Asset Allocation Guide: Value vs. growth
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...
Asset Allocation Guide: Small-cap vs. large-cap
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...
Socially Responsible Investing And The Price Of Sin
Summary Socially responsible investing encompasses many personal beliefs, not just one set of values. Some investors don’t wish to invest in the “sin stocks” of companies whose products go against their morals. By avoiding the “sin stocks,” some investors may...
Dividends and ‘The Magic Pants’
Summary While dividends may comprise a significant portion of total returns, they don’t add any explanatory power to future returns. Approximately 60 percent of U.S. stocks and 40 percent of international stocks don’t pay dividends. The total returns to investors...
The Perils Of The Carry Trade
What’s known as the carry trade is one of the more popular strategies of hedge funds, and it’s also becoming popular for investors seeking alternative fixed-income strategies that can provide higher yields in today’s environment of low rates. The strategy...
Dividend Streams & Returns
Dividend payments have been on a systematic decline since 1972, and the percentage of firms paying a dividend has declined from 63.8 percent in 1972 to 30.4 percent in 2011. The question is now, What does paying dividends tell us...
7 Myths About Dividend-Paying Stocks
Common misconceptions Dividend-paying stocks may look awfully appealing, but you should be able to separate the truth from fiction before you jump into these investments. Here are seven common myths about dividend-paying stocks. Myth No. 1: Dividends hold up in...
The Anomaly of Greed
I was recently speaking with a colleague in the advisory business. The conversation turned to greed. We both share a fascination with the CNBC programAmerican Greed. The program chronicles investment scams, with touching portrayals of victims. The scams have a...
Determining the Markup on Municipal Bonds
Most of the market news you hear tends to be about stocks, but bonds are just as useful a tool for most investment portfolios. One type in particular, the municipal, or “muni” bond, remains very popular. These bonds are issued...
What Makes a College Essay Stand Out From the Rest
Seth Allen, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Pomona College, Claremont, Calif. College essays carry far more weight than they have in previous decades. With a record number of students applying for college, admissions offices have become highly selective when...
