Overview: If the majority of investors understood the true benefits of a buy-and-hold strategy, some of the thousands of trades placed each day would likely not be made. Likewise, some of the products that thrive on being complex would see a not-surprising decline in popularity — if investors knew about their many disadvantages. The following are some key investing principles that investors should know.

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The Importance of Education
It is our desire and intent to educate clients about how capital markets work and to provide them with the information necessary for their financial well-being.

 

The advice to invest in passively managed funds is significantly different from the advice of most investment advisor firms, and it also is different from the strategy followed by the typical individual investor. Therefore, we feel it is extremely important to be aware of the academic research demonstrating that markets are generally highly efficient.

 

Studies have shown that it is highly unlikely investors will be able to exploit market inefficiencies after accounting for the expenses of the effort. It is essential to know how a well-diversified portfolio can help manage risk, a message that often bears repeating as asset classes come in and out of favor over time. The same sentiment applies to understanding how attempts to time the market — either in terms of individual securities or asset classes — typically lead to realizing lower returns than those available from a buy, hold and rebalance strategy.

 

Because our investment approach is different from the average investment advisor, it is crucial for you to understand why we recommend it. Put simply, knowledge is the key to discipline. For example, in the late 1990s, when the growth asset class outperformed the value asset class, it became tempting to pour everything into that single asset class. Those who do not possess a basic understanding of passive investing are more likely to quickly become dissatisfied when their portfolio underperforms the latest hot asset class.