The bull market hit a new level of volatility in February, prompting investors to scramble for cover. The question now is which does a better job of providing cover and shielding investors from risk, a passive or actively managed portfolio? Financial experts say investors should really be asking whether the securities they choose – no […]
Recent stock market gyrations are sure to leave investors wringing their hands. If only one could make money either way – when stocks are down as well as up. The pros do this, using short sales, options and futures contracts that rise in value when stock fall. But it’s complicated, can be expensive, and requires […]
For the three months ending December 31, 2017, the VL Capital Systematic U.S. Equity Strategy returned 3.41%, net of management fees, while the benchmark S&P 500 Index returned 6.12%. For the full year, the Systematic U.S. Equity Strategy returned 7.63%, while the S&P 500 returned 19.42%. The single largest contributor to performance during the fourth […]
Despite the doom-and-gloom predictions about the future of big-box retail that are dominating headlines lately, some analysts are bullish about select real estate opportunities and those brick-and-mortar retailers with high customer-satisfaction and engagement ratings in the coming year. “The death of retail has been exaggerated,” said Jay Rollins, managing principal of JCR Capital, which invests […]
For the three months ending September 30, 2017, the VL Capital Systematic U.S. Equity Strategy returned -4.05%, net of management fees, while the benchmark S&P 500 Index returned 3.96%. Year-to-date, the VL Capital Systematic Value Strategy has returned 4.07%, while the S&P 500 has returned 12.53%. The overall underperformance by the VL Capital Systematic U.S. […]
While the principles of investing are actually not that complicated, few individual investors have a solid understanding of them. This is largely because investing is not taught as a basic academic subject, which is unfortunate because it leads to poor financial decisions by a large number of people. In this brief overview we will cover […]
For the three months ending June 30, 2017, the VL Capital Systematic U.S. Equity Strategy returned 4.86%, net of management fees, while the benchmark S&P 500 Index returned 2.57%. Year-to-date, the VL Capital Systematic U.S. Equity Strategy has returned 8.46%, while the S&P 500 has returned 8.24%. The single largest contributor to performance during the […]
Stocks have hit a string of new highs this year, producing gains many investors had not expected given the age of the bull market and uncertainty surrounding changes in Washington. Mid-year is a good time to see if your portfolio is doing what you want. And, as hard as it seems, standard practice calls for […]
Savvy investors who’ve done well with mutual and index funds may be tempted to try to buy stocks, but most financial experts agree that beginners should invest their money with care. “Success investing in individual stocks demands patience and discipline,” says Robert R. Johnson, president and CEO of The American College of Financial Services in […]
For the three months ending March 31, 2017, the VL Capital Systematic U.S. Equity Strategy returned 3.44%, net of fees, while the benchmark S&P 500 Index returned 5.53%. Since inception, the VL Capital Systematic U.S. Equity Strategy has returned 117.00%, net of fees, while the S&P 500 has returned 54.91%. The single largest contributor to […]