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.
An Investment Portfolio Is Like a Good Smoothie
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!
Emerging Markets – What Are They?
September 27th, 2021 Financial Perspectives
DraftKings Knows More About You Than You Know About You
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?
Equilibrium Markets in the Time of COVID
Over the years, Foster Group has utilized a number of mutual funds and exchange traded funds managed by Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA). DFA was founded in 1981 on the idea of making academic investment research and empirically based portfolio management accessible to investors. In this article, Professor Kenneth French describes how markets responded to the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two Dimensional Mutual Funds Will Be Converted to Exchange Traded Funds on September 10th
Two Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) mutual funds that are held in after-tax accounts managed by Foster Group at Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade will be converted by DFA to Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) on Friday, September 10th.
October 26, 2020 Financial Perspectives
1:42 - In the News: Expansion in the US
2:24 - Recent Market Performance
5:07 - Patience: Why This Election is Different
6:52 - Elections Through Inaugurations: Should You Stay Invested?
Stock Markets Are Positive This Year?
As this year exemplifies, stock markets have the tendency to do things we would never expect.
October 12, 2020 Financial Perspectives
1:15 - In the News: What Employment Can Tell Us About Economic Recovery
2:52 - Stock Market Returns in October
3:43 - Value Stocks vs Growth Stocks Historical Returns
5:19 - Why Do Value Stocks Tend to Outperform Growth Stocks?
9:37 - What Should I be Investing in Now?
The Biggest Risk to Investors Remaining in 2020?
Aside from COVID-19, what represents the biggest risk for investors in the second half of what is turning out to be a historic 2020?
Elections and Your Money Q&A
Since we were unable to answer all of the questions asked during the live webinar, we'd like to share some of the questions and answers in written form.
September 21, 2020 Financial Perspectives
0:51 - In the News: Dr. Fauci, Employment, September Markets
4:18 - Which party would be better for markets and the economy?
4:45 - How would taxes change under each administration?
6:48 - 2021: What will have the most impact?
Elections and Your Money
September 4, 2020 Financial Perspectives
1:00 - In the News: Record Budget Deficits, Employment Improves, Back to School, Markets Give Up Some Gains
3:00 - Investing "FOMO" - Fear of Missing Out
7:26 - Predictable Mistake: Chasing Top Performers
Why I Try Not to Pay Attention to the News
While I don’t think this approach is for everyone, I do think many of us would benefit from making some of these decisions.
2020: A Predictor’s Kryptonite
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.
August 21, 2020 Financial Perspectives
0:50 - In the News: August 10th - August 21st
2:46 - What Is “Aseasonality” and Why Can It Lead to Impatience?
4:30 - Historical Disruptions
5:50 - Behavioral Biases: Why Does This Seem So Bad?
August 11, 2020 Financial Perspectives
1:09 - News: July 27th - August 7th
4:06 - Market News: July 27th - August 7th
4:42 - Are Things Getting Better or Worse?
5:28 - What's Going on with Gold?
10:05 - How Does Foster Group View Gold?