Michele Scarponi, you are in our hearts...

Coffee Break: Lest We Forget In the face of constant 24/7 news headlines, reflective moments like those offered on Anzac Day each year remind us that the most significant things in life are not necessarily what happened in the last five minutes. A similar long-term focus is required in the world of investment, where our attention is constantly dragged from one instant headline to the next. That’s why taking a break from the news media can serve as a tonic for frayed nerves. Giving Up on News While news is a source of instant information, it rarely provides meaning. That comes from longer-term reflection and analysis and an awareness of slow-moving, but deeper, change. Indeed, this article suggests that taking a break from the instant hit of fast news can ease anxiety, promote insight and restore a long-term focus. The news isn’t just bad at the moment. It’s bad for you. So why not take a break? http://bit.ly/2ppfqme Get Your Life Back Have you ever calculated how many hours you spend scanning headlines on Facebook or watching financial news or getting grumpy reading about politics? This writer did and was shocked by the result. In this article, he argues you should see news mainly as entertainment geared to keep you watching so that it makes money. Depressed by the news? That’s the point. The aim of the media is to keep you watching. http://bit.ly/2oiT8Pj Quantity Vs Quality There is no shortage of instant information these days. The bigger question is over the quality of what’s on offer. The firehose of news and opinions about the news threaten to overwhelm many investors. In response, this writer suggests two responses—taking a historical view and filtering out the noise. Overwhelmed by news headlines? Take a broader view and filter out the daily noise. http://bit.ly/2pLC3xH

Coffee Break: Brexit Special

By Jim Parker, Vice President, DFA Australia Limited By virtue of necessity, the media works on a day-to-day horizon when covering financial markets. For most investors, though, the more important horizon is measured in a matter of years. Referendums like “Brexit”, elections and geopolitical events can look momentous if you assess them via the short-term market reaction. But taking a step back from the noise can also provide a much needed perspective. Years Not Days When markets fell heavily after the recent Brexit vote in the UK, one US advisor was awoken by a client shouting down the phone that the Dow was down 500 points. The advisor’s response is a classic case of the benefit of not fixating on daily moves in the indices. Day-to-day market moves may be interesting, but they may not be so important if your horizon is in years. http://nyti.ms/28ZEy9a Give Your Portfolio a Rest Brexit, China, oil, elections, negative interest rates….there seem to be plenty of news headlines to lose sleep over at the moment. So what do you do? As it turns out, the same rules of thumb we use to improve our own sleeping habits can be applied to our investment portfolios. With all the worrying news in the world, is your portfolio getting enough sleep? http://bit.ly/28Z6mJ0 Take a Deep Breath When markets are volatile, there can be an overwhelming urge to “do something”, but what exactly? There are as many opinions out there as there are portfolios. But what if you just took a deep breath and didn’t do a thing? This writer provides eight useful points of perspective. When markets are rocky, the immediate impulse is to “do something”. But there’s a better response. http://nyti.ms/293tHOA

Jim Parker's Coffee Break: Sticking to the Plan

It’s been a volatile start to 2016 in financial markets. Worries over China, US interest rates and falling commodity prices have unnerved many investors. How should you respond to all those scary headlines? This week’s Coffee Break highlights the importance of having a financial plan…and sticking to it. Listen to Your Plan One large investment bank says “sell everything”. Another says “this is a buying opportunity”. Who should you listen to at a time like this? In his latest New York Times column, Carl Richards suggests this is when having a clearly articulated financial plan pays off. Market volatility can be hard to take. But having and sticking to a financial plan can make the ride easier. http://nyti.ms/1OXg0d4

Responding to Volatility It’s understandable that people feel helpless and confused during periods of extreme market volatility. But there are a few things you can do to ease your nerves, like turning off the TV, looking at your big picture and reacquainting yourself with your financial plan. Robin Powell explains. Tough markets can trigger unwelcome emotions. Instead of acting on them, why not review your investment plan? http://usat.ly/1JD2mPv It's Not All in the Timing A common temptation during down markets is to retreat to cash until the storm passes. It sounds good on paper, but people who attempt to time the market often forget they have to get two decisions right—when to get out and when to get back in again. The better decision is often to do nothing. Thinking of timing the market to wait out the volatility? Remember, you have to get two decisions right. http://yhoo.it/1RMgAA9 Jim Parker is a VP with DFA Australia Ltd and kindly allows us to share his weekly newsletter

Nimbus Independent: After The Sky Falls Trailer

After The Sky Falls Trailer from NIMBUS INDEPENDENT on Vimeo.

The Patience Principle

Jim Parker, Vice President, Dimensional Australia

Global markets are providing investors a rough ride at the moment, as the focus turns to China's economic outlook. But while falling markets can be worrisome, maintaining a longer-term perspective makes the volatility easier to handle.

A typical response to unsettling markets is an emotional one. We quit risky assets when prices are down and wait for more "certainty".

These timing strategies can take a few forms. One is to use forecasting to get out when the market is judged as "over-bought" and then to buy back in when the signals tell you it is "over-sold".

A second strategy might be to undertake a comprehensive macro-economic analysis of the Chinese economy, its monetary policy, global trade and investment linkages and how the various scenarios around these issues might play out in global markets.

In the first instance, there is very little evidence that these forecast-based timing decisions work with any consistency. And even if people manage to luck their way out of the market at the right time, they still have to decide when to get back in.

In the second instance, you can be the world's best economist and make an accurate assessment of the growth trajectory of China, together with the policy response. But that still doesn't mean the markets will react as you assume.

A third way is to reflect on how markets price risk. Over the long term, we know there is a return on capital. But those returns are rarely delivered in an even pattern. There are periods when markets fall precipitously and others where they rise inexorably.

The only way of getting that "average" return is to go with the flow. Think about it this way. A sign at the river's edge reads: "Average depth: one metre". Reading the sign, the hiker thinks: "OK, I can wade across". But he soon discovers the "average" masks a range of everything from 50 centimetres to five metres.

Likewise, financial products are frequently advertised as offering "average" returns of, say, 8%, without the promoters acknowledging in a prominent way that individual year returns can be many multiples of that average in either direction.

Now there may be nothing wrong with that sort of volatility if the individual can stomach it. But others can feel uncomfortable. And that's OK too. The important point is being prepared about possible outcomes from your investment choices.

Markets rarely move in one direction for long. If they did, there would be little risk in investing. And in the absence of risk, there would be no return. One element of risk, although not the whole story, is the volatility of an investment.

Look at Australian share market's benchmark S&P/ASX 300 accumulation index. In the 35 years from 1980 to 2014, the index has registered annual gains of as high as 66.8% (in 1983) and losses of as much as 38.9% (in 2008).

But over that full period, the index delivered an annualised rate of return of 11.6%. To earn that return, you had to remain fully invested, taking the unsettling down periods with the heartening up markets, but also rebalancing each year to return your desired asset allocation back to where you want it to be.

Timing your exit and entry successfully is a tough ask. Look at 2008, the year of the global financial crisis and the worst single year in our sample. Yet, the Australian market in the following year registered one of its best-ever gains.

Now, none of this is to imply that the market is due for a rebound anytime soon. It might. It might not. The fact is no-one can be sure. But we do know that whenever there is a great deal of uncertainty, there will be a great deal of volatility.

Second-guessing markets means second-guessing news. What has happened is already priced in. What happens next is what we don't know, so we diversify and spread our risk to match our own appetite and expectations.

Spreading risk can mean diversifying within equities across different stocks, sectors, industries and countries. It also means diversifying across asset classes. For instance, while shares have been performing poorly, bonds have been doing well.

Markets are constantly adjusting to news. A fall in prices means investors are collectively demanding an additional return for the risk of owning equities. But for the individual investor, the price decline only matters if they need the money today.

If your horizon is five, 10, 15 or 20 years, the uncertainty will soon fade and the markets will go onto worrying about something else. Ultimately what drives your return is how you allocate your capital across different assets, how much you invest over time and the power of compounding.

But in the short-term, the greatest contribution you can make to your long-term wealth is exercising patience. And that's where your advisor comes in.

Market Meltdown, Bloodbath and Armageddon Headlines

Jim Parker, from Dimensional, has put together a special one-off edition of the Coffee Break brings together some useful perspectives on current market volatility. 

Coffee Break: Avoiding Meltdown

It’s one of those rare times when financial news moves from the business pages to the front page. “Market meltdown” makes for a great headline. But for individual long-term investors the biggest danger is an emotional meltdown. [Click on headings or use links below.]

Five Things NOT to Do Now Deep economic and market analysis are not really what most investors need at times like this. Instead, the most useful attributes are discipline, diversification, patience and self-knowledge. Veteran journalist Jason Zweig, who’s seen it all before, lists five things you shouldn’t do now. http://on.wsj.com/1LtSBjF This Too Will Change Market volatility can be hard to take, but the more attention you pay to day-to-day fluctuations the more your emotions take over. If you need the money tomorrow, you might have cause to worry. But for most of us, there will be many more market cycles to come. So don’t watch.  http://theatln.tc/1JvXUPZ Don’t Follow the Herd With our exposure to China, Australia has been caught up in the market falls. Dipping into and out of the market may seem tempting at this time, but listen to another veteran financial journalist Michael Pascoe. People who panic only risk making it worse for themselves. http://bit.ly/1PO2Kcm

Jim Parker's Coffee Break

Each week Jim shares a few interesting links from the web and is happy for them to be posted here. Before decimal currency, many of us remember our grandparents saying that if you take care of the pennies, the pounds will take care of themselves. These days we have dollars and cents, but the lesson is still the same. Basically, the lesson is that little things count in building wealth. On their own, the details may seem unimportant, but paying attention to them pays off in the long term. This week’s Coffee Break looks at ways of spending less and saving more. While we don’t necessarily endorse everything in these links, they may prove handy as conversation starters. The Stories We Tell Do you ever look at your credit card statement and find yourself telling stories about your impulse purchases to make yourself feel better? It’s natural to want to rationalise our expenditure. But Carl Richards says we should focus on the numbers themselves as they don’t lie. http://nyti.ms/1R02qvF Beating the Bills Saving money begins with understanding what you can and can’t control. Just sticking to essential purchases may work, but it’s also important you don’t put yourself in a straitjacket. In any case, it’s sometimes the little things that have the biggest impact. http://bit.ly/1KoU0bs  Simple Saving Small changes in your spending patterns can make a big difference to your savings pile. It may be as simple as giving up buying coffee each day or locking up your credit card for a month. Check out this useful ready reckoner from the Australian Securities and Investment Commission. http://bit.ly/1g9ds0R

Coffee Break: Beating the Market

Jim Parker's Interesting Links from the Web
Many investment gurus say they can 'beat' the market. But do they do it consistently, what risks are involved and what’s the result after costs?
In this week’s Coffee Break, we feature articles showing that investors are better off starting with the aim of getting the capital market rate of return.
Beating the Market
Some fund managers will always beat benchmarks in any year. But how many do it consistently? And when they do, how much is due to skill or plain good luck? A new survey, published in the NY Times, asks those questions.
Mission Impossible
Even Warren Buffett admits he doesn’t beat the market all the time. If he did, he would eventually “become” the market. This study shows the arithmetic behind the idea that no investor can outperform the market forever.
Never a Stock Picker’s Market
‘Alpha’ is the extra return an investor gets over a benchmark due to skill. The problem, says Noah Smith, is that what is identified as ‘alpha’ is often just ‘beta’ or the return the market would have given you anyway.

Jim Parker is a Vice President at DFA Australia Limited.

Mug's Games - This week's Coffee Break from Jim Parker

At the start of a New Year, the media is full of forecasts about the likely path of the economy and markets for the coming 12 months.

Most of these 'investment outlooks' are marketing exercises. The actual outcome of the forecasts doesn’t matter since few people recall them anyway. This week, Coffee Break looks at why so many market forecasts go awry.

Forecasts to Ignore
The famed US economist John Kenneth Galbraith once said that the only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable. Yet people keep on trying. In this article, Barry Ritholtz revisits some of the (now) embarrassing forecasts made this time a year ago.

Spotting Bad Forecasters
One characteristic of a bad forecaster is to make excuses when they are wrong. 'Oh, if the RBA had raised rates, I would have been right.' Another classic: 'It didn’t happen this year, but it will happen.' This writer argues that forecasters go wrong in assuming they control what they don’t.

Weasel Words
Media insiders will tell you that market pundits save their blushes when their forecasts prove to be wrong by using 'weasel words'—slippery phrases that provide an easy out. In this article, the writer lists 14 meaningless phrases that can make you sound like a market guru with actually saying much.

Jim Parker is a VP at DFA Australia Limited