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Portfolio
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Handle With Care
July 1, 2010Although municipal bond defaults remain low, rising interest rates and onerous pension obligations could signal trouble ahead.
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TIPS and Ladders
July 1, 2010Trying to find the safest way to tame inflation risk? Here's a comparison of two popular inflation hedges.
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Alpha and Beta
July 1, 2010Is it possible to concoct alpha from a diversified portfolio of beta ingredients?
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The New Non-Normal
July 1, 2010The way economists and investors measure risk is out of sync with how securities markets actually function.
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The Next Frontier
June 1, 2010As an appetite for risk returns, sophisticated investors look to the world's least developed markets to take advantage of growth opportunities early.
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Rediscovering Japan
June 1, 2010After 20 years of feast and 20 years of famine, is it time for investors to put Japanese stocks back on the menu?
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Looking for the Source
June 1, 2010What explains portfolio returns? Roger Ibbotson questions whether asset allocation is as powerful as planners think.
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What's in a Name?
June 1, 2010Analyzing the turnover rates of mutual funds shows that strategic portfolios have outperformed tactical ones over the past 10 years.
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Annuities After the Deluge
June 1, 2010Annuities 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.
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Built to Last
May 1, 2010Which portfolio model will hold out the longest after your retired clients start taking withdrawals?
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Strategy, Analyzed
May 1, 2010Today, it's hard not to question investment dogma. A leading investment advisor takes on strategy, tactics and asset allocation-and finds some holes.
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Avoiding the Next Meltdown
April 30, 2010If 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.
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Navigating the Bond Bubble
April 1, 2010This might be a good time for advisors to talk with their clients about how they want bonds to function in their portfolios.
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Size Matters
April 1, 2010Most 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.
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Keep the Bulls Running
April 1, 2010With an adaptive approach, positive returns can be found in any market environment.
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What's Happening With REITs?
March 1, 2010REITs 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.
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A Yale Tale
March 1, 2010The Yale Endowment Fund has excelled through all kinds of markets. Is it possible to build a similar portfolio that is accessible to everyone?
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The Next Asset
March 1, 2010With small- and micro-cap choices shrinking, should advisors turn to venture capital to fill the gap?
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Digging for Dividends
March 1, 2010Many dividend funds provided downside protection during the last decade, but planners should drill down to determine the details.
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It's in the Past
February 1, 2010Can correlations between mutual funds' past performance and risks tell us anything about their future?
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Individual Issues
February 1, 2010With savvy strategies and new research, planners can use individual municipal bonds to provide low-risk, predictable cash flow to clients.
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Growth Spurts
February 1, 2010It's still tricky to invest for retirement, but planners are starting to seek out long-term growth. Next trick: convincing skittish clients.
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Luck of the Draw
February 1, 2010The 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.
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Are Emerging Markets Too Hot?
February 1, 2010Emerging-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?
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Is a Pension a Bond?
January 1, 2010Unsure how to value a client's pension or social security? Use the liability reduction model.
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A Golden Future
January 1, 2010With demand up and supply down, high gold prices could be here to stay.
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Addiction to Prediction
January 1, 2010Market outlooks give people a false sense of certainty about the future-one that almost inevitably hurts their returns.
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Going for the Gold
January 1, 2010Inflation fears have sparked a new rush for the glittery stuff. What should you tell clients?
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The Unfortunate Math of Being Right — Half the Time
January 1, 2010You 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.
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China Inc.
December 1, 2009One economy is roaring out of recession, and it's not ours. Is it time to buy, or are values already out of control?
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Hedge Fund Backlash
December 1, 2009Unhappy investors are punishing hedge funds for their poor performance in 2008. But long-term results tell a different story.
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Disappearing Act
December 1, 2009Don't bother pumping up the equities in a retirement portfolio to make up for years of underfunding. that move could backfire.
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Best and Worst of Bonds
November 1, 2009Last year, investors rediscovered a basic, time-honored truth about the financial markets: Bonds are not a monolithic, invincible asset class.
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Loaded for Bear
November 1, 2009While they've enjoyed the autumn's mini-bull market, providers of managed accounts are seeking ways to play defense during the next downturn.
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Tips on TIPS
November 1, 2009No matter what you may think about prospects for inflation, it's time to consider treasury inflation-protected securities for your clients.
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An Age-Old Question
October 1, 2009Can you determine portfolio asset allocation based solely on a client's chronological age?
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Tried and True
October 1, 2009In the wake of recent market events, even some veteran advisors are criticizing the buy-and-hold approach. But do their arguments hold water?
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Better Than Nothing
October 1, 2009Clients 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.
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Not Without Risk
September 1, 2009People who think strategic asset allocation failed have misunderstood its true value. diversification may smooth volatility but doesn't eliminate it.
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Upper-Left Quadrant
September 1, 2009The best portfolios lie in this part of the risk/reward spectrum.
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Calling All Angels
September 1, 2009Affluent clients can now take a 75% tax exclusion for investing in small businesses, but there are complications.
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The New Stocks
August 1, 2009Bonds have delivered equity-like returns with less risk over the past two decades and that performance may continue.
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Bad Match
August 1, 2009Overly aggressive target-date funds ignore the fact that investors may choose to cash out after they retire.
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