News of the Trump administration’s (paused, for the moment) tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports sent media and financial services professionals scrambling to answer two questions:
“What does my audience need to know right now?” followed by, “What are the second- and third-order ripple effects of this news?”
Rising to the occasion during a chaotic news cycle, like the one we experienced on Monday, requires a blend of agile work and deep thought. PR professionals, journalists, and domain experts had to work fast to answer questions for their constituents, while offering insight into the impacts of an escalating trade war beyond the immediately obvious.
Then, of course, the news changed. The U.S., Canada, and Mexico agreed on a 30-day pause. Just like that, everyone in the news and finance ecosystem had to pivot on a dime to address the facts on the ground.
Here are some snapshots of critical slices of the financial services industry, and the work we perform on fast-paced news days.
ETFs
Monday’s news unsettled markets – at least, before the midday about-face. But volatile news is also a prime opportunity to talk about volatility management and risk mitigation strategies.
Products like buffered and defined outcome ETFs, Defined Volatility funds, and even short-term 0DTE (zero days to expiration) strategies are well-positioned to help investors manage downside risks. These strategies offer tools for maintaining exposure to the market while providing a layer of protection against sharp moves triggered by policy announcements or market turbulence.
Notably, demand for derivatives-based funds has surged in recent periods of heightened uncertainty. According to Bloomberg, these funds attracted over $10 billion in inflows in the three months following the election, underscoring investor interest in risk-managed solutions. As new policy initiatives are rolled out, ETF issuers should proactively position their offerings to meet these needs. Additionally, thematic opportunities may arise in sectors like energy and financials, which are poised to benefit from tariff-related policy changes. By remaining agile and responsive to these shifts, issuers can provide investors with solutions that address both protection and growth.
Private Markets
The escalation of a trade war has the potential to reshape the landscape for our private equity and private credit clients, particularly in regard to manufacturing and cross-border trade. Increased costs for raw materials and components will put further pressure on portfolio companies reliant on North American supply chains, forcing many to evaluate nearshoring and onshoring strategies to mitigate long-term exposure to trade volatility.
For private credit firms, the shifting trade environment is creating new demand for financing solutions, including trade finance, supply chain financing, and asset-based lending, as companies seek alternative ways to manage liquidity constraints and rising operational expenses. Additionally, the tariffs could accelerate distressed opportunities in sectors hardest hit by cost pressures, offering both risks and openings for strategic investment.
We hit the ground running on Monday morning, proactively engaging with clients to uncover areas where they might be able to contribute to the ongoing press coverage. By sharing targeted questions about supply chain disruptions, capital needs, and sector-specific challenges, the private markets team identified opportunities to position our clients as “expert” voices on tariffs and their implications.
Whether it’s providing insights on how private equity firms are restructuring deals in response to tariffs or how private credit lenders are filling liquidity gaps for affected businesses, our job is to keep our clients in the ongoing narrative of global trade and financial markets.
RIAs
On days like Monday, independent advisors have to find a place in the media conversation while finding the right answers to allay the fears of their clients.
The reality is that geopolitical factors are likely to play a bigger part of the calculus in managing client behavior and financial planning scenarios. The Trump administration’s tendency to borrow from the “move fast and break stuff” playbook of Silicon Valley means equally volatile markets, as we saw on Monday. Crypto and traditional equities were poised to sink before news of the 30-day pause whipsawed the market to recoup its losses. Wealth managers need to help their clients see through things to see what’s news versus noise.
Beyond the immediate headlines, a looming, multi-front trade war has far-ranging impacts on the financial decisions of RIA clients. It will change buying patterns and investing goals. If rising prices drive up inflation and interest rates, certain asset classes will fall in and out of favor.
But these conditions are exactly where advisors prove their value, both as resources to journalists and as financial guides to their clients. The choppier the waters, the more their level-headed explanation will be indispensable to their audiences.