The concept of tax alpha can help a wealth manager explain a client’s after-tax performance. In a new article in the Journal of Wealth Management, we propose two frameworks for the after-tax calculation used to measure tax alpha. 

Householding applies one target asset allocation across all family assets and manages them holistically for the highest practicable after-tax return. We compare the outcomes of two use cases for householding vs. a single-portfolio approach. 

The SEC has proposed changes to standards for classifying the liquidity of fixed-income instruments held by open-end funds. The new approach may not pick up differences between funds and may not signal worsening liquidity amid market stress, however.

Analysis of the recent turmoil in the U.K. gilt market has primarily focused on the role of leverage and liquidity. However, investors also may want to consider the role played by bond-market crowding, and where similar conditions may exist. 

Sanctions on Russia have not affected credit-default swaps directly, but the settlement process following a default would rely on delivering and auctioning the sanctioned bonds. We examine this new form of recovery risk.

Was bond liquidity worse during the COVID-19 outbreak or the 2008 global financial crisis? We analyzed transaction costs from the forced selling of USD 10 million of U.S. corporate bonds, throughout the two crises.

Have bank loans posed more liquidity risk than corporate bonds when the market was stressed? We compared various liquidity metrics for bank loans and high-yield bonds during the December 2018 high-yield sell-off to find the answer.