Metropolitan DC Chapter AAII

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Meetings (since 2008)

May 18, 2013

Topic:: "Do Mutual Funds Still Work?"
Presenter:: Chuck Jaffe; MarketWatch Senior Columnist

Mutual funds have been rocked by management scandals and savaged by the bear market to where many investors dropped them and missed the rebound. They've been challenged by exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and abandoned by a lot of ordinary investors who question whether funds are an effective and real financial tool. For most investors, funds remain a great way to go, however. This session helped picking the ones to look for, and the ones to look out for. It helped deciding between open-ended mutual funds and ETFs. It gave tips on building a portfolio and helping avoid the common mistakes that have those other guys thinking that funds are dead.

Attendees learned:

The fund decisions that you need to get right for yourself.
How to avoid common mistakes with investing in mutual funds.
Whether mutual funds or exchange-traded funds are better for you.

Reasons for attending:

To take advantage of Chuck’s broad knowledge of personal finance and investments and get answers to a wide range of related questions.
To get an unbiased and knowledgeable viewpoint of the usefulness of mutual funds for ordinary individual investors.
To get better insight into dealing effectively with the imperfections of mutual funds.

Chuck Jaffe is senior columnist for MarketWatch. Chuck has followed the rich journalistic history of "comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable" in the financial services world. For a decade, he wrote the "Stupid Investment of the Week" column for MarketWatch, highlighting the conditions and characteristics that made all types of securities less than ideal for average investors, uncovering in the process a rogues' gallery of dreadful issues and bad ideas. He is also known for terrorizing the mutual fund industry with his annual "Lump of Coal Awards", bestowed on entities in the mutual fund world for action, conduct, performance or attitude that is "disingenuous, reprehensible or just plain stupid".

April 20, 2013

Topic:: "Outlook 2013 – Is it Time to Buy or Bail?"
Presenter:: Sam Stovall; Chief Equity Strategist, S&P Capital IQ

Sam Stovall, Chief Equity Strategist of S&P Capital IQ, will discuss his "Post-Cliff 2013 investment outlook," emphasizing the three "V's": The V-shaped projected recoveries in global GDP and U.S. EPS, Valuations and Volatility.

Attendees learned:

How the S&P 500 typically performs 12 months after we see valuations and inflation rates at such currently low levels.
Why history says this "low flying" recovery may be vulnerable to dangerous downdrafts.
How investors can benefit from this cyclically strong period of the year.

Reasons for attending:

To learn whether equity buying opportunities still exist.
To learn what sectors and companies may be the market leaders of 2013.
Good food, good friends and good recommendations.

Sam Stovall serves as analyst, publisher and communicator of S&P’s outlooks for the economy, market, sectors and stocks. He is the Chairman of the S&P Investment Policy Committee, where he focuses on market history and valuations, as well as industry momentum strategies.

Sam is the author of The Seven Rules of Wall Street, and writes a weekly investment piece on S&P Capital IQ’s MarketScope Advisor platform (which can be found at www.getmarketscope.com.)

March 16, 2013

Topic:: "Investment Management in Turbulent Markets"
Presenter:: William G. Droms, CFA; Powers Professor of Finance, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

This seminar drew on Dr. Droms' experience managing over $200 million in stock, bond and mutual fund investments for high net worth individual investors. The presentation showed how to structure a diversified portfolio that meets risk tolerance constraints and helps ride out turbulent markets. The seminar was based on similar presentations that Dr. Droms developed for private wealth management professionals at numerous financial services professional organizations and professional associations.

Attendees learned:

Effective portfolio diversification.
Selecting equity mutual funds.
Investing in alternative investments.

Reasons for attending:

To learn how to structure a diversified portfolio.
To learn about the growth in alternative investment products for individual investors.
To learn about fundamental index funds.

Professor Droms is a graduate of Brown University, holds a Master's and Doctorate from George Washington University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He teaches investments in the undergraduate and MBA programs at Georgetown University. Dr. Droms is the author or co-author of six books on finance and investments, including Investment Fundamentals, The Dow Jones-Irwin Guide to Personal Financial Planning, and The Dow Jones-Irwin Mutual Fund Yearbook. His published research papers have appeared in numerous academic and professional journals, including the Financial Analysts Journal, Journal of Accountancy, and Journal of Financial Planning. Outside of Georgetown, Professor Droms is a partner in a private wealth management RIA firm and serves on the investment committee of a nonprofit organization with total assets of approximately three billion dollars.

January 19, 2013

Topic:: "Estate Planning 101"
Presenter:: Phillip J. Kenny, JD, CFP®

Mr. Kenny, a veteran attorney of the Collins Firm, lead the group in a discussion of the key factors of planning an estate, including incapacity planning, Federal Estate taxes, how to avoid probate, and a discussion of trust law, including irrevocable and revocable living trusts. Mr. Kenny also discussed the impact of current legislation, and how a seasoned estate attorney might address unique family concerns of how to keep a loved one's money in the family.

Attendees learned:

Current Estate tax law and what is probate.
How to avoid legal guardianship.
How to protect children from divorces, creditors and other predators.

Reasons for attending:

To learn how to set up your estate in the most tax-efficient manner
To learn what your family needs to know about your estate.
To learn how to protect your estate.

Phillip J. Kenny, JD, CFP®, earned a B.S. in Biology from Marquette University, an M.A. in Economics from Fordham University, and his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. Mr. Kenny is a member of the Trusts and Estates Sections of the Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia Bars, and of the American Bar Association Section on Real Property, Probate and Trust Law. He is a frequent guest host of Mr. Collins' radio program on WMAL, and is admitted to the Bars of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mr. Kenny is also a director of the Virginia Bluebird Society.

November 10, 2012

Topic:: "Hidden Dangers of Exchange Traded Funds and the End of Cash"
Presenter:: Tim Hanson; Senior Equities Analyst, The Motley Fool; Joe Magyer; Senior Analyst, The Motley Fool

Despite their growing popularity, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are not accomplishing for investors what many think they are accomplishing. This is particularly true when it comes to emerging market allocations, one of the fastest-growing ETF sectors, where funds are overexposed to dangerous areas of the market (such as Chinese banks) and underexposed to more promising areas (such as technology and consumer staples).

A seismic shift in the fast-changing payments industry is forming because of the rise of smartphones and e-commerce. Everyone from Apple to Visa wants their hands in the pie, but only a few companies will make off like bandits when all is said and done. Our second speaker will share his take on where payments are headed, which technologies are contenders and pretenders, and which companies will thrive and die.

Attendees learned:

Exactly what you’re buying when you purchase one of the most popular emerging market ETFs and why that exposure is potentially dangerous.
A better way to think about international investing.
Why and how the payments industry is changing, and when that change may happen, which businesses will benefit most, and which stocks investors should own to capitalize on the change.

Reasons for attending:

To learn more about international equity exposure
To learn how to think critically about asset allocation.
Engage in a vibrant discussion about stocks and hear actionable stock ideas.

Tim Hanson joined The Motley Fool in 2005 as an analyst specializing in foreign and small-cap stocks. He subsequently became head of the Fool’s global equities research team, overseeing U.S., U.K, and Australia, and working to help the Fool expand its business abroad.

Joe Magyer is the advisor of Motley Fool Inside Value, which was named one of the Top 10 Investing Letters of 2011 by MarketWatch. Joe is a fixture on the Fool's highly-rated podcasts, MarketFoolery and Motley Fool Money, and is a sought-after expert who regularly appears on CNBC Asia and the Nightly Business Report.

October 20, 2012

Topic:: "Securing Your Lifetime Income Stream"
Presenter:: Bob Carlson; editor of Retirement Watch

Americans increasingly are “on their own” to establish lifetime financial security. It’s especially difficult in a time of zero interest rates and rising taxes. Bob Carlson shows how to develop a steady, reliable paycheck for life. He highlights the tools still available, the traps to avoid, and new strategies that increase financial security.

Attendees learned:

How to beat the seven threats to lifetime security
How to stretch the life of your IRA and other retirement accounts.
A buy-and-hold investment strategy that works.

Reasons for attending:

To learn strategies to protect your principal and income, and when to use them
To learn simple solutions to your money matters.
To learn the best strategies for making IRAs last.

Robert C. Carlson is editor of the monthly newsletter and web site, Retirement Watch. Carlson is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fairfax County Employees' Retirement System, which has over $3 billion in assets, and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Retirement System, which oversaw $42 billion in assets, from 2001-2005.

His latest book is Personal Finance for Seniors for Dummies, published by John Wiley & Co. in 2010 (with Eric Tyson). Previous books include Invest Like a Fox…Not Like a Hedgehog, published by John Wiley & Co. in 2007, and The New Rules of Retirement, published by John Wiley & Co. in the fall of 2004.

September 15, 2012

Topic:: "The Best Income Plays for a Low Yield World"
Presenter:: Jasmina Hasanhodzic; Boston University

In this talk, Jasmina Hasanhodzic presents her findings from a broad study of technical analysis, a subject of two books and articles co-authored with Andrew Lo, aimed to bridge the gap between practitioners of technical analysis and academic finance. In this study, Jasmina investigates technical analysis from three different perspectives. First, to place technical analysis in context, she conducts a historical study of its evolution through time and across cultures. Second, to understand how technical analysis is practiced today, she interviews its current leading practitioners. Finally, she reports on an innovative experiment, implemented as a video game, aimed to establish whether the human eye is capable of detecting meaningful patterns in charts of financial market data. Her results refute the widespread belief that financial markets look random to human beings.

Attendees learned:

A historical study of the evolution of technical analysis through time and across cultures
Insights from conversations with 13 of today's top technicians.
Recent research on market efficiency and human pattern recognition in financial data.

Reasons for attending:

To learn about the origins of technical analysis
To learn how technical analysis has evolved over time, and where it is going.
To learn what technical analysis means for today's traders.

Jasmina Hasanhodzic is the co-author with Andrew Lo of the books The Heretics of Finance: Conversations with Leading Practitioners of Technical Analysis and The Evolution of Technical Analysis: Financial Prediction from Babylonian Tablets to Bloomberg Terminals. Her works on alternative market betas and market efficiency have appeared in leading publications, such as the Journal of Investment Management. After obtaining a B.S. from Yale College (summa cum laude) and a Ph.D. from MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, she was a Research Scientist at AlphaSimplex Group, LLC (the hedge fund run by Andrew Lo, one of the leading researchers in technical analysis), where she developed quantitative strategies and benchmarks. Jasmina is currently working on her Ph.D. in Economics at Boston University.

July 21, 2012

Topic:: "My Forty-year Journey Towards Profitable Part-time Stock Trading"
Presenter:: Dr. Eric Wish; Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Research, and Director, Honors College, Stock Market Challenge, University of Maryland, College Park

Dr. Wish drew upon the materials he uses to teach technical analysis to honor students at the University of Maryland. The presentation spanned such areas as the useful information he has gleaned and adapted from his published gurus, his strategies using the TC2000 stock analysis software and Investors Business Daily to time the market and minimize risk, and his development of the WishingWealth General Market Index (GMI).

Attendees learned:

How Dr. Wish times the market, scans for stocks and limits risk in the stock market.
How Dr. Wish avoided the 2000-2002 and 2008 market declines.
How boomers can generate regular income by writing covered calls and selling weekly cash secured puts on the SPY.

Reasons for attending:

To learn how to use technical analysis to guide stock selection and to manage risk.
To learn how to make a reasonable return without taking large risks.
To learn principles useful for protecting funds invested in mutual funds and pension accounts.

Dr. Wish began trading in his teens in the 1960’s. He came in 5th in the Barron’s Stock Challenge, Professors Division, in 2005. After becoming incensed by the way the media pundits misled the public into staying in the market during the declines in 2000 and 2008, Dr. Wish initiated a highly popular undergraduate honors class, an Introduction to Technical Analysis and the Stock Market, at the University of Maryland. His goal is to teach young persons what he wishes someone would have taught him about the market while he was in college. Dr. Wish uses Worden’s TC2000 stock analysis program and has appeared as a speaker at Worden sponsored seminars and webinars. He publishes a daily blog, where he shares his market analysis and musings.

June 16, 2012

Topic:: "The Best Income Plays for a Low Yield World"
Presenter:: Marilyn Cohen; President, Envision Capital Management, Inc.

It is challenging to find yield in today’s "BondLand". Ms. Cohen presented specific, actionable bond investment ideas while discussing bond structures and portfolio allocation. After giving a comprehensive overview of bonds and how they work, Ms. Cohen give us the knowledge tools necessary to better manage and protect our bond positions.

Attendees learned:

Specific Bond recommendations.
Provisions few have heard of, such as Change of Control, Make Whole Provisions, and Negative Pledge.
How to better manage a bond portfolio.

Reasons for attending:

To increase knowledge of bonds.
To learn how to avoid bond investment mistakes.
To learn how to better monitor your bond portfolio (which does not mean looking at a computer screen or monthly statement).

Marilyn Cohen is one of the top bond managers in the country and CEO of Los Angeles based Envision Capital Management, Inc. Her 32-year financial career includes securities analysis at William O’Neil & Company and bond brokerage at Cantor Fitzgerald. She is the author of Surviving the Bond Bear Market (John Wiley & Sons) and Bonds Now! Making Money in the New Fixed Income Landscape (Wiley, 2009). Marilyn is also publisher of Forbes Bond Smart Investor, a monthly newsletter that provides individual investors with timely bond insights and specific recommendations.

May 19, 2012

Topic:: "Higher for Longer: How to Profit from Sustained High Energy Prices"
Presenter:: Elliott Gue; Editor of Personal Finance, MLP Profits and The Energy Strategist

Politicians like to blame rising energy prices on speculation and many pundits seem to regard $100/bbl oil as a temporary phenomenon driven solely by global geopolitics. But, they're wrong: rising demand from developing countries coupled with difficulties in increasing global oil output are the main drivers of rising energy prices and both trends are here to stay. China still consumes a fraction of the oil developed economies use on a per capita basis but rising disposable incomes there will continue to drive convergence. Meanwhile, most of the major new fields being discovered are tough-to-produce reserves such as those in the deep water, Arctic and unconventional fields like the oil sands. In this session we'll examine the true drivers of energy prices and a handful of companies best-placed to benefit from a prolonged period of high and rising energy prices.

Attendees learned:

Which high yield Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) are best poised to profit from the rapid deployment of US oil and gas shale fields.
Which companies are poised to profit from the discovery and development of deepwater fields off the coasts of Brazil, West Africa and the US Gulf of Mexico.
Why North American natural gas prices are likely to remain depressed for at least the next 2 to 3 years, but opportunities abound in the international gas markets.
How to value and evaluate high-yield MLPs and US Royalty Trusts, selecting those with the scope to maintain and grow their distributions over time.

Reasons for attending:

The best MLPs and royalty trusts offer yields between 6 and 13 percent, strong distribution growth potential and tax advantages, but there are pitfalls especially if you simply scan the sector looking for the highest yields. Gue examined the types of assets MLPs own, and how to evaluate their risk and growth potential.
Gue examined which companies control the crucial technologies and which are likely to fall by the wayside, in this increasingly complex and technologically advanced industry.
Gue disclosed which companies control the world’s most attractive reserves of oil, coal and natural gas and which will struggle to replace their production.

Elliott H. Gue is editor of Personal Finance, one of the oldest and largest-circulation investment newsletters in the United States. Gue specializes in analyzing the complexities of global energy markets and related industries. From traditional fuels like coal and crude oil, to the latest alternative energy sources, his semimonthly newsletter, The Energy Strategist, unearths the most profitable opportunities in this booming sector and outlines the interrelated economic and geopolitical forces that drive these markets. In addition to Elliott's work on energy markets, he is co-editor of MLP Profits, an online newsletter that takes the guesswork out of identifying high-growth, high-yield partnerships through studied advice and sound market intelligence.

He has co-authored two books: The Silk Road to Riches: How You Can Profit by Investing in Asia's Newfound Prosperity and the recently released The Rise of the State: Profitable Investing and Geopolitics in the 21st Century. Before joining Personal Finance, Elliott lived and worked in Europe for five years, earning a Bachelor's degree in economics and management and a Master's degree in finance at the University of London.

April 21, 2012

Topic:: "ETF Investing in a World of Low Interest Rates"
Presenter:: Timothy Strauts, CFP; ETF Analyst, Morningstar

With safe bonds and bank CDs yielding next to nothing, how should we invest without taking on substantial risk? In this presentation, Timothy Strauts will discuss some ways to boost returns and diversify your portfolio in the current economic, low interest rate environment. Strauts will also discuss the investment and fund research process along with some practical tools to assess risk. Strauts will also discuss emerging markets and international ETFs.

Attendees learned:

Retirement income strategies.
Dividend stock investing strategies.
How to diversify with emerging markets.

Reasons for attending:

To learn about ETFs.
To learn how to manage a retirement portfolio using ETFs.
To learn how to use international ETFs to diversify your portfolio.

Timothy Strauts, CFP is an ETF analyst for Morningstar, covering fixed-income, financial sector products, and alternatives. Prior to joining Morningstar in June 2010, he was a financial advisor for Citi Personal Wealth Management. Strauts holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also a Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

March 17, 2012

Topic:: "The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act and the Individual Investor"
Presenter:: Lori J. Schock; Director, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA), United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Lori Schock, Director of the Office of Investor Education and Advocacy at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, discussed how the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act has changed the landscape for investors since its enactment in July 2010. Ms. Schock also discussed the new studies and many new rules that the SEC must enforce as a result of the Act, and the recent SEC rule-makings and current regulatory decisions.

Attendees learned:

about Dodd-Frank and its impact on investors.
about current SEC rulemakings that may affect your portfolio.
about the resources available to individual investors at the SEC.

Reasons for attending:

an opportunity to speak directly with a neighbor who is also a member of the SEC staff.
opportunity to participate in an active Question & Answer session about new rules that affect your investing.
Ms. Schock shared a lot of resources that can help you be a better investor.

The Office of Investor Education and Advocacy serves individual investors, ensuring that their problems and concerns are known throughout the SEC and are considered when the agency takes action.

Ms. Schock returned to the Commission in 2009 to become the Director of the OIEA and in that capacity, she focuses primarily on investor education initiatives and provides advice on policy matters relating to investor protection. Before returning to the Commission, Ms. Schock worked for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA’s) Office of Investor Education and the Center for Audit Quality.

She received her Juris Doctorate and Master’s of Taxation from the University of Akron and her Bachelor of Arts from Furman University.

January 21, 2012

Presenter:: Michael Shulman; Publisher of The New Normal Investor, Option Income Blueprint, and
The Short Side Trader advisory services
Topic:: "Trading and Investing Ideas in 2012"

Michael Shulman looked at three kinds of trades and investments – for speculative profits, for income, and for long-term growth, with an emphasis on the intersection of market fundamentals and individual stocks and ETFs. Mr. Shulman discussed the impact of the U.S. election and European debt crisis on the world economy and markets and gave specific investment ideas to help you profit from both. In addition, Mr. Shulman discussed how to produce higher monthly returns on your portfolio by trading options conservatively, while limiting or eliminating risk.

Attendees learned:

How to generate cash and income from selling puts and covered calls.
What are the best contrarian and short positions in 2012.
What are the best long-term investing ideas for 2012 and beyond.

Reasons for attending:

To learn how to trade options conservatively, while limiting or eliminating risk to your portfolio.
To learn how to get higher monthly returns on your portfolio.
To get an honest, agnostic view of the current world economy and markets.

Michael Shulman publishes three investment advisory services. The New Normal Investor is all about what is going on in the world and domestic economies and how to manage a portfolio in this new normal environment. Options Income Blueprint is a service designed to generate monthly cash income and returns of roughly 2% -- per month – selling puts and covered calls. Finally, Short Side Trader is a contrarian, speculative options trading service focusing on undiscovered trades. Mr. Shulman has been trading for more than a generation and is the author of Sell Short (John Wiley, 2009). His blog is the NewNotNormal.com.

November 19, 2011

Presenter:: Marc Charon; Executive Vice President, Managing Director, and
COO Managed Funds Association
Topic:: "Hedge Funds 101"

Presentation would answer basic questions about hedge funds – what is a hedge fund and how do they operate? Are there different kinds of hedge funds? Are they regulated and what are their risks and advantages? What is their performance? What strategies have been used by the more successful funds?

Attendees learned:

What is a hedge fund.
What are the risks and advantages of hedge funds.
How hedge funds are regulated.

Reasons for attending:

To learn about the world of hedge funds.
To hear about the performance results of hedge funds.
To learn about the strategies used by the best hedge funds.

Marc Charon is Managed Funds Assocation's (MFA) Executive Vice President, Managing Director, and Chief Operating Officer. Marc oversees all of MFA's daily business operations, financial administration and the governance procedures for MFA's Board of Directors, Founders' Council and Strategic Partners, as well as for the Association’s committees and forums. He is responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of budget management, human resources and overall membership services including all of MFA's educational conferences, seminars and forums. Marc works directly with MFA's President and CEO on the Association's long-term goals and objectives including implementation both in the U.S. and internationally.

October 15, 2011

Presenter:: Mark Robertson; Founder and Managing Partner,
Manifest Investing
Topic:: "Successful Long-Term Investing"

What are the most powerful lessons learned from multiple decades of successful long-term investing? This meeting explored best practices and examined the key success factors based on working with the most successful investment clubs and individual investors.

Attendees learned:

The most important factors for selecting long-term investments.
The most important components of fundamental analysis.
Key aspects of momentum and sentiment from technical analysis.

Mark Robertson is the founder of ManifestInvesting.com. Manifest Investing features an e-newsletter focusing on successful long-term investing including web-based investment research and features for stock and fund screening. The focus is on investment education and enabling investors to experience successful long-term fundamental investing with their personal investing or retirement plans. Mark formerly served as senior contributing editor for Better Investing magazine and has appeared on National Public Radio, CNBC, and ABC to discuss long-term investing. He has worked with Smart Money, Barron’s, Money magazine and The Motley Fool, and published features in the Chicago Tribune and a number of local publications.

September 17, 2011

Presenter:: Charles Rotblut; CFA – Vice President, AAII; Editor, AAII Journal
Topic:: "How to Get Lucky With Your Portfolio"

You can create luck for your portfolio by focusing on four key factors. Charles Rotblut, a vice president with AAII and editor of the AAII Journal, provided a hands-on approach for creating luck. We learned how to reduce our risk, gain more control of our portfolio, select individual securities and funds, and determine whether we were paying too much in fees and expenses.

Attendees learned:

How to improve their portfolio management skills.
How to diversify their investments.
To discover a simple rule that makes it easier to decide when to sell.

Reasons for attending:

To learn about a Nobel Prize-winning approach for reducing risk and increasing return.
To learn strategies for keeping emotions out of investment decisions.
To learn how to start creating your own luck.

Charles Rotblut, CFA, is a vice president of the American Association of Individual Investors and editor of the AAII Journal. He writes the weekly AAII Investor Update e-newsletter and frequently speaks to the financial news media. Prior to joining AAII, Charles worked for Zacks Investment Research, Curian Capital and INVESTools. His book, Better Good Than Lucky: How Savvy Investors Create Fortune with the Risk-Reward Ratio, was recently published by W&A Publishing and Trader’s Press.

June 18, 2011

Presenter:: Craig L. Israelsen, Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Brigham Young University
Topic:: "Building a Better balanced Portfolio"

Using historical data, Professor Israelsen examined the growth and loss potential of various portfolios during the build-up phase (prior to retirement) and the draw-down phase (post-retirement). He evaluated the impact of rebalancing over multiple time periods, and examined the use of "alternative asset classes" in portfolio design. He also introduced the "7Twelve Portfolio," a multi-asset balanced model he developed.

Attendees learned:

Historical (and therefore the anticipated) performance of various asset classes.
Retirement portfolio design, strategic portfolio design, and strategies for portfolio rebalancing (pre and post-retirement).
The impact of using multiple asset classes including "alternative" assets in portfolios, and the importance of combining low correlation assets.

Craig L. Israelsen, Ph.D. teaches Family Finance at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Primary among his research interests is the analysis of mutual funds. He writes monthly for Financial Planning magazine and is the designer of the 7Twelve Portfolio

May 21, 2011

Presenter:: Robert Hsu; President, Absolute Return Capital
Advisors LLC
Topic:: "Profit from China's Economic Emergence 2011"

The presentation discussed the reasons China's strong economic growth will continue in the coming years. How China's economic growth, combined with the Fed's aggressive monetary easing, has created a new wave of global inflation and massive economic change. Mr. Hsu also spoke on how to be on the right side of these changes, and to profit, instead of lose out, from these massive shifts.

Attendees learned:

How to profit from the new wave of global inflation.
How smart income investors are making double digit annual yields from international bonds.
How to profit from China's economic emergence without investing in Chinese companies.

Mr. Robert Hsu is the founder and president of money management firm Absolute Return Capital Advisors, LLC (ARCA). Prior to forming ARCA in 2004, Mr. Hsu was a hedge fund trader at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Hsu is also the editor of two top rated investment newsletters China Strategy and Asia Edge. In addition, he is the author of Amazon best-seller, China Fireworks: How to make dramatic wealth from the world's fastest growing economy. A recognized expert on investing in China, he has appeared on numerous financial television and radio shows around the world including CNBC and Bloomberg.

April 16, 2011

Presenter:: Christine Benz; Director of Personal Finance, Morningstar, Inc.
Topic:: "Morningstar's Best Ideas for 2011 and Beyond"

Christine shared Morningstar's overall market outlook, as well as the firm's best fund and stock ideas. She also provided tips for positioning your portfolio to defend against potentially higher tax rates in the future.

Presentation topics:

The key factors to focus on when selecting mutual funds.
Morningstar's bottom-up, moat-focused approach to individual stock selection.
Main considerations to bear in mind when constructing your portfolio for long-term growth, durability, and tax efficiency.

Reasons for attending:

See how Morningstar's broad view of the market translates into individual stock and mutual fund picks.
Learn about pockets of the market that Morningstar's research suggests are overvalued/overheated.
Get concrete tips for reducing the tax collector's cut of your investment returns.

Christine Benz is director of personal finance and senior columnist for Morningstar.com. She is also author of 30-Minute Money Solutions: A Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Your Finances, published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons.

In addition, Benz is a co-author of Morningstar® Guide to Mutual Funds: 5-Star Strategies for Success, a national bestseller published in 2003, and also authored the book’s second edition, which was published in 2005.

March 19, 2011

Presenter:: Roger S. Conrad; Editor of Canadian Edge and Utility Forecaster, and Co-editor of MLP Profits
Topic:: "Beating the Yield Chasers: Scoring High Yields in the World’s Safest Companies for 2011 and Beyond"

In the past two years, great companies have recovered much of the ground they lost during the 2008 crack-up. There’s still real value, however, for those willing to look for it, particularly among high yielding stocks with dividend growth. Buying a mix of these from a range of sectors will lock in a rising stream of income for investors, as well as capital gains as share prices rise to match dividend growth. And it will provide the diversification to meet the challenge of an uncertain economy and political environment as well, where rampant inflation and relapse are equal possibilities. Conrad explores a range of sectors from Canadian high income stocks to U.S. utilities and master limited partnerships and highlights his favorites.

Presentation topics:

The top sectors for earning high income safely for 2011 and well beyond.
How to choose the best within income-producing sectors.
Overly hyped income graveyards to avoid like the plague.

Reasons for attending:

Conrad’s expertise picking income investments is both far-ranging and intensive, backed by 25 years of navigating markets. He’s also 100 percent independent with no axe to grind, other than selling subscriptions.
The range of “off Wall Street” investments covered is unique—not what you’ll ever learn about from conventional income investment salesmen.
Conrad will show how do-it-yourself investors can track these unique investments.

Roger S. Conrad has been advising income and growth investors since 1986. He is the sole and founding editor of Utility Forecaster, America’s most comprehensive advisory on essential services investing, in publication since 1989 and cited seven times for editorial excellence by the Newsletter and Electronic Publishers’ Association. Hulbert Financial Digest has several times listed UF as a top risk-adjusted performer. Conrad's Canadian Edge advisory tracks more than 150 high yielding Canadian companies. He co-edits MLP Profits with Elliott Gue, with coverage of every master limited partnership in the U.S., and he’s an associate editor of Personal Finance. Conrad is also the author of Power Hungry: Strategic Investing in Telecommunications, Utilities and Other Essential Services.

January 15, 2011

Presenter:: Elliott Gue; Editor, Personal Finance, MLP Profits, and The Energy Strategist
Topic:: "The 21st Century Energy Boom: Top Trends for Income and Growth"

Powered by insatiable demand from emerging markets, global oil consumption hit a new quarterly record in the third quarter of 2010 and will reach new annual heights in 2011. In this session we’ll take a closer look at the outlook for three key energy commodities—oil, coal and natural gas—as well as the companies best poised to profit from rising demand and ongoing supply constraints. We’ll also examine Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs), a fast-expanding universe of tax-advantaged, high yield securities that are building the crucial infrastructure needed to accommodate fast-growing production from America’s oil and gas shale fields such as the Bakken and Marcellus.

Presentation topics:

How and where the rapid development of US oil and gas shale fields is driving demand for new pipelines, gas processing plants and storage facilities, and which MLPs are best-positioned to benefit.
Some tanker stocks offer sustainable yields of 10 percent or higher while others are suffering from a major glut of tankers. We’ll explain what drives tanker rates and which firms are best positioned to sustain and growth their payouts longer term.
Why the world isn’t running out of oil but it is running out of “easy” oil and what that means for producers and oil services firms.
Why alternative energy won’t replace fossil fuels including coal for the foreseeable future and most wind and solar companies are a poor investment.

Reasons for attending:

The best Master Limited Partnership (MLPs) offer yields between 6 and 11 percent, strong distribution growth potential and tax advantages but there are pitfalls especially if you simply scan the sector looking for the highest yields. We’ll examine the types of assets MLPs own, and how to evaluate their risk and growth potential.
The energy business is becoming increasingly complex and technologically advanced. We’ll examine which companies control the crucial technologies and which are likely to fall by the wayside.
Learn which companies control the world’s most attractive reserves of oil, coal and natural gas and which will struggle to replace their production.

Elliott H. Gue is editor of Personal Finance, one of the oldest and largest-circulation investment newsletters in the United States.

He has long specialized in analyzing the complexities of global energy markets and related industries. From traditional fuels like coal and crude oil, to the latest alternative energy sources, his semimonthly newsletter, The Energy Strategist, unearths the most profitable opportunities in this booming sector and outlines the interrelated economic and geopolitical forces that drive these markets. In addition to Elliott's work on energy markets, he is co-editor of MLP Profits, an online newsletter that takes the guesswork out of identifying high-growth, high-yield partnerships through studied advice and sound market intelligence.

He has co-authored two books: The Silk Road to Riches: How You Can Profit by Investing in Asia's Newfound Prosperity and the recently released The Rise of the State: Profitable Investing and Geopolitics in the 21st CenturyPersonal Finance, Elliott lived and worked in Europe for five years, earning a Bachelor's degree in economics and management and a Master's degree in finance at the University of London.

November 20, 2010

Presenter:: Bob Pugh, CFA, CFP®; President, Insight Wealth Management, Inc.; Wm. S. Duvall, CPA,CVA; Duvall Wheeler, LLP
Topic:: "Healthcare Reform – What Taxpayers and Investors Need to Know Now"

President Obama’s healthcare reform legislation, combined with the administration’s tax changes, will have profound impacts on tax and investment planning. This presentation neither opposed nor advocated any aspects of the President’s legislative and tax agendas, but instead presented practical advice on tactics taxpayers and investors can employ to succeed in the new environment. Topics were very relevant as we approached the end of the year and time was still available to make changes in your financial plan.

Presentation topics:

Changes in tax laws that come into effect in 2011.
Changes in how you will receive healthcare services.
Industries and sectors that will benefit or suffer from President Obama’s legislative agenda.

Reasons for attending:

Act on new tax laws before they take effect in 2011.
Restructure your portfolio to take advantage of the new healthcare system.
Understand other ways the Administration’s agenda will impact your financial plan.

Bob Pugh, CFA, CFP®
Bob is president and founder of Insight Wealth Management, Inc., in Gainesville, Virginia. He has over 20 years of experience as an investment professional, financial analyst and educator, including working as an economic analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, in private practice and in local government. Bob is a past-President of the CFA Society of Washington, DC and is currently the Eastern Region Presidents Council Representative for the CFA Institute.

William S. Duvall, CPA, CVA
Bill has over 25 years of public accounting experience, and specializes in business valuation and litigation support services. Bill is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA), where he is a past President of the VSCPA Northern Chapter.

October 16, 2010

Presenter:: Bob Carlson, JD, CPA; Editor, Retirement Watch
Topic:: "Key Personal Finance Issues for 2010-2011"

Changes are underway in key areas of retirement finance and retirement planning. The top issues that will be covered in this talk include IRA management (including conversion of traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs), the new investment climate, estate taxes and estate planning, income tax planning, and financing retirement medical expenses.

Presentation topics:

Little-known benefits and traps in IRA conversions.
How to manage your portfolio in today's economy and markets.
How income tax planning is changing for 2010 and 2011.

Reasons for attending:

To learn the four portfolio strategies that consistently work.
To learn whether converting to a Roth IRA is appropriate for you.
To learn why you might want to change your income tax planning strategies.

Bob Carlson is editor and publisher of the monthly newsletter Web site Retirement Watch and managing member of Carlson Wealth Advisors. His latest book (with Eric Tyson) is Personal Finance for Seniors for Dummies. Other books include The New Rules of Retirement and Invest Like a Fox…Not Like a Hedgehog.

September 11, 2010

Presenter:: David John Marotta, CFP; President of Marotta Wealth Management and AAII Life Member
Topic:: "Where in the World Should You Invest?"

Some investment advisors believe that a majority of your one's assets should be invested outside of the United States. Agent and broker conflicts of interest and familiarity bias hinder most investors from following this advice. Most individual investors lack a coherent philosophy which directs them to the right countries in the right amounts at the right time to benefit fully from this strategy. This presentation will suggest a simple and adaptive global equity strategy.

Presentation topics:

What factors correlate best with a country's market appreciation.
The current status of these factors with regard to global markets, and which countries to overweight which countries to underweight in your portfolio.
How to blend these investment vehicles into a coherent global investing philosophy.

Reasons for attending:

The United States market appreciation can be expected to lag other countries, and if that is true, inclusion of foreign equities will boost returns.
An emphasis on countries with stronger growth may boost returns even more.
Investors need an investment philosophy which is both simple and adaptive.

David John Marotta, is President of Marotta Wealth Management, Inc. A graduate of Stanford University, Marotta has been published or quoted on financial matters in many major publications including The Washington Post, The LA Times, The Miami Herald, Dow Jones Newswire, Dow Jones MarketWatch, Fidelity Wealth Management Perspectives, Investment Advisor Magazine, NAPFA Planning Perspectives, The Virginia Institute, The Jacksonville Business Journal, and The Charlottesville Business Journal.

June 19, 2010

Presenter:: Harry Domash,; Columnist, Author, and Publisher of Dividend Detective Web site
Topic:: "What You Need to Know About High Dividend Investing"

Unlike growth stocks, where you make money only when you sell, dividend stocks actually pay you to own them. At this highly interactive presentation, Harry Domash told which dividend stock categories look best right now, and which should be avoided. We also learned how to find, research, and analyze dividend-paying common stocks, energy trusts, closed-end funds, master-limited partnerships and preferred stocks; and where to get the data needed to make informed investment decisions—and what to do with it.

Presentation topics:

How to screen for high dividend stocks.
How to pick the best candidates.
How to evaluate dividend-cut risk.

Reasons for attending:

Learn how to avoid bad dividend ideas.
Learn where to get the information you need to identify the best dividend prospect.
Learn how to enjoy a good return even if your stock never goes up.

Harry Domash is best known for his investing tutorial columns that have appeared regularly in publications such as Business 2.0 Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, and financial Web sites such as MSN Money and Morningstar. Mr. Domash also publishes DividendDetective.com, a site specializing in high-dividend investing, and WinningInvesting.com , a free site featuring “how to” investing tutorials and many other features that will help you be a better investor. He is the author of the best selling fundamental analysis book, Fire Your Stock Analyst, published by Prentice Hall. The book has been translated into Japanese and Chinese; and a completely revised edition was published in November 2009.

May 15, 2010

Presenter:: John Reese; Founder and CEO,; Validea & Validea Capital Management, LLC
Topic:: "Analyzing Stocks using the Strategies of Buffett, Lynch, and Graham"

John Reese, CEO and founder of Validea.com and Validea Capital Management, walks investors through the systematic stock selection approaches of history's greatest investors (Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch & Ben Graham). Mr. Reese will discuss each strategy, their most important investment criteria, and share the recent and long term performance of each guru-based model. The presentation is appropriate for those interested in value investment strategies, long term investing concepts, quantitative equity analysis, and guru-based modeling. Mr. Reese is author of two books on guru investing, the owner of two patents in the area of automated stock analysis, and a graduate of Harvard Business School and MIT.

Presentation topics:

How to generate market beating returns from proven stock selection methodologies.
How a long-term investor can deploy an active strategy to maximize return potential.
The detailed strategy and criteria of history's most successful investors.

Reasons for attending:

Understand the benefits of following a quantitative investing system.
Discuss the strategies of history's greatest investing minds and find out if they still work today.
Understand why combining strategies together yields better risk-adjusted performance.

John P. Reese is founder and CEO of Validea.com, a premium investment research site, and Validea Capital Management, a separate account asset management firm serving individuals and companies. He is also the portfolio manager of two Canadian-based mutual funds (Omega Consensus American & International Equity Funds). John holds two U.S. patents in the area of automated stock analysis and is considered an expert in the field of quantitative stock selection using the strategies of investing legends. He is co-author of the recently published investment book, The Guru Investor: How to Beat the Market Using History's Best Investment Strategies, and a columnist for TheStreet.com, Forbes.com and Canada’s Globe & Mail.

April 17, 2010

Presenter:: Donald Cassidy; Managing Director; President, Retirement Investing Institute
Topic:: "Improving Your Skills in the Fine Art of Selling"

The antidote for buy-and-hope propaganda, this talk uncovered and illustrated the selling problems individuals face and will provide practical solutions and a checklist. Investors have much more difficulty in selling than in buying. The speaker focused on what makes selling hard, and therefore how to overcome its problems. A behavioral-finance approach is the basis, and was explained. He then provided concrete suggestions on how to set selling rules and what mistakes to avoid. His presentation on this topic at the 2009 AAII National Conference was attended by over 200.

Presentation topics:

Why we all have such trouble selling.
How to spot personal behaviors to work on.
Key signals not to ignore.

Reasons for attending:

To gain new tools in your investing arsenal.
Tp avoid holding and hoping until losses become large.
To get answers to specific questions from author/speaker.

Don Cassidy is program chairman of the Denver AAII Chapter and has given nearly 200 talks over 15 years for AAII Chapters, SIGs, and National conventions. A graduate of the Wharton School and retired senior analyst at funds tracker Lipper, he has created a foundation to educate adults about investing. He is author of five books, including It's When You Sell that Counts! and Trading on Volume. He is a member of the CFA Society of Colorado and serves on the international speakers bureau of the CFA Institute.

March 20, 2010

Presenter:: Randy Beeman,; Managing Director,; Wise Investor Group at R.W. Baird & Co.
Topic:: "Value Investing for Today’s Market"

Randy Beeman’s presentation will be a summary of the macro factors driving the volatile movements of the equity markets and a discussion of the most effective ways to apply the principles of value investing in the current environment in order to achieve attractive returns while minimizing risk.

Presentation topics:

What drove investment markets in 2009 and will drive them in 2010.
How to best position your investment portfolio.
Which sectors are most attractive and which are over valued.

Reasons for attending:

To better understand macro forces and their effect on your portfolio.
To get some concrete ideas you can research further.
To increase your knowledge of value investing.

Randy Beeman is the host of the weekly investment radio show, The Wise Investor Show, and is a frequent financial commentator on local and national news programs. He is also the Managing Director of the Wise Investor Group, a team of professional portfolio managers and financial planners based in Reston, Virginia. They manage $1.7 billion in client assets by following a value oriented, conservative strategy.

February 20, 2010

Presenter:: Dennis A. Kranyak; Trader and Publisher of UnRulyDog.com
Topic:: "Exchange Traded Funds for Trading and Yield"

Dennis Kranyak presented his unique method of trading exchange traded funds (ETFs), over multiple time frames, using constant range bars (with trading replay demonstration). He also outlined his high yield portfolio set-up that yields over 20% in cash annually (laugh at your bank’s CD rates). He also covered the predictive and confirmation charts he uses to time both his trading and high yield portfolio management.

Presentation topics:

How to use predictive and confirmation indicators to understand the current state and direction of the market to improve trading and yield position initiation.
How to trade ETFs using constant range bars, both short and longer term trading.
How to set up and manage a portfolio that will kick out 20+% in cash annually.

Reasons for attending:

To learn trading strategies with ETFs
To develop a portfolio strategy that produces over 20% in cash returns.
To Gain a better understanding of market directions.

Dennis A. Kranyak has been a full time trader since 1996, and in the market since 1967. Over the past fifteen years, he has worked with the late Richard Smitten on software using Jesse Livermore’s trading methodology, and contributed to several of Mr. Smitten’s books about Jesse Livermore and his trading (Trade Like Jesse Livermore; The Amazing Life of Jesse Livermore; Jesse Livermore World’s Greatest Stock Trader; How To Trade in Stocks -Livermore/Smitten). He has been a member of the Washington, DC Area Society of Market Technicians since 1992 and currently serves on its Board of Trustees. He resides in Clifton, Virginia.

January 16, 2010

Presenter:: Kevin Book; Managing Director, Research; ClearView Energy Partners, LLC
Topic:: "Implications of Recent Changes in the Business and Economic Environment"

Mr. Book explored the imminent prospect of regulatory or legislative structures governing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, quantifying potential economic impacts on energy sub-sectors, and defining the key decision "gates" ahead that could alter expected outcomes. In addition, Mr. Book charted potential fuel and power demand scenarios based on the fundamental contraction in demand due to the recent recession as well as several demand destruction outcomes likely as a result of non-climate, policy changes. Finally, Mr. Book outlined a strategy for energy investments at the corporate strategic, institutional, and individual investor levels that takes these multiple axes of uncertainty into consideration.

Presentation topics:

What is really driving U.S. energy policy and what are the economic implications of coming changes?
Which energy sub-sectors will get squeezed the most in the months and years ahead?
Who are the two natural predators of green energy, and what could happen to them?

Reasons for attending:

To identify an often under-appreciated linkage between economics and politics as related to natural resources investing.
To hear stories from the front lines of two theaters of investment risk: corporate board rooms and Congress.
To quantify the upside from investments that can "disappear with the stroke of a pen".
To learn humorous but serious treatment of complex risks to energy investors' portfolios

Kevin Book heads the research team at ClearView Energy Partners, LLC, a Washington, DC-based, independent research and consulting firm that specializes in macro-economic and political risk analyses for institutional and corporate strategic investors in energy and natural resources. Prior to joining ClearView in February 2009, Kevin led the Energy Policy, Oil & Alternative energy research team at FBR Capital Markets. Kevin's other past experience includes more than three years serving institutional investors at the Motley Fool and more than seven years' consulting work to a diverse client base including top multinationals, venture firms, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Kevin is a frequent contributor to TV, radio, and print financial media and has delivered testimony regarding oil, nuclear power, climate change, and alternative energy before Committees of the House and Senate. He holds a Master's in Law and Diplomacy and a Bachelor's in Economics from Tufts University.

November 21, 2009

Presenter:: Delos R. Smith; Chief Economist and President, Delos Smith & Associates
Topic:: "Implications of Recent Changes in the Business and Economic Environment"

Mr. Smith discussed where we are in the business cycle. Where are the strengths and weaknesses of our economy? Has an economic recovery begun? What are government policy makers and corporations worrying about? He also discussed Federal Reserve policy and investment implications of recent changes in the business and economic environment.

Presentation topics:

The ramifications of all of the current government programs? Are we facing inflation or deflation?
Are we putting in a new financial and investment regulatory system that might work?
The international implications of recent events in an increasingly global economic and financial world?

Delos R. Smith is Chief Economist and President of Delos Smith & Associates. He is also the Senior Economist of the Security Executive Council - an industry organization of security industry leaders. Mr. Smith is an Associate Professor at Fordham University at Lincoln Center and is part of the Department of State Visitor's Program. He broadcasts daily with commentaries on new economic statistics releases, and is co-authoring, along with a University of Maryland Professor, a novel about navigating the changes and challenges of the 21st Century. Mr. Smith was the Senior Business Analyst for The Conference Board for 46 years, appearing regularly on numerous television and radio investment economics venues.

October 17, 2009

Presenter:: Sam Stovall; Chief Investment Strategist, Standard & Poor's Equity Research
Topic:: "Investment Outlook 2010 – Making Money within the Confines of a Lost Decade"

In late 2008, the S&P 500 posted its first rolling 10-year price decline since the 1966-82 period, in which the DJIA continually flirted with the 1000 level. During that 16-year stretch, investors had to endure five cyclical bear markets and four cyclical bull markets before starting a new secular bull run.
What are the investment prospects for 2010?
Can we still make money within the confines of a lost decade?
Sam Stovall will discuss his outlook for the global economy and equity markets. He will also share with us some tips from his new book: The Seven Rules of Wall Street: Time-Tested Investment Strategies That Beat the Market – which leverages time-tested rules of thumb to instruct investors in creating market-beating portfolios.

Presentation topics:

How stock market history can be a useful guide (it’s never gospel) in identifying likely near-term trends.
Which sectors S&P believes will offer the greatest investment opportunities in the period ahead.
How using “rules based” investment disciplines can help you not be your portfolio’s worst enemy.

As chief investment strategist of our Equity Research Group, Sam Stovall serves as analyst, publisher and communicator of S&P’s outlooks for the economy, market, sectors and stocks. He is the author of The Seven Rules of Wall Street” – Time-Tested Investment Strategies That Beat the Market. Sam received an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University and a B.A. in History/Education from Muhlenberg College. He is also a Certified Financial Planner.

September 12, 2009

Presenter:: John M. Bajkowski; Vice President, Senior Financial Analyst, AAII
Topic:: "Investing via the Internet"

The Internet has become a valuable resource for the individual investor. John Bajkowski’s discussion highlighted the top Web sites for market news, stock, and mutual fund screening and analysis, and portfolio tracking. Specialty sites offering financial filings, charting, and message boards were also discussed. Meeting attendees discovered how to save time identifying potential stock and fund investment opportunities using on-line screening tools.

Presentation topics:

How to uncover potential stock and mutual fund opportunities using Web based screening tools.
How to research stocks and mutual funds online.
How to monitor and analyze your portfolio with Internet tools.

John Bajkowski is vice president and senior financial analyst at AAII. He writes for the AAII Journal on the topic of selecting and analyzing stocks. He serves as product manager for the Stock Investor computerized fundamental data and screening programs. John also serves on the Stock Superstars advisory committee. Bajkowski earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and management from DePaul University. He has been with AAII for nearly 20 years.

June 20, 2009
Topic: "How to Stay in Sync with Today's Changing Market Leadership"

Presenter:: Janet Brown; President, DAL Investment Company; Editor, No Load Fund*X
Topic:: "How to Stay in Sync with Today's Changing Market Leadership"

Learn from 30 years of successful fund investing. Janet Brown will share her secrets to the Upgrading strategy, which has led No Load Fund*X to be the #1 rated investment newsletter in the Hulbert Financial Digest for the past 25 years on a risk-adjusted basis.>/p>

Upgrading is a disciplined and quantitative approach that allows investors to successfully participate in a broad range of opportunities as they develop. It is the process of investing in top performing no-load mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs), holding them for as long as they outperform their peers, and upgrading to the new winners when they don't. This upgrading approach meets the challenges of a dynamic market by combining the ability to recognize opportunities as they arise with the flexibility to move assets when leadership changes to exploit those opportunities.

Presentation topics:

How to navigate today's difficult markets; for most investors, rebalancing makes sense.
How to select the right asset mix for recovery; and how long it might take to recover from 2008's losses which depends on your asset allocation going forward.
To discover which funds are rising in the performance ranks now.

Reasons for attending:

Harness the power of the market to work for you. There are some funds and ETFs bringing in good relative performance even in this market environment.
Upgrading is based on the fact that no-load mutual funds provide access to the world's best money managers. They also allow us to shift assets toward those money managers doing the best in the current market environment. You need to know which funds to invest in and when.
Gain insights into the world of ETFs and learn when investing in them makes sense.

Janet Brown is President of San Francisco-based DAL Investment Company, an independent investment management firm, and Editor of No Load Fund*X. Founded in 1969, DAL pioneered the use of no-load mutual funds for managing large personal, corporate, and retirement accounts. Since 1976, DAL has published No Load Fund*X, which helps thousands of investors apply the Upgrading strategy in their own accounts. The firm also designs portfolios ranging from $2 million to more than $40 million and has over $1 billion under management. Ms. Brown is regularly interviewed by the media on investment and mutual fund issues. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Barron's, Kiplinger's, Consumer Reports Money Advisor Magazine as well as numerous other publications.

May 16, 2009
Topic: "Making the Most of your Money"

Presenter:: Jonathan Pond; Financial Author and Educator,

Jonathan Pond presented his observations and suggestions for thriving in today’s challenging investment and financial planning environment. No matter how the economy and investment markets are faring, there are always sensible and attractive investment opportunities. Jonathan also discussed: planning for a financially comfortable retirement and thriving throughout your retirement years; teaching your children and grandchildren about financial responsibility so they won’t have to move back in with you in your dotage; and planning your estate for the here and now as well as the hereafter.

Presentation topics:

Opportunities to profit, no matter how badly the investment markets are performing.
How to create a world-class portfolio with just six investments.
How to pass on wealth without spoiling the children (if you don’t want to spend it all).

Jonathan Pond’s work in educating the public on financial matters has been far-reaching and widely recognized. His television specials have been critically acclaimed for providing useful and understandable financial guidance to people of all financial circumstances. He is widely sought as an objective and entertaining observer of the investing and personal financial planning scenes. Among the many awards he has received are the Malcolm Forbes Public Awareness Award for Excellence in Advancing Financial Understanding and an Emmy award.

April 18, 2009
Topic: "Sorting Through The Good, the Bad and The Ugly: Making Money in 2009"

Presenter:: Michael Shulman; Editor, ChangeWave Shorts,; author, Selling Short

This was a presentation on how individuals can profit by investing in short positions in selected stocks and market segments in 2009. The epicenter of the financial and economic crises is housing and this will not resolve itself until 2011. The focus of the presentation included a top down discussion of the financial system and the economy, and of segments to avoid or short in 2009 – banks, retail and consumer discretionary stocks, home builders and their cousins and selected tech. Individual opportunities and tips on creating and managing put positions were also part of the presentation – Mr. Shulman does not recommend individuals short stocks outright but use puts.

Presentation topics:

How to profit from falling stocks and market segments.
How to hedge your portfolio.
How to identify opportunities.

Reasons for attending:

You are tired of losing money.
You don’t want to lose any more money.
You want to make money.

Michael Shulman is the creator and editor of ChangeWave Shorts, a subscription service and author of Selling Short, a new book recently published by John Wiley & Sons. He has been writing investment analysis and advice for institutional and individual investors at ChangeWave, a brand created by Investor Place Media, the nation’s largest publisher of investment services for individuals, since 2001. Mr. Shulman has been investing and trading for a generation and is agnostic, his trading approach designed for any market. His first short recommendations in banking and home building were in February 2007. That year, the average position he recommended was up 51%; in 2008, 56%.

March 21, 2009
Topic: "What Next for REIT's?"

Presenters:: Rob Valero; Vice President, Investor Relations,; National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts; Rand Griffin; President & CEO; Corporate Office Properties Trust; Andy Blocher; Senior Vice President, Treasurer & CFO; Federal Realty Investment Trust

REIT's outperformed the broader U.S. indexes for seven consecutive years (2000-2006) but have since faced challenging times with the housing crisis (even though REIT's do not invest in single-family housing or condominiums), the weak overall economy and the credit crisis. When will REIT's rebound? Get a view from the inside as to where commercial real estate is headed during these perilous economic times.

Those attending learned:

All about REITs from experts from the industry and leading DC-area companies.
How to evaluate and select REITs for investment purposes.
Why REITs belong in your investment portfolio.

Rob Valero is vice president of investor relations at the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), the trade association for the REIT industry.

Rand Griffin is President and CEO of Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE: OFC), a Colombia, MD-based office REIT that focuses on strategic customer relationships and specialized tenant requirements in the U.S. Government, Defense Information Technology and Data sectors.

Andy Blocher is senior vice president, treasurer and chief financial officer at Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT), one of America’s leading retail REITs, based in Rockville, MD.

February 21, 2009
Topic: "Building the New World: The Big Opportunity for Tough Times" Presenter:
Roger S. Conrad, Editor, Utility Forecaster, Canadian Edge, Vital Resource Investor, The New World

The financial crisis has transformed into a deep global recession. But the far bigger challenge for the next decade and beyond is transforming from a world crumbling under a mountain of debt, outmoded regulation, antiquated technologies, inadequate infrastructure, increasingly scarce natural resources and environmental degradation. The dangers from this unfolding crisis are myriad, but the investment opportunities are unprecedented. A student of and advisor on infrastructure-based investments for more than 20 years, Mr. Conrad offers his unique perspective on the best and biggest opportunities for building the new world, from the emerging clean energy economy to 21st century communications and a new green revolution in agriculture.

Presentation topics:

Where the infrastructure opportunities of the future lie, and why they’re thriving even during this period of crippling fear in the markets and instability in the economy.
Who the winners are in the transition to the new world of the 21st century, and why their ranks are dominated by many of the same companies that build the world of the 20th century.
How to distinguish a winning company from a winning technology (they’re far from the same thing).

Reasons for attending:

To learn about New World stocks that are the best bets in an uncertain market because their revenue is ensured by governments and deep-pocketed institutions, who have deemed the investment absolutely necessary. Many pay dividends and are also very cheap./li>
To learn about Conrad’s safety-first approach that has uncovered a group of companies that, while not immune from stock market turmoil, are still posting solid revenues and have few debt worries. They’ll be at the front of the line when the markets do recover.
To learn why New World investments can be a fertile field for hype and unrealistic expectations that can burn investors badly. Conrad’s strategy of establishing positions in good companies at today’s low prices is the best way to ensure you’ll be set up to cash in on the opportunities and avoid the pitfalls that always accompany booms.

Roger S. Conrad has been in the investment advisory business since 1985 and has developed a well-earned reputation as a conscientious workaholic who stays in the trenches with investors during tough times. His Utility Forecaster has been cited for editorial excellence eight times by the Newsletter and Electronic Publishers Association since inception in 1989, including most recently in 2007. Utility Forecaster was also rated number four for risk-adjusted return by The Hulbert Financial Digest for the five year period ended September 30, 2008. Mr. Conrad also manages an income and growth portfolio for Leeb Capital Management and is the author of “Power Hungry: Strategic Investing in Utilities, Telecommunications and Other Essential Services.”

January 17, 2009
Topic: "Estate Planning 101"
Presenter: Phillip Kenny, JD, CFP

Information that you need to know about wills, trusts, taxes, probate, IRAs, 401ks, incapacity planning, and how to keep your money in your family.

Presentation topics:

Current Estate tax law and what is probate.
How to avoid legal guardianship.
How to protect children from divorces, creditors and other predators.

Reasons to attend:

Learn how to set up your estate in the most tax-efficient manner.
Learn what your family needs to know about your estate.
How to protect your estate.

Phillip J. Kenny, JD, CFP has served over ten thousand clients for The Collins Firm (www.MikeCollins.com) and is one of the most experienced estate planners in the metropolitan area. Mr. Kenny earned a B.S. in Biology from Marquette University, a M.A. in Economics from Fordham University, and his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. Mr. Kenny is a member of the Trusts and Estates Sections of the Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia Bars, and of the American Bar Association Section on Real Property, Probate and Trust Law. He has been with The Collins Firm since 1994, and is a frequent guest host of Mr. Collins' radio program on WMAL, "Legally Speaking." Mr. Kenny is also a certified financial planner focusing exclusively on the estate-planning and tax aspects of the financial planning process.

December 6, 2008
Topic: "Bond Analysis, Portfolio Strategies and Trade Executionsolio"
Presenter: Bob Pugh, CFA. President, Insight Wealth Management, Inc.

An allocation to bonds is an important risk management tool for most investment portfolios. Owning individual investment-grade corporate and/or U.S. Treasury securities is preferable to buying bond mutual funds because of the lower fees and greater control of factors such as maturity and duration of a bond allocation or portfolio. With some education, individual investors can understand, research, and include bonds in their own portfolios.

Presentation topics:

Techniques of analyzing and researching bond investments.
Common, low-risk bond portfolio strategies such as laddering.
Execution of bond trades.

Reasons to attend:

Learn the risks and rewards of investing in individual bonds.
Learn common bond terminology such as yield to maturity, duration, and yield curve.
Participate in a hands-on bond workshop to learn how to manage your own individual bond investments.

Bob Pugh, CFA, founder and president of Insight Wealth Management, Inc. (IWM) in Gainesville, Virginia, has 20 years of experience as a portfolio manager, analyst and financial educator. IWM provides investment and wealth management services to individuals, businesses and charitable organizations. In addition to his work at IWM, Bob is a faculty member of the Johns Hopkins University’s Carey School of Business and teaches graduate level courses in investment analysis and portfolio management, and is the immediate past-president of the CFA Society of Washington DC.

November 15, 2008
Topic: "7 Twelve: The Complete Portfolio"
Presenter: Craig L. Israelsen, Ph.D.Professor of Family Finance, Brigham Young University

Prof. Israelsen outlined a global, multi-asset portfolio that generated a 10-year annualized return of over 11% between 1998 to 2007. More importantly, this 60% equity/40% fixed income portfolio had positive returns during the 2000, 2001, and 2002 calendar years without the use of any tactical management.

Subjects discussed:

Portfolio diversification.
Aggregate portfolio correlation.
How to construct a broadly diversified portfolio.

Reasons for attending:

A pragmatic discussion, not a theoretical discussion.
Walk away with information you can act on.
Dr. Israelsen has real world experience building broadly diversified target date indexes.

Craig L. Israelsen, Ph.D., is a professor at Brigham Young University. Primary among his research interests is the analysis of mutual funds. He writes monthly for Financial Planning magazine and is a regular contributor to the Journal of Indexes and Horsesmouth.com. He is a principal at Target Date Analytics LLC, a firm that has developed indexes for the benchmarking and evaluation of target date/lifecycle funds. He is the author of the 7Twelve Portfolio.

October 18, 2008
Topic: "Portfolio Performance Evaluation"
Presenter: Pat Dorsey, Director of Equity Research, Morningstar
Details:

This talk delved into how our brains are pre-wired to make irrational decisions that often lead to poor investment results.

Concepts Analyzed:

How to recognize mental traps in your own investing.
How to be ahead of the crowd that keeps making the same mistakes.
How to find stocks that are mispriced because the crowd is thinking about them irrationally.

Reasons to attend:

Get to know yourself better to become a smarter investor.
Learn to recognize crowd mentality to sift through market mis-steps and snare good investments.
Improve investment returns.

Pat Dorsey is director of equity research for Morningstar. He is the author of The Five Rules for Successful Stock Investing: Morningstar’s Guide to Building Wealth and Winning in the Market and The Little Book that Builds Wealth: The Knockout Formula for Finding Great Investments. He joined Morningstar in 1998 as a senior equity analyst covering the telecommunications equipment and computer hardware industries. He played an integral part in the development of the Morningstar Ratings for stocks, as well as Morningstar’s economic moat ratings. He holds a master’s degree in political science from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in government from Wesleyan University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and appears weekly on the “Bulls & Bears” show on the Fox News Channel.

October 4, 2008
Topic: "OIC Intermediate Options Seminar – Managing Your Portfolio with Options"
Presenter: Albert Brinkman Director, Equity Derivatives Marketing, Philadelphia Stock Exchange

This intermediate-level seminar took attendees beyond the fundamentals of buying or selling calls and puts. After a review of basic concepts, an options professional guided attendees into the world of spread strategies. Ever heard of vertical spreads or time spreads? Attendees learned how truly flexible options are, and how these limited risk spreads might fit into even the most conservative portfolios. Ever thought a stock was poised to make a move up or down, but weren’t sure which? Attendees found out about straddles and strangles, and the nature of volatility. Attendees also learned about ways to repair an existing stock position that has moved against them.

Presentation topic:

Understand how options can be used to improve portfolio performance or preserve value.
You can never learn too much about options.

Reasons for attending:

To learn what vertical and time spreads are, and how and when to use them.
To learn how to use options to repair stock positions that have moved against you.
To learn how to use straddles and strangles in today’s volatile markets.

Albert H. Brinkman is the Director of Equity Derivatives Marketing for the Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX). He is responsible for managing the equity derivative, equity option, sector index option and foreign currency option marketing and educational services to investors, brokerage firms and institutional clients. He also runs the Market Data Analysis group for the PHLX and serves as a staff instructor for The Options Industry Council (OIC), conducting numerous equity option educational seminars throughout the United States.

September 20, 2008
Topic: "The Alternative Universe"
Presenter: Howard Marella, Principal and Chief Market Strategist, Brewer Investment Group, LLC

Investors and particularly Americans are still trying to adapt to how the world has changed. Mr. Marella led a discussion about what his firm believes is really happening and how his firm thinks investors should participate in these historical moves. Mr. Marella provided an overview of alternative investments such as future contracts, managed futures, and forex.

What was learned at this meeting:

A deeper understanding of alternative investments.
The significance of historical moves.
How alternative investments and historical moves can work together in a diversified portfolio.

Reasons for attending:

To hear how you can position your investments to benefit in today's market environment.
To hear the speaker's thoughts of why fundamental news is essential to creating opportunity.
To hear how to protect downside risk to help maintain equity.

Howard Marella has 27 years of experience in the futures industry and has been a member and floor trader of both the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). As the author of many articles, he has been quoted in the Chicago Sun Times and on numerous industry web sites. Mr. Marella has been a featured speaker at the Chicago, California, and New York Futures Expos, and has also conducted webinars for the CBOT and Eurex.

June 14, 2008
Topic: "Portfolio Performance Evaluation"
Presenter: Marc Gerstein, Asset Management Research,
Manager Single-Asset Research, Reuters, Inc.

The good news is that screening has always been a valuable way to identify potentially winning stock ideas. The better news is that it is now feasible for individual investors to go further and test their ideas, to see how they really work in the real world. Better still, screening is edging its way into the rapidly expanding and increasingly confusing world of ETF's. All this can be nerve wracking to the uninitiated. But accessible screening tools can help you bring all this under control while at the same time expanding your investment horizons.

Subjects discussed:

How to use screening tools to identify stock opportunities.
How to back-test your ideas to enhance the probability of your choosing sound approaches.
How to sift through the now dizzying array of ETF.

Reasons for attending:

Learning how to bring objectivity and discipline to your stock ETF selection efforts.
Learning how to cope with information overload, a problem that's getting worse, not better.
Learning how to raise your game through back-testing!

After having worked as a stock analyst and high-yield bond fund manager at Value Line from 1980-1998, Marc Gerstein created and maintained investment educational and advisory content on MarketGuide.com, which became absorbed into MultexInvestor.com and later into Reuters.com from 1999-2006. During this latter period, Gerstein honed his focus on data-driven methods of finding and evaluating stocks. He authored two books, Screening the Market (Wiley 2002) and The Value Connection (Wiley 2003). In 2007, he transferred to what is now known as the Thomson-Reuters Investment & Advisory division where he is developing benchmark and investable equity indexes.

May 17, 2008
Topic: "Introduction to ETFs and Fundamental Indexing"
Presenters: Dan Doischen, Regional Director, Wisdom Tree Asset Management and
Nancy Hartsock, Financial Advisor, Smith Barney

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are one of the fastest growing parts of the financial services industry. In the presentation, some of the many reasons for this growth were covered including low cost, tax efficiency, diversification, ease of use, transparency, and access to unique markets. In addition, the next generation of indexing, termed Fundamental Indexing, were also covered. The benefits of this type of indexing and why you want to use it to manage money better were explained. The presentation also covered the ways in which ETFs may be integrated into a portfolio as core or satellite holdings, to complement mutual funds, individual securities, and separately managed accounts.

Subjects discussed:

What an Exchange Traded Fund is, and why are they so popular.
What Fundamental Indexing is, and what the benefits are over traditional forms of indexing.
How to effectively use ETFs inside your portfolios.

Reasons for attending:

Learn to manage money in a more tax efficient way.
Learn how to gain exposure to unique financial markets that have not been available to individual investors in the past.
Learn how to reduce management fees.

Dan Doischen is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for WisdomTree Asset Management. Dan works with financial advisors and their clients to help educate them on improving their business and performance results through the use of ETFs. He currently holds the Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor designation.

Nancy Hartsock is a financial advisor with Smith Barney in Alexandria, Virginia, where she works on a wide range of wealth management issues with affluent individuals, families, and small business owners. In her 24-year career in behavioral health, she was a successful manager and business owner.

April 12, 2008
Topic: "Stock Valuation and Stock Market Cycles"
Presenter: Bart A. DiLiddo, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, VectorVest, Inc.

Dr.DiLiddo, discussed the primary forces dictating stock valuation, the investment climate and stock market cycles at this AAII meeting. Attendees learned firsthand how to determine the intrinsic value of their stocks as well as how to tell the "when and why" behind market movements.

Subjects discussed:

VectorVest’s extremely successful strategy of stock selection.
Their principles of value, safety, and timeliness in stock selection.
Managing stock market timing and selection.

Reasons for attending:

To learn the secret to selecting stocks for long-term performance.
To learn the keys to minimizing risk.
To learn the way to achieve outstanding performance.

Dr. Bart A. DiLiddo is creator and editor of the VectorVest Stock Advisory. He is Chairman of VectorVest, Inc. and President of North Fork Enterprises, Inc. He was formerly an Executive V ice President of the BFGoodrich Co.
Dr. DiLiddo received his doctorate from Case-Western Reserve University. Combining his business and mathematical skills, Dr. DiLiddo developed formulas for assessing stock value, safety, and price performance and developed a market-timing system which helps investors to buy stocks in rising markets and sell stocks in falling markets. He is author of the classic book, Stocks, Strategies & Common Sense, and co-author of the country’s best-selling financial book for children, Make More Than Your Parents.

March 15, 2008
Topic: "Beating the Yield Chasers: Best Ways to Score High Income with Low Risk Ahead of the Crowd"
Presenter: Neil George, Editor, Personal Finance, KCI Communications

Markets have been decimating investors' portfolios of even the most conservative dividend payers. Rather than just throwing in the towel, Mr. George went through the reasons behind the market mayhem and what still works and what is new and behind the scenes that pays us very well while also giving us access to gradual gains whatever the markets or the economy might throw at us for the rest of a troubled year.

Subjects discussed:

What is and isn’t working in the markets.
What’s behind much of the gut-wrenching market moves.
How to still get high yields with truly less risk.

Reasons for attending:

Concerned about the markets and economy?
Need to keep generating safe and secure income?
Need to still growth your portfolio come what may?

Neil George is an investor, philanthropist and the editor of Personal Finance, Inner Circle, Bond Desk and The Partnership published by KCI Communications of Falls Church, Virginia and VNR Publishing of Bonn, Germany. Mr. George has worked on six continents with a select group of financial institutions in investment banking, bond trading, brokerage and investment management. He serves as adjunct professor and board member of Webster University's School of Business and Technology. Mr. George earned his MBA in international finance from Webster University in Europe and his bachelor's degree in economics from King's College.

February 16, 2008
Topic: "Beating the Yield Chasers: Best Ways to Score High Income with Low Risk Ahead of the Crowd"
Presenter: Roger S. Conrad, Editor, Utility Forecaster, Canadian Edge, and Vital Resource Investor Retirement Watch

High yield investing is “in,” and for good reason: It is the surest way to build wealth no matter what the market throws at you. The problem is the popularity of high yields which has made it a lot harder to find high quality, unless you know where to look. Roger Conrad put his 22 years of experience to uncover safe yields of up to 10 percent.

Subjects discussed:

Five great places to find safe, high yields you can hold with confidence.
How to construct a sleep easy portfolio generating annual income of 7 to 10 percent.
What to avoid.

Reasons for attending:

Conrad has 22 years of experience highlighting the biggest yields for readers.
Sweet yields can bring sour consequences, unless you know how to manage the risks.
High yield investing is still the surest road to profits, and there are more bargains in the market now than in many months.

Roger S. Conrad is editor of Canadian Edge, Utility Forecaster, associate editor for Personal Finance, editor of Vital Resource Investor and author of Power Hungry: Strategic Investing in Telecommunications, Utilities and Other Essential Services. He is also the income advisor for Leeb Capital Management, where he manages income and growth accounts. To subscribe to his free weekly e-zines, go here, or here, which focused on Canadian trusts.

January 19, 2008
Topic: "Invest Like a Fox, Not Like a Hedgehog"
Presenter: Bob Carlson, Editor, Retirement Watch

Most investors earn lower returns than they should. You will learn why the returns of so many investors are so mediocre. Success lies in acquiring the adaptability of a fox and abandoning the rigid beliefs of the hedgehog. You will also learn why widely-held investment theories fail and how to reduce risk and increase returns.

Subjects discussed:

Why most investors earn lower returns than they should while taking higher risks.
What are the difference between relative returns and absolute returns, and how you can earn absolute returns.
Why markets are so volatile and why we have long-term bull and bear markets, which are not explained in today's popular theories.

Reasons for attending:

To increase investment returns while reducing risk.
To develop a framework that allows you to profitably build and manage an investment portfolio.
To learn the mistakes that most frequently lead to investment losses.

Bob Carlson is the long-time editor of the monthly newsletter, Retirement Watch. He is the author of several books, including Invest Like a Fox…Not Like a Hedgehog and The New Rules of Retirement. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Retirement System and is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fairfax County Employees' Retirement System.

Workshops (2008 to date)

February 16, 2003

Topic:: "Managing Portfolio Risk Using Asset Allocation Strategies"
Presenter:: Bob Pugh, CFA, CFP®; President and Founder, Insight Wealth Management, Inc.

Investing should focus more on managing risk than on chasing return. This presentation will discuss asset allocation as an inexpensive technique to manage investment and market risk in your portfolio, and to seek as much return as possible given your risk tolerance. Market timing is unreliable, and derivatives are expensive and complex. Asset allocation tailored to the investor’s risk tolerance provides a tool that allows investors to survive market down turns and profit from growth.

Attendees learned:

An overview of alternative portfolio risk management techniques.
How exposure to diversified asset classes affects the risk and return of your portfolio.
How to use asset allocation as your key portfolio risk management strategy.

Reasons for attending:

To develop a better understanding of portfolio risk and how to manage it.
Be better able to align your portfolio’s risk with your own investment risk tolerance.
Learn how to implement asset allocation strategies.

Bob is the President and Founder of Insight Wealth Management, Inc., an independent Registered Investment Adviser in Gainesville, VA, providing fee-only investment management and financial planning services. “Medical Economics” named him as one of the Best Financial Advisors for Doctors in the nation in 2011 and 2012. He is also a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor. Bob served as President of the CFA Society of Washington, DC from 2005 to 2007. He has over twenty years of experience as an economist, financial educator and analyst, and portfolio manager, and has earned graduate degrees in global political economy from The Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, and in financial economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

February 18, 2012

Topic:: "Big Yield Hunting on Deadly Ground"
Presenter:: Roger S. Conrad; Editor of Canadian Edge and Utility Forecaster, co-editor of MLP Profits, and The Short Side Trader advisory services

In an era of slow and jagged economic growth and rock-bottom bond yields, buying and holding dividend paying stocks is the only way investors can live off their portfolios -- as well as by far the surest road to wealth building for savers. Many companies, however, are struggling just to keep up with dividend payments -- and if they do cut their payouts, investors will lose both income and principal, as share prices head south. The keys to getting the most out of dividend paying stocks, and avoiding the pitfalls, are diversification, balance and focusing on quality. Conrad explores a range of sectors drawn from the extensive coverage universes of his advisories, from Canadian high income stocks to US utilities and master limited partnerships, and highlights the best and worst.

Attendees learned:

How to pick the best dividend paying stocks for 2012 and well beyond.
How to use the techniques of portfolio balance and diversification to limit the risk of unforeseeable single-stock or single-sector disasters to your overall portfolio.
How to spot overly hyped "income graveyards" to avoid.

Reasons for attending:

To benefit from Conrad’s extensive and independent expertise picking income investments, backed by 25 years plus of navigating markets.
To profit from the range of "off Wall Street" investments Conrad will share.
Conrad showed how "do-it-yourself investors” can track these unique investments, by giving specifics strategies and recommendations.

Roger S. Conrad has been advising income and growth investors since 1986. He is the sole and founding editor of Utility Forecaster, America’s most comprehensive advisory on essential services investing, in publication since 1989 and cited seven times for editorial excellence by the Newsletter and Electronic Publishers’ Association. Hulbert Financial Digest has several times listed Utility Forecaster as a top risk-adjusted performer. His Canadian Edge advisory tracks more than 150 high yielding Canadian companies. He co-edits MLP Profits with Elliott Gue, with coverage of every master limited partnership in the US, and Australian Edge and Big Yield Hunting with David Dittman. He’s also an associate editor of Personal Finance. Conrad is also the author of Power Hungry: Strategic Investing in Telecommunications, Utilities and Other Essential Services.

July 16, 2011

Presenter:: Paul Grems Duncan; Leader, Tri-State Investors Group
Topic:: "Combining Money Management, Portfolio Metrics, and Strategies for Investing and Trading"

The workshop focused on metrics for money management, specifically looking at how to benchmark your holdings with respect to gain and drawdown. There is more to investing than just your bank account balance, and metrics can help you understand if you are taking too much risk for the gains that you are achieving. This was tied with actual portfolio implementations and an Excel workbook with the different formulas was demonstrated. Selection of stocks within different strategies were discussed, and the concepts of stock selection using optimized moving averages and effective volume was demonstrated.

Attendees learned:

How to employ money management techniques with their investments and trading to include Calmar Ratio, Mathematical Expectation, Sharpe Ratio, and Pessimistic Return Ratio.
How to apply metrics to sample strategies (e.g., Connor’s mean reversion strategies, a modified AAII Shadow Portfolio strategy, as well as others).
How to segment your portfolio into different strategies yet operate from the same account. Potential candidates will be screened using and Effective Volume to show good entry.

Reasons for attending:

To learn about portfolio metrics, how to calculate various metrics, and how to use different portfolio metrics in your investing and trading.
To learn how to apply the metrics to sample strategies through the use of a provided Excel workbook.
To learn how to use optimized moving averages and the concepts of Effective Volume so that better decisions can be made concerning stock entry/exits, and then using the metrics to validate the decisions.

Paul Duncan is a Principal at GSD Energy Consultants, a consultant to utilities, the U.S. Government, and private companies. He is based in the greater Washington, D.C. Metro area. In his "spare" time, Paul leads a 230-member user group in Northern Virginia on general investing techniques and strategies. He is presently working on the selection of equities using the concepts of moving averages, effective volume, and overall timing methods to improve portfolio performance. He blogs daily concerning market behavior.

February 19, 2011

Presenter:: Scott McCormick, CMT; President and Founder of Dyad Capital Management Group, LLC
Topic:: "Security Price and Your Bottom Line"

Investors total return is affected by three aspects dividends, interest, and price appreciation and depreciation. Using simple technical methodologies can help increase the odds that you are participating in the long term direction of price which directly affects your total return as an investor.

Presentation topics:

How to use simple indicators to identify investment opportunities.
How to use multiple time frames to refine investment entries, minimize risk and maximize reward.
How to use Fibonacci tools to forecast potential support and resistance levels in the market.

Reasons for attending:

Increase your probability of being on the right side of the market.
Keep from being stopped out just before the next big price run-up.
Recognize when a price movement is over.

Scott McCormick began his career with Charles Schwab in 2000. In 2001, Scott began trading equities, and equity options actively while pursuing the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation which he earned in 2008. After leaving his role as Investment Advisor Representative at Schwab in 2009, he began teaching students privately and managing private assets. He established Dyad Capital Management Group, LLC in 2010 specializing in providing investment education services, and private asset management utilizing his knowledge of technical analysis to reduce risk and achieve a risk-adjusted rate of return greater than the market.

July 17, 2010

Presenter:

Bob Pugh, CFA, CFP®

President, Insight Wealth Management, Inc.

Topic:

"Implementing an Economic Trends-Based Investment Strategy Using ETFs"

The intrinsic value of any investment is the future cash flows it generates. Firms produce cash flows not only from the quality of the firm and its management, but largely from the underlying strength of the economy and the firm’s sector. This workshop will teach participants how to interpret various economic indicators and analyze the outlook of various classes of investments on that basis. It will focus on asset classes and implementing an investment strategy using Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).

What are some of the key economic indicators, where to find them for free, and how an investor can create a contextual understanding of business and sector cycles using those indicators.
How to use ETFs to implement an inexpensive investment strategy based on economic expectations.
Work through a detailed example using this analytical framework to develop interest rate expectations, and use those expectations as the basis for investment decision-making.

Refresh your knowledge of some of the basic economic concepts essential to understanding the behavior of financial markets.
Expand the framework of your investment analysis beyond a security-by-security approach by learning to incorporate economic expectations into your research.
Discover ways to reduce your costs of investing by using free economic data and low-expense

Bob Pugh, CFA, CFP® is President and Founder of Insight Wealth Management, Inc. in Gainesville, Virginia. Bob has over twenty years of experience as an investment professional, financial analyst and educator, including working as an economic analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, in private practice and in local government. He has graduate degrees in global political economy and financial economics.

December 5, 2009

Presenter:: Ted Leplat; Educational Speaker; IBD
Topic:: "Traits that Leading Stocks Share Before They Make Their Big Price Moves"

Whether you were new to Investor's Business Daily (IBD) or a long-time subscriber, this workshop showed you how to use IBD and Investors.com to make better buy and sell decisions in less time. You learned to identify the seven characteristics shared by the top-performing stocks before they surged, gained unique insights about the CAN SLIM® Investing System, which was ranked number one in risk-adjusted performance in the most recent study by the AAII.

In addition to the basics, this workshop covered the IBD method of determining the current market outlook and leading sectors, as well as advanced lessons on timing purchases. The various basing patterns were discussed to help determine proper times to buy and sell. Many recent examples were covered to highlight this proven winning methodology. All attendees received a free copy of William O’Neil’s book 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success.

Presentation topics:

The seven common characteristics of the best performing stocks throughout history.
The fundamentals of the CAN SLIM Investing System—the growth strategy that returned 2361.4% between January 1998 and June 30, 2009 (in a study by AAII).
How to read charts more accurately, using screening techniques to identify emerging winners and IBD to identify proper buy and sell points.

Attendees learned:

How IBD determines the current market outlook.
How to determine the leading and lagging sectors in the market.
How patterns of top stocks prior to their big moves.

Ted Leplat has been a national education speaker with Investor's Business Daily since 1999. He presents investing workshops and seminars to individual and professional investors, guiding investors in researching and spotting emerging growth stocks that meet Investor’s Business Daily’s CAN SLIM criteria.

June 6, 2009
Topic: "The Portfolio Perspective"

Presenter:: Bob Pugh, CFA; President, Insight Wealth Management, Inc.

Investors often put the cart before the horse by purchasing securities without an investment strategy. Investing from the perspective of your total portfolio is a much more effective way of managing investment risk and determining which securities are right for you. This workshop teaches a methodical approach to assessing investment risk tolerance, creating a portfolio strategy that suits an individual's needs, establishing a strategic asset allocation, and selecting suitable securities. Taking the portfolio perspective to investing is appropriate whether you chose securities as a fundamentalist or technician.

Presentation topics:

How to manage investment risk in your portfolio more effectively.
How to create a strategic asset allocation based on your personal financial needs and outlook for the markets.
How to determine if specific securities fit your investment strategy.

Bob Pugh, CFA, Founder and President of Insight Wealth Management, Inc. (IWM) in Gainesville, Virginia, has over 20 years of experience as a portfolio manager, analyst, and financial educator. IWM provides investment and wealth management services to individuals, businesses, and charitable organizations. Bob's experience ranges from global economics to municipal finance from working as an analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency and local government, and in investment research in many roles. He has taught graduate level courses in investment analysis and portfolio management for 8 years for the Johns Hopkins University's Carey School of Business, and is a past, two-term President of the CFA Society of Washington, DC.

April 4, 2009
Topic: "Technical Analysis for Long Term Investing"

Presenters:: Scott McCormick, CMT®; Financial Consultant with Charles Schwab & Co., Inc

Technical Analysis for Long Term Investing explored basic and intermediate concepts used by technical analysts to identify investment risk versus investment opportunity for time frames commensurate with long term investing.

Presentation topics:

How to identify long term trends in securities.
How to employ intermediate strategies to identify the end of a trend.
How to manage risk with basic hedging strategies using Exchange Traded Funds and Stock Options.

Reasons for attending:

To learn when it is safe to invest in a particular stock.
To learn to reduce portfolio risk.
To learn how to improve odds of long term investment success.

Scott McCormick has been in the industry since May 2000. He began his career with Charles Schwab in the Active Trader Services. Here he became very interested in Technical Analysis for analyzing stocks. In 2001, he began the Charted Market Technician program through the Market Technicians Association (MTA), and has since been awarded the designation of CMT. In 2004, he took a 2-year hiatus to teach equity, options, and foreign currency trading strategies using technical analysis. In 2006, he returned to Schwab as a Financial Consultant and now assists clients in managing their assets using long term asset allocation and diversification investment strategies.

May 31, 2008
Topic: "Portfolio Performance Evaluation"
Presenter: Bob Pugh, CFA President, Insight Wealth Management, Inc.

This workshop taught attendees how to objectively measure the performance of their portfolio (risk vs. return).

Subjects discussed:

Techniques for measuring portfolio performance for return and risk, and comparing that performance to relevant benchmarks.
The use of portfolio performance analysis to evaluate investment strategies.
How to assess investment performance of services provided by financial advisors.

Reasons for attending:

To learn how the portfolio performance provided by your investment professional is calculated.
To learn how risky your portfolio might be.
To participate in a hands-on workshop and get the most out of the presentation.

Bob Pugh, CFA, founder and president of Insight Wealth Management, Inc. (IWM) in Gainesville, Virginia, has 20 years of experience as a portfolio manager, analyst a nd financial educator. IWM provides investment and wealth management services to individuals, businesses and charitable organizations. In addition to his work at IWM, Bob is a faculty member of the Johns Hopkins University’s Carey School of Business and teaches graduate level courses in investment analysis and portfolio management, and is the immediate past-president of the CFA Society of Washington DC.

American Association of Individual Investors

Washington, DC

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American Association of Individual Investors

Washington, DC

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