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according to Vanguard, over the past decade more than sixty per cent of actively managed mutual funds underperformed the S. & P., while hedge funds have trailed the market since 2003

Human Nature and a Volatile Stock Market : The New Yorker

(Source: instapaper.com)

1 month ago

Navigating such unpredictability requires investors to rely less on historical short cuts and, instead, spend more time decomposing asset classes into their constituent risk factors. Moreover, they need to internalize a much broader set of correlations, pursue a more global opportunity set, and mitigate risk not only by diversifying but also by using active tail hedging aimed at protecting against the bad extremes of possible outcomes.

Mohamed El-Erian: Investing in a ‘Fat Tail’ World - WSJ.com

1 month ago

The amount of dollars available for gaming in the region is finite, however, and what we see are states trying to get their share of the pie.

It s State Against State as Northeast Scrambles for Gambling Bonanza - The Bond Buyer Article

1 month ago

The stampede of investors away from actively managed mutual funds and toward index-based exchange-traded funds continued in 2011, with an important twist. It was a year in which investors poured a record percentage of their money into bond ETFs.

When Indexing Isn’t Ideal

1 month ago

America’s elders our most credible experts on one thing. Even though you might not go to them to learn how to reprogram the VCR, they are the truest experts on living well through hard times.

New Book Illustrates Life Lessons From an Older Generation | PBS NewsHour | Jan. 5, 2012 | PBS

1 month ago

Which raises the question: is it that social media in really ineffective for growing a practice, or is it just that our woes with social media are representative of our ongoing difficulties in clearly defining the value we provide and the target clientele we wish to reach, leaving referrals as the only option left?

Is Social Media An Effective Tool To Grow A Planning
Practice? - Nerd’s Eye View (via Findings.com)

1 month ago

In cities around the nation, similar ideas have emerged: streetlight user fees, private security lights, even optional “adopt-a-light” programs comparable to road sponsorships.

Cities’ Cost Cuttings Leave Residents in the Dark - NYTimes.com

1 month ago

A higher percentage of independent advisors use social media than other types of advisors and yet independent advisors were the largest group to say social media does not support business objectives “at all,” the survey says.

Social Media Losing Some Appeal With Financial Advisors

1 month ago

I, for one, would like priority boarding for free, special food for free, with special dispensation to scream, yell, run and joyously disturb my fellow high-fare, stressed-out, paying passengers without being hauled off the plane in handcuffs,

Traveling With Kids? Readers Prefer You Didn’t by https://findings.com Michelle Higgins (via Findings.com)

2 months ago

With Flixster, Studios Bet Consumers Will Buy Movies Again - NYTimes.com

Retailers like Wal-Mart are working on UltraViolet access sites, but the only way to use the cloud-based service for now is via Flixster. Once consumers buy an UltraViolet-enabled DVD or Blu-ray set … they can set up an account on Flixster and type in a code provided on the disc packaging to claim their digital rights.

That may seem complicated for consumers in the age of Netflix and iTunes. “We recognize that the product is not perfect today,” Mr. Tsujihara said. “We don’t have the luxury of waiting a year until we have everything perfect.”

3 months ago