Practical analysis for investment professionals
30 November 2016

Top Five Articles from November: Modern Portfolio Theory and P2P Lending

Posted In: Best Of

1. Has Goals-Based Investing Ruined Modern Portfolio Theory?

Although a fundamentally important financial concept, modern portfolio theory (MPT) has been of little practical value to retail investors in their asset allocation. Hansi Mehrotra, CFA, believes it’s time to develop a more practical risk-management measure.

2. Global Inflation-Linked Bonds: A Primer

Michael Pond, CFA, delivered an interesting discussion of inflation-linked debt at the 2016 CFA Institute Fixed-Income Management Conference. So what are inflation-linked bonds? As Jason Voss, CFA, explains, they are most typically debts issued by sovereign nations whose nominal interest rate is adjusted, either up or down, by an inflation measure.

3. Are Index Funds the Best Way to Own Preferred Stocks?

Preferred stock index funds are a double-edged sword, says David Allison, CFA, CIPM. They are a simple, liquid, and low-cost way for investors to gain exposure to preferreds, but their simplicity makes them a blunt tool and harbors risks.

4. Is a US Recession Imminent? Part Two

In January, 70% of CFA Institute Financial NewsBrief readers didn’t expect a US recession in 2016. So what about 2017? Ron Rimkus, CFA, analyzes the differing results of this same poll question 11 months later.

5. The Fintech Files: Will P2P Disrupt the Banks?

Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending is a form of direct lending between lenders and borrowers. In a P2P transaction, money can flow from the lenders directly to borrowers through the P2P platform, bypassing traditional banking channels. As such, it is generally considered a disruptive form of fintech. Lu.com is one of the world’s largest players in the P2P market. Larry Cao, CFA, sat down with Gregory Gibb, CEO and chairman of Lu.com, to discuss how the industry will evolve.

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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.

Image credit: ©Getty Images/retrorocket

About the Author(s)
Susan Hoover, JD

Susan Hoover was the editor of Connexions, the CFA Society Leader newsletter, and the digital editor of Enterprising Investor at CFA Institute. Prior to CFA Institute, Hoover worked for McCallum & Kudravetz, PC, and the US Department of the Navy in real estate and labor law. Hoover earned the CFA Institute Investment Foundations™ Certificate and holds a BA degree from Lehigh University and a JD degree from the Washington College of Law, American University.

1 thought on “Top Five Articles from November: Modern Portfolio Theory and P2P Lending”

  1. Great article on Modern Portfolio Theory and P2P Lending. Thanks for sharing.

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