Inflation Aware Investing
Category: Investing
You know the old saying, “What goes up must come down.” Currently everything seems to be going up at the same time.
10 Obstacles to Investing – and How to Overcome Them
Category: Investing
In the following article David draws on his years of experience talking with investors and academics alike to address some common hesitations all investors face from time to time.
Do I Have Portfolio Exposure to China?
Category: Investing
In recent weeks, China has been a part of US financial headlines for a number of reasons. At Foster Group, we believe in globally diversified model portfolios. We invest our equity portfolios across domestic markets, international markets, and emerging markets. Our models have equity exposure to over 51 countries.
My Top 9 + 1 from Morgan Housel’s The Psychology of Money
Category: Investing
Morgan Housel, author of The Psychology of Money, spent some time with us last month. Here are my takeaways.
Barbell Portfolios Can Be Hard To Hold On To
Category: Investing
Barbells work great at the gym because they put weight on a bar in such a way that it’s balanced, leaving room in the middle for someone to use it to workout. We often see portfolios that are designed like a barbell at the gym: lots of risk in one account and lots of cash or very short-term securities in another. In aggregate, it might produce some balance, but the reality is that it can create some real challenges.
The Influence of Trust
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
A good relationship with our clients comes down to a handful of things. One of those things is whether a client trusts that we know more than they do about the type of investing we do at Foster Group.
Investment Policy Statement – Why Is It Important?
Category: Investing
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.
An Investment Portfolio Is Like a Good Smoothie
Category: Investing
Recently, I rediscovered the benefits of homemade smoothies for breakfast. They are nutritious, natural, easy to make, efficient, and delicious! This morning, I was thinking about how a good investment portfolio is like a good smoothie!
DraftKings Knows More About You Than You Know About You
Category: Investing
For 12 seconds, consider what a company knows about you and their own profitability if they are willing to offer you a $500 risk-free bet to get started. That’s what DraftKings just promised me in a commercial. Sounds awesome, doesn’t it? OK, the 12 seconds are up. What did you come up with?
2020: A Predictor’s Kryptonite
Category: Investing
At the end of 2019, Foster Group’s Investment Strategy Group wanted to create an object lesson to illustrate how hard it is to predict what will happen in financial markets and the world in general.
Diversification: Preparing for the Next Surprise
Category: Investing
Probably only one thing is certain: The world is still full of surprises yet to be revealed. Is your portfolio diversified in preparation for the next one?
How is COVID-19 Impacting Real Estate Investment Trusts?
Category: Investing
How have real estate investments been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent global lockdown?
ESG Investing. What Does It Mean to be a Responsible Investor?
Category: Investing
ESG investing is growing in popularity and public interest. The values being expressed through ESG related portfolio decisions are as diverse as the universe of investors participating in global markets today.
What I Think About When Working From Home
Category: Investing
In the blink of an eye, it seems, our lives have taken a major turn, because of a sneaky, harmful, invisible germ. The concept of uncertainty is real and palpable.
Grow Through What You Go Through
While this time has been incredibly difficult for so many, I hope that people look back on this time and remember the lessons they learned rather than the struggles they suffered.
Mutual Funds and ETFs: What’s the Difference?
Category: Investing
There are structural differences between an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) and a mutual fund that can create advantages to using one over the other.
Vaccine for Physician Pocketbooks
Category: Investing » Asset Allocation
While many in the healthcare profession are working tirelessly to meet the demands the COVID-19 virus has placed on the system, others have seen their hours cut and sources of income dwindle. Here are some options for those of you whose financial situation has changed dramatically in the past few months.
Four Ways to Connect with Foster Group
How can you stay connected financially during this time?
Cloudy Markets Still Have a Silver (Tax) Lining
Category: Investing » Diversification
During negative market cycles, there are some planning and investment strategies that might strengthen your financial plans. One such opportunity is tax-loss harvesting
Do Simple Better
Category: Investing
A focus on the fundamentals is not just good advice for the sports world. It applies to many areas of our lives and certainly our finances.
Good News About Portfolio Costs from DFA
Category: Investing
Investors will benefit from a reduction in investment costs associated with funds managed by Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), effective February 28, 2020.