Top Portfolio Products: AdvisorShares Launches 4 Gold/Currency ETFs

Nationwide Financial and Annexus have announced a new partnership and the launch of Nationwide New Heights, a fixed indexed annuity product. New Heights, along with its two optional riders, is built for risk-averse clients who want the stability that a fixed product provides while also having upside growth potential and a return of principal.

Advisors can choose between the riders, available at additional cost; each is available with a purchase payment bonus option. The Nationwide High Point 365 Lifetime Income Benefit rider helps clients meet their retirement income needs, and the Nationwide High Point Enhanced Death Benefit rider provides legacy planning options. Both offer clients the greater of potential growth of their contract value or a fixed-rate increase on their premium.

3) Citi and Research Affiliates Launch Global Corporate Bond Index

Citi and Research Affiliates LLC announced that they have launched the Citi RAFI World Corporate Investment-Grade Bond Index. The index is based on the RAFI Fundamental Index concept developed by Research Affiliates.

The index uses two factors in weighting bonds in the portfolio: long-term assets, which represent the portion of assets that long-term bondholders have a claim on, and cash flow, which reflects debt service capacity. Weighting by long-term assets systematically underweights companies with high leverage and overweights low-leverage companies, while weighting by cash flow systematically underweights companies with low debt coverage and overweights those with high debt coverage. In addition, financial ratios are used to reduce exposure to companies that are more susceptible to downgrades.

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Read the Feb. 9 Portfolio Products Roundup at ThinkAdvisor.