Research as the bedrock: John Hortop on building portfolios that last
Robust portfolios are not assembled from themes or market calls. They are constructed through layered research and disciplined implementation.
Be prepared: Long-volatility, convexity and portfolio efficiency
It's never a question of If, only When will we see a significant left-tail event in risk assets. Here's why large equity-market declines are not rare; and why...
Visualising risk and return: Building the efficient frontier with simple Python tools
How advisers can use Python-based portfolio simulation to illustrate diversification, show where a client sits versus the efficient frontier, and explain the...
Discipline, not prediction: why trend-following could be 2026’s smartest strategy
Discipline cuts through behavioural bias; and trend-following thrives because it responds and doesn’t predict. Take a look under the hood of a systematic...
Refining portfolio risk simulations: The power of Cholesky Decomposition
Portfolio risk modelling is a critical task of advice practices, and one in which ignoring a crucial ingredient – the integrity of asset-class correlations...
Crafting the right investment philosophy for advice practices
Advisers have traditionally thought in terms of the process, but the new model requires focus on other factors — with identity and positioning at the head of...
If we built the industry anew, research wouldn’t look like this
Financial advisers rely on the research and ratings provided by the major research houses when putting together their clients’ portfolios, but it's a flawed...
Using real estate in portfolios to create the right balance between income and illiquidity
Investors have a deep affinity with real estate, but how to classify it within a diversified portfolio is sometimes a dilemma.
Seeing the unseen: The reptilian solution to portfolio drift and risk blindness
Picture this: you're overseeing 100 client portfolios – each one shaped by a unique blend of risk preferences, drawdown tolerances, and investment...
The strategic case for centralised investments
The wealth management industry is undergoing a profound transformation, with change arriving through many vectors. Decentralised advice models, in which...
The golden rules of resilience: Escala’s blueprint for advisers in volatile markets
Market volatility is not a new challenge—it’s an enduring feature of the investment landscape. But for seasoned advisers like Scott Carmichael and Ben...