Happy New Year! Fodder kicks off for 2018 with Tim Farrelly offering his (somewhat tongue in cheek) forecasts for the year - spot the one that's already happened. Professor Ken Rogoff asks why markets continue to ignore political instability and warns of the inevitable reckoning. Professor Ron Bird reviews two recent research papers offering insights into fund manager performance (earn 1 CE). Challenger's Aaron Minney looks at the who, what, when, where and why of income layering. And we end with Richard Brandweiner, Giles Gunesekera and Tim Macready on the place for impact investing in portfolios (earn 0.5 CE).
- All the best for another great year's continuing education - Graham
P.S. Register now for Summit 2018 (two separate, back-to-back, one-day programs - attend either or both). Markets Summit 2018 "Changing gears?" (13 Feb 2018) and Finology Summit 2018 "Where investing meets investors" (14 Feb 2018)

QUOTE OF THE WEEK...

Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think - Albert Einstein

LATEST...

Markets | Strategies | Investing
10 "fearless" predictions for 2018
It is the time of the year when those in the forecasting business like to lay out our expectations for the coming year. Here are mine...
Tim Farrelly, farrelly's | More

Markets 
Giddy markets and grim politics
Headlines seeming to portend political instability and chaos have not prevented stock markets from soaring. What gives?
Kenneth Rogoff, Harvard Univeristy | More

Investing
Research Review: More insights into fund managers
The holy grail is to find active managers who can add value. The combined insights of these two papers suggest avoiding large managed funds, especially those under the control of managers who run a concurrent SMA.
Prof Ron Bird, UTS | More

Strategies
Income layering: What? Why? When? & How?
Income layering is a goals-based approach to building an investment portfolio that is likely to be beneficial to a wide range of retirees - especially those worried about how to sustain spending in the later stages of retirement.
Aaron Minney, Challenger | More

Strategies | Investing
There's a place for impact investing strategies in portfolios
The impact investing market will be worth US$1 trillion in coming decades. It is important for practitioners to realise the impact that their client's capital can have on society.
R Brandweiner, G Gunesekera, Tim Macready | 0.50 CE | More

RECENTLY...

Markets | Investing
Bitcoin: we warned you
The investment (as opposed to transaction) appeal of Bitcoins has grown and will grow. But we believe that Bitcoin will be very undesirable as an asset due to a very high degree of price volatility.
Woody Brock, SED | More

Markets
Financial investors' wish list for 2018
However tempting it may be to focus our wishes on our own immediate desires, it is imperative this year that investors' wish lists take into account the big economic and policy picture.
Mohamed El-Erian, Allianz | More

Markets
Populist plutocracy and the future of America
You know it's time to worry when the conservative Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations warns openly that Trump could start World War III.
Nouriel Roubini, Roubini Global Economics | More

Markets | Finology
Research Review: More on behavioural issues
Three recent research papers continue to grow our understanding of how behavioural traits impact markets. The first provides insights into Warren Buffett's success; the other two examine the markets' response to earnings information.
Prof Ron Bird, UTS | More

Investing
Not all ETFs are created equal
With over 160 ETFs trading on the ASX, selecting the right ETF has become far more challenging. A simple yet effective due diligence framework is needed to assess suitability.
Jonathan Howie, BlackRock | 0.50 CE | More

Markets
Regime Change: Inflation
The world has changed dramatically over the past three decades, but the analytical tools underpinning monetary policy have not. The challenge is to develop new tools that fit the new world order.
Dr Robert Gay, Fenwick Advisers | More

Markets
The globalisation of our discontent
As some countries have shown, a market economy can take forms that temper the excesses of capitalism and globalisation, and deliver growth and higher standards of living for most citizens.
Joseph Stiglitz, Columbia Univeristy | More

Strategies
Backgrounder: Portfolio rebalancing strategies
Researchers propose a range of improvements to traditional time-based rebalancing, including threshold and cash flow strategies, designed to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
Will Jackson, Portfolio Construction Forum | 1 comment | More

Finology
Maybe retirees should spend the kids' 'inheritance'
Plenty of anecdotes suggest that baby boomers are spending their savings and will leave nothing for the next generation. Looking at the actual data, this is questionable.
Aaron Minney, Challenger | More

Strategies | Markets
Global credit deserves a greater piece of the investment pie
Introducing an active global credit investment into portfolios adds to an investor's opportunity set, and can offer alpha opportunities.
Samantha Lamb, Aberdeen Standard Investments | 0.25 CE | More

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