The yield of an asset is a key component of predicting future returns. This is true for the yield on Treasury bonds as well as the dividend yield for stock indexes. The yield on aggregate bond indexes is considered a good proxy for future expected returns. The dividend yield of broad stock indexes has been shown to provide significant value in predicting future stock index returns. In both cases, low yields tend to predict high future returns, and vice versa. These arguments that yields predict returns are not without critics, especially for equities. (more…)
Archive for the ‘ETFs’ Category
REIT Yield as a Predictor of Future Returns
Posted in Bonds, Dividends, ETFs, Real Estate, tagged analysis, Bill Bernstein, dividend yield, equity REITs, ETFs, future returns, future variability, predictors, REITs, Treasury bonds, volatility levels on May 20, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Review of The Affluent Investor by Phil DeMuth
Posted in Asset Allocation, book review, Dividends, ETFs, Financial Advisors, Income Investing, Investors, Mutual Funds, Wealth, tagged affluent investors, high beta rich, high-net-worth families, investment portfolios, lifecycle investing, phil demuth, The Affluent Investor on April 9, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
I have known Phil DeMuth for a number of years and I admire his common sense and views on many topics. Phil authored the recently-published book The Affluent Investor that fills a need in the crowded shelves of investment books. As a financial advisor to high-net-worth families, Phil brings valuable perspective to investors who have built substantial portfolios and seek to protect and grow their wealth effectively. (more…)
Folio Investing Celebrates Its Target Date Folios’ Five-Year Record of Outperformance
Posted in Diversification, ETFs, Investors, Long-term investing, Low Cost Investing, Regular Investing, retirement planning, Risk, Uncategorized, Volatility, tagged diversification strategy, folios, fund performance, Retirement Investing, risk targeting, target date, Target Date Folios, Target Date Funds on January 24, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Folio Investing’s Successful ETF-Based Alternative to Legacy Target-Date Funds Offers Superior Diversification, Risk Targeting and Flexibility; Firm Seeks Distribution Partner to Broaden Availability
Folio Investing announced today that, over the five years since they were brought to market in December 2007, its Target Date Folios have significantly outperformed traditional target-date funds. The Folios have provided both higher returns and lower volatility than the competing funds during this tumultuous period. (more…)
Falling ETF Fees and What They Mean
Posted in Asset Allocation, Bonds, Diversification, ETFs, Markets, tagged asset allocation strategies, Burton Malkiel, expense ratios, market cap, market indexes, sectors, stock indexes, stock market index, Target Date Folios, Vanguard on January 7, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Vanguard has just reduced the expense ratios of 24 of its ETFs. The reductions are fairly substantial. What I noticed, in particular, is that the reductions include sector-specific ETFs.
The Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE), the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT), the Vanguard Telecom ETF (VOX), and the Vanguard Utility ETF (VPU) each now have 0.14% expense ratios vs. 0.19% previously. While the expense ratios of these funds were already low, the new expenses are 26% lower than before. (more…)
What Are the Core Asset Classes for Total Return Portfolios?
Posted in Asset Allocation, Bonds, Commodities, Diversification, ETFs, Inflation, Investors, Risk, Stock Investing, tagged Corporate Bonds, emerging market stocks, Emerging Markets, equity energy, fixed income, gold, government bonds, investing strategy, Municipal Bonds, real estate investment trusts, REITs, stock market index, TIPS, Utility stocks on November 28, 2012 | 1 Comment »
One of the most important questions for investors and advisors is identifying a set of asset classes that will be considered for inclusion in a portfolio. Some people will decide that all they need or want is one broad stock market index fund and one bond fund. Others will choose to include Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and commodities. There are well-thought-out arguments that inflation-protected government bonds (TIPS) are a major core asset class. It is also quite common for investors or advisors to break stocks out into value vs. growth and small cap vs. large cap. (more…)
Sector Watch: Municipal Bonds
Posted in 401(k), Asset Allocation, Bonds, ETFs, pensions, Retirement, retirement income, retirement planning, Risk, Taxes, Uncategorized, tagged Bill Gross, fixed income, folios, high yield bonds, income exempt, interest rates, Meredith Whitney, muni, Municipal Bonds, public pensions, QE, Quantitative Easing, Target Date Folios, Treasury bonds on November 19, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Municipal bonds are issued by states and municipalities and typically have tax advantages relative to other fixed income assets. In general, income from muni bonds is tax exempt at the federal level and at the state level for investors living in the issuing state. Municipal bonds have historically been favored by investors in high tax brackets who, of course, derive more benefit from the tax exemptions by virtue of being in the highest tax brackets. (more…)
Do We Live in the Golden Age of Investing?
Posted in 401(k), Bonds, Diversification, ETFs, Markets, Mutual Funds, Retirement, Risk, Stock Investing, tagged Burton Malkiel, Fees on November 9, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Guest post by Contributing Editor, Matthew Amster-Burton, Mint.com.
Do we live in the golden age of investing?
Moronic question, right? Of course we don’t. The S&P 500 sits at about the same level it did five years ago. Bond interest rates have never been lower, and the Fed says it’s planning to keep them that way through mid-2015.
Turn on any financial channel and you’ll find as many gloomy predictions as you care to sit through: debt-fueled implosion in Europe, the next flash crash, the shrinking dollar, a stagnant labor market, Great Depression 2.0 (or is it 3.0 by now?). (more…)
Saving and Investing for Retirement: Part Five
Posted in Asset Allocation, Bonds, Diversification, ETFs, financial planning, Investors, Long-term investing, Low Cost Investing, Mutual Funds, Portfolio Investing 101, Retirement, retirement income, retirement planning, Risk, Stock Investing, Volatility, Wealth, tagged Defined Contribution, economy, household income, income replacement, Lawrence Kotlikoff, pensions, retirement security, Rob Arnott, saving, Scott Burns, unemployment on October 2, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Effective Actions in an Uncertain World: Part Five of Our Special Five Part Series
There are a number of factors that we need to predict in order to come up with saving and investing strategies for retirement. The values that we assign to these factors will have a huge impact on whether or not we will be able to meet our goals. First, there is the expected return that investors will make on their retirement savings. Second, there is the common estimate that people will need about 85% of their pre-retirement income to support them once they stop working. Finally, there is the potential impact of behavior on savings rates, investing, and spending. (more…)
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