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CONTRIBUTORS

Tony Davidow, CIMA®

Senior Alternatives Investment Strategist
Franklin Templeton Institute

We recently hosted two groups of advisors for back-to-back due diligence meetings in Austin, Texas. Advisors had the opportunity to hear from several of our specialist investment managers as we delved into allocating to alternatives, product evolution and portfolio construction. It was great to see the level of advisor engagement throughout both programs. Dave Donahoo, Head of US Wealth Management Alternatives at Franklin Templeton, said: “The opportunity for us to spend quality time with our partners enables us to provide updates on our strategies, bring in our specialist investment managers to share market outlooks and insights, answer questions and foster discussion.”

Over the last several years, the industry has evolved a great deal, and discussions with advisors have moved from “why allocate to alternatives?” to “how to allocate to alternatives.” To help advisors with their portfolio construction process, I presented my research on “Building Better Portfolios with Alternative Investments: A Goals-Based Framework,” which utilizes case studies to illustrate the impact of alternatives to achieve client goals.

I began each session with a live poll asking the attendees about their current allocation to alternative investments. After presenting data on the historical risk-adjusted results, sharing information about how institutions and family offices have allocated to alternatives, and how the various strategies complement different market environments, I asked about their intentions for the year ahead. In both sessions, more than 95% of the advisors said they plan on increasing their allocations to alternatives.

We believe that the increasing advisor adoption is a byproduct of better education, greater familiarity with the asset classes, and product evolution that has dramatically expanded the access to alternatives. We have been pleased to partner with many of the wealth management firms as they expand their menus of options and have committed resources to educate their advisors about how to use these versatile tools.  

I always enjoy spending quality time with advisors. It helps inform our thought leadership and confirms that we are making a difference in their knowledge and acumen. Matt Brancato, Head of Broker Dealer Alternative Sales at Franklin Templeton, ended the meetings by saying: “We look forward to these meetings and continue to evolve our sessions to expand on our opportunity set, expertise, and resources. Being a part of the larger Franklin Templeton allows us to offer educational opportunities that are invaluable to our partners.”

To learn more about resources to help you in allocating to alternatives, please visit Alternatives by Franklin Templeton and be sure to subscribe to and rate the Alternative Allocations podcast series.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal.

Investments in many alternative investment strategies are complex and speculative, entail significant risk and should not be considered a complete investment program. Depending on the product invested in, an investment in alternative strategies may provide for only limited liquidity and is suitable only for persons who can afford to lose the entire amount of their investment. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION

This material is intended to be of general interest only and should not be construed as individual investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy, sell or hold any security or to adopt any investment strategy. It does not constitute legal or tax advice. This material may not be reproduced, distributed or published without prior written permission from Franklin Templeton.

The views expressed are those of the investment manager and the comments, opinions and analyses are rendered as at publication date and may change without notice. The underlying assumptions and these views are subject to change based on market and other conditions and may differ from other portfolio managers or of the firm as a whole. The information provided in this material is not intended as a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any country, region or market. There is no assurance that any prediction, projection or forecast on the economy, stock market, bond market or the economic trends of the markets will be realized. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount that you invested. Past performance is not necessarily indicative nor a guarantee of future performance. All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal.

Any research and analysis contained in this material has been procured by Franklin Templeton for its own purposes and may be acted upon in that connection and, as such, is provided to you incidentally. Data from third party sources may have been used in the preparation of this material and Franklin Templeton ("FT") has not independently verified, validated or audited such data.  Although information has been obtained from sources that Franklin Templeton believes to be reliable, no guarantee can be given as to its accuracy and such information may be incomplete or condensed and may be subject to change at any time without notice. The mention of any individual securities should neither constitute nor be construed as a recommendation to purchase, hold or sell any securities, and the information provided regarding such individual securities (if any) is not a sufficient basis upon which to make an investment decision. FT accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss arising from use of this information and reliance upon the comments, opinions and analyses in the material is at the sole discretion of the user.

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Issued in the U.S. by Franklin Templeton, One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, California 94403-1906, (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236, franklintempleton.com. Investments are not FDIC insured; may lose value; and are not bank guaranteed.

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