Smart(er) Investing : How Academic Insights Propel the Savvy Investor

This book identifies and discusses the most successful investing practices with an emphasis on the academic articles that produced them and why this research led to popular adoption and growth in $AUM. Investors are bombarded with ideas and prescriptions for successful investing every day. Given the steady stream of information on stock tips, sector timing, asset allocation, etc., how do investors decide? How do they judge the quality and reliability of the investment advice they are given on a day-to-day basis? This book identifies which academic articles turned investment ideas were the most innovative and influential in the practice of investment management. Each article is discussed in terms of the asset management process: strategy, portfolio construction, portfolio implementation, and risk management. Some examples of topics covered are factor investing, the extreme growth of trading instruments like Exchange Traded Funds, multi-asset investing, socially responsible investing, big data, and artificial intelligence. This book analyzes a curated selection of peer-reviewed academic articles identified among those published by the scientific investment community. The book briefly describes each of the articles, how and why each one changed the way we think about investing in that specific asset class, and provides insights as to the nuts and bolts of how to take full advantage of this successful investment idea. It is as timely as it is informative and will help each investor to focus on the most successful strategies, ideas, and implementation that provide the basis for the efficient accumulation and management of wealth. Front Matter ....Pages i-xv Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 What Constitutes Good Investment Research? (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 3-11 A Roadmap to Reading an Academic Article (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 13-16 Front Matter ....Pages 17-17 Index Investing: It Makes Active Management Better (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 19-35 Factor Investing: Challenging the Market Index with Smart Beta Products (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 37-54 Multi-Asset Investing: Challenging the Industry Obsession with Alpha (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 55-69 Tail Risk Hedging: It Is an Asset Allocation Decision (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 71-79 Responsible Investing: Deep Roots in the Values of Western Society (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 81-96 Equity and Rewards-Based Crowdfunding: A Potential Disrupter (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 97-111 Big Data and Artificial Intelligence: A Revolution in Investment Management (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 113-126 Cryptocurrencies: A Fledgling Asset Class, But It Is Too Early to Tell (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 127-132 Women in Finance: What Does the Research Show? (Elisabetta Basilico, Tommi Johnsen)....Pages 133-148 Back Matter ....Pages 149-154