14 Aug 2017

Getting to Know Your Volatility

After a summer of historically low and realized volatility in the market, we finally saw a sharp spike in volatility as tensions rose between North Korea and the US last week. While the exact cause and timing behind the volatility could not have been predicted, we did know that the low levels of volatility would not continue forever. Whether or not volatility is back for a while, it is always… Read More

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30 Mar 2016

Over-Promising and Under-Delivering

Back in the depths of the 2008 crisis, I remember hearing a radio spot for a newly launched series of mutual funds from a well-known fund family that promised ‘absolute returns.’ In the investing world, the term absolute return refers to investment strategies that are intended to generate positive returns regardless of market conditions.  Whereas most investments are judged relative to a benchmark like the S&P 500 or Barclays Aggregate… Read More

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