Could too much cash be bad for your clients’ wealth?

Click here for insights on whether too much cash could be bad for your clients’ wealth, according to by Nils Bierkamp, PhD; Jonathan Cain, CFA, CAIA; Brian Donnelly, CFA; and David Hays, CFA; Fidelity Fixed Income Strategists.

Key takeaways include:

  • Cash has provided liquidity, but since 1950, it hasn’t offered the same protection vs. equity drawdowns1 as bonds.
  • Since 1980, bonds have outperformed a proxy for cash2 in the 12 months after the last Fed interest rate hike.
  • One theoretical guidepost for forward bond returns suggests the potential for a healthy return in the coming years.
  • An increased yield cushion has added protection against an absolute decline for the bond market in the past.

1 Drawdown refers to a reduction in equity prices.
2 A cash proxy is an asset class with return and liquidity characteristics that are similar to cash.

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