Ask the Institute Archive

How Can Investors Use an Efficient Frontier to Help Build Their Portfolios? (PDF)

An efficient frontier can help you understand the potential for the best return you hope to expect from your portfolio, given the level of volatility you are willing to accept.

How can Statistics Help Explain Portfolio Performance? (PDF)

When evaluating the performance of your portfolio, there are three sets of statistics that are important to consider: return, risk and how closely your portfolio tracks to your investment plan.

How Can Emotions Influence Investment Decision-Making? (PDF)

You should understand the roles psychology and emotions can play in your investment decision-making. That’s where behavioral finance comes in.

How Can Credit Work As Part Of An Investment Strategy? (PDF)

When developing a plan to meet long-term financial goals, it can be helpful to consider how you want to invest your assets—and how you may use liabilities.

How Can Technical Analysis Bring Another Dimension to Investment Decisions? (PDF)

Incorporating technical analysis alongside fundamentals and macroeconomics can help with looking at financial markets from different angles and lead to greater conviction.

How Can I Use Forecasts in Investment Decisions? (PDF)

Forecasts are meant to inform investors about the direction, magnitude, and timing of an index's or economic indicator's expected movements. Forecasts for performance of asset classes can support tactical portfolio adjustments of exposure to those assets.

How Can Commodities Help Diversify a Portfolio? (PDF)

Commodity prices generally have moved opposite stock markets, which can enhance an investment portfolio's diversification.