After the ratings failures of CDOs and other complex instruments in the GFC, many dismiss the work of the ratings agencies. But far from being hopeless, they do a wonderful job of assessing companies.

The number of indexes has exploded and now exceeds the number of stocks in the US. But overall, the US stock market is still dominated by active management. And 96% of index products are of insignificant size.

Overall stock market risk has declined modestly in the last 80 years, but the nature of risk has changed greatly. The risk stemming from market mistakes and, possibly, from irrationality has risen significantly.

The danger that sequence of return risk can devastate a retirement portfolio is both increasingly recognised and frequently misunderstood. Three research-driven strategies can help manage it.

Fodder kicks off with part 2 of Dr Woody Brock's review of the three key geopolitical risks facing investors Nouriel Roubini asks whether investors are underestimating the potential of rising geopolitical risk to trigger a black swan event. PIMCO's Libby Cantrill explains why President Trump is unlikely to be able to deliver any time this year on his ideas to reignite US economic growth, and Professor Ron Bird reviews three recent papers on factor investing. Fodder ends with Douglas Isles's top 3-rated Finology Summit session on how to help investors stay the course and not fall prey to common behavourial pitfalls.

Fodder kicks off with part 2 of Dr Woody Brock's review of the three key geopolitical risks facing investors Nouriel Roubini asks whether investors are underestimating the potential of rising geopolitical risk to trigger a black swan event. PIMCO's Libby Cantrill explains why President Trump is unlikely to be able to deliver any time this year on his ideas to reignite US economic growth, and Professor Ron Bird reviews three recent papers on factor investing. Fodder ends with Douglas Isles's top 3-rated Finology Summit session on how to help investors stay the course and not fall prey to common behavourial pitfalls.

Despite increasing global political risk, the probability of outright war is paradoxically lower than it might have been at any previous period in history.

The Conexus Fiduciary Investors Symposium (16 May) has been assessed and accredited by PortfolioConstruction Forum for Forum CE hours. These can be used to help meet the CE/CPD requirements of 15 regulators, associations, institutes and designations – including ASIC RG104/105/146 requirements and CIMA certificants’ CE commitment. Delegates must attest their attendance in order to receive CE acceditation.

Despite proliferating geopolitical risks, global financial markets have reached new heights. Markets have trouble pricing "black swan" events, the "unknown unknowns" that are unlikely, but extremely costly.

Factor investing has its foundation in the empirical studies of EMH. Via ETFs, we now live in a world where the possibility of factor investing is available to almost everyone. Three recent papers are useful in exploring further.

Fodder starts with Dr Woody Brock's review of the three key risks facing investors. Next, Yale's Stephen Roach rings the bell on the balance of economic power. Then, renowned economist, Lacy Hunt, reviews the Fed's history of tightening and concludes that the secular low in bond yields remains in the future. We feature Australian-based CIMA® certificant Tim Macready's award-winning paper on including an impact investing allocation in portfolios. And we end with Tim Farrelly's top 3-rated Finology Summit session on how a formal, written spending policy can help investors focus on what's really important.

Fodder starts with Dr Woody Brock's review of the three key risks facing investors. Next, Yale's Stephen Roach rings the bell on the balance of economic power. Then, renowned economist, Lacy Hunt, reviews the Fed's history of tightening and concludes that the secular low in bond yields remains in the future. We feature Australian-based CIMA® certificant Tim Macready's award-winning paper on including an impact investing allocation in portfolios. And we end with Tim Farrelly's top 3-rated Finology Summit session on how a formal, written spending policy can help investors focus on what's really important.

In a world of risk-on/risk-off investing, it is important for investors to know where true risks lie and where they do not lie. In fact, macroeconomic risk has decreased by well over 80% during the eight decades.

This paper presents evidence to suggest that an allocation to impact investments can contribute potential portfolio benefits from the risk-return profile and low correlation with other asset classes.

In a century of Federal Reserve tightening cycles, typically, the Fed has tightened too much and/or for too long. The current tightening cycle will not end any differently.

The pendulum of world economic growth has swung - by 2018, the developing countries will have a greater share of world GDP (59%) than developed countries (41%). New? Absolutely. Normal? Not even close.

Can clients easily change their behaviour? The theory of planned behaviour can help to promote real change and convert intentions into outcomes.

From 2017, instead of the two-day Symposium in Auckland each May, our NZ members have choice across five program days - including the one-day, by invitation-only Masterclass NZ in Auckland in June, for a strictly limited number of senior investment practitioners.

The IMCA Au Seminar 3 2017 (5 & 28 April) has been assessed and accredited by PortfolioConstruction Forum for Forum CE hours. These can be used to help meet the CE/CPD requirements of 15 regulators, associations, institutes and designations – including ASIC RG104/105/146 requirements and CIMA certificants’ CE commitment. Delegates must attest their attendance in order to receive CE acceditation.

This week Fodder kicks off with an analysis of the first round of the French presidential election, and what an (increasingly likely) Emmanuel Macron-led France would mean. Then we turn to three offerings from Dr Bob Gay, Brett Lewthwaite and PIMCO's Jamil Baz, on debt markets and investments. Finally, Professor Jo Earl's top 5-rated Finology Summit session, on how to get clients (ourselves, for that matter) to turn good intentions into action.