Some active mutual funds have prospectus benchmarks that understate risk and, thus, overstate relative performance. Larry Swedroe unpacks a study that explores how such funds benefit from that overstatement at investors’ expense. Evaluating the performance of actively managed mutual funds generally involves comparing a product’s results with some passive benchmark (the SEC requires that funds…
Kids have become top targets for identity thieves. The BAM ALLIANCE’s Jared Hoffman outlines the warning signs that a child’s identity has been compromised, and some cybersecurity measures you can take to keep it from happening to a young person you love. Many under the age of 16 don’t have much money, a line of…
Why do investors choose to keep playing the loser’s game? Larry Swedroe offers some explanations of his own, then unpacks a study that suggests a form of the conjunction fallacy has a role in active management’s survival. The opening chapter of my first book, “The Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You’ll Ever Need,”…
Failing to properly plan for the costs associated with aging can have dire consequences for the retirement you envision. Larry Swedroe unpacks a resource to help investors navigate the many financial aspects of elder and long-term care. In planning for retirement, most people—and their advisors—consider issues such as: How much savings will be needed to…
Tim Maurer offers a simple retirement stress test and asks what is perhaps the better question: What number works for you? “Wow, those guys must be millionaires!” I can recall uttering those words as a child, driving by the nicest house in our neighborhood—you know, the one with four garages filled with cars from Europe. The…
Larry Swedroe examines a new study that highlights the negative relationship between activity and performance in bond funds. Does it pay to be active in fixed-income markets? To help answer that question, Martin Rohleder, chair of Finance and Banking at the University of Augsburg, examined the performance of active fund managers in his December 2017…
Fixed Income Advisor Steve Wiechel explains how the fixed income desk determines which is best for each individual client. In-state or out-of-state municipal bonds? Fixed Income Advisor Steve Wiechel explains how the fixed income desk determines which is best for each individual client. By clicking on any of the links above, you acknowledge that…
Larry Swedroe talks to Bloomberg ETF IQ host Scarlet Fu in an interview that tackles topics ranging from the Yale endowment to passive fixed income funds and the hurdles facing active managers. Diversify broadly across unique sources of risk and return, Larry Swedroe tells Bloomberg ETF IQ host Scarlet Fu in an interview that tackles…
When it comes to secure retirement, today’s investors face some major hurdles. Larry Swedroe unpacks the threat, and offers some solutions to help improve financial outcomes. A common axiom is that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. And while most people would never start a business without a business plan, many investors manage…
Larry Swedroe concludes it’s premature to give up on the value factor, but also that its premium has only been earned by investors disciplined enough to stay the course through sometimes long periods of underperformance. As the director of research for Buckingham Strategic Wealth and The BAM Alliance, I’ve been getting lots of questions about…
Larry Swedroe unpacks the newly released year-end 2017 SPIVA report and its look at active management’s underwhelming performance. Since 2002, S&P Dow Jones Indices has published its S&P Indices Versus Active (SPIVA) scorecards, which compare the performance of actively managed equity mutual funds to their appropriate index benchmarks. The 2017 report includes 15 years of data. Following…
Larry Swedroe explains why active bond fund managers not only fail to outperform, but may also offer investors only the illusion of portfolio diversification. There is a myth that active bond fund managers want and need you to believe. It goes something like this: “Sure, active stock picking isn’t likely to work, but in fixed…
The latest SPIVA scorecard is out, and Larry Swedroe unpacks results that show persistence in performance beyond the randomly expected remains out of reach for active managers. 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….
Larry Swedroe resumes his list with 2017’s lessons four through seven. Earlier this week, we began discussing what the markets taught us in 2017 about prudent investment strategies. We tackled lessons one through three then, so today we’ll resume with lessons four through seven. Lesson 4: Don’t make the mistake of recency. Last year’s winners are…
Larry Swedroe concludes his list with 2017’s lessons eight through 10. Every year, the markets offer lessons on the prudent investment strategy. So far, we’ve covered what they taught us last year in lessons one through three and four through seven. Today, we’ll finish off 2017’s list with lessons eight through 10. Lesson 8: Hedge funds are not…
