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January 16, 2018 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing, Year In Review
One Last Look at the 2017 Bond & Stock Markets Before we proceed full tilt into 2018, let’s take one last look at last year’s heady, mostly double-digit 2017 stock market returns, as shared in Dimensional Fund Advisor’s 2017 Market Review. How best to view the largely fair-weather market performances of late? Your investment experience is like a cross-continental trek. You get to define your desired destination – although, as in real...

January 10, 2018 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing, Year In Review
Hunches, Headlines and Indicators - 2017 Market Performance It’s a wrap! 2017 market performance numbers are now available for the fourth quarter and the year. And, wow, what a year it was. The Wall Street Journal called it “The Year Everything Went Up.” In a Bloomberg column, Barry Ritholtz declared it “A Very Weird Year in Markets.” The New York Times reflected on how wrong most expert predictions were – as...

November 15, 2017 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing
OCTOBER  2017 The Uncommon Average “I have found that the importance of having an investment philosophy—one that is robust and that you can stick with— cannot be overstated.” —David Booth The US stock market has delivered an average annual return of around 10% since 1926.[1] But short-term results may vary, and in any given period stock returns can be positive, negative, or flat. When setting expectations, it’s helpful to see the range of...

November 1, 2017 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing
SEPTEMBER 2017 Lessons for the Next Crisis  We recently experienced the 10-year anniversary of when, in early October 2007, the S&P 500 Index hit what was its highest point before losing more than half its value over the next year and a half during the global financial crisis. Over the coming weeks and months, as other anniversaries of major crisis-related events pass (for example, 10 years since the bank run on Northern Rock...

September 5, 2017 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing
AUGUST,  2017 Quit Monkeying Around! In the world of investment management there is an oft-discussed idea that blindfolded monkeys throwing darts at pages of stock listings can select portfolios that will do just as well, if not better, than both the market and the average portfolio constructed by professional money managers. If this is true, why might it be the case? TO READ MORE: OPEN PDF ARTICLE ...

March 7, 2017 in Dimensional, Evidence-Based Investing, Investing
Here’s a trick question: When does 5,000 = 3,600? The answer is: when you’re counting how many companies the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index is actually tracking these days. The name suggests there are at least 5,000 publicly traded, U.S.-listed companies in the total market, but that number has been shrinking for a couple decades. That’s one of several fascinating insights shared in a recent report from our friends at Dimensional...

February 21, 2017 in Dimensional, Investing
FEBRUARY 17, 2017 Investment Shock Absorbers JIM PARKER, VICE PRESIDENT Ever ridden in a car with worn-out shock absorbers? Every bump is jarring, every corner stomach-churning, and every red light an excuse to assume the brace position. Owning an undiversified portfolio can trigger similar reactions. TO READ MORE: OPEN PDF ARTICLE ...