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How Often Should You Rebalance Your Portfolio?
Investment Theory Kieran Cook Investment Theory Kieran Cook

How Often Should You Rebalance Your Portfolio?

How often should you rebalance your portfolio? While many investors treat rebalancing as routine, research by Jeremy Siegel suggests that leaving portfolios untouched—particularly when it comes to broad indices like the S&P 500—can actually lead to superior long-term returns. This post explores the trade-off between managing risk and letting winners run, and asks whether doing less might sometimes achieve more.

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The Hidden Costs of Indexing: What Investors Should Understand
Investment Theory Kieran Cook Investment Theory Kieran Cook

The Hidden Costs of Indexing: What Investors Should Understand

Index funds like Vanguard’s VTI are often praised for their low fees, transparency, and diversification — and for good reason. But beneath the surface of these low-cost strategies lie hidden frictions that can quietly erode investor returns. This article explores the lesser-known costs of index investing: from forced trading and front-running to adverse selection and sector concentration. It also highlights how Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) takes a smarter, more flexible approach — using patient, systematic trading to avoid these inefficiencies and deliver more cost-effective exposure to the market. For investors who want to stay passive but get more from their portfolios, understanding these hidden costs is key.

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Does Owning Lots of Funds Actually Improve Diversification?
Practical Investing Kieran Cook Practical Investing Kieran Cook

Does Owning Lots of Funds Actually Improve Diversification?

Many investors assume that holding lots of different funds automatically means better diversification — but that’s not always true. This post explores why the number of funds you hold matters less than what’s actually inside them, when a single fund can be enough, and how true diversification is more about uncorrelated exposures than fund count.

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Understanding Convertible Bonds: A Hybrid Between Debt and Equity
Practical Investing Kieran Cook Practical Investing Kieran Cook

Understanding Convertible Bonds: A Hybrid Between Debt and Equity

Convertible bonds are a unique hybrid investment that combine the steady income of traditional debt with the potential upside of equity. In this post, we break down how these financial instruments work, why companies issue them, and what makes them appealing to investors. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just getting started, understanding convertible bonds can open the door to smarter portfolio diversification and strategic risk management.

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