The Academy Spring Seminar 2013 featured four sessions: Mock FOMC meeting; The state of economics/investing and of long-term expectations; A global perspective to bottom-up fundamental research, an Insurance sector case study; and, Investing in property.

Even our positive expectations of the much anticipated Third Plenary session of the Communist Party of China were exceeded.

Most target-date funds have two shortcomings that can be improved.

Predictability of asset returns is one of the most important issues in finance. This year's Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was shared by three pioneers in the field.

If I only had a dollar for every time I've read the US is safe from recession as "the yield curve is positively sloped."

Conference 2013 facilitated debate on the markets, strategies and investing with particular focus on how to better construct portfolios for the whole of an investor's life so that they are more likely to achieve their goals.

So you've read FMA's DIMS guidance note and decided it is all too hard? Hopefully not - non-corporate AFAs shouldn't be overwhelmed - and retaining DIMS may be good for business.

Failing to find outperformance amongst active managers may be more a problem of measurement than a failure of active management.

Advanced-country central banks are putting on the line their independence and credibility.

We've seen this movie before.Bubbles happen regularly - but why are we seeing so many bubbles now?

This article contends that some arguments used to validate alternative indexing can be easily proven false.

The Code Committee is currently reviewing final submissions on proposed changes to the Code of Professional Conduct for Authorised Financial Advisers. Structured Continuing Professional Development is shaping up as the hot potato, with the way in which advisers are accredited CPD hours set to change significantly.

The Australian equity market has lagged far behind the US this year. But the S&P/ASX200 is actually ahead since the GFC market lows.

Recently, I spent time reflecting carefully on how regulatory reform has worked thus far in New Zealand, and where things might head next.

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.

One Fed exit has become clear. Chairman Ben Bernanke will hand over to Janet Yellen. The second - exiting an era of ultra-loose monetary policies - is fiendishly difficult.

Three key shock risks will affect investors over the next decade, requiring a real difference in how we construct portfolios for retirement.

It is five years after the Financial Advisers Act (2008) was passed and two years since regulation came into force. A new survey reveals that adviser regulation has yet to deliver on its purpose.

For what types of funds are performance fees warranted, and what is a reasonable performance fee structure?

The US debt ceiling debacle sent a clear message to China. The US may have to pay a much steeper price for capital.