The 10 Most Popular Webcasts of 2014

In 2014, our most popular videos and webcasts were those that gave viewers the tools and information they need to make better investment decisions. From geopolitics and the financial crisis, to individual asset classes and portfolio management techniques, these 10 videos and webcasts offer a wide range of insights to think about as we start the new year.

Myths of Financial Theory and Emerging Markets

Jerome Booth argues that 80% of financial theory is not fit for purpose and that investors in the developed world cannot afford to ignore emerging markets in this video interview, recorded 17 October 2014. Proper asset allocation requires a strategic view about macroeconomic forces and geopolitical factors rather than traditional optimization models.

Economic Drivers of Conflict: Why the Return of Geopolitics Is Not Random

Philippa Malmgren explores global shifts that change the investment landscape as well as the “New Cold War” and why today’s strategies can’t be based on yesterday’s understanding in this speech from 16 October 2014.

Asia or the West: Who Will Dominate the 21st Century?

In this video interview, recorded 10 April 2014, Kishore Mahbubani explains why he believes that Asia will dominate the 21st century and contends that China and India are poised for growth in coming years despite the negative news about their economic prospects.

The Value of Alternative Investments

Thomas R. Schneeweis, founding board member of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association and the Institute for Global Asset and Risk Management (INGARM), questions the relevance of modern portfolio theory and addresses common misconceptions associated with alternative investments in this interview from 24 July 2014.

Generating Alpha: Predicting Volatility and Corrections
In an 11 June 2014 webinar, Michael A. Gayed, CFA, and Charlie Bilello, CMT, of Pension Partners, LLC, consider how market anomalies in the utilities sector and Treasury bonds can provide a systematic way to outperform the market on an absolute and risk-adjusted basis and how their unique behaviors can be used to anticipate periods of higher volatility and market corrections.

Unconstrained Bond Funds: The Future of Fixed Income Investing

Kathleen C. Gaffney, CFA, discusses how she manages the risks inherent in investing in such a diverse mix of assets as well as where she currently sees the most attractive investment opportunities in this 5 May 2014 video.

Utilizing Downside Risk Measures

Michelle McCarthy considers the principles behind downside measures of risk and how they differ from some traditional risk measurement practices in this 19 February 2014 presentation. She also explores appropriate measures of risk and return for the individual investor and risk management strategy for private client portfolios.

Behavioral Finance: Core Principles and Practical Applications

Yale University finance professor Nicholas C. Barberis | Yale School of Management presents an overview of the current state of the behavioral finance field, including speculation about promising things to come in a 6 May 2014 presentation.

The Top Unlearned Lessons of the Financial Crisis

Bethany McLean, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, explores whether or not new regulations have lessened systemic risk from the banking sector in this 23 July 2014 webcast. She also considers whether the US government has created the right incentives to reduce the possibility of another crisis.

Lessons from the Financial Crisis of 2008

Sheila Bair gives her perspective on the financial crisis and the state of the financial system in 2014. Among the topics she discusses in this 5 May 2014 video are the behavior that led to bad loans, the role of complexity in the crisis, and the difficulty of unwinding complex institutions, as well as the state of the “too big to fail” doctrine.

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All posts are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the author’s employer.