Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Asset Allocation, Risk Tolerance And Shortfall Risk, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Asset allocation is the biggest driver of portfolio performance, particularly over the long-term. Moreover, it also is reflective of an investor's risk tolerance. The recent financial crisis has negatively impacted investment psychology, particularly among younger investors. As a result, the so-called "Generation-Y" has over half of their assets held in cash -- a "non-earning" asset. While this is safe, there is a risk of loss in value, as cash does not even hold up with inflation. In the long-term, such an allocation means a lower retirement balance--i.e., shortfall risk. Thus, these investors have essentially traded one type of risk for …

Short Interest At High Levels, Steven D. Dolvin

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Short interest has been high even though the market has recovered significantly. In fact, in the wake of the recovery, short sellers have increased their positions. If they are correct, we could see a market pullback. Their short positions, however, create a large "sideline" demand, which has actually made market moves more positive in the wake of neutral news (due to short covering). See article here, Yahoo/Bloomberg.

Conflict Of Interest In 401(K) Funds, Steven D. Dolvin

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Companies often hire third party administrators (TPAs) to manage their respective 401(k) plans. Some companies simply provide documentation and advice; however, other TPAs actually offer their own proprietary (in-house) funds as investment alternatives. New research () shows that these funds often carry higher fees and have lower returns, illustrating the impact of a conflict of interest. This is particularly pronounced for banks and insurance companies acting as TPAs.

The Rise Of The Robo-Advisor, Steven D. Dolvin

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In response to high fees and varying levels of quality/service across traditional human advisors, new firms are transitioning to a fully automated framework. These so-called "Robo-Advisors" provide fully automated allocation and management strategies. This approach significantly reduces costs and standardizes risk-return matching strategies. See article here, CFA Institute.

Lower Minimum Investment, Steven D. Dolvin

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Charles Schwab cut the initial minimum investment from $2,500 to $100 for most of the mutual funds on its Mutual Fund OneSource platform, which charges no transaction fees. At the same time, it cut the minimum for subsequent investments from $500 to $1. See article here, Financial Advisor Magazine.

Margin Loans, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Traditionally, margin loans were used by investors to allow them to buy additional shares of stock. Recently, however, many investors have used such loans as a simple way to borrow money for purchases outside their investment portfolio. Even so, they are still subject to margin calls should the value of the securities pledged as collateral fall. See article here, WSJ.

Financial Advisor Fee Structure, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Historically, most advisors earned their income based on commissions; however, to reduce churning and to better align interests with clients, most advisors have moved to a fee based platform, with many charging an annual fee of 1% of assets. Given the compounded impact of this cost over time, as well as the lack of value added, we may see another change, as some advisors are moving to a fee for service model. See article here, WSJ.

Traditional Vs. Roth Ira, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Aside from company sponsored 401(k) plans, investors can use either traditional or Roth IRAs to invest for retirement.investors. In a more recent development, companies have also begun offering the choice between traditional or Roth 401(k)s. So, it is important to understand the relative advantages of each type of account. See a good summary article here, WSJ.

Fee Based Compensation Aligns Interests, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Retail financial professionals have increasingly moved away from commissions and to a standard fee-based structure. This change should better align the interests of clients and advisors. For example, there is less incentive to trade. Moreover, there is little need for advisors to select funds that charge a high load, as their compensation no longer depends on the "kickback" received from the fund companies. As a result, the fund flow to high load funds has turned negative. See article here, Investment News.

All-Time Market Highs And Market Timing, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

With the market at all-time highs, many investors are left wondering if stocks are still attractive investments. Based on PE ratios, the market's current level of 17.5 if slightly above the historical average, but not excessively so. Thus, if corporate profits remain strong, valuations could remain stable (so says some analysts). See article and video here, Fidelity. The video also discusses the difficulty of market timing, which is a good reminder for most investors.

Diversification Revisited, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Asset allocation is widely considered to carry the most weight in determining a portfolio's overall return, but we often avoid/ignore many categories that could be helpful. See article here for a discussion of why diversification matters, Fidelity.

On the contrary, though, some analysts believe too much diversification is not a good thing. See article here (WSJ) to help answer the question, "How Much Diversification Is Too Much?"

Going Global, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

For diversification reasons, most investors should consider investing internationally. However, many investors have limited knowledge about how to do so or about how to determine how much exposure to have internationally. Click here for a recent WSJ article that provides some guidance on these issues.

Fees Matter, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

A 1% annual fee doesn't sound like much, but when compounded, fees paid to advisors and managers can have a significant impact on an investor's ending portfolio value. For example, consider two investors who each invest $200,000 and earn 8%/year (before fees) for 30 years. The first investor uses an ETF that charges 0.04%/year in fees, while the second investor uses a mutual fund charging 1.25%/year. The first investor ends with roughly $2 million, while the second nets about $1.4 million. The difference is purely driven by fees -- this is a huge cost. (See article here, Wall Street …

Retirement Planning -- Start Early, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Many people are not prepared for retirement. Older workers do not have enough money saved, and younger workers are not starting soon enough. See some survey results here, WSJ. You should also take the quiz to see where you stand.

Even Adults Like "Happy Meals", Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Higher risk companies, in order to sell bonds at lower interest rates, must often attach "sweetners" to the bond offering. Historically this has included warrants or conversion options. Recently, however, some companies have offered a combination of bonds and a loan of the company's shares, a so-called "Happy Meal." The bond buyers subsequently sell the shares short. If the company fails, the investors lose on the bonds, but make a profit on the short sale. This strategy is typically employed by hedge funds. See article here, Wall Street Journal.

Broker Vs. Advisor, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Over the past decade, more retail investment professionals have transitioned away from a pure broker relationship to a more advisory role. This switch is potentially good for both sides, as it reduces the incentive to churn (i.e., excessively trade) an account simply to generate commissions, while also providing a more stable revenue for the advisor. See article here, Financial-Planning.com.

Margin Debt, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Margin debt hit its highest level ($379.5 billion) since July 2007. The increase is being driven by low rates and a rising market. As history shows, however, this level of debt could accelerate a small downturn in the market. (See article here, WSJ.)

If You Don't Want To Be An Engineer...., Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Recent surveys suggest that engineers (chemical, mechanical, etc.) are the highest earning undergraduate majors -- most in the $60-65K range. Finance is the next highest, at $57,600. So, it seems you have made a good investment by selecting finance as your major. (See article here, Fox Business / Business News Daily.)

Circuit Breakers In Response To Flash Crash, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Following the "Flash Crash," the exchanges implemented single stock circuit breakers (in addition to the market-wide constraints that already existed). These new circuit breakers are already under review, with planned changes set to go into effect in April. See article here, Bloomberg.

Rogue Trader, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

On June 30, 2009, the price of oil jumped $1.50 per barrel during the night. This was curious since no major political event had taken place. Well, the Financial Services Authority just released a report that a drunk trader purchased futures contracts on 7 million barrels, which pushed the price up. Even more ironic, the trader was so drunk he didn't even remember doing it. See article here, CNBC.

Short Squeeze, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Short interest may be considered an indicator of overall market sentiment regarding a stock, with high short interest being bearish. However, if short sellers rush to cover their positions, a so-called "short squeeze," the price of the stock may increase substantially. This is what recently happened with Pandora stock. See the article here, Pandora.

Plan Now, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Almost half of all retirees have $10,000 or less in savings when they die. While social security or pensions may provide adequate income, it illustrates the dependence on these outside sources. Going forward, there will be fewer pension plans (switching to defined contribution plans), and social security is no guarantee. So, plan now. .

Short Sale Trading Glitch, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Following the Crash of 2008, the SEC reinstated the uptick rule, albeit a modified version. The uptick rule kicks in if a stock's price drops 10% in one day. This prevents short selling except on an uptick. However, a trading glitch (which are increasingly common) effectively overlooked the rule. .

High Frequency Trading, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

With recent events such as the Flash Crash and the trading glitch at Knight Capital, high frequency trading has come under increased scrutiny. So, what exactly is high frequency trading and flash orders? Essentially, these traders attempt to exploit differences in bid/ask prices and capture any spread that exists. Check out this video for an illustrated discussion.

Control Yourself!, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Research shows that our brains are wired to trade stocks actively, and this often works against us. Even professional managers (such as mutual funds) have a hard time generating consistent outperformance. So, the best managers may be those that understand the psychology of investing and are able to control themselves. See the article here, Wall Street Journal. A good book on the topic is Psychology of Investing, by John Nofsinger.

Contrarian Indicator - Short Sales?, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

Short positions spiked recently, eclipsing the recent peak in 2011. After the previous peak, stock prices stages a five-month rally. Hopefully it will be the same this time. See article here, Bloomberg.

It Pays To Be Young, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

The model is changing, as wealth management firms may need to increasingly hire younger advisors.

Health Or Money?, Steven D. Dolvin

All Chapters

When asked whether they would have health or money, most people would probably choose money. However, a recent study shows that investors actually trust their investment advisors more than their doctors. So, does this imply they care more about their money than their health?????? See the article here, Investment News.