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Advisory firms face pressures from clients and from throughout the investment ecosystem to offer new strategies, some of which are being increasingly viewed (and/or promoted) as essential.

Despite our sophistication, tools, and zettabytes of data, there is a lot that we don’t know and important gaps in the information we have available to us.

From climate change to Bitcoin, from 529 plans to OCIOs, from Hetty Green to Putin, an interesting case study, and much more. Just a typical Fortnightly.

How can outside research on uncommon topics provide insight for the manager selection process? This is the second of two related postings.

In this first of two related postings, a Mauboussin and Callahan report serves as the framework for examining longstanding areas of weakness for asset management firms.

This is a combined republication of two earlier postings that deal with shortcomings in labeling regarding different kinds of “investment advisors” — and the confusing world of “passive” and “indexed” strategies.

Two white papers present visions of the future. Asset owners need to weigh the various ideas to decide which ones will move their organizations — and their portfolios — forward.

What is Jack Bogle’s legacy? How important is good communication for investment professionals? Plus, block trading, inflation expectations, RIA acquisitions, pension obligation bonds, Ned Johnson, Orville Wright (?), and a due diligence question (and a due diligence reminder).

A Morningstar analyst’s downgrade of Fidelity Contrafund provides an opportunity to see the value of visualizations in determining good avenues for due diligence research.

A profound change has taken place in many portfolios that are supposed to produce alpha, from a focus on finding the best individual holdings to an environment in which many are “agnostic to security-level information.”

The decades of the 1990s and 2000s transformed the investment business. This is the first in an occasional series of postings about that era.

Everything from direct lending to a new way to train advisors, from co-investing to block trading, and auditors, investor relations, greenwashing, and more. Plus, a Wall Street legend, a fool and his gold, and the amazing 60:40.

Confidence is highly prized in the investment world, even though the essence of the endeavor involves uncertainty. Perhaps there is an unappreciated superpower worth discovering.

In many ways, outsourced chief investment officers are a return to the distant past. Some history, comments on the current environment, and considerations for those interested in this hot industry trend.

Culture, first principles, greenwashing, due diligence, intangible assets, laws of the internet, inspiration, and more. Plus some new resources and a look back at the BRICs.