The Investor Education Series is an ongoing group of seminars and presentations designed to further your understanding of investing and how the markets work. We will be presenting them typically quarterly live at our office as well as through internet based Webinars. Current clients are encouraged to attend and are invited to bring guests. Each presentation is accompanied by a workbook and audio CD.

Series 1:

• Separating Myths from Truths
  Discusses the investing myths of Stock selection, track record investing, market timing, and the costs of investing. Finally, Free markets, Modern Portfolio Theory, and the 3-Factor Model are covered along with how to build a better portfolio.
• Choosing Your Investment Philosophy
  Discusses the Investor's Dilemma of worry and emotion, 3 principals to consider when building your portfolio, and how to bring it all together in building and using your investment philosophy.
• Examining Your Expectations
  This installment covers Investor Illusions compared to market realities. Hindsight bias, false patterning, emotion based decisions, and overconfidence are all covered to help you set realistic expectations for your portfolio and learn how to manage the results.
  
• Understanding the Dimensions of Risk and Return
  The final presentation of the first series expands on what factors drive risk and return. First, the general concept of the cost of capital is discussed along with the Market Factor, Size Factor, and Value Factor. Finally all these are brought together to demonstrate the implications of diversification and how to build a portfolio around them.

• The Investment Vortex: Getting Through the Black Hole of Investing
  Investment vortex covers why investors under perform the markets, asset allocation for portfolios with different risks and return objectives. Also covered is the risk of changing investment strategies.
• Structuring Your Matrix Portfolio
  This installment of the series addresses three crucial decisions when building your portfolio. How much equity versus fixed? How much small cap versus large cap? And finally, how much value versus growth and the risk implications and return expectations involved.
• Costs: The Dark Side of Investing
  An in-depth look at all the costs involved with investing: trading costs and turnover, explicit costs such as commissions and bid versus ask spread, implicit costs including market impact, delay and missed trades. Finally, the "Iceberg Effect" is covered and how these costs influence mutual funds.
• The Benefits of International Investing
  This presentation covers several myths about the efficiency, costs, and risks of international investing and why it is important. It also covers the next step of diversification by using emerging markets and international portfolio construction.