Prospects for Growth in 2017

Some researchers believe the U.S. economy has a healthy outlook: The GDP growth rate is in the ideal 2 percent to 3 percent range, unemployment continues to abate and inflation remains in check.¹

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 88 percent of all occupations will experience growth by 2020, with the biggest increases coming in health care, personal care and construction. It also predicts that jobs requiring a master’s degree will grow the fastest.²

Aside from the potential of lower taxes, more jobs and infrastructure spending, the U.S. economy has another reason for optimism: American manufacturing, industrial production and trade sectors appear to be emerging from their recession. Economists anticipate that industrial sector growth will continue throughout 2017.³

Furthermore, consumer and chief executive officer confidence levels have improved considerably since the November U.S. election. The current expectation for more fiscal stimulus is expected to translate into greater spending and stronger economic growth.⁴

In periods of positive economic news such as this, people sometimes get caught up in “the good times” – planning vacations and finding other ways to spend newly acquired discretionary income. As financial professionals, we want to help you create a long-term financial strategy now, so that you feel confident in your financial future.

Clearly, no one knows where the market will go in 2017, but according to investment analysts at Charles Schwab, income growth may be poised to continue in the immediate future. Technology, health care and financial sectors are among those that could outperform in 2017.⁵ One reason is that the U.S. is entering an era of deregulation. President Trump has already started to roll back regulations put in place during the Obama administration, which issued more than 3,750 final rules and regulations during its eight-year tenure.⁶

If you find yourself with some extra funds you would like to put away for retirement, call us for assistance on allocating them to your financial plan.

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications

¹ Kimberly Amadeo. The Balance. March 15, 2017. “US Economic Outlook: For 2017 and Beyond.” https://www.thebalance.com/us-economic-outlook-3305669. Accessed March 21, 2017.

² Ibid.

³ Rick Rieder. BlackRock. Jan. 13, 2017. “2 Reasons the U.S. economy Should Fare Better in 2017.” https://www.blackrockblog.com/2017/01/13/us-economy-fare-better-2017/. Accessed March 21, 2017.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Brad Sorenson. Charles Schwab. March 16, 2017. “Schwab Sector Views: How Should Investors Look at Health Care Now?” http://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/nn/articles/Sector-Views. Accessed March 21, 2017.

⁶ Alejandro Chafuen. Forbes. Jan. 3, 2017. “The U.S. Economy In 2017: Welcome Higher Growth.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/alejandrochafuen/2017/01/03/the-u-s-economy-in-2017-welcome-higher-growth/#5ef2fcb938fb. Accessed March 22, 2017.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. 

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference.

Investment Advisory Services offered through Global Financial Private Capital, LLC.

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Trends in the ETF Market

In recent months, there has been a recent movement out of actively managed investments into passively managed instruments such as exchange-traded funds. Globally, ETFs gained more than $270 billion in 2016.¹

An ETF is a single investment vehicle that tracks all of the securities within an index, a commodity, bonds or a group of assets like an index fund. It’s similar to a mutual fund, but an ETF’s price will fluctuate throughout the day as it trades like a common stock on a stock exchange. A basic ETF generally charges a lower fee than most mutual funds because it is not actively managed.²

With lower fees and expense ratios, plain index fund ETFs generally outperform mutual funds. However, there is a growing market of Smart Beta ETFs that charge relatively higher fees.³ Smart Beta ETFs also follow an index but may use a different weighting strategy to focus on specific technical and/or fundamental factors such as size, value, momentum, volatility and profitability.⁴ In 2016, Smart Beta ETFs gained more than $40 billion in new assets in the ETF market.⁵

One reason the ETF format has gained popularity is its ability to focus in certain sectors or investor objectives. For example:

• Fixed income ETFs are designed for investors who may seek a potentially greater yield in the wake of rising interest rates.⁶
• Volatility-managed ETFs expose investors to a specific asset class with risk-mitigation strategies.⁷
• New “theme”-based ETFs focus on small niches of the market, such as cloud computing or airlines.⁸

It’s important to consider any investment within the context of your own goals, risk tolerance, investment timeline and the composition of your overall portfolio. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications

¹ David Mann. Seeking Alpha. Jan. 18, 2017. “ETF Trends To Watch In 2017.” http://seekingalpha.com/article/4037644-etf-trends-watch-2017?page=1. Accessed Feb. 28, 2017.

² Investopedia. 2017. “Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF).” http://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/etf.asp. Accessed Feb. 28, 2017.

³ Leo Almazora. Wealth Professional. Jan. 10, 2017. “5 ETF Trends to Watch Out for in 2017.” http://www.wealthprofessional.ca/news/5-etf-trends-to-watch-out-for-in-2017-219323.aspx. Accessed Feb. 28, 2017.

⁴ Chris Dietrich. Barron’s. July 9, 2016. “Multifactor ETFs Are Gaining in Popularity.” http://www.barrons.com/articles/multi-factor-etfs-are-gaining-in-popularity-1468037320. Accessed April 10, 2017.

⁵ David Mann. Seeking Alpha. Jan. 18, 2017. “ETF Trends To Watch In 2017.” http://seekingalpha.com/article/4037644-etf-trends-watch-2017?page=1. Accessed Feb. 28, 2017.

⁶ Nicholas J. Elward and Brett Olsen. NATIXIS Global Asset Management. January 2017. “5 ETF Trends for 2017.” https://ngam.natixis.com/us/blog/5-etf-trends-for-2017. Accessed Feb. 28, 2017.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Bob Pisani. CNBC. Jan. 23, 2017. “Six Hot-Topic Trends for ETFs in 2017.” www.cnbc.com/2017/01/23/how-to-invest-in-etfs-six-hot-trends-for-2017.html. Accessed Feb. 28, 2017.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial advice.

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference.

Investment Advisory Services offered through Global Financial Private Capital, LLC.

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