Here are links to five recently posted columns. No, they’re not new columns. They’re columns that I wrote as long ago as 1999. I’m posting them on this archival website now because they are important to the present.
“The Portfolio of Nobel Prize Winners,” from 1999, retells behavioral economist Richard Thaler introducing a group of journalists to discovering how Nobel laureate Harry Markowitz invested his money — an even split between an index of stocks and an index of bonds. (The basic Couch Potato portfolio.)
“Portfolio Survival: Income Trumps Diversification,” from 2004, tells about research from Trinity University finding that international investments really don’t do much for the long-term survival of your retirement portfolio.
“Living Standard Risk,” from 2007, introduces what economist Larry Kotlikoff says is a measure of risk that is more meaningful than the ups and downs of stocks and bonds — risk to your living standard. And guess what, when you do that measurement, things may look a little better.
“Your Wealth is not your Standard of Living,” from 2009, does a deeper dive into living standard risk at a time when everyone was feeling endangered, or poorer, or both.
“A Better Measure of Risk,” from 2016, listens as economist Kenneth French talks about a measure of risk he believes is more meaningful than the ups and downs of stocks and bonds — yes, risk to your living standard. And guess what, when you do that measurement, things may look better.
This information is distributed for education purposes, and it is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement of any particular security, product, or service.
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(c) Scott Burns, 2020