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Portfolio


  • Handle With Care

    July 1, 2010

    Although municipal bond defaults remain low, rising interest rates and onerous pension obligations could signal trouble ahead.

  • TIPS and Ladders

    July 1, 2010

    Trying to find the safest way to tame inflation risk? Here's a comparison of two popular inflation hedges.

  • Alpha and Beta

    July 1, 2010

    Is it possible to concoct alpha from a diversified portfolio of beta ingredients?

  • The New Non-Normal

    July 1, 2010

    The way economists and investors measure risk is out of sync with how securities markets actually function.

  • The Next Frontier

    June 1, 2010

    As an appetite for risk returns, sophisticated investors look to the world's least developed markets to take advantage of growth opportunities early.

  • Rediscovering Japan

    June 1, 2010

    After 20 years of feast and 20 years of famine, is it time for investors to put Japanese stocks back on the menu?

  • Looking for the Source

    June 1, 2010

    What explains portfolio returns? Roger Ibbotson questions whether asset allocation is as powerful as planners think.

  • What's in a Name?

    June 1, 2010

    Analyzing the turnover rates of mutual funds shows that strategic portfolios have outperformed tactical ones over the past 10 years.

  • Annuities After the Deluge

    June 1, 2010

    Annuities saw the best of times (for clients) and the worst of times (for insurers) when the safety features kicked in during 2008. Insurers convinced they sold their guarantees too cheaply have rushed to repair the damage.

  • Built to Last

    May 1, 2010

    Which portfolio model will hold out the longest after your retired clients start taking withdrawals?

  • Strategy, Analyzed

    May 1, 2010

    Today, it's hard not to question investment dogma. A leading investment advisor takes on strategy, tactics and asset allocation-and finds some holes.

  • Avoiding the Next Meltdown

    April 30, 2010

    If your clients are still gun-shy about the stock market, you could set their minds at rest with a fairly simple and safe hedge: stop-loss investing.

  • Navigating the Bond Bubble

    April 1, 2010

    This might be a good time for advisors to talk with their clients about how they want bonds to function in their portfolios.

  • Size Matters

    April 1, 2010

    Most equity mutual funds are large caps, and most stocks are small caps. So the two don't perform in lockstep, and 2009 was no different.

  • Keep the Bulls Running

    April 1, 2010

    With an adaptive approach, positive returns can be found in any market environment.

  • What's Happening With REITs?

    March 1, 2010

    REITs have regained a lot of ground last year, delivering an average return of 20% in 2009. But many experts warn that a commercial property crisis could be still in the offing, and housing prices are still falling in most areas.

  • A Yale Tale

    March 1, 2010

    The Yale Endowment Fund has excelled through all kinds of markets. Is it possible to build a similar portfolio that is accessible to everyone?

  • The Next Asset

    March 1, 2010

    With small- and micro-cap choices shrinking, should advisors turn to venture capital to fill the gap?

  • Digging for Dividends

    March 1, 2010

    Many dividend funds provided downside protection during the last decade, but planners should drill down to determine the details.

  • It's in the Past

    February 1, 2010

    Can correlations between mutual funds' past performance and risks tell us anything about their future?

  • Individual Issues

    February 1, 2010

    With savvy strategies and new research, planners can use individual municipal bonds to provide low-risk, predictable cash flow to clients.

  • Growth Spurts

    February 1, 2010

    It's still tricky to invest for retirement, but planners are starting to seek out long-term growth. Next trick: convincing skittish clients.

  • Luck of the Draw

    February 1, 2010

    The best way to avoid or minimize sequence-of-returns risk is to avoid circumstances that would compel you to take withdrawals from assets whose values are depressed. While that's easier said than done, there are several ways to do it.

  • Are Emerging Markets Too Hot?

    February 1, 2010

    Emerging-market economies, from China to Brazil, have beat struggling developed economies of the U.S., Western Europe and Japan. Should you advise clients to hold more emerging-market debt?

  • Is a Pension a Bond?

    January 1, 2010

    Unsure how to value a client's pension or social security? Use the liability reduction model.

  • A Golden Future

    January 1, 2010

    With demand up and supply down, high gold prices could be here to stay.

  • Addiction to Prediction

    January 1, 2010

    Market outlooks give people a false sense of certainty about the future-one that almost inevitably hurts their returns.

  • Going for the Gold

    January 1, 2010

    Inflation fears have sparked a new rush for the glittery stuff. What should you tell clients?

  • The Unfortunate Math of Being Right — Half the Time

    January 1, 2010

    You may have heard the statement that, in investing, all you need is to be right more than half the time. Unfortunately, mathematics shows this is not correct.

  • China Inc.

    December 1, 2009

    One economy is roaring out of recession, and it's not ours. Is it time to buy, or are values already out of control?

  • Hedge Fund Backlash

    December 1, 2009

    Unhappy investors are punishing hedge funds for their poor performance in 2008. But long-term results tell a different story.

  • Disappearing Act

    December 1, 2009

    Don't bother pumping up the equities in a retirement portfolio to make up for years of underfunding. that move could backfire.

  • Best and Worst of Bonds

    November 1, 2009

    Last year, investors rediscovered a basic, time-honored truth about the financial markets: Bonds are not a monolithic, invincible asset class.

  • Loaded for Bear

    November 1, 2009

    While they've enjoyed the autumn's mini-bull market, providers of managed accounts are seeking ways to play defense during the next downturn.

  • Tips on TIPS

    November 1, 2009

    No matter what you may think about prospects for inflation, it's time to consider treasury inflation-protected securities for your clients.

  • An Age-Old Question

    October 1, 2009

    Can you determine portfolio asset allocation based solely on a client's chronological age?

  • Tried and True

    October 1, 2009

    In the wake of recent market events, even some veteran advisors are criticizing the buy-and-hold approach. But do their arguments hold water?

  • Better Than Nothing

    October 1, 2009

    Clients are piling up cash, for both anticipated spending needs and future opportunities. but where do you put it? In the country of the 0% money fund, the 1% payer is king.

  • Not Without Risk

    September 1, 2009

    People who think strategic asset allocation failed have misunderstood its true value. diversification may smooth volatility but doesn't eliminate it.

  • Upper-Left Quadrant

    September 1, 2009

    The best portfolios lie in this part of the risk/reward spectrum.

  • Calling All Angels

    September 1, 2009

    Affluent clients can now take a 75% tax exclusion for investing in small businesses, but there are complications.

  • The New Stocks

    August 1, 2009

    Bonds have delivered equity-like returns with less risk over the past two decades and that performance may continue.

  • Bad Match

    August 1, 2009

    Overly aggressive target-date funds ignore the fact that investors may choose to cash out after they retire.