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Although no previous election year had this year’s unique set of circumstances—a global pandemic, an economic recession, the fastest equity market correction on record (and subsequent recovery), multiple natural disasters, and social unrest—there are some insights available when examining the individual effect of each variable. Facing a year of momentous challenges and uncertainty, how should investors position their portfolios?

In this quarterly update, see the key areas of focus that drive investment returns and the implementation strategies around six themes that include a demand for responsible investment.

Global equities were hit hard during the first quarter of 2020, erasing most of 2019's gains. Credit-oriented fixed income was also hit, but to a lesser extent, while U.S. Treasury bonds perfored well. Investors may find portfolios out of balance relative to target allocations. Is now the time to rebalance?

The first half of 2020 was marked by a return of volatility to the global capital markets as the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic rippled across the globe. The market rallied during the second quarter under an aggressive central bank policy, coupled with optimism that economic indicators had bottomed. Turning to the fall period, the landscape for the primary alternative asset classes starts with a hedge fund update and ends with how COVID-19 has dramatically changed outcomes for commercial real estate.

The markets moved higher during July and August as cities across the globe continued their re-opening plans after pandemic-induced shutdowns and central banks sustained their support for global markets. However, when September came, the market sentiment turned negative, with most risk assets posting losses. Still, the third quarter was solid overall, with most market segments posting positive results behind key performance drivers.

Despite the popularity of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), there are structural issues that make them less than ideal for many high-net-worth investors. A tax-managed separately managed account (SMA) may deliver the same diversified, index-like exposure while offering increased after-tax returns for these investors. The benefits can be substantial.

COVID-19 has pushed many healthy businesses into a distressed position where they find themselves needing to raise financing, restructure debt, or sell the business to survive. For private equity funds with dry powder—available cash—on hand, a strategic investment in those businesses are under consideration. However, an acquisition of a distressed business is often more challenging than a traditional Mergers and Acquisitions transaction from both a deal and tax perspective.

Between the slowing pace of payout cuts and changes in index yields, how much do income investors really need to worry about the rest of 2020. Investors who understand the data and the importance of diversification will adjust their views.

Buying local isn’t always the best strategy when investing in stocks. Here are three compelling reasons to consider investing beyond your home-country bias, which can have lasting negative impact on portfolios.