Venerated Voices™ Q3 2023 Rankings

“In the shorter run, I think the market is not anticipating the next shoe to drop and that’s credit. And the concerns with regards to margins and pressures and a recessionary cycle, and I think we have to get through that first before getting to the good stuff at the end of this story.”

Japan Is On The Rise took second place, written by Carl Tannenbaum of Northern Trust and published on July 18. Tannenbaum began by characterizing Japan as a former global economic leader that has experienced decades of stagnation and decline. But he said that Japan is “on the rise” as it is showing signs of improvement, including strong economic growth and a significant stock market rebound. Furthermore, he highlighted how the pandemic played a surprising role in this turnaround, as supply chain disruptions and labor shortages led to wage increases and higher prices, effectively countering deflation. Despite ongoing challenges, Tannenbaum suggested that the prevailing sentiment surrounding Japan’s economy is optimistic.

In third place was Why Investors in Retirement May Want to Consider an Income Approach by Alex Shingler and Justin Christofel of BlackRock, published on September 6. The authors highlighted the significance of adopting an income-centric investment approach, particularly in retirement, using two case studies as examples. They demonstrated that investing in equities can be advantageous for an investor during the accumulation phase of their investing cycle but the “sequence of returns risk” can be harmful for those in the decumulation phase, which are typically retirees. To mitigate the risk, the authors recommended transitioning to a diversified income-oriented portfolio in retirement. The commentary concluded by offering BlackRock’s Multi-Asset Income Model Portfolio as a solution, which it claimed provides diversification across income-producing assets and caters to different retiree risk profiles.