Think about bonds as an insurance policy for portfolios. With higher yields available, very cheap insurance is even better able to pay for hurdles facing portfolios.

After a half decade of weakness, robust growth in the US and UK is setting the stage for unconventional monetary policies to be unwound.

Our Forum Fodder e-newsletter alerts Members to what's new on PortfolioConstruction.com.au and live progams. This week - Nouriel Roubini, Nick Bullman , BlackRock. Plus we kick off a new series on smart beta.

Our Forum Fodder NZ e-newsletter alerts Members to what's new on PortfolioConstruction.com.au and live progams. In Fodder NZ this week -all of the pre-reading for our PortfolioConstruction Forum Markets Summit program next week

The boom demographic joining Facebook is age 65+ at the moment. If retirees are flocking to social media channels, shouldn't you?

Why Unconventional Monetary Policy is undertaken, how it works, what it does, whether it's inflationary, and some of the unintended consequences.

Looking ahead, returns on emerging market debt are likely to better reflect the diversity of the asset class. More than ever, it pays to know your market.

The US is undeniably the critical market within the global economy - and there are real sign-posts that clearly suggest it is ready to surprise the world on the upside.

2013 was a transitional year, as the market woke up to the reality that extraordinarily accommodative monetary policy would not go on forever. What of 2014?

Many New Zealand financial advice firms need to fundamentally rejig their way of doing business, to improve client retention, drive down costs and improve the bottom line.

The start of the end of the Federal Reserve's money printing is expected to reshape the global investment landscape.

The Academy Summer Seminar 2013 featured four sessions: The paradox of wealth (& what can be done); Don't concentrate too hard; Developing your investment philosophy; and, Financial literacy and cognitive functioning.

As we entered 2014, the consensus on the best and worst areas to invest could be described very simply: momentum investing ruled, contrarian investing was dead.

The bullish mood suddenly changed in early January. Here is a structure for thinking about recent market events that may be helpful in assessing new evidence as it comes along.

financialalert asked the heads of four financial adviser bodies about their plans for 2014, and what they will have on offer for advisers in the coming months.

There is a broad acceptance that Bernanke's monetary policy helped stave off another global depression. But the final verdict on unconventional monetary policy remains years away.

Breaking Unconventional Monetary Policy is not an asymmetric outcome - it is like 50 shades of grey, whips included, particularly for emerging markets.

Change is stirring and markets do not like uncertainty. Breaking Unconventional Monetary Policy is a catalyst for slower economic growth and deflation - market volatility will only increase in 2014.

Breaking Unconventional Monetary Policy is going to prove too hard to achieve. Central Banks will run scared of their political masters; QE or an equivalent will recommence.

The US economy made substantial progress in 2013. The economic outlook for 2014 appears promising -and the US equity market can continue to appreciate.