Buffett Wins 10-Year Hedge Fund Bet
Buffett Wins 10-Year Hedge Fund Bet
By David Andrew
In December 2007 the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, made a $1 million bet that an S&P 500 index fund would beat 10 hedge funds, net of fees, over 10 years.
At the time there wasn’t an immediate rush of hedge fund managers taking up the offer until Ted Seides of Protégé Partners stepped forward to take the bait. A confident Mr Seides was quoted as saying, … more
How do you Define Retirement?
By Rakesh Shah
Many people only see retirement as the “finish line” of their working life, without considering what it means to be retired, or planning for this new phase of life. In actuality, retirement can prove to be a significant portion of your life if you remain healthy and active. You need to plan this phase of your life as carefully as you planned each phase of your career. … more
The Top 10 Money Excuses
By Jim Parker – Guest Contributor
Human beings have an astounding facility for self-deception when it comes to their own money.
We tend to rationalise our own fears. So instead of just recognising how we feel and reflecting on the thoughts that creates, we cut out the middle man and construct the façade of a logical-sounding argument over a vague feeling.
These arguments are often elaborate short-term excuses that … more
Smart Investor | August 2017
Research, Trends, Topics and Asset Class Returns for Long-term Investors.
The Power of Investment Discipline – A Case Study
With the White House and Pyongyang ratcheting up their war-posturing rhetoric, it is inevitable that at some point, financial markets around the world will respond with a meaningful sell-off.
All experienced investors know that financial markets hate uncertainty, and as the uncertainty heightens, something will give. They also know the exact … more
Avoiding Bad Investment Products
By David Andrew
The message for this blog is simple – Life is too short to invest your hard earned money in awful investment products.
To have a successful financial plan there’s four things all investors should look at: Purpose, Strategy, Investing and Legacy. While all four components are important the investment piece underpins the whole plan, and a great plan with terrible investments, sadly won’t deliver.… more
Titanic in the Sky – Lessons from QF 32
By Rakesh Shah
The passengers looked troubled, but the Captain’s voice over the aircraft’s PA system was calm and reassuring. The voice was that of Qantas Captain Richard de Crespigny, and I was watching the documentary QF32 – Titanic in the Sky.
For those who have not seen this documentary – QF32 is the story of how one of Qantas’ brand new A380’s had a very close brush with … more
How do you get from A to B?
Smart Investor – March 2017
Research, Trends, Topics and Asset Class Returns for Long-term Investors.
By Song Goh
What is your primary consideration when shopping for a car?
If I could indulge in my fantasy world where money was no object, I would own my dream car, the Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 Coupe that starts in excess of $400,000 for the base model. From the options menu, I’d pick the Nero … more
Sailing with the Tides
By Jim Parker – Guest Contributor
Embarking on a financial plan is like sailing around the world. The voyage won’t always go to plan and there’ll be rough seas, but those who are prepared, flexible, patient and well-advised greatly increase the odds of reaching their destinations.
A mistake many inexperienced sailors make is not having a plan at all. They embark without a clear sense of their destination. And once … more
Top 10 New Year Headlines
By Jim Parker – Guest Contributor
What will 2017 hold? Our natural curiosity about the future makes a ready-made market for speculative media articles about events likely to drive financial markets in the coming year. But the assumption driving much of this seasonal coverage is that the mere turn in the calendar from one year to the next justifies overhauling your investment portfolio, generating significant turnover and unnecessary cost.
Against … more
Sticking with it
By Jim Parker – Guest Contributor
It’s often said that the secret of success in any endeavour is “stickability”, your capacity for staying committed to a goal. But success also depends on having goals you can stick with. Managing that tension is what an adviser does. … more
