Reading time: 4 minutes
Each year, many investors look to economic forecasts to help guide their asset allocation decision making. While the macro backdrop will certainly influence various asset classes (some more than others), there are several key trends across the globe that excite the portfolio managers of the BetaShares Legg Mason Global Emerging Markets Fund (managed fund) (ASX: EMMG) regardless of the economic forces at play.

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Reading time: 3 minutes
The BetaShares Legg Mason Real Income Fund (managed fund) (ASX: RINC) has been trading on the ASX since 13 February 2018. RINC employs the same strategy as the unlisted Legg Mason Martin Currie Real Income Fund, which recently celebrated its 10th birthday.

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Reading time: 3 minutes
Imagine this…
As coach of the Australian rugby team, you pick your biggest and toughest players heading into the World Cup. Fortunately, the current crop are some of the best Australia has seen. That said, they are a big bunch of lads, so will require regular interchanges to make the most of their bulldozing abilities throughout the matches.

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Reading time: 4 minutes
In the perennial debate about the merits of active vs. passive management, the main claim of active managers is that the higher fees they typically charge are justified by their ability to outperform market benchmarks, and by extension, passive funds that aim to track those benchmarks.

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Reading time: 10 minutes
With interest rates at historic lows, investors who rely on cash or government bonds for income returns are having a harder time making ends meet.
For risk-conscious investors, the good news is that there is a range of innovative cash and fixed income investment exposures on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) that offer attractive income returns,

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Reading time: 4 minutes
Lower rates and more cuts on the cards
With the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cutting the official cash rate to just 1.00% on 3 July 2019, savers and investors face increased challenges in deriving enough income from their investments to meet their needs.

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Reading time: 3 minutes
Determining how to spread your funds across investment asset classes of varying risk and potential return is one of your most important investment decisions.
Having a lot invested in equities will likely mean your long-run returns will be higher, but also that you will have to endure more volatility along the way.

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Reading time: 7 minutes
Volatility returned to investment markets over the past year as growth accelerated and central banks, especially the US Federal Reserve (Fed), started to remove excess liquidity by raising interest rates and reversing quantitative easing. 
As a defensive, income focused equity strategy,

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Reading time: 4 minutes
Hybrid securities last year again demonstrated their ability to hold up well in the face of equity market volatility.
Hybrids: impressive risk-adjusted returns
The Investment Manager of our Active Hybrids Fund (ASX: HBRD) recently wrote a post discussing the strong performance of the hybrids market last year. 

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Reading time: 4 minutes
Beginning in early 2009, the current global equity bull market has been one of the longest on record. While no-one can pick the exact top in the market, a growing number of analysts concede the bull phase is at a mature stage and downside risks are accumulating.

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