Consultants at Cambridge Associates have shown how to build what they believe is a better "core-satellite" portfolio. Get rid of the passive core component (such as an S&P 500 Index fund) completely and load up on the satellites.The team compared hypothetical core-satellite portfolios with...

Professor Korok Ray won the 2014 Brandes Institute Prize, awarded to an academic for compelling research in the fields of value investing and/or behavioral finance. Ray's winning entry will be published in The Journal of Investing. Here, Ray shares his insights in an exclusive discussion with...

Asset-backed securities have attracted attention in the recent months amid the uncertainty surrounding the mortgage sector and securitized debt. This paper examines the “boom/bust” cycle of sub-prime mortgage pools, and demonstrates how long standing perceptions of rating agencies and their...

Unlike traditional bonds, Floating-rate bonds (FRB) do not have a fixed rate coupon. Instead, their rate fluctuates or floats based on the market plus a spread. As a result, FRBs tend to be less vulnerable to interest-rate fluctuations. Many believe FRBs can help preserve principal, while...

Americans are rapidly losing their pensions — replaced by savings plans disguised as retirement plans.Many sponsors view defined contribution (DC) plans as the best option for retaining some of the features of a pension plan without bearing all of the costs and risks of DB. This paper explores...

Market dislocations and record-low interest rates have spawned interest in unconstrained bond funds amid investors' ongoing quest to boost income and protect capital. Despite its popularity, this non-traditional approach remains mired in complexity. Ironically, it also carries risks that may...

Collectively, Americans are woefully unprepared financially for retirement. This retirement problem actually reflects a collection of diverse issues. This paper identifies the most important ones: longevity; access; contributions; portability; behavioral mistakes; funded status; expenses; and...

InvestorLit is a subscription service providing reviews of institutional investment literature. The reviews cover a wide range of investment topics and are published on their website. Bruce Grantier, Founder of InvestorLit, is a member of the Brandes Institute Advisory Board. Members of the...