Best Blogs of the Week #225
This week’s best blogs includes 2 from Russell and a Wells Fargo post. There’s interesting discussion of the pending DoL fiduciary changes, which is top of mind across most corners of the industry.
Russell – Today’s ESG investing is not your father’s SRI – To many, ESG brings back memories of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) – which has typically employed an exclusionary screening based on social issues rather than investment issues. For example, electing to divest or not invest in: “Sin stocks,” like alcohol, tobacco, or pornography; or South African companies during the Anti-Apartheid Movement (originally known as the Boycott Movement) of the ‘70s and ‘80s; or fossil fuels today.
Russell – How are advisors adapting to regulatory pressures in 2016? – The question we asked was simple: “To what degree do you see the DOL proposal impacting your business if it passes?” Surprisingly, the largest percentage of surveyed advisors (35%) said they anticipated only a slight impact from the proposed rule…
Wells Fargo – Can the Treasury market’s three-legged stool cope with two legs missing? – In the final three months of 2015, foreign investors were net sellers of $50 billion of Treasury notes and bonds. China was selling a substantial amount to raise dollars needed to prevent its currency from falling precipitously (see chart below).
