David F. Swensen

The bestselling author of Pioneering Portfolio Management, the definitive template for institutional fund management, returns with a book that shows individual investors how to manage their financial assets. In Unconventional Success, investment legend David F. Swensen offers incontrovertible evidence that the for-profit mutual-fund industry consistently fails the average investor. From excessive management fees to the frequent "churning" of portfolios, the relentless pursuit of profits by mutual-fund management companies harms individual clients. Perhaps most destructive of all are the hidden schemes that limit investor choice and reduce returns, including "pay-to-play" product-placement fees, stale-price trading scams, soft-dollar kickbacks, and 12b-1 distribution charges. Even if investors manage to emerge unscathed from an encounter with the profit-seeking mutual-fund industry, individuals face the likelihood of self-inflicted pain. The common practice of selling losers and buying winners (and doing both too often) damages portfolio returns and increases tax liabilities, delivering a one-two punch to investor aspirations. In short: Nearly insurmountable hurdles confront ordinary investors. Swensen's solution? A contrarian investment alternative that promotes well-diversified, equity-oriented, "market-mimicking" portfolios that reward investors who exhibit the courage to stay the course. Swensen suggests implementing his nonconformist proposal with investor-friendly, not-for-profit investment companies such as Vanguard and TIAA-CREF. By avoiding actively managed funds and employing client-oriented mutual-fund managers, investors create the preconditions for investment success. Bottom line? Unconventional Success provides the guidance and financial know-how for improving the personal investor's financial future.

A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment

Unconventional Success

In his fourteen years as Yale's chief investment officer, David Swensen has revolutionised management of the university's investment portfolio. By relying on non conventional assets, including private equity and venture capital, Swensen has achieved a remarkable annualised return of 16.2 percent, which has added more than $2 billion to Yale's endowment. With his exceptional performance record prompting many other institutional portfolio managers to emulate his approach, Dr. Swensen has long been besieged by professionals in the field to write a book articulating his philosophy and strategies of portfolio management. PIONEERING PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT provides a road map for creating a successful investment programme. Informed by Swensen's deep knowledge of financial markets, and ranging from the broad issues of goals and investment philosophy to the strategic and tactical aspects of portfolio management - such as handling risk, selecting investment advisers, and negotiating the opportunities and pitfall in individual asset classes - the book provides a vital source of information for anyone involved in institutional investments.

David F. Swensen

About

Books

Join the club