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Is the 60/40 portfolio dead? What is it? Why does it matter?

Advisors helping clients choose where to allocate their retirement savings increasingly rely on indexed products. Not all products perform the same in different market cycles. Where are markets headed, and how can advisors manage client expectations?

With hundreds of indices in the market today, how can investors evaluate and compare indices? 

How does something like a Fixed Indexed Annuity (FIA) fit into the client’s retirement portfolio?

These are important questions in the minds of investors today!

Jack Martin and guests Laurence Black and Dr. Jay Watson from The Index Standard® answer these questions. They shed light on the necessity of diversifying beyond well-known indices, such as the S&P 500, and explore ways to optimize risk-reward outcomes within a portfolio.

Laurence and Jay discuss:

  • Why investors are questioning the effectiveness of the traditional portfolio mix
  • The dangers of chasing performance (the fear-greed curve)
  • Forecasts based on the “wisdom of Wall Street”
  • How fixed index annuities (FIAs) and registered index-linked annuities (RILAs) may be strategically used to improve portfolio performance
  • The Index Standard®’s methodology for rating indices and getting a “bang for your buck”
  • And more!

Connect with Laurence Black:

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About Our Guests:

Laurence Black is the founder of The Index Standard® and an index advisor to Robert J. Shiller, Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale University. Before founding The Index Standard®, Laurence was Managing Director and Head of Quantitative Indices and Strategies at Barclays, where he oversaw the development of the Barclays index family. In addition to designing some of the first smart beta/factor indices, Laurence spearheaded Barclays’ index partnerships with Professors Robert Shiller and Nouriel Roubini, as well as Novus Partners. 

Jay Watson worked in investment banking for 20 years, specializing in quantitative investment strategy index development and management. Jay was previously Managing Director and Head of Multi-asset Index Structuring EMEA at Barclays in London, where he was instrumental in building Barclays’ index business globally over more than a decade. Among many activities, he chaired Barclays’ index development oversight group, responsible for ensuring new indices were well-engineered and fit for purpose.