Andrew Hallam's Globe and Mail Articles Have Gone Pay Per View

Andrew Hallam - 01 May 2015

I’ve been writing regularly for the Globe and Mail since 2012.

I always pasted the first paragraph on my blog, then provided a Globe and Mail link so my readers could see the rest.

The Globe and Mail pay me to write these articles–so it wasn’t fair (or legal) to paste them onto my blog in their entirety.

Roughly one month ago, the Globe and Mail’s Strategy Lab series (of which, I am one of the writers) went pay per view only.

You can still access my newspaper articles with a Globe and Mail subscription.

Here’s a recent sample.

Tuesday, Apr. 28, 2015 7:10PM EDT

Why you shouldn’t pick mutual funds based on past performance

ANDREW HALLAM

Andrew Hallam is the index investor for Strategy Lab. Globe Unlimited subscribers can view his model portfolio here and read more in the series online here.

In 1998, my friend Linda invested money in the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund. Between 1999 and 2006, she averaged, net of fees, about 35 per cent per year. The fund had another strong year in 2007. It dropped just over 40 per cent in 2008. But it roared back in 2009 and 2010, gaining 36 per cent and 57.6 per cent.

Monday, Apr. 20, 2015 7:21PM EDT

Why switching from growth (or value) stocks is a foolish bet

ANDREW HALLAM

Andrew Hallam is the index investor for Strategy Lab. Globe Unlimited subscribers can view his model portfolio here and read more in the series online here.

If value stocks were houses, they wouldn’t have much curb appeal. Their paint might be peeling. Their fences might be battered. Their roofs might have moss growing on the asphalt shingles. But value stocks are cheap when measured by price-to-earnings or price-to-book multiples. They just aren’t likely to boast the next hot tech gadget or promise a guaranteed cure for hair loss. So they don’t usually gush with record business sales.

Wednesday, Apr. 08, 2015 6:20PM EDT

Why buy and hold still is the best way to gain the most

ANDREW HALLAM

Andrew Hallam is the index investor for Strategy Lab. Globe Unlimited subscribers can view his model portfolio here and read more in the series online here.

Each year, the Dalbar Research and Communications Group dishes out artillery. Financial advisers who claim investors can’t effectively build their own portfolios receive it with open arms. They use that artillery on clients who plan to jump ship – those itching to manage their own money.

Wednesday, Mar. 25, 2015 7:34PM EDT

Ten years in, controversial index proves its worth

ANDREW HALLAM

Andrew Hallam is the index investor for Strategy Lab. Globe Unlimited subscribers can view his model portfolio here and read more in the series online here.

Rob Arnott was excited to introduce one of his heroes, John Bogle, to what he hoped would be a better index fund. He called it the Fundamental Index. But Bogle, the Vanguard Group’s founder, said its higher costs would hurt investment returns. Burton Malkiel, author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street, also shared his doubts. He joins Larry Swedroe, author of The Incredible Shrinking Alpha, who says that Mr. Arnott’s creation is a marketing success that may not beat the market. That’s a tough trio of detractors.

Sunday, Mar. 22, 2015 7:23PM EDT

Dimensional Fund Advisors: Living up to their market-beating promise?

ANDREW HALLAM

Andrew Hallam is the index investor for Strategy Lab. Globe Unlimited subscribers can view his model portfolio here and read more in the series online here.

Many people know that index funds are cheap. That’s why they beat most actively managed funds. But not everybody wants to manage their own money. Many seek advisers to build index-fund portfolios. Among such advisers, however, philosophies clash.

On one side, there are advisers using ETFs or indexed mutual funds from firms such as Vanguard, iShares, BMO, Horizon or TD Bank. On the other side are random walkers on the road less travelled. They use the slightly more expensive Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) funds. DFA’s Canadian Core Equity Class (F) fund costs 0.38 per cent. By comparison, the iShares Core S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index costs 0.05 per cent. So are DFA’s funds worth the extra money?