Learning Center

Stock Pickers Fell Flat In 2013

Date24 Feb 2014

Comment0

Last year certainly provided active managers with plenty of opportunities to outperform, and it’s worth examining if they really did. For example, while the S&P 500 Index returned 32.4 percent, Netflix (NLFX), the top performer in the index, returned 297 percent. Two other stocks, Micron Technology (MU) and Best Buy Co. (BBY) returned more than...

7 Myths About Dividend-Paying Stocks

Date24 Feb 2014

Comment0

The most common misconception among investors may be the value of investing in dividend-paying stocks. Almost every week, someone contacts me to extol the virtues of investing in what they call “high quality, dividend-yielding securities.” Often, their interest is spurred by the recent high performance of these stocks. According to one paper by Gregg S. Fisher, published...

The Delicate Craft of Misleading Investors

Date24 Feb 2014

Comment0

Proponents of alternative investments (like hedge funds) have a very effective presentation. They claim these investments have low volatility (risk), offer excellent risk-adjusted returns, and don’t correlate well with stocks or bonds, thereby providing a “hedge” in troubled times. These proponents demonstrate the accuracy of these claims with compelling statistics, displayed in impressive marketing materials....

The Three Kinds of Investors Who Should Sell Their Stocks Now

Date24 Feb 2014

Comment0

You should never make investing decisions based on what the market is doing, except for now, maybe. Past experience and reams of studies tell us there is no way to time the market and that we should buy and hold. That said, there are a few exceptions to the rule. With the total United States...

College Planning 201 A Q-and-A With Lynn O’Shaunessy

Date14 Feb 2014

Comment0

College planning can be stressful. There are too many schools and too many forms. We spoke with Lynn O’Shaughnessy, the author of The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price, about the challenges families face when it comes to choosing a college. Q: What prompted you to...

Lessons From 2013: Part III

Date03 Feb 2014

Comment0

Day three of our lessons from 2013, we'll dive right in with an examination of hedge fund returns. This one holds the title with the most repeat performances, appearing most years. The HRFX Global Hedge Fund Index earned just 6.7 percent. The table below shows the returns for various equity and fixed

Asset Allocation Guide: How Much Risk Should You Take

Date03 Feb 2014

Comment0

Today, we begin a series designed to help you determine the best way to allocate your assets. I have written a great deal on this subject, but it's advice worth repeating time and again. We’ll start with focusing on the ability to take risk.

A Farm’s Lessons in Long-Term Planning

Date03 Feb 2014

Comment0

When I ask you to think long term, what comes to mind? Ten years from now? One year? One week? In a world where excellence is now measured in milliseconds, it can be incredibly difficult to think past the moment that’s right in front of us.

Learning Center

Categories