Asset allocation
The mix of stocks, bonds, cash, and other assets that drives most portfolio behavior.
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The mix of stocks, bonds, cash, and other assets that drives most portfolio behavior.
One-hundredth of a percentage point, often used for fees, rates, and yield changes.
The decline from a portfolio peak to a later low, useful for understanding risk capacity.
The annual fund fee charged as a percentage of invested assets.
Cash generated after operating expenses and capital expenditures, important for stock analysis.
How widely market gains or losses are shared across securities, sectors, or indexes.
Returning a portfolio to target allocation after market movement causes drift.
The risk that poor returns early in retirement permanently damage withdrawal sustainability.
The difference between a fund's returns and the benchmark it aims to follow.
Index methodology, spreads, creations/redemptions, liquidity, tracking, securities lending.
Allocation, risk budget, drift, rebalancing, tax location, diversification, IPS.
Multiples, discount rates, margins, ROIC, FCF yield, earnings yield, scenario ranges.
Inflation, rates, earnings revisions, breadth, liquidity, recession indicators.
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The target mix of assets in a portfolio. It matters because it sets the risk and return profile before individual securities are chosen. Example: a 70/30 stock-bond allocation usually has less volatility than 100% stocks. Mistake: changing allocation whenever markets feel uncomfortable.
A measure of bond price sensitivity to interest-rate changes. Longer duration usually means more price movement when rates change. Example: long-term bond funds may fall more than short-term bond funds when rates rise. Mistake: buying yield without understanding rate risk.
The difference between the price buyers bid and sellers ask. It matters because spreads are a trading cost. Example: a thinly traded ETF may have a wider spread than a large broad-market ETF. Mistake: comparing only expense ratios and ignoring execution cost.
Free cash flow divided by market value. It helps compare how much cash a business generates relative to price. Example: a company with stable cash flow and a high FCF yield may deserve deeper research. Mistake: ignoring cyclicality or one-time cash flow changes.
The rules that decide what an index owns and how holdings are weighted. It matters because an ETF inherits the behavior of its benchmark. Example: market-cap weighting gives larger companies more influence. Mistake: assuming all S&P, total market, or dividend indexes work the same.
The financial ability to take risk, separate from emotional tolerance. It depends on time horizon, cash needs, income stability, liabilities, and goals. Example: a young investor may have high capacity; a retiree drawing income may not. Mistake: using a mood-based risk quiz alone.
The danger that poor returns early in withdrawal years permanently hurt a retirement plan. It matters because the order of returns can matter as much as average return. Example: losses early in retirement plus withdrawals can reduce recovery power. Mistake: planning only with average returns.
Choosing which account type holds which asset. It matters because interest, dividends, turnover, and capital gains are taxed differently. Example: high-turnover or income-heavy assets may fit better in tax-advantaged accounts. Mistake: optimizing holdings without considering account type.
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