Learning Center

Two Predictions You Can Take to the Bank

Date25 May 2015

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Most predictions are utter nonsense. They’re made by self-styled “gurus” who are really emperors with no clothes. If they are right, it’s due to luck and not skill (although they are quick to claim credit). Warren Buffett’s view of those who pretend to have the ability to predict the future is spot-on. He famously stated:...

My Misguided Quest to Beat the Market

Date25 May 2015

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During my first 15 years as a professional investor, I fully believed it was possible to identify individual securities through fundamental research that would outperform the market. That commitment to seeking alpha is the one investment decision I would most like to redo. As the result of my choice to employ an active approach, the...

Value Premium Goes Missing

Date25 May 2015

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That value stocks (in particular, small value stocks) have provided higher returns for investors over time is both well-documented and well-known. So it’s no great surprise that—as director of research for The BAM Alliance, a community of more than 140 independent RIA firms—I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the recent disappearance of the...

Lessons Worth Learning

Date18 May 2015

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“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” – Booker T. Washington Occasionally, I will read a biography worth passing along to my kids. And, knowing how hesitant they are...

Don’t Force Decisions; Just Back Off and Adjust. Or Go for a Walk

Date18 May 2015

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I love rock climbing. Looking from the ground up, it seems almost impossible for climbers to balance themselves and find handholds where none seem to exist. And sure enough, even the most talented climbers can end up getting stuck on climbs well below their skill level. I’ve done it, and I’ve seen it happen to...

Looking Inward to Determine Your Financial Values

Date11 May 2015

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By Carl Richards I’ve been surprised by a lot of things as a financial adviser. One of the biggest surprises has ended up playing a critical role in my development: the process of self-examination. It has mattered both professionally and personally, and it should to you too. Yet hardly anyone openly talks about the need...

What is the difference between a bond’s coupon rate and yield to maturity?

Date04 May 2015

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Quick Take on Fixed Income April 2015 Q: What is the difference between a bond’s coupon rate and yield to maturity? A: The coupon rate tells you the annual amount of interest paid by a fixed income security. For example, a Treasury bond with a coupon rate of 5 percent will pay you $50 per...

How Much Are You Paying for Your Size and Value Tilt?

Date04 May 2015

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It’s becoming clear that the price for overall U.S. equity market exposure is close to zero. Many market-cap weighted index funds and exchange-traded funds from Vanguard and others are charging expense ratios of five basis points (bps) or less. An interesting, and more difficult, question to answer: How much are you paying to gain exposure...

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