Stephen Solaka Managing Partner & Co-Founder, BELMONT CAPITAL GROUP

Every advisor wants to maintain their long-term portfolio positions while protecting against short-term declines. ETFs have proven to be more economical than temporarily selling and repurchasing individual stocks, but hedging strategies can also be short-lived and come at a cost. Hear expert advice on establishing the most effective plan of action with the largest returns.

• Using ETF option strategies
• Using ETFs in a long short strategy
• Using ETFs that "own" volatility
• Using ETFs to diversify or magnify

Is another financial crisis set to hit the U.S. in two-to-three years? If so, what should advisors be doing right now to protect their client’s assets? One of the world’s leading economists discusses the resiliency of the American economy and the best ways to grow wealth over the coming years.  Can you still double your purchasing powered every decade in the stock market? Hear why Siegel says transparency and reorganization of the financial system are a step in the right direction.

American economist Burton Malkiel will offer his Global economic outlook and then turn focus on China, currently the 2^nd largest economy in the world. China’s rise from a poor, stagnant country to a major economic power within a time span of only 30 years is often described by analysts as one of the greatest economic success stories in modern times.  China's economy helped power the world's recovery from the devastating financial crisis that erupted two years ago but it's global impact over the next decade is even more important from an investment standpoint.  Dr. Malkiel will share his timeless investment strategies for taking advantage of this global phenomenon, and specifically discuss the best ETFs available for investors to gain exposure to China.

More than 130 new ETFs launched just this year, creating challenges for advisors that need to know all the options available and how to sort through the barrage of new products.

• Comparing broad emerging market ETFs to country specific emerging market ETFs
• Using emerging market capitalization and sector ETFs
• The features and benefits of local shares vs depositary receipts (ADRs and GDRs)
• Emerging market correlations and allocations

Index methodology and asset allocation take center stage of this lively discussion between a variety of experts who will share their ideas about the most appropriate benchmarks for investors.

• What do indexes really measure?
• Fundamental indexing versus Cap weighted indexing
• Seeking the global equity benchmark

Through these two mini-sessions, advisors will gain a better understanding of the unique leveraged ETF product structure and then examine the application of leveraged ETFs to portfolios. Both sessions will cover many of the frequently asked questions and myths surrounding leveraged ETFs that both sponsors receive. An extended question and answer period will follow. Topics to be covered include:

• Exactly how do leveraged ETFs work?
• What effect does a more than one day holding period have on investment returns?
• What are the most common mistakes when using leveraged ETFs?
• How can leveraged ETFs be used to hedge a client portfolio?

Although fixed income and equity investments are the core of a diversified portfolio, the use of alternative asset classes can provide additional diversification.Since Commodities are hard assets, these ETFs can provide protection against unexpected inflation and can be divided in three types:

1.       ETFs that track an individual commodity like gold, oil, or soybeans

2.       ETFs that track a basket of different commodities

3.       ETFs that invest in a group of companies that produce a commodity

Currency ETFs are designed to track the movement of a currency in the exchange market. The underlying investments in a currency ETF will be either foreign cash deposits or futures contracts. ETFs based on futures will invest the excess cash in high-quality bonds, typically U.S. Treasury bonds.

Learn what your clients are thinking about now from an exclusive Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) report which finds Boomers pessimistic toward retirement preparedness.  Six out of every 10 people expressed concern over outliving their savings and investments.  Seven out of 10 say they are “afraid” that their household is not saving enough to cover future needs. 

Nearly half of the all unretired Boomers surveyed stated they would put most of their assets in an investment that provides guaranteed income for life, even if it pays a low return, thus proving the need to solve the retirement income crisis has reached a critical point.

• Six of 10 Boomers within five years of retirement prefer to consult a specialist when making financial decisions
• Unretired Boomers cite retirement planning as the top financial advice they would like to receive in the next 12 months
• Clear preference for gaining information in a face-to-face exchange, rather than via online and electronic methods.

We want more from our investments than low risk and high returns. We want to nurture hope for riches and banish fear of poverty.  We want to win, be #1, and beat the market. We want to feel pride when our investments bring gains and avoid regret when they inflict losses. We want to leave a legacy for our children when we are gone. And, we want to leave nothing for the tax man.  These beliefs are a part of new research results from the nation’s leading behavioral economist, Meir Statman.

It’s important to note that the wants of retirees are similar to those of non-retirees, but their circumstances are different and so are their challenges.  In particular, retirees face the challenge of the shift from accumulating to de-cumulating.  Mental accounting and self control helped retirees before they retired, but how does that help them after retirement and how does it get in their way?

"Don't dip into capital" was a rule that served retirees well before retirement. What replaces the rule in retirement?

• What are the psychological impediments to immediate annuities?
• What are the psychological attractions of equity participation notes and covered calls?
• How can retirees maintain hope for riches yet banish fear of poverty?

Katharine Coppola Territory Manager, JEFFERSON NATIONAL