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Should your retirement portfolio contain 100% shares?
Retirement researcher Bill Bengen found that the optimal retirement portfolio contains 50-75% equities. Are 100% equities a better option?
8 hours ago7 min read


The S&P 500 lost decade - how to protect your retirement
The S&P 500 has generated strong returns over the past 15 years. But should you invest all of your retirement savings in this index?
10 hours ago8 min read


Is the 4% safe withdrawal rate still valid for UK retirees - part 3?
In part three of this series on the "4% rule", we look at how investor behaviour might impact sustainable portfolio withdrawals.
Jun 25 min read


Buffered ETFs - a solution looking for a problem?
Buffered ETFs are often marketed as a way to reduce portfolio losses during market turbulence. We examine whether they have a place in portfolios.
Apr 277 min read


The Pain Index: How much can you take?
Investors are understandably often unnerved when encountering periodic market turbulence. We put recent events in context.
Apr 136 min read


Renaissance Technologies. The greatest hedge fund of all? Updated for 2024
We examine what many consider the greatest hedge fund of all time: Renaissance Technologies. What's its secret?
Sep 8, 20247 min read


Book Review: 'Smarter Investing' (4th Edition) by Tim Hale
Tim Hale's book gives you all you need to build a robust portfolio, taking you all the steps from the evidence to actual implementation.
Sep 8, 20243 min read


Investing: what is working now? Summer 2024 edition
We examine recent investment trends over the last few years and use the Scoville scale to compare their relative "hotness"
Jun 20, 20245 min read


Could a star fund manager send your retirement into a black hole?
Investing your retirement portfolio with "market-beating" star fund managers can seem very appealing. Does the reality live up to the hype?
Jun 10, 20248 min read


The most efficient way to blow up your retirement plan
In a perfect world, retirees would hold diversified portfolios, pay low fees and not misbehave. How might things look in an imperfect world?
May 26, 20248 min read


Retirement planning concepts that sound good in theory
There are many retirement planning concepts that claim to offer beneficial retirement outcomes. This post aggregates our research
May 9, 20243 min read


Increasing client engagement with the One-Page Financial Plan
The One-Page Financial Plan is a high-level summary of the underlying financial plan. Read how we tweaked the process to increase engagement
Apr 2, 20243 min read


Does buying an annuity improve retirement income sustainability?
Annuity rates have improved in recent times. Can they now help to create a more sustainable retirement income?
Feb 28, 20245 min read


Death by a thousand cuts - when portfolios go sideways
The returns of globally diversified portfolios have been subdued in the last few years. How does this impact our clients' retirement plans?
Dec 5, 20234 min read


Investing for the long term
Focusing on asset classes that have performed well over the last few years is tempting. Keeping a longer-term perspective is key.
Dec 1, 20234 min read


Why should portfolios be rebalanced?
It can sometimes be easy to wonder what the point of rebalancing a portfolio is. We look at this in the context of recent bond performance.
Dec 1, 20235 min read


Investment management is commoditised
We believe the "investment problem" has been solved, but this doesn't mean that the financial adviser's role is redundant.
Sep 17, 20234 min read


Michael Burry - Big Short #2?
The press recently reported that Michael Burry has been shorting the stock market. Should our clients make adjustments to their investments?
Aug 28, 20236 min read
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