Category: Portfolio Management

What is a Fiduciary?

FIDUCIARY   DEFINITION:   A person legally appointed or authorized to manage assets for another person. The fi du ci ary manages the assets for the benefit of the other person, rather than for his or her own profit. A fidu-ciary stands in a special relation of trust, confidence, or responsibility in his obligations to […]

What are S&P Bond Ratings?

Standard and Poor’s (S&P) rates the creditworthiness of thousands of corporate and governmental bond issuers as does Moody’s and Fitch. Credit ratings, ratings outlooks and ratings changes are a huge influence on bond prices. It is important to recognize that credit ratings represent only the opinion of the issuing rating agency and that those opinions can sometimes prove to be wrong……

Investment Performance Composite Report 2013

Have a look at Successful Portfolios investment performances from February 2010 inception through the year-end of 2013. All of our client’s accounts are included. Download the Successful Portfolios Client Account Composites Report dated December 31, 2013. Download the Successful Portfolios Hedge Funds Factsheet dated December 31, 2013.

How to Find a Financial Advisor You Can Trust

CBS News online recently published a provocative online article titled “How to find a financial advisor you can trust”. The article written Larry Swedroe is available here. My comments on Swedroes’ five salient points follow:

Ten Wall Street Investing Myths Revealed

1. “You cannot invest directly in an index…” 2. Bonds are safer than stocks…. 3. Options are riskier than stock… 4. Smart money invests in Hedge Funds and Private Equity… 5. Buy and Hold is dead… & Five more myths debunked…

Why you want to invest in “wide moat” stocks

A “wide moat” is an investment metaphor for a defensible competitive advantage enjoyed by relatively few companies. Stocks with wide economic moats have the potential to generate superior risk adjusted returns for long-term investors.

What are REITs and are they a good investment?

Over the years publicly traded REITs have proven to be rewarding investments. REIT investors benefit from returns generated through ownership of commercial real estate but without the drawback of illiquidity or the hassle of being a landlord. Many REITs pay attractive dividends with the potential for growth of capital.

What’s to like about Closed End Funds (CEFs)?

Unlike ETFs, Closed End Funds generally have no preset process or mechanism for creation and redemption of shares. Instead, when an investor wants to buy or sell he must do so in the open market. As a result CEFs often trade at a discount to net asset value. A substantial discount can represent a favorable opportunity to invest.