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Stunning Odds Doom Your Returns

Date01 Jun 2015

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Few investors understand the stunning odds that are likely dooming their returns. The system is rigged against investors and in favor of those who “manage” their money. Mutual fund families, brokers and insurance companies are the big winners in this process. Investors barely scrape by. Here’s some historical data for your consideration. It may fundamentally...

The Hidden Provision in the Department of Labor’s Proposed Fiduciary Rule

Date01 Jun 2015

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The “best interest contract exemption” has profound ramifications for retirement plan participants. In its proposed rule requiring that all advisors to retirement plans act as “fiduciaries,” the U.S. Department of Labor includes a “best interest contract exemption.” In my view, this exemption is as significant – if not more so – than the proposed rule...

The Stunning Odds That Can Doom Your Returns

Date01 Jun 2015

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Few investors understand the stunning odds that are likely dooming their returns. The system is rigged against investors and in favor of those who “manage” their money. Active mutual fund families, brokers and insurance companies are the big winners in this process. Investors barely scrape by. Here’s some historical data for your consideration. It may...

Speaking the Language of Risk

Date01 Jun 2015

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When I say “risk” and you say “risk,” chances are high we don’t mean the same thing. The finance industry defines risk as something measurable. It is variability within a set of known limits. You may have heard it referred to as standard deviation or even volatility. Ultimately, it represents how much an investment wiggles...

Anomalies Can Mean Alpha

Date01 Jun 2015

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Since the development of the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) about 50 years ago, academic researchers have documented several hundred “anomalies” that generate a significant positive alpha. There are now so many that professor John Cochrane referred to them as the “factor zoo.” There are certainly large incentives to find these anomalies, both for academics...

Scale Works Against Active Skill

Date01 Jun 2015

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An overwhelming body of evidence clearly demonstrates that past performance isn’t prologue, which presents a problem for investors who believe active management is the winning strategy. Without the ability to rely on past performance as a predictor, there is really no way to identify ahead of time the few active managers that will go on...

An Investment Lifeboat Drill Now Can Help Weather Future Disaster

Date01 Jun 2015

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Calm water makes a lifeboat drill much easier. We aren’t fighting the waves or the fear we feel during an emergency. Still, if the worst happens, and the drill becomes reality, at least we’ve rehearsed. We’ll know exactly what we are supposed do. With the markets relatively calm, now is the perfect time for an...

Diversify Globally To Limit Risk

Date01 Jun 2015

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Diversification is often referred to as the only “free lunch” in investing because, when done properly, it allows investors to improve risk-adjusted returns. This principle applies not just to diversification across U.S. stocks, but to investing globally. The choice to purchase securities internationally helps mitigate the economic and political risks of investing in only a...

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