Are corporate bonds additive to portfolios that already own stocks and government bonds? Jared Kizer revisits this question with a look at the historical justification for, and some facts and fiction regarding, the investment-grade credit premium. The above title may well end up being my most significant marketing achievement. Yet, it is a good descriptor…
Tim Maurer was assigned a task: put together a list of his five favorite books from the world of personal finance. He came up with 10. In this video, Maurer, director of advisor engagement for the BAM ALLIANCE, walks us through his wide-ranging library, which includes books that focus on financial planning, behavioral economics, life…
While we are blessed to work with what must collectively be the most disciplined group of investors, we do recognize that times of uncertainty can be uneasy. Tomorrow is Election Day, and there is no doubt that elections bring uncertainty front and center. If you have been following the news, the political pundits and talking heads…
Larry Swedroe summarizes the recently released mid-year 2018 SPIVA report, which once again offers powerful evidence regarding active management’s inability to persistently outperform. Since 2002, S&P Dow Jones Indices has published its biannual Indices Versus Active (SPIVA) reports, which compare the performance of actively managed equity funds to their appropriate index benchmarks. The 2018 midyear scorecard includes…
When stock markets drop, it can be tough to see past the pain and recall that your investment plan incorporates such risks. To help you take the long-term view, Chief Investment Officer Jared Kizer puts October’s market moves into perspective. When the stock market drops, it can be tough to see past the immediate pain….
Larry Swedroe offers some points to consider before you succumb to an urge to abandon your well-thought-out financial plan over recent swings in the stock market. Far more money has been lost by investors in preparing for corrections, or anticipating corrections, than has been lost in the corrections themselves.—Peter Lynch On Oct. 10, 2018, the…
Larry Swedroe takes a look at the two premiums that help to explain the performance of bond portfolios. In my previous blog, we looked at the size and volatility of the three equity premiums of beta, size and value. Today we turn our attention to the two premiums that help explain the performance of bond portfolios,…
The 10th anniversary of the Great Financial Crisis has led many investors to seek guidance on how to prepare for the next market downturn. Larry Swedroe shares some lessons to help investors weather the next crisis with confidence. The 10th anniversary of the Great Financial Crisis is the subject of lots of articles and media…
Jeff Johnson, Wealth Advisor, 9/17/2018. I’ve been a close observer of the way families make, communicate and implement financial decisions for most of the last four decades. In that time, I have learned that many individuals and couples make family wealth and lifestyle planning decisions privately, then avoid discussing them with other family members because it’s an uncomfortable…
In an open letter to his children, Wealth Advisor Tad Gray shares some important financial lessons for young professionals just starting their careers. In particular, he writes, the right mindset is a crucial tool for developing good money habits. Wealth Advisor Tad Gray, CFP®, penned the following article, an open letter to his children, for…
The low-beta anomaly may be persistent and pervasive across the globe, but, research shows its returns are explained well by other now-common factors and its premium is dependent on certain circumstances. As director of research for Buckingham Strategic Wealth and The BAM Alliance, I’ve been getting lots of questions lately regarding the advisability of investing…
In a follow-up to his overview of the asset location decision, Kevin Grogan takes a more comprehensive look at how a security’s expected return and risk characteristics can change based on the tax treatment of the savings vehicle in which it’s held. Our recommendation on asset location is to prefer holding tax-inefficient assets in tax-advantaged…
Once you’ve chosen the mix of assets appropriate for you, the next step involves determining which type of investment account will hold them. Kevin Grogan breaks down the asset location decision and how it can help maximize after-tax returns. The first decision you make with respect to your portfolio is its asset allocation, or the…
Pension plan sponsors engage investment consultants even though the evidence clearly shows their recommendations fail to add value. Why? Larry Swedroe examines research that concludes there’s an agency problem (that is, a conflict of interest) at work. It seems logical to believe that if anyone could beat the market, it would be the pension plans…
Many investors still choose active management, despite the fact that it’s becoming even more of a loser’s game as time marches on. Fortunately, Larry Swedroe writes, more people are taking greater notice of the evidence. It’s truly an amazing paradox. According to the Thomson Reuters Lipper second-quarter 2018 snapshot of U.S. mutual funds and exchange-traded…