Posts by kristen

Bitcoin has steadily moved from the fringes of the financial world into the mainstream. Institutional investors, family offices, and even corporate treasuries are now allocating small percentages of their portfolios to the digital asset. But one of the central questions still debated is whether Bitcoin genuinely offers diversification and risk mitigation—or if it simply adds…

There has been a lot of debate around immigration (or lack thereof) and its effects on the job numbers and the economy as a whole.  While many say that slowing or negative immigration means that we don’t need to create as many jobs for a healthy economy, it also has serious effects on future growth…

The financial advisory world is changing. More and more advisors are leaving the wirehouse model in favor of independence—seeking the freedom to design their own client experience, build their own brand, and capture the full value of their work. But while independence offers flexibility, it also comes with a fresh set of challenges: scaling a…

Executive Summary The central aim of this paper is to explore when investors should favor high-beta versus low-beta (or minimum volatility) equities, using an economic-regime lens to guide decision-making. By analyzing historical data and applying a rules-based framework, we demonstrate that a simple rotation strategy between high-beta and low-beta exposures can significantly improve portfolio outcomes…

Market watchers and media headlines love to sound the alarm over rising stock market concentration—especially with the “Magnificent Seven” now making up a third of the S&P 500. But according to a new report by BCA Research, these fears may be misplaced. Their rigorous analysis across global markets concludes: equity market concentration isn’t the threat…

For decades, the 60/40 portfolio—60% stocks and 40% bonds—has been the gold standard for balanced investors. Bonds offered a reliable hedge against equity downturns, delivering income and downside protection. But in today’s world of persistently low (or even negative real) interest rates, mounting sovereign debt, and a shifting macroeconomic regime, investors are increasingly questioning the…

As discussed in our previous blog.  We think given the current macro-reigime it may be prudent for investors to diversify their bond exposure to include other assets.  Today we will talk about why Gold may be a prudent choice. Why Gold over Bonds: Key Reasons Summary: While we are not advocating that you dump your…

The landscape of US fiscal policy and financial stability is entering a critical phase. To understand why traditional safe assets like bonds might no longer provide the safety they once did, we’ll analyze this situation through our AWS framework—covering economic fundamentals, policy dynamics, and market sentiments. 1. Macroeconomic Fundamentals 2. Policy & Political Dynamics 3.…

Individual investors and advisors we work with are often curious as to our exact process with regards to portfolio construction.  I thought it might be helpful to create an article going over everything. 1. Top-Down, Data-Driven Macro Regime Framework At the heart of our work is a quantitative, regime-based model designed to identify the prevailing…