Humans are notoriously bad at evaluating risk. Perhaps this is because there are two parts to calculating risk – the probability of an event and the magnitude of loss. It’s the probability that trips us up. We worry about shark attacks and terrorism when the chances of experiencing either of these risks is minute. In…
Storm Preparation
Tropical Storm Barry is slowly approaching landfall in southeast Louisiana, and New Orleans is expecting between 10-20 inches of rain on Saturday. Two days ago, flash floods dropped 8 inches on downtown New Orleans in less than two hours. Many streets were impassible and low lying businesses and homes took on water. The pumps that…
Discipline is Hard
I left home on Wednesday, and I won’t be back for more than a month. When my son’s daycare offered us the option of enrolling for the month of July, we saw an opportunity to get away from the brutal heat and humidity of summer in New Orleans. We will be visiting friends and family…
Until We Get the Whole Dollar
On January 21, 2017 the largest single day protest in U.S. history occurred. In cities across the U.S. and around the world, an estimated 7 million women marched in protest of a wave of anti-women rhetoric spurred by the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. It was also the day after…
What My CFA Charter Means to Me
Today, thousands of candidates from every corner of the globe will sit for a CFA exam. The CFA designation, which stands for Chartered Financial Analyst, is billed as the premier, global designation for professionals working in investment management. It has been dubbed ‘the gold standard’ in the investment industry. In addition to a credential, it…
Watching Paint Dry
Last week, a client pointed out to me that the market is in the same place it was 18 months ago. I nodded my head. Of course, that happens all the time. But each time, we feel the emotional malaise that comes with watching our accounts hover around the same value for a year and…
One Year Later
Today marks my one year anniversary at Ritholtz Wealth Management. Time flies. When I think back to those first exciting days – the media coverage, the reactions on social media, and the thrill of joining a super crew – I am blown away by how much this move has exceeded my expectations. The following numbers…
True Wealth is “Funded Contentment”
Last month at the CFA Wealth Management conference, I moderated a session for my friend, Brian Portnoy. Brian is a scholar, an author, a teacher, and is currently the Head of Education for Magnetar Capital. His second book, The Geometry of Wealth, begins with a primer on what it means to be truly wealthy. Brian…
Rejuvenation
I spent the Memorial Day weekend at Lake Martin in Alabama with my family. This is where I have spent the majority of Memorial Days in my life. This year I slept the whole time. I went to bed early and woke up late. I even took naps. I was tired. After a month spent…
CFA Annual Conference London
I was in London this week for the 72nd CFA Institute Annual Conference. Along with almost 1,200 CFA charterholders and members from around the world, I listened to presentations around the theme of Disruption. There is something magical about assembling a group of investment professionals who control capital and allocation decisions for trillions of dollars…
