

If 2026 has offered anything so far, it has been more uncertainty for investors. Especially when it comes to interest rates and fixed income, questions arise about how investors should allocate to bonds.

Avantis Investors, a shop within American Century Investments, saw its suite of strategies recently crossed $100 billion in total AUM. The firm hit that threshold just as its largest ETF by AUM, AVUV, spiked over $20 billion in AUM in the last week, itself.

Bonds. Frequently reliable, often rewarding, and almost always a dry topic. Fixed income helps balance equities volatility, with even high-yield or junk bond funds offering a counterweight to stock market exposure.

It's hard to believe now, but the 2019 ETF rule is more than six years old. The SEC's decision to streamline ETF product development has enabled the launch of countless new ETFs, bringing the wrapper to untold new heights as an investment vehicle.

The time for active fixed income may have truly arrived. After years of significant active ETF growth, many investors may be more comfortable with an active approach to those funds.

2025 is just weeks away, and with it comes the opportunity to refresh investor portfolios. While many investors are used to moving in and out of “satellite” ETFs all year in the core and satellite investing model, the end of the year can offer the opportunity to swap core strategies, too.

With 2023 in the books, fixed income investors may be looking at corporate bonds for added yield. They will also need to balance the need for yield with mitigating credit risk given the market uncertainty in the new year.

The current market environment is getting more conducive to bonds. Investors are taking a look at bond exchange traded funds (ETFs) again.