Schwab Adds 5 New Strategies to Fixed Income SMA Offering
It has added five Wasmer Schroeder Strategies: two tax-exempt, three taxable, and one impact strategy in each group.
Two days after Schwab Asset Management launched its first ETF focusing on environmental, social and governance factors, it added two fixed income impact strategies to its separately managed accounts offering for clients.
They are part of the asset manager’s Wasmer Schroeder Strategies, named for the company whose taxable and tax-exempt fixed income strategies Schwab acquired in July 2020.
The new impact strategies are the Wasmer Schroeder Positive Impact Bond strategy (PIBX), a taxable, limited duration strategy, and the Wasmer Schroeder Positive Impact Tax Exempt strategy (PIFI), an intermediate duration, high credit quality municipal strategy.
The positive impact strategies focus on identifying bonds that finance projects and initiatives with positive social or environmental impacts, using in-house, rather than third-party ESG ratings or scoring lists, according to Schwab.
The other three new strategies focus on higher yielding sectors than Wasmer Schroeder’s core intermediate products and include the taxable Intermediate IG [Investment Grade] Credit (ITTX+) and Multi-Sector Income (MITX) strategies and the Intermediate Strategic Tax-Exempt strategy (ISTREFI).
“Generating income in the current environment is challenging, and investors need solutions that address a wide variety of objectives as well as unique preferences,” said John Sturiale, head of product management and strategy, Schwab Asset Management, in a statement. “We are pleased to expand the universe of fixed income choices for Schwab clients and deliver more options for those who wish to make an impact with their portfolio.”
Schwab clients can now access a total of 25 Wasmer Schroeder Strategies, including nine actively managed strategies, two positive impact and two ultrashort strategies and a series of 12 bond ladders. The minimum investment is $250,000 for each strategy.