Different (and difficult) times call for different approaches to portfolio construction - in this thought piece, Michael Hasenstab shares his views on tHiNkInG oUtSiDe ThE bOx about building portfolios...

Different (and difficult) times call for different approaches to portfolio construction - in this thought piece, Prof Jack Gray shares his views on tHiNkInG oUtSiDe ThE bOx about building portfolios...

Different (and difficult) times call for different approaches to portfolio construction - in this thought piece, Alan Brown shares his views on tHiNkInG oUtSiDe ThE bOx about building portfolios...

Different (and difficult) times call for different approaches to portfolio construction - in this thought piece, Prof Amin Rajan shares his views on tHiNkInG oUtSiDe ThE bOx about building portfolios...

Different (and difficult) times call for different approaches to portfolio construction - in this thought piece, Prof Toby Moskowitz of Chicago University shares his views on tHiNkInG oUtSiDe ThE bOx about building portfolios...

The risk of using MPT - like any model - is that if poor inputs go into the model, poor results will come out...

The mechanics of solving Europe's crisis are in place. The US's fiscal position is considerably worse and holds greater uncertainty...

The Financial Markets Authority has been busy. In the last month, it has announced the Trans-Tasman mutual recognition of financial advisers as well as releasing a guidance note on giving KiwiSaver advice. financialalert spoke with advisers, researchers and industry associations about what the changes mean to advisers...

This heading is THE question being asked within the depths of the Financial Markets Authority's guidance note on the Sale and Distribution of KiwiSaver. And, it does appear that RFAs may be able to advise those going into KiwiSaver after all...

Politics are messy. Reforms have stalled. The economy is slowing. Some question whether India's economic miracle is over.

Is gold a good means of diversification? Is it a hedge against inflation and currency depreciation? Or is the last decade an anomaly?

Woody is one of the world's leading economic thinkers. He view is that China is the worst case of currency manipulation in history.

While we tend to focus on sharp market crashes, sudden declines that recover quickly within just a year or few are not necessarily problematic. What is far more destructive are extended periods of mediocre returns...

Helping clients understand portfolio risk is one of the most difficult challenges faced by advisers. Following on from my previous blog in which I looked at how often a portfolio might be falling, recovering and rising, now we turn to showing investors how often and over what periods falls might occur, how deep they might be, and how long the portfolio might take to recover...

TNP launches new professional association; guidance note for adviser remuneration disclosure; check business interruption cover; Asia-Pacific ahead in ESG ratings; site offers director of parliament and government agencies; Auckland Council ratings upgraded...

Investors need to major in three subjects to get asset allocation right in 2012 - plus, they would do well to study psychology.

We might wish our clients’ investment journeys will invariably be beautiful experiences - but we know that things will turn ugly from time to time. How do we prepare our clients for the ugly times? What do they need to know?

Most emerging countries were able to counter an economic slowdown in developed countries in 2008-09. Can this scenario be repeated?

We asked the fund research houses - how much (if any) of an international equities allocation should be hedged, assuming a 10-year investment timeframe?

Fueling fears of a China bubble is the rapid rise in prices of its residential property market in many of its key cities. Structurally, however, while residential house prices may be vulnerable near term, over the long term, the uptrend would appear to be underpinned...