Investment Policy Statement – Why Is It Important?

It is important for all investors, whether an individual, family, retirement plan, or nonprofit, to plan their investment approach around their goals and objectives. Investment Policy Statements (IPS) often document these items. Here are four reasons why it is important to have a clearly articulated IPS.

How Much Should Associations Hold in Reserve Assets?

A common question among nonprofit associations is how much they should hold in reserve assets. There is a “rule of thumb” that associations should hold six months of operating expenses in reserve. Is this common rule of thumb common practice?

Fitch Downgrade: A Closer Look | Financial Perspectives

Fitch downgraded US government debt from its pristine AAA rating to one notch lower at AA+. While this news may raise some eyebrows, it is essential to keep it in perspective. This week, Matt Moklestad and Michael Westphal have a conversation about its implications and the necessity of diversification.

A Look Under the Hood of a Bond Fund | Financial Perspectives

A lot of investors may be wondering how rising interest rates might be impacting their investments, so today, we're going to talk about bond funds -- how they operate, some of the details, and see how they're responding to this environment.

Markets Move. So Should You.

The primary reason for portfolio rebalancing is to maintain the risk profile of the policy portfolio that the client has chosen. However, periodic rebalancing has the added benefit of ?buying low? and ?selling high?.

Is Your Portfolio Tailored to Fit Your Needs, or Just ‘Off-The-Rack’?

While the alterations may be small and subtle, they make a big difference when it comes to comfort and fit. Our experience is better. For an investment thought experiment, think of the “off the rack suit” as the broad market; we simply take what we get off the shelf with no alteration. Now think of Foster Group as the tailor and the alterations as portfolio personalizations called factor allocations.

Embrace Uncertainty!

We may not like uncertainty, but we need to understand and embrace it to keep ourselves positioned for both survival and success.