Hedge funds have proven reluctant to back the reflation-trade market trend that has emerged recently in cyclical stocks such as travel and tourism. Although the reasons for this are unclear, it is possible funds are unconvinced by the return-to-normal narrative and concerned the recovery could falter once support for the economy is wound down.

Hedge funds have enjoyed the best first quarter results in 21 years with the Hedge Fund Research fund-weighted composite index posting a gain of 6.1% to the end of March. The top 10% of funds registered an average gain of 8.6% during the quarter, against an average 6.2% loss for the bottom 10%, with event-driven funds emerging as the top-performing strategy over the period.

Asset managers have come out against proposals from the Federal Trade Commission for a rule change that could force them to seek anti-trust clearances on holdings in a target company above a certain threshold. Regulators say asset owners such as hedge funds and private equity could potentially bring anti-competitive forces to bear, to the detriment of consumers.

A recent survey of affluent Americans showed that 45% were likely to turn to financial advisors to help them learn about the market and manage their money in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Among the top considerations respondents cited when selecting an advisor were reputation, fees, personal recommendations and accessibility.

Transparency and dedicated personal service are the top things clients want from their financial advisors, according to a survey from Cerulli Associates and Phoenix Marketing International. Clients also want advisors to monitor their portfolios and alert them to problems, the survey found.

The Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which is awaiting Senate review, would undermine the positive features of the independent contractor model with requirements that don't benefit investors or advisors, writes Financial Services Institute President and CEO Dale Brown. FSI strongly opposes the PRO Act and will "argue for a carveout in the bill's worker classifications provisions for financial advisors," Brown writes.

Some of the tax changes proposed by the Biden administration could affect retirement and estate planning, writes Joe Elsasser of Covisum. These include estate tax exemption adjustments and additional taxation to fund Social Security.

Stephen Boswell of The Oechsli Institute answers common marketing questions from financial advisors. These include whether firms should move to digital marketing and whether they should hire full-time marketing employees.

More and more baby boomers are retiring, which means financial advisors are likely to field more questions about rollovers and such topics as Social Security, writes Jack Sharry of LifeYield. Sharry offers tips for advisors to use these conversations to show their value.

To help your practice succeed, it's important that you ensure your clients understand why you're recommending certain services or financial products, writes Daniel C. Finley. He outlines four key steps to follow so everyone understands the "why behind the buy."