Sage Advisory Podcast

This podcast episode from "Insuring Tomorrow" features Greg Cobb, Director of Insurance Solutions at Sage Advisory Services, and JD Colbert, Co-Founder of the Sovereign Insurance Association for Native Nations (SIANN). They discuss the intersection of captive insurance with the Native American community, emphasizing the unique role of tribal sovereignty in creating insurance solutions tailored to Native Nations' needs.

In this podcast we interview Emma Harper, Senior Research Analyst, about The Sage Sustainable 50, an annual list of the most sustainable companies in the US bond market, based on the Sage ESG Leaf Score® methodology.

The insurance industry is at a turning point. In an era where climate change and environmental responsibility are at the forefront of global conversations, the insurance industry is taking center stage. Welcome to “Insuring Tomorrow,” a series of podcasts where we take a deeper dive into the world of insurance and evolving trends in sustainability. In this episode, we talk with Greg Cobb, head of insurance solutions at Sage Advisory.

When Sage was being formed over a quarter of a century ago, our founders wanted to establish a firm with a clear purpose. At a recent town hall meeting, President Bob Smith delivered a short history of how Sage's name came to be.

In this quarterly market review and outlook, Sage's Michael Walton and Thomas Urano discuss inflation, the Fed's policy response, and fixed income portfolio positioning. Michael leads Sage's Business Development Team, and Thomas is the Head of Portfolio Management.

Sage's Lily Tu talks with CIO Bob Smith and Senior ESG Research Analyst Emma Harper about how Sage integrates ESG analysis into bond portfolios, the differences between ESG and impact, and how ESG integration can enhance financial outcomes.

In this quarterly market review and outlook, Sage's Michael Walton and Thomas Urano discuss inflation, the Fed's policy response, and fixed income portfolio positioning. Michael leads Sage's Business Development Team, and Thomas is the Head of Portfolio Management.

In this podcast, Sage's Michael Walton and Thomas Urano discuss the dynamics that have played out in markets over the last six months and Sage's outlook for the second half of the year.

Sage President Bob Smith and Sr. Research Analyst Andy Poreda discuss the top ESG news stories of the week. Included in this week's Top 5 are new U.S. solar initiatives, the continued crackdown on greenwashing, and ESG options in retirement plans.

Sage Managing Partner Michael Walton and Thomas Urano, who leads the Portfolio Management Team, talk about “the perfect storm” that caused one of the all-time worst quarters for the bond market. They discuss the three things that need to happen to get inflation under control and how Sage is positioned given the near-term outlook.

For this episode of the Sage ESG Podcast, Bob Smith, President and Chief Investment Officer at Sage sat down with Dan Romito, Partner at Pickering Energy Partners to discuss the energy transition.

Sage ESG Research Analysts Sara Rodriguez and Emma Harper sit down to discuss how Sage evaluates climate risk to align with the goals set at COP26 this past fall.

Sage ESG Research Analyst Andrew Poreda sits down with ESG Research Analysts Emma Harper and Sara Rodriguez to discuss the results of Sage's 2021 Annual ETF Stewardship Survey. This year's survey evaluated ETF Sponsors across six areas – proxy voting; company engagement; climate initiatives; stewardship resources; disclosure practices; and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Two Sage ESG research analysts, Andy Poreda and Sara Rodriguez, discuss what getting to “net zero” means for the auto industry and the challenges and opportunities in electric vehicle adoption.

Many questions are still unanswered following Winter Storm Uri, which left millions of Texans without power and water for days. Could this disaster have been prevented? Who is responsible? How will we prepare for the next climate-related event? In this episode, Sage interviews Dr. Samantha Montano, an expert in emergency management and author of the forthcoming book Disasterology: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis. Dr. Montano sheds light on the lessons learned from previous disasters, how such events can be escalated by changing climate risks, and how they can be mitigated through progressive planning.

Our planet has been recording the warmest years on record and we are increasingly experiencing the adverse effects of climate change. It has been widely recognized that climate change is being triggered by higher levels of greenhouse gases. What can we do about this? In this podcast, Bob Smith and Andy Poreda discuss the importance of reaching net zero in an effort to tackle climate change.

What do Nike, Wells Fargo, and BP have in common? They have all experienced controversy related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks that has affected their brand value. The growth in such intangible assets as brand – intangible assets are 90% of the S&P 500’s total assets – emphasizes the importance of ESG analysis, which considers risks that aren't always reported on company financial statements.

From vaccine rollouts to monetary policy – what curveballs is Sage’s Investment Committee members keeping an eye out for in 2021?

In this podcast, Sage’s CIO Bob Smith sits down with members of Sage’s investment committee – Rob Williams, Thomas Urano, Jeff Timlin, and Komson Silapachai – to review the past year and discuss our outlook going into 2021.

In this podcast, Sage’s Director of Research Rob Williams and Komson Silapachai, Vice President of Research and Portfolio Strategy, discuss the “key risk decisions” that inform our tactical investment strategy outlook and positioning going into 2021.

To better understand how Sage evaluates corporate governance, we have created “The 5 C’s” framework – compensation, composition, competency, clarity, and consistency. In this podcast, Sage’s CIO Bob Smith and Research Analyst Andy Poreda discuss the 5 C’s and examples of companies that exemplify each.

Sage ESG research Analysts Andy Poreda and Sara Rodriguez discuss the importance of having a strong governance foundation and illustrate through Sage’s case study of Waste Management how overcoming a governance scandal can lead to social and environmental outperformance. To read the case study on Waste Management, click here.

Sage ESG research analysts Andy Poreda and Sara Rodriguez discuss social factors that are financially material for companies, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights a positive example through Sage’s case study of Cisco Systems.

There are over 600 organizations that provide research and analytics about companies' environmental, social, and governance policies and practices. How does Sage distill information in an effective and accessible way? ESG research analysts Emma Harper and Andy Poreda provide insight into how Sage measures sustainability.

Sage's Managing Director Michael Walton and National Sales Director Bob Moser talk about how Cash Balance Plans work, who are the best candidates for this type of retirement plan, and how financial advisors can make Cash Balance Plans a successful part of their practice.

Sage ESG research analysts Andy Poreda and Sara Rodriguez discuss environmental risk factors that are financially material for companies and illustrate through Sage's case study of Edison International how these risks are weighed in ESG analysis.

The pandemic has magnified longstanding women’s issues. How can environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing advance gender equality? The women of Sage weigh in.

Sage’s CIO Bob Smith and Vice President Lily Tu discuss the increasing interest among nonprofits for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing.

Sage’s Emma Harper and Andy Poreda discuss the language of ESG investing and the importance we place on financial materiality when incorporating ESG factors into an investing strategy.

Sage CIO Bob Smith talks with ESG research analyst Andrew Poreda about the Department of Labor’s recent proposal regarding ESG investing and his concerns on how this proposal hinders the value of ESG integration and its importance in risk mitigation.

Sage's Komson Silapachai and Emma Smith discuss the three trends that are creating the ideal conditions for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing to see enormous growth.

State Street and Sage Advisory bring you NPR/KUT’s Two Guys on Your Head team -- Rebecca McInroy and University of Texas professors Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke -- to talk about the psychology of dealing with uncertainty, living and working in virtual environments, staying constructive in difficult times, and so much more!

CIO Bob Smith talks with research analysts Andrew Poreda and Emma Smith about recent market events and the value of sustainable investing through Sage's fixed income ETF, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GUDB.

How does a city's preparedness for climate change-related events stack up to its credit rating? Sage's Nick Erickson and John Sama discuss their analysis of climate change data from Notre Dame's Urban Adaptation Assessment and how the disconnect between climate change preparedness and credit ratings may reveal investing opportunities.

Sage’s Komson Silapachai discusses the impact of the coronavirus on markets, the two reasons for continued strength in fixed income, and where Sage sees pockets of opportunity.

How should investors think about the coronavirus and its potential effects on the capital markets? In this podcast, Sage CIO Bob Smith recounts a presentation given by the professor and molecular biologist Dr. Gail Perry-Smith about the novel coronavirus. He also talks with Komson Silapachai, VP of Research and Portfolio Strategy, about how Sage is positioning its investment portfolios.

Sage interviews Ward Bortz, Senior Client Portfolio Manager at Invesco, who discusses the growth of factor investing and what's driving adoption in 2020. This podcast was recorded at Sage’s “Perspectives on the Future” Conference, a two-day event in Austin, Texas, that featured diverse thought leaders on geopolitical events, investment strategy, risk management, retirement policy and issues, women and investing, and sustainable investing.

In this podcast, Sage’s Michael Walton, Dustin Finley, and Thomas Urano discuss what drove returns for 2019 and share our outlook for the first half of 2020.

In this podcast, Sage’s Director of Research Rob Williams and Vice President of Research and Portfolio Strategy Komson Silapachai provide a 2020 market outlook and five key themes to keep in mind this year.

Sage interviews Brandon Kunz, Partner and Portfolio Specialist at Research Affiliates, who discusses what investors can do to prepare for the prospect of a lower-return environment. This podcast was recorded at Sage’s “Perspectives on the Future” Conference, a two-day event in Austin, Texas, that featured diverse thought leaders on geopolitical events, investment strategy, risk management, retirement policy and issues, women and investing, and sustainable investing.

Sage interviews Reva Goujon, Vice President of Global Analysis at Stratfor, who discusses “The Coming Global Inflection Point,” and the changing geopolitical and demographic landscape. This podcast was recorded at Sage’s “Perspectives on the Future” Conference, a two-day event in Austin, Texas, that featured diverse thought leaders on geopolitical events, investment strategy, risk management, retirement policy and issues, women and investing, and sustainable investing.

Sage interviews Chris Fowle, Director of the Americas of the Principles for Responsible Investment, who talks about how he answers the frequent question, "How do I do ESG?"

Sage interviews Michael Arone, a Managing Director and Chief Investment Strategist for State Street Global Advisors U.S. Intermediary Business Group. Arone discusses the trends underpinning the performance of ETFs and his predictions for markets in 2020.

Sage interviews Chris Merker, a Director with Private Asset Management at Robert W. Baird & Co., who discusses asset ownership in the United States and "The Five Imperatives of 21st Century Investing." This podcast was recorded at Sage’s “Perspectives on the Future” Conference, a two-day event in Austin, Texas, that featured diverse thought leaders on geopolitical events, investment strategy, risk management, retirement policy and issues, women and investing, and sustainable investing.

Sage interviews Peter Stone, a UT Austin Computer Science professor, about the evolution of and opportunities in AI and machine learning. Stone is the founder and director of the Learning Agents Research Group (LARG) within the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in the Department of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin. Stone was recently named head of the new Austin-based Sony AI division. This podcast was recorded at Sage’s “Perspectives on the Future” Conference, a two-day event in Austin, Texas, that featured diverse thought leaders on geopolitical events, investment strategy, risk management, retirement policy and issues, women and investing, and sustainable investing.

Sage interviews Professor Nancy Folbre about the evolution of care work in the U.S. Folbre is the Director of the Program on Gender and Care Work at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Senior Fellow of the Levy Economics Institute at Bard College. This podcast was recorded at Sage’s “Perspectives on the Future” Conference, a two-day event in Austin, Texas, that featured diverse thought leaders on geopolitical events, investment strategy, risk management, retirement policy and issues, women and investing, and sustainable investing.

Sage interviews Karen Schenone, a Fixed Income Product Strategist at BlackRock, who talks about the growth of bond ETFs, trends in the bond market, and the 3 reasons why institutional investors are increasingly buying bond ETFs. This podcast was recorded at Sage’s “Perspectives on the Future” Conference, a two-day event in Austin, Texas, that featured diverse thought leaders on geopolitical events, investment strategy, risk management, retirement policy and issues, women and investing, and sustainable investing.

In this podcast, Sage's Andrew Poreda and Emma Smith discuss the balanced assessment they released examining the idea of nuclear power as an alternative energy provider.

Sage’s goal as a tactical manager is to smooth out the ride for investors when markets get bumpy. In this podcast, Sage’s Rob Williams talks about how Sage does tactical investing (vs. strategic and other tactical strategies.)

Sage’s ESG Research Analyst Emma Smith helps financial advisors identify potential clients who may be interested in Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) investing.

Vice President of Research and Portfolio Strategy Komson Silapachai discusses Sage's outlook for fixed income and equities given a backdrop of slowing global growth and supportive central bank policy.