Building Simple Low-Expense Diversified Portfolios, Craig Israelsen

Asset allocation funds offer diversification inside of one ticker. One example is the Vanguard STAR fund. It is a fund-of-funds containing 10 other Vanguard funds.

But “single-fund diversification” comes with a Catch-22: The diversification is concentrated inside of one fund. The solution: Add other funds to Vanguard STAR to provide “accessible diversification.”

This webinar outlines the funds that add significant value to Vanguard STAR when added as teammates. The three main learning objectives of this one-credit class show:

• how to build simple low-expense diversified portfolios using an "asset allocation fund"
• data on the risks and returns of single-fund diversification
• expected portfolio characteristics achieved by complementing an asset allocation fund with a selected diversifiers during the accumulation and decumulation phases

Craig Israelsen, Ph.D., began teaching this course about low-expense investing on Advisors4Advisors in April 2009. All his classes are archived for members to view.

For three decades, Craig has helped define best practices in managing portfolios. Since 1996, he publishes his research monthly in Financial Planning magazine. He's also been a longtime contributor to AAII Journal. Craig also has taught about family financial management at universities for over three decades. He's currently Executive-in-Residence in the Financial Planning Program at Utah Valley University and teaches classes toward earning a CFA charter.  

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This webinar is eligible for one hour of CE credit towards the CIMA® and CPWA® certifications, CFP® CE, PACE credit toward the CLU® and ChFC® designations, and live CPA CPE credit.

The Impact of Asset Allocation On Retirement Income

Trade-offs in retirement using two popular withdrawal strategies. How much is withdrawn from a retirement portfolio each year is obviously influenced by the asset allocation of the portfolio, but just how much? And what are the trade-offs in choosing to build an aggressive or conservative retirement portfolio?

A4A members must log in to view the full article, which is reprinted with permission from the American Association of Individual Investors. © 2021.

Low-Expense Investing Course By Craig Israelsen 

This learning objective of this monthly series of classes by Craig Israelsen, Ph.D., since inception in April 2009, is to teach professionals advising clients on tax, financial and investment planning how to build low-expense broadly diversified core-portfolios, applying modern portfolio theory statistical techniques and quantitative financial economic analysis. 

Although each class teaches a solution to one of a broad array of investment problems practitioners face every day, the main point of each class targets fiduciary practices on designing broadly diversified core portfolio models for 10-basis points, employing indexes and ETFs, and earning fees for personal tax and financial planning services, or specialized investment advice.