This comparison of ultra-short duration fixed income funds with money market and short-term bond funds helps investors understand the nuances of ultra-short duration funds and, thus, make an informed decision of whether to include these investments in their portfolios.
This historical study suggests that monthly rebalancing appears to have minimal or no benefit in terms of end-of-year portfolio values except in years of high volatility. A look at rebalancing a 60/40 portfolio either monthly or annually from 1960 through 2009 showed an average annual difference between the two strategies of only 8 basis points.
Successful investing is often seen as the ability to consistently and accurately make predictions about the economy, markets and specific securities. In reality, success comes less from predicting the future with blinding accuracy and more from selecting securities and vehicles that perform well when an investment thesis proves correct and perform ...
Research shows investment managers are far too willing to incur a large negative tax alpha for taxable clients while pursuing a pretax alpha. The result is that most investment management products offer a combined alpha that is negative: pretax alpha, whether good or bad, less a relentlessly negative tax alpha.
Most investors believe an index-based ETF, ETN or swap will give them an experience similar to the equity markets, where an index-based product represents an unbiased view of the market portfolio, using market capitalization as weights. Unfortunately, this intuition proves misguided due to important differences in how these indexes are constructed.
Commodity allocations in model portfolios have moved from being exotic to commonplace. The benefits being sought by such allocations typically include protection against inflation and diversification. While commodity allocations can serve both of these roles handily, the manner in which some clients implement these strategies potentially reduces th...
Private equity investing is not without its challenges. However, long-term returns argue for exposure to this asset class for sophisticated investors. The most important considerations are structure of the investment program, access to top-tier performers, and knowledge about emerging private equity firms.
In normal markets, typical long/short funds show beta behavior similar to that of long-only funds. With certain specialized short positions, a declining equity market generates both higher profits and higher levels of short exposures. However, these funds may require large liquidity reserves for rebalancing.
U.S. investors can build international equity by investing directly in overseas markets or by purchasing shares of American depositary receipts. The method selected will have important implications for transaction costs, ongoing fees and benchmark tracking.
The author explores the advantages and disadvantages of the outsourced CIO model relative to non-discretionary models and suggests how investors might think about choosing between the two models.
Senior security, floating interest payments and covenant protection make these loans a unique asset class. Their historically steady returns, low volatility and negative correlation with investment-grade fixed income could enhance returns while reducing portfolio volatility.
While oil prices are likely to be range-bound across the next few years, natural gas prices are establishing new, higher support levels after experiencing multi-year lows. Natural gas prices are likely to get a boost from politics as well as the weather and speculation.
Investment innovation and rigorous discipline; dynamic, seamless planning; and a different quality of client-advisor engagement will be key to the achievement of long-term objectives for wealth accumulation, protection, spending and transfer as well as to peace of mind.
In the first of a two-part series, the author defines the various types of investment styles and strategies of long/short equity managers, as well as explores their portfolio construction characteristics and techniques.
Gifting may be the place to start in planning a long-term estate planning strategy, according to this paper from Wells Fargo. While gifting can be useful in transferring tax savings, it also can provide a real-time snapshot of the estate plan by allowing the giver to see how beneficiaries accept and respond to the gifts and then to change the estat...