How to simplify investing is a clarion call from many investors who are either busy working, have little interest in investing, or are very young with minimal experience. In an effort to respond to this frequent request, I set out to condense an investing model into a few words. This Seeking Alpha link is my […]
Asset Allocation Is Not Responsible For 90% of Portfolio Returns
One of the more misunderstood results to come out of the Brinson et al papers is the statement that 90% of a portfolio returns is a result of asset allocation. This paper by Mitch Tuchman gets it wrong. Check the first paragraph under Reducing Risk. 90% of a portfolio return is not tied to asset […]
Expectancy
I have mentioned the concept of “expectancy” a number of times on this site and a Platinum Member recently asked me for a reference to a post on the subject. The references are somewhere in the comments sections of various posts so I thought it might be more useful for me to dedicate a short, […]
Ten Investment Resolutions for 2015
2015 Resolutions As we are turning the page into 2015, it is worthwhile establishing or reexamining our investment goals. Many on the list are not new to readers of ITA Wealth Management. So let’s begin. 1. Lay out an investment plan if you have not already done so. Write it down. Most ITA readers have […]
Why I Use Index ETFs
Why I use Index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Let me count the ways. Simplicity: It saves the work of stock analysis. Increases probability of success: A literature search of index investing vs. active stock picking will have the honest researcher coming down on the side of index instruments. The literature is replete with this information […]
Where To Begin If You Have Never Managed a Portfolio*
If someone asked you what to do with an inheritance or 401(k) sum of money, what advice would you give them? Here are some basic ideas for a novice investor. Assume the money is in your checking account and available to be invested. Open up a broker account with a discount broker. For example, go […]
Keeping It Simple: Building A Basic Portfolio
Having just finished William J. Bernstein’s latest e-Book, simplicity is on my mind. Toward the very end of the book, Bernstein mentions that one can deviate from the three index portfolio by branching out to real estate, TIPs, etc. While the three index mutual funds (VTSMX, VGTSX, and VBMFX) or three index ETFs (VTI, VEA, […]
Beginner Advice: Getting Started With Portfolio Construction
Several days* ago a friend wrote and asked about setting up a portfolio where $500 would be deposited every month. What advice would I pass on to such an investor? The first bit of advice is to read all the Beginning Investor and Critical Information posts. These can be found under Categories in the right-hand […]
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