Strategy Update 2021

The Bartlett team took a deep dive into next-era wealth planning for this extraordinary time during our 2021 Strategy Update: New Ways of Life… And What it Means for Wealth Management.

Before looking forward, we reflected back. As we all remember, the stock market cratered last February and March. It was one of the quickest and severest “bear markets” in memory. Confidence evaporated in the early stages of the pandemic. But for patient investors, 2020 wound up being a very rewarding year.

While we could have easily spent the entire presentation deconstructing the roller coaster ride of 2020, our focus is on what has our attention in 2021 and beyond. Bartlett’s new CEO, Jim Hagerty, and newly-appointed President, Holly Mazzocca, delved into four very compelling trends we think will have an impact on the economy and the markets going forward:

• Innovation in healthcare
• The growing use of renewable energy
• A continuing shift to cloud computing
• Disruption in higher education

Let’s take a look at each of these megatrends and what they mean for you… and your portfolio.

Innovation in healthcare

The miraculous developments we witnessed in the healthcare space during 2020 were indeed one silver lining to a challenging year. And, because healthcare stocks account for the second-largest sector in most portfolios, ongoing medical innovation and scientific breakthroughs will be very impactful for investors.  

The growing use of renewable energy

The effects of renewable energy will be felt across many different sectors of our economy. We are continuing to analyze how these changes impact both producers and users of energy. Corporate America is a central player in our continued push for a cleaner environment, and we will look to companies to innovate. 

A continuing shift to cloud computing

Overall global technology spending tends to grow in line with the economy, but cloud-based spending is expected to grow at 20% per year. Another way of looking at this: right now, about one-third of technology spending is now cloud-oriented, but by 2024 this will be almost one-half. It is estimated that cloud computing overall has penetrated 25-50% of potential applications, so there is substantial growth potential.

Disruption in higher education

Higher education is a $700 billion industry in the United States alone.  When tech giants like Apple and Google are looking for new streams of revenue that will actually move the needle, higher education is undoubtedly an area they’re eyeing.

While these trends had perhaps been brewing under the radar, the COVID lockdown environment swiftly accelerated their rise to the surface. Do you want to dig a little deeper into these key areas and learn more about how they work together to impact investment portfolios?

We invite you to view a video recording of our full Strategy Update presentation for more on megatrends, post COVID-19 realities, the new administration, and how each may impact your planning and investment strategies. Click here to gain access.