-year pace, and the unemployment rate stayed below 4%. This positive momentum has continued into this year, although the economy is gradually cooling. This robust economic performance has b...

Watch the video version on YouTube . After the Federal Reserve’s dovish pivot in December, many investors came into this year expecting multiple rate cuts. In fact, in early January, markets were pricing in over six full cuts in 2024 alone. Since then, sticky inflation has caused the Federal Reserve to reassert its hawkish tone, and the outlook for the economy, inflation and monetary policy has be...

Watch the video version on YouTube . Excitement around artificial intelligence has been a key driver behind strong market performance over the past year. This makes sense, as it has potential to be one of the most transformative technologies in modern history. That said, widespread AI implementation is still in its early stages, and its broader implications for the economy and investing remain unk...

Watch the video version on YouTube .    As technology has improved, so has market efficiency, and generating alpha through active management is as challenging a task as ever. In light of this, “tax alpha,” or creating value through tax management strategies, has grown in importance and popularity and has left investors asking, “How can I minimize taxes in your investment strategy?”   For today’s e...

Watch the video version on YouTube .  From Baby Boomers to Generation Z, each generation has faced their own unique set of investment challenges and opportunities during their lifetimes. While the bulk of wealth in the U.S. belongs to older generations, wealth amongst younger generations is growing rapidly, and they represent an increasingly important piece of the investment pie. As advisors prepa...

Watch the video version on YouTube . A long cycle of U.S. equity outperformance over international equities has left investors wondering, “why add international stocks to a portfolio?” However, as the global economy has turned a corner, so have prospects for international equities, and many international markets have performed well in 2024 so far. In fact, more than half of the 50 top performing c...

Watch the video version on YouTube .  Most of this season is devoted to questions investors ask us about where to invest. However, given an increased focus on building tax efficient, transparent and flexible portfolios, we are also often asked, “How should I invest.” While traditional investment vehicles have made it difficult to reach all these objectives simultaneously, the emergence of actively...

For our next season, we want to hear from you as we will be counting down the top 10 questions investors have concerning the economy, the markets and investing. Please provide suggestions here . This episode concludes the ninth season of Insights Now and marks the end of our deep dive into the world of alternatives. As investors continue to face elevated valuations across equities and abnormal int...

Watch the video version on YouTube . Over the past year, investors have been inundated with negative reports of elevated mortgage rates and empty office buildings, weighing on their sentiment toward real estate investing. However, real estate comes in many shapes and sizes, and each sector has its own fundamentals and use cases in the portfolio construction process. In fact, while some segments ma...

Watch the video version on YouTube . Over the last decade, extraordinarily low interest rates have made it difficult for investors to generate income within portfolios. While rates have risen over the past two years, so has bond market volatility and a higher correlation between stocks and bonds has made the search for uncorrelated sources of income even more difficult. However, at the same time,...

Watch the video version on YouTube . Coming out of the pandemic. Fiscal and monetary stimulus provided support for fundraising deals and exit activity within the private equity market. Even as fiscal stimulus has waned and the Federal Reserve has tightened policy. Better than expected economic activity and earnings have supported recent performance. For investors looking to supplement their public...

Watch the video version on YouTube .  Portfolio Managers from across J.P. Morgan Asset Management to help shed some light on the rapidly growing and increasingly important world of alternatives. These conversations will range from broad overviews of the entire opportunity set, to asset class-specific deep dives across private equities, private credit, real estate and more. Since 1950, the classic...

This year had no shortage of surprises for investors, from strong returns in stock markets to the impressive resilience of the U.S. economy. Along the way, we’ve confronted all sorts of shocks: a new war in the Middle East, Washington dysfunction, even higher interest rates while the labor market and consumer have seen continued strength. As we look to 2024, there is cause for both concern and opt...

Watch the video version on YouTube .  Successful long-term investing requires both the flexibility to navigate the ever-changing market tides and an engine of long-term assets to carry you forward. In this episode, we’re going to talk about both—how investors can build portfolios to navigate volatile market environments and generate better long-term returns. Such an endeavor requires an in-depth u...

Watch the video version on YouTube .  The menu of investment solutions has evolved dramatically over the last 10 years, as innovation in financial planning tools has enabled the development of customized and flexible strategies. This episode discusses one of model portfolios. With increased efficiency, better customization, and greater flexibility, model portfolios are built to navigate unpredicta...

Watch the video version on YouTube .  Regardless of where you are in life, you need a plan for the future, and for most Americans, that involves planning for retirement. The task can feel overwhelming at times and easily be pushed aside for later, more pressing times. However, a well-constructed plan for the future not only helps ensure a secure retirement, but can be a powerful engine for savings...

Watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube .  New and innovative technologies have disrupted industries time and time again, creating more efficient ways to reach desired outcomes. The financial services industry is no exception, and options for investing today look far different than they did 100 years ago. The exchange traded fund, or ETF, is one example of these technologies changing th...