Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) have been the recipient of many news headlines creating investor angst and questions for future return prospects. Since August 2014, with the downturn in oil, MLPs have largely been under pressure for reasons ranging from distribution cuts to the effects from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

During the month of May, core inflation did something it hadn’t done in six years — it reached 2%. This percentage has become an important barometer for the market because the Federal Reserve (the Fed) has targeted 2% as an optimal level of inflation for the U.S. economy. As inflation meets and has the potential to exceed this important level, investors should take note.

Real assets, beyond their inflation fighting attributes, possess intrinsic benefits for a diversified, successful long-term portfolio.

If you were being honest, would you find investments in your portfolio you are holding because of emotional reasons rather than because they continue to make the most financial sense?

Passive investments continue to gain market share within the construction of investors’ portfolios. The success of passive investing has also attracted investors with passive portfolio construction. It is our view that passive investors overlook key elements of asset allocation, most notably, index methodology. 

Many of our friends and colleagues have asked us why we launched Fi3 Family Office. The answer is simple: We want to meet the evolving needs of our clients. 

While most identity theft targets credit cards, tax returns or bank accounts, attempts to access retirement funds rises every year. For many plan participants, a retirement plan may be their largest asset outside of home equity. 

Last year was near perfect for the markets — the S&P 500 not only gained over 21%, it also was the first year in history that the index didn’t experience a single down month. This year, however, is noticeably different. A rocky beginning may have you wondering if the long-running stock rally is over, though that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, the volatility may actually be a blessing in disguise.

What is the role of fixed income in your portfolio? There are two key considerations for fixed income that all investors should understand.

First, fixed income’s role is not diminished by what may be greater hurdles in the future (ie. rising interest rates). When the next downturn comes, we fully expect fixed income to outperform equity assets.

Second, price returns of bonds are not the whole story. Remember, what you glean from a month-end investment statement is only part of the narrative.

How did we arrive at these findings? Let’s take a look at what brought us here.

Guest author William Gurtin offers his thoughts on MSRB Rule G-15 and FINRA Rule 2232 requiring broker-dealers to disclose markups on bonds. He writes that the municipal bond market is finally inching its way into the 21st Century.