What do you do for a living.

[trdcrdkid]

I make my living as a mutual fund analyst for Morningstar, which means I talk on the phone to money managers who make much more money than I do, then write about the funds they manage and why you should or shouldn't put your money in them. I also write articles about investing, some of which you can find if you google my name. In my spare time (such as it is), I research and write about Shakespeare and Elizabethan theater history for books and academic journals, and go to academic conferences in that area. Next year I'm co-leading a seminar at the World Shakespeare Congress in Stratford-upon-Avon and London.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by trdcrdkid

I make my living as a mutual fund analyst for Morningstar, which means I talk on the phone to money managers who make much more money than I do, then write about the funds they manage and why you should or shouldn't put your money in them. I also write articles about investing, some of which you can find if you google my name. In my spare time (such as it is), I research and write about Shakespeare and Elizabethan theater history for books and academic journals, and go to academic conferences in that area. Next year I'm co-leading a seminar at the World Shakespeare Congress in Stratford-upon-Avon and London.

I am curious, what do you think of John Bogle's thesis (well, not his alone by any means, but one he popularized with Vanguard) that over time only a very very small percentage of funds and fund managers will outperform the S&P 500?

[ALR-bishop]

For what is worth I agree with him. But I have been and still am a Vanguard fan. They have a lot of my money

[trdcrdkid]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I am curious, what do you think of John Bogle's thesis (well, not his alone by any means, but one he popularized with Vanguard) that over time only a very very small percentage of funds and fund managers will outperform the S&P 500?

Well, that has been more or less true historically, depending on what time period you look at, and the general idea is pretty uncontroversial. Even so, all of the funds I cover are actively managed, and the active vs. passive discussion is a lively one in the field. Here is a summary of a panel on the topic at the recent Morningstar Investment Conference:

http://news.morningstar.com/articlen...aspx?id=701870

and a column by my colleague John Rekenthaler about a recent article by Charley Ellis, an indexing legend, in defense of active management:

http://news.morningstar.com/articlen...aspx?id=702065

[arott23]

HS Mathematics Teacher

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by trdcrdkid

Well, that has been more or less true historically, depending on what time period you look at, and the general idea is pretty uncontroversial. Even so, all of the funds I cover are actively managed, and the active vs. passive discussion is a lively one in the field. Here is a summary of a panel on the topic at the recent Morningstar Investment Conference:

http://news.morningstar.com/articlen...aspx?id=701870

and a column by my colleague John Rekenthaler about a recent article by Charley Ellis, an indexing legend, in defense of active management:

http://news.morningstar.com/articlen...aspx?id=702065

Good reading, thank you. I particularly thought this was well put, in the Rekenthaler piece:

Active managers do set efficient security prices. They do help global markets to function smoothly. But there's no particular reason why you need to own them.

[Jlighter]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Good reading, thank you. I particularly thought this was well put, in the Rekenthaler piece:

Active managers do set efficient security prices. They do help global markets to function smoothly. But there's no particular reason why you need to own them.

I'm not a professional, but I do study this topic and it appears in the data that on broad large-cap funds, it's very hard to beat the market in the long term, but with small-cap funds you do see many managers beating their index.

[midmo]

I've been in IT (currently Network Administrator) since 1991.

For the past 10 years or so I've also been doing Production Design/Art Direction/Prop Making for low budget films and music videos.

[dabigyankeeman]

I am so happy to be an un-productive member of society (retired).

[scottglevy]

Originally Posted by Jlighter

I'm not a professional, but I do study this topic and it appears in the data that on broad large-cap funds, it's very hard to beat the market in the long term, but with small-cap funds you do see many managers beating their index.

As a financial advisor, our whole industry is so intensely regulated that those of us who strictly follow the rules can't say much about anything in a public forum - without getting it approved by 'compliance' first. However, I do have pretty strong opinions that I'm happy to share privately.

scottglevy@yahoo.com

Warmly,
Scott

[Jeff_cvc]

I am lucky enough to own a restaurant with my best friend, who also happens to be my wife. As much as I love my work, our real passion is food justice and the restaurant is the perfect platform for us to speak about this topic. I am fortunate to be invited to speak at many different forums concerning agribusiness, Organics, local food, food deserts, colony collapse, urban gardening, and many more related topics.