Nobody can establish who first used the phrase 'evidence-based investing', and no regulator defines it. Robin Powell, who was given the name by Larry Swedroe in 2015 and is sometimes wrongly credited with coining it, sets out what it actually means: four tests of what counts as evidence, borrowed from a medical parallel that hit the same crisis twelve years ago. Including where he goes further than a global tracker, and why he holds that position less firmly than he used to.
Active fund managers claim they earn their fees when markets fall. New Morningstar research spanning 26 years tests this claim. The findings: active funds in downturns do outperform more often, but markets rise 80% of the time, swamping any advantage. When COVID and 2022 stress-tested the theory, most active managers failed to protect investors. The promised shelter turns out to be little more than a coin flip.
Robin Powell
Nov 10, 20257 min read
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