Core Insights - Retirees and investors nearing retirement face challenges in achieving growth from their stock portfolios to combat inflation and rising healthcare costs, while also being wary of potential market downturns [1] - The current investment strategy suggests that recent retirees should maintain over half of their portfolios in stocks, but concerns arise due to the concentration of the U.S. stock market in a few large tech companies and the potential for an AI bubble [2] - Chip sales have significantly contributed to GDP growth, accounting for approximately 92% in the first half of the year, highlighting the importance of AI as a growth driver for the U.S. economy, though it poses short-term risks for investors [3] Investment Trends - Many retirees are shifting their investments towards equity income-generating ETFs to reduce stock exposure while still aiming for growth [4] - Buffered ETFs, which protect against losses while allowing for some upside, have seen substantial growth since the pandemic, with assets exceeding $30 billion and an average return of about 11% per year over five years [5] - There is a notable shift in investor mindset, with retirees now prioritizing steady and predictable returns over outperforming the S&P 500, seeking "performance that's good enough" [6] Cost Considerations - Buffered ETFs typically charge higher fees (0.75% to 0.85%) compared to standard equity index ETFs (around 0.03%), but the added cost may be justified for retirees focused on capital preservation and risk management [7] - Major buffered equity ETFs include FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR) with $7.9 billion in assets and a 0.95% expense ratio, Innovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF (BALT) with $1.9 billion and a 0.69% expense ratio, among others [8]

TrueShares ETFs was the first to launch a suite of uncapped buffered ETFs. CEO Mike Loukas says there has been a meteoric climb in demand for buffer ETFs in the last few years since then. He tells CNBC’s Dominic Chu it’s likely the first wave of structured products is likely “jumping the fence” into the ETF wrapper. BondBloxx ETFs co-founder Tony Kelly also joins the conversation. ...

ETF Market Trends - ETF market is on track for over $1 trillion in net inflows year to date, indicating strong investor confidence despite market volatility [1][2] - Uncertainty in the market drives advisors and investors to ETFs due to their structure [2] - Defined outcome ETFs, also known as buffered ETFs, mitigate risk by limiting both downside and upside [3] - Defined outcome ETF launches represent 15% of total launches this year, despite accounting for only about 0.5% of total assets [4] Defined Outcome ETFs and Investment Strategy - Defined outcome ETFs allow advisors to know potential outcomes before investing [5] - 90% of surveyed advisors believe the market won't return more than 10% over the next 12 months, leading them to seek hedged investment strategies [6] - Dual directional ETFs allow investors to profit in both positive and negative markets, tracking S&P 500 performance up to 8.7% in positive markets and inversely up to 15% in negative markets [8][9] - Innovator ETFs utilizes options to provide certainty in defined outcome ETFs, including dual direction ETFs [11] - Defined outcome ETFs are "set it and forget it" strategies with options set for a one-year outcome period, ensuring a defined outcome in any market condition [13]