Real interest rates have rapidly increased recently as monetary policy has tightened in response to higher inflation. Whether this uptick is temporary or partly reflects structural factors is an important question for policymakers.
Fund Managers are a very important part of the part of the investment landscape. Pension funding systems around the world heavily invest via fund managers, be they internal or externally appointed. Most Australian and Kiwi investors have exposure to a managed fund (also known as a mutual fund) via superannuation and KiwiSaver accounts. For Australians the predominant structure is an Australian Unit Trust (AUT) and for Kiwi’s this is via Portfolio Investment Entities (PIE). Most funds held within pension systems are diversified funds, largely because they are a default fund for the scheme provider.