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Investors look to the municipal market for both quality and diversification. They were rewarded in 2020 when the municipal market proved resilient despite a challenging economic environment. The strength of the municipal credit quality surprised many. And the CARES Act provided much-needed support to a municipal bond market reeling from COVID-19. What’s coming next now that the Biden administration is setting to work?

Inflation is almost always a topic of discussion when thinking about and planning for the future. This paper explores the many factors that affect the inflation rate, whether an uptick in inflation is helpful or harmful, and the cyclical forces that could push toward higher inflation. Despite all the theory and prognostication, no one knows exactly where inflation is headed.

Many trends—including the explosive price changes in a handful of equities driven by a crowdsourced short squeeze—are indicative of an asset bubble. Grizzled market veterans are starting to draw comparisons with the go-go market of the late 1990s that ended with the tech bubble bursting in 2000. That thought leads many to conclude that the U.S. equity market is in a liquidity-driven bubble that again may not end well for investors.

Using equities to customize for yield enhancement isn’t a completely new invention. Investors have had access to a variety of dividend-focused strategies for years. For investors who are less familiar with the ways they can tailor their portfolios for yield enhancements, there are two key approaches around factors and options that can be used.

Solving world hunger—or “food insecurity”—is really hard. The solutions are not particularly sexy, and they require a very long-term outlook. In seeking to learn more about the problem, we reached out to the ones trying to solve it.

In Part 2 of the conversation on solving world hunger through innovation and strategic investing, we welcome two more entrepreneurs. Ezinne Uzo-Okuro, CEO of Terraformers, is using her background as a NASA scientist to empower people to grow healthy food and create sustainable livelihoods. Manuela Zierau, Global Lead of H2Grow, works with communities to grow food—and well-being—in impossible places. Private Client CIO Sid Ahl and CrossBoundary’s Kirtika Challa join in to discuss investment takeaways.

Throughout history, gold and silver have had many important uses, including as a hedge against inflation, deflation, and economic uncertainty. For the gold investors, they have managed to preserve their wealth during some tumultuous times, including the financial crisis of 2008 and the pandemic-induced economic crisis of 2020. When it comes to investing in gold and silver, it’s essential to know the six keys to successful gold and silver ownership—the who, what, when, where, why, and how of precious metals investing.

Many investors find themselves wondering whether the new Biden administration will change the U.S. trade policy toward China. Further, investors are wondering how they should position themselves. From this perspective, there is reason to believe that U.S.-China relations could remain unpredictable, and investors may be well served by a balanced portfolio that can handle the twists and turns. While there may be increasing risks to holding Chinese securities because of U.S. actions, there remains a potential reward as well.

As the surge of interest in creating a more just and equal economic system gathers force and begins to translate into real action, so do its detractors. From an investment perspective, the source of tension tends to occur when it links gender and racial diversity to financial performance. But there’s more to the discussion when it comes to building a more inclusive world, including the value it holds for investors who want to use their portfolios to move equity of opportunity forward.

Municipal bond yields have finally begun to move higher. The surge is a natural and healthy development—reflective of an improving economic landscape but not a marked upshift in inflation. In this environment, see where muni investors can find opportunity and capitalize.