Economics
Economics for Independent Thinkers is useful to practitioners who make economic forecasts. Investment strategist Daniel Nevins, CFA, recounts becoming a skeptic about the application of quantitative methods to economics and about standard prediction methods, such as the lagging nature of consumer confidence surveys. He especially disdains economists who strive to make reality fit their models.
"Parallel Worlds," one of the four potential scenarios envisioned in the "Future State of the Investment Profession" study, anticipates the rise of populism, a reduction in the size of the middle class, and a decrease in social mobility. For a better understanding of how this scenario could affect the future of the investment management industry, Robert Stammers, CFA, spoke with Giuseppe Ballocchi, CFA.
Much of financial planning focuses on retirement. But what if your client isn’t planning to retire? Barbara Stewart, CFA, explores the question.
William Birdthistle provides a witty description of mutual fund design and categorizes its imperfections entertainingly, offering more palatable alternatives. This slender volume is a welcome addition to the library of the professional and retail investor alike.
What is finance, where does it come from, and why does it matter? William N. Goetzmann addressed these questions in his presentation at the CFA Institute: 62nd Financial Analysts Seminar, leading participants on a tour through financial history.
Interest in "factor investing" reached an all-time high in May, according to Google Trends. So Nicolas Rabener and his associates analyzed factor valuations using fundamental metrics and contrasted these current valuations with historical averages as a method to determine factor attractiveness.
Stuck in a career rut? Learn how to get back on the open road.
Jason Voss, CFA, provides his choices for Weekend Reads for Investors. This edition features surprising facts about coffee consumption, global choke points in the food supply, graphics showing how cryptocurrencies are likely to affect finance, and more.
This comprehensive study of the structure, price dynamics, and valuation of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) addresses their current uses in various investment settings. It attributes the rapid growth of ETFs to factor-based investing and the rise of robo-advisers. The book is a fascinating deep dive into all categories of ETFs, including equity, fixed income, foreign currencies, and alternative investments, with a particular focus on issues of tracking and liquidity.
The "Future State of the Investment Profession" explores evolving states of trust and their interdependence with demonstrating and creating value. To get a better understanding of what it means for investment professionals to provide value and how that relates to building trust and improving investor outcomes, we discussed these topics with Anne Cabot-Alletzhauser.