Smart Portfolios


Book Description




Smart Portfolios


Book Description

Smart Portfolios is about building and maintaining smart investment portfolios. At its heart are the three key questions every investor needs to answer: 1. What to invest in. 2. How much to invest. 3. When to make changes to a portfolio. Author Robert Carver addresses these three areas by providing a single integrated approach to portfolio management. He shows how to follow a step-by-step process to build a multi-asset investment portfolio, and how to rebalance the portfolio efficiently. He covers both investment in collective funds like ETFs, and also direct investment in individual equities. Important features include: -- Why forecasting future returns is so difficult, and how to account for uncertainty when making investment decisions. -- How to accurately calculate the true costs of an investment, including costs that you may not even be aware of. -- How to select the best ETF for each asset class. -- How to compare the costs and other features of different ETFs. -- How to select individual shares. -- Calculating the number of shares needed for adequate diversification. -- How to use systematic forecasting algorithms to adjust portfolio allocations. -- How to cut trading costs through smart rebalancing strategies and execution tactics. Robert Carver also explains how to blend assets with different levels of risk, and how to construct portfolios that suit the level of risk that the investor can cope with. Smart Portfolios is detailed, comprehensive, and full of practical methods, rules of thumb and techniques, all fully explained with examples. It is intended for professional investors worldwide, including financial advisors, private bankers, wealth managers and institutional funds; as well as experienced private investors.




The New Rules for Investing Now


Book Description

An investment guru and author of What Works on Wall Street and How to Retire Rich introduces timely new investment strategies and wealth-building techniques for an uncertain new era of global economics. Originally published as Predicting the Markets of Tomorrow. Reprint.




Own the World


Book Description

Global investing isn't new. In fact, investors have been looking to overseas markets for hundreds of years, and with good reason. A global portfolio can bestow innumerable rewards on the savvy investor, yet many US investors remain woefully under-exposed to foreign equities. Despite the fact that US equity markets make up less than half of world markets, only a small portion of our investment dollars are allocated overseas. Even the most sophisticated investors have been deterred by misconceptions about the risks associated with owning foreign stocks or a lack of information about foreign markets. But the notion investment options are limited by borders is antiquated and downright detrimental to successful investing. Once considered the playground of only the ultra-rich or institutional investors, global investing is fast becoming not only possible, but a necessity, for every investor. As part of Fisher Investments Press, Own the World introduces readers to the vast advantages of seeking investment opportunities all over the planet. Own the World provides investors with tools to build a global portfolio and points out potential hurdles to avoid. It also educates readers on the nuts and bolts of foreign markets, how to easily understand them, and vehicles for investing there. By detailing the vast and currently underappreciated benefits of global investing and the distinct advantages of a global approach, as well as common pitfalls to avoid, Own the World can help readers to tread more confidently into global markets as they look to optimize their investment results.




Systematic Trading


Book Description

This is not just another book with yet another trading system. This is a complete guide to developing your own systems to help you make and execute trading and investing decisions. It is intended for everyone who wishes to systematise their financial decision making, either completely or to some degree. Author Robert Carver draws on financial theory, his experience managing systematic hedge fund strategies and his own in-depth research to explain why systematic trading makes sense and demonstrates how it can be done safely and profitably. Every aspect, from creating trading rules to position sizing, is thoroughly explained. The framework described here can be used with all assets, including equities, bonds, forex and commodities. There is no magic formula that will guarantee success, but cutting out simple mistakes will improve your performance. You'll learn how to avoid common pitfalls such as over-complicating your strategy, being too optimistic about likely returns, taking excessive risks and trading too frequently. Important features include: - The theory behind systematic trading: why and when it works, and when it doesn't. - Simple and effective ways to design effective strategies. - A complete position management framework which can be adapted for your needs. - How fully systematic traders can create or adapt trading rules to forecast prices. - Making discretionary trading decisions within a systematic framework for position management. - Why traditional long only investors should use systems to ensure proper diversification, and avoid costly and unnecessary portfolio churn. - Adapting strategies depending on the cost of trading and how much capital is being used. - Practical examples from UK, US and international markets showing how the framework can be used. Systematic Trading is detailed, comprehensive and full of practical advice. It provides a unique new approach to system development and a must for anyone considering using systems to make some, or all, of their investment decisions.




A SMART Approach to Portfolio Management


Book Description

The year 2008 was a watershed year as dramatic market movements exposed the flaws in the theory and practice of pension fund management. Solvency declined dramatically, hedge funds did not deliver, rebalancing policies detracted value and liquidity dried up tainting the allure of "alternative" investments. Static policies for dynamic markets are undoubtedly flawed and have to be changed with the support of appropriate liquid, transparent and low cost benchmarks; implicit bets need to be made explicit and managed; naive performance measures have to be improved; and the CAPM needs to be revamped dramatically. But this process can only start with investors taking the time to understand how various market factors influence assets or managers and then develop a set of rules so that as the factors evolve over time, the optimal portfolio evolves simultaneously. SMART (Systematic Management of Assets using a Rules-based Technique) management of assets and liabilities leads to improved solvency and a lowering of ALM risks. SMART is about introducing good process namely, only measured and monitored risks can be managed. This book presents a new design for pension fund management that allows CIOs to be smart about managing assets relative to liabilities and, at the same time, allows them to access alpha flexibly (and compensate managers only when they demonstrate skill), thereby improving solvency.




Winning with ETF Strategies


Book Description

"Using today's newest Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) investing strategies, you can earn higher returns, reduce your risks, manage sideways or downtrending markets, diversify into new assets classes and emerging economies, and achieve investing goals that are difficult to reach any other way. Now, for the first time, more than 20 of the world's leading ETF investors share their best techniques and hottest ETF picks"--Dust jacket.




The Intelligent Asset Allocator: How to Build Your Portfolio to Maximize Returns and Minimize Risk


Book Description

Time-Tested Techniques - Safe, Simple, and Proven Effective - for Building Your Own Investment Portfolio. "As its title suggest, Bill Bernstein's fine book honors the sensible principles of Benjamin Graham in the Intelligent Investor Bernstein's concepts are sound, his writing crystal clear, and his exposition orderly. Any reader who takes the time and effort to understand his approach to the crucial subject of asset allocation will surely be rewarded with enhanced long-term returns." - John C. Bogle, Founder and former Chief Executive Officer, The Vanguard Group President, Bogle Financial Markets Research Center Author, common Sense on Mutual Funds. "Bernstein has become a guru to a peculiarly '90s group: well-educated, Internet-powered people intent on investing well - and with minimal 'help' from professional Wall Street." - Robert Barker, Columnist, BusinessWeek. "I go home and tell my wife sometimes, 'I wonder if [Bernstein] doesn't know more than me.' It's humbling." - John Rekenthaler, Research Chief, Morningstar Inc. William Bernstein is an unlikely financial hero. A practicing neurologist, he used his self-taught investment knowledge and research to build one of today's most respected investor's websites. Now, let his plain-spoken The Intelligent Asset Allocator show you how to use the time-honored techniques of asset allocation to build your own pathway to financial security - one that is easy-to-understand, easier-to-apply, and supported by 75 years of solid history and wealth-building results.




Beyond Smart Beta


Book Description

Delve into ETFs for smarter investing and a weatherproof portfolio Beyond Smart Beta is the investor's complete guide to index investing, with deep analysis, expert clarification and smart strategies for active portfolio management. From the general to the obscure, this book digs into every aspect of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) including ETCs and ETNs to break down the jargon and provide accessible guidance on utilising the indices as part of a more productive investment strategy. Succinct explanations of terms and concepts help you better grasp ETP anatomy, mechanics and practices, while examples, charts and graphs provide quick visual reference for total understanding. The expert author team examines the risks and benefits associated with various indexing approaches, sharing critical review of next-generation methods to help you make well-informed investment decisions. ETFs provide a solid foundation within mature and well-researched markets, allowing investors to focus on areas where active management has the potential to reap higher returns. This book shows you how to take full advantage of the growth of this market to strengthen your portfolio for the long term. Assess the current landscape and the anatomy of ETFs/ETPs Understand ETP handling, costs, trading, and investment Evaluate the pros and cons of next-generation indexing approaches Avoid risk while incorporating indices into an active portfolio management strategy Index concepts have evolved from basic, passive investments through Smart Beta, and are evolving into a third generation of products that will quickly become an important element of investor portfolios. Key benefits have propelled ETFs to surpass hedge funds in global capital, and the growth shows no sign of slowing. Beyond Smart Beta provides a primer for investors seeking to understand — and take advantage of — these lucrative new products.




The Smartest Portfolio You'll Ever Own


Book Description

Acclaimed and bestselling author Dan Solin shows you how to create a SuperSmart Portfolio that follows the same strategies used by the most sophisticated investment advisers in the world—but previously unavailable to most do-it-yourself investors. Providing the specific information and guidance lacking in most investment guides, Solin leaves nothing to chance in this accessible and thoughtful guide that will put you in control of your investment future.