Do you consider yourself an investor or a trader? The answer matters because there’s a big distinction between the two. It’s also an answer that will help you make sense of the current sideshow entertaining most of Wall Street: Michael Lewis’s latest book, “Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt.” Starting on Sunday with an interview on “60 …Read More.
It is our desire and intent to educate clients about how capital markets work and to provide them with the information necessary for their financial well-being. The advice to follow an evidence-based approach to investing is significantly different from most of the advice heard on Wall Street and in the financial media. It also …Read More.
Point 1: Markets Are Efficient Public information is of little fundamental value. New information is so quickly incorporated into asset prices that use of this knowledge cannot be expected to consistently yield superior risk-adjusted returns. Point 2: Risk and Expected Reward Are Related Investors who expect or need to achieve higher returns must accept …Read More.
Recently, I received an email from Russell Investments announcing that they had terminated several money managers and hired new ones. The funds that had changes in management were the Russell Emerging Markets Fund, the Russell International Developed Markets Fund, the Russell Global Infrastructure Fund, and the Russell Tax-Managed Mid- and Small-Cap Fund. Russell is one …Read More.
Earlier this month, the People’s Bank of China announced that it would double the allowable trading range for the yuan against the dollar to 2 percent from a midpoint rate it sets every day. This move provides evidence that the government is moving toward a more market-driven economy. I’ve noted that there’s a direct correlation between announcements …Read More.
In 1993, the Fama-French three-factor (beta, size and value) model replaced the single-factor capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and became the standard model in finance, explaining more than 90 percent of the variation of returns of diversified portfolios. While the model was a big improvement over the CAPM, it couldn’t explain some major anomalies. In …Read More.
Since the publication of the study “Returns to Buying Winners and Selling Losers: Implications for Stock Market Efficiency” in 1993, the momentum anomaly—buying past winners and selling past losers, generates abnormal returns in the short run—has received a lot of attention. This anomaly presents perhaps the greatest challenge to market efficiency, because it could not be explained by …Read More.
Many great discoveries come about by accident, like the discovery of the anti-malarial drug quinine, the smallpox vaccination, X-rays and insulin. Here’s a discovery that relates to retirement: the unexpected importance of marshmallows in explaining the difficulty of delaying gratification. A famous Stanford study by Walter Mischel, which took place in the late 60s and …Read More.
Approximately 51 million Americans have invested an estimated $3.5 trillion in 401(k) plans, according to the Investment Company Institute. If you’re one of them, you’re probably being ripped off, big time. How? Your plan likely includes a dizzying array of investment choices. These options are dominated by funds that have high management fees and are actively managed, …Read More.
Timothy Sykes is offering you an opportunity to make big bucks. According to his website, he turned $12,415 into more than $3.7 million by trading penny stocks. He represents the following “verified” returns: 2014 (year to date): 90 percent 2013: 66 percent 2012: 38 percent 2011: 54 percent 2010: 57 percent Mr. Sykes sells a trading system …Read More.
What is your most valuable asset? Your home? Not likely, even back in 2006. Your 401(k)? Doubtful, even when it was 2007. No, if you’re not yet glimpsing your retirement years, it’s likely that your biggest asset is you—and not just metaphorically. Let’s say you’re only 30, with a degree or two and some experience …Read More.
As more of the burden of generating income in retirement falls on the shoulders of retirees—and not the companies who signed their paychecks throughout their careers, in the form of corporate pensions—it’s become increasingly important for retirees to understand the role that Social Securitywill and will not play. Here are some points you may not be …Read More.
Years ago, a friend came home with a new, top-of-the-line road bike. My first thought: How can he afford that? It seemed like such a big purchase based on what I thought I knew. We lived in the same neighborhood, were close to the same age and both had young families. His life looked a …Read More.
The asset allocation process is somewhat like a Russian nesting doll. What appears as a sole, simple object actually comprises a great deal. Like each doll, one after the next, a portfolio consists of detailed, intricate workings. We’ve already seen this in earlier articles in our asset allocation series, where we covered some essentials, namely, …Read More.
We’re getting closer to the finish line in our series of articles concerning asset allocation. So far, we’ve covered how to analyze your ability, willingness and needto take risk — and what do when one or more of those factors conflict. Then we moved to the equity portion of your portfolio, starting with a discussion aboutdomestic vs. international stocks. Then …Read More.