2010 AAII Silicon Valley Main Events
All the Past Main Event Topics and Speakers
With presentations you can download, where available....
2010 Presentations
November 13, 2010 ARE YOU READY FOR ANOTHER LOST DECADE?The Secular and Cyclical Outlook for Stocks, Bonds, and Inflation Now that we have endured the first decade of the 21st century—indeed the “Lost Decade” — what is in store for you and other investors in the next 10 years? Find out why our guest speaker believes investors should prepare for “Another Lost Decade” and what market benchmarks will look like when we have reached the end of this current secular bear market. Why is understanding the business cycle more critical than ever for investors and, most importantly, where are markets in relation to the current business cycle? What actions can you take to invest profitably in today’s volatile environment? Our guest speaker, Tom Kopas, a principal at investment advisory firm Pring Turner Capital Group, will discuss what asset allocation decisions will bring investors safely through this cycle. Valuable insights and original research will be fully shared at this timely presentation. Tom will identify where the risks and opportunities are for investors now and in the coming months and years ahead.Attend This Meeting and Learn:- When will the current secular bear market end? - How to identify where we are in the current business cycle - How to build wealth in this secular bear market Speaker Tom J. Kopas Pring Turner Capital Group
October 9, 2010 ALL-DAY INVESTING SEMINAR Changing Tactics in a Changing Market: A Short IntroductionDr. Robert C. Smithson, ModeratorBecause of the changing nature of the investing climate, old rules may no longer be appropriate. Smithson will discuss methods of dealing with the uncertainty, and how to maximize the probability of meeting your investment goals.
How to Analyze a Stock Wayne A. Thorp, CFA, senior financial analyst at AAII, and editor of Computerized Investing Using real-world examples, Wayne will show you how to perform a step-by-step analysis of a company to decide whether it’s right for your portfolio using popular online research and data sources.
Adaptive Investing With Tactical Relative Strength Models Paul Townsend, associate vice-president & investment officer at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC The disruptive markets of the last decade have permanently changed the world for investors. The ability to drill down from the marketlevel, the sector-level, the stock-level and the country-level gives the adaptive investor a significant advantage — this is the future of tactical investing.
Changing Markets: Does Anything Still Work?Al Zmyslowski, vice president of engineering at Fujitsu America Do any of the ‘tried and true’ investing rules still offer value in this environment? Can you invest in brand name stocks and still expect to make a reasonable return? Does any form of value investing still make sense? This talk discusses these topics and presents examples of approaches that continue to provide reasonable returns.
Northwest Economy: Investing Opportunites in Washington, Oregon, and IdahoBarbara A. Johnston, D.V.M., DipACLAM, CFA, Individual InvestorIs there intelligent business life outside California? Biotech, medical, telecom, software and IT beyond Silicon Valley? Real estate markets that have survived the mortgage meltdown? You bet there are! Attend this informative, entertaining summary of the business climate and investing opportunities in and around Pugetopolis.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
June 26, 2010 CONVERTING TO A ROTH IRA: BEYOND THE BASICS Income limits on Roth conversions were eliminated and special tax treatment is allowed for 2010 conversions. Articles in the AAII Journal and Computerized Investing describe the conversion process, annuity-based assessment methods and rules of thumb for assessing conversion opportunities. Peter uses a series of vignettes to show that policy risk and return variation generally limit conversions to younger individuals who spend less than they earn and to older individuals who do not risk running out of money. The usual guidelines for assessing conversion opportunities neglect these risks. The usual guidelines are also unreliable because of unnecessary mortality and income tax approximations. Peter’s presentation in another AAII venue was well received.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
May 8, 2010 FREE INVESTING TOOLS: 24/7 ONLINE ACCESS TO VALUE LINE, S&P and MORNINGSTAR The Santa Clara County Library offers free access to Value Line, Morningstar and Standard & Poor’s databases online, anywhere, 24/7 to library card holders. Cards are free, with no residency requirement. All three databases provide a wealth of information regarding both stocks and mutual funds. This presentation will show you how to personally use these valuable investment tools.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
April 17, 2010 Financial ROUNDTABLE SEMINAR: STOCKS, MUTUAL FUNDS, ETFs, REAL ESTATE & INTEREST RATES Former Wall Street CEO, educator and investing guru, Harvey Baraban will present his popular seminar. At his last appearance in October 2008 when the market was trading just under 10,000, Harvey suggested preparing for the worst economic scenario and recommended reducing stock exposure in portfolios—wise and accurate advice. Harvey will share his inside secrets for successful investing and where the best opportunities for profit in the markets are now. With insight from over 40 years in the investment industry, he will show how being an informed investor can lead to better overall performance. Harvey will discuss how stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate and interest rates are impacted by current market conditions, and how ETFs are changing the market.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
March 13, 2010 THE BOND MARKET WENT FROM FAMINE TO FEAST...NOW WHAT? The credit crisis triggered many changes in bondland. If you are managing your own portfolio, you’d be well served to understand those changes.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
February 13, 2010 TAKING ADVANTAGE OF INVESTMENT TRENDS Dynamic asset allocation blends the timelessness of the historical efficient frontier of investing with the future expectations of 3-5 year trends. Learn the investment trends that you can take advantage of in the next few years.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
January 9, 2010 INSIDE THE INVESTOR'S BRAIN: MANAGING YOUR MIND TO PROSPER IN THE MARKETS Have you ever bought at a top or sold at a bottom? This and other mistakes are remarkably common among investors. The origin of such errors lies in the way our brains process financial information. Using data from recent neuroimaging research carried out at Stanford, Dr. Peterson will demonstrate the unconscious origins of most investment mistakes, evidence of their impact on profitability, and techniques for overcoming them. This talk is interspersed with humor and interactive exercises.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - How to cope with fundamental changes in the investing environment
- - What still seems to work, and what doesn't
- Dr. Bob Smithson, Chapter Board for Computerized Investing, Independent Investment Advisor
- Wayne A. Thorp, CFA, senior financial analyst at AAII, and editor of Computerized Investing
- Paul Townsend, associate vice-president & investment officer at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
- Al Zmyslowski, Chapter Member, Individual Investor
June 26, 2010 CONVERTING TO A ROTH IRA: BEYOND THE BASICS Income limits on Roth conversions were eliminated and special tax treatment is allowed for 2010 conversions. Articles in the AAII Journal and Computerized Investing describe the conversion process, annuity-based assessment methods and rules of thumb for assessing conversion opportunities. Peter uses a series of vignettes to show that policy risk and return variation generally limit conversions to younger individuals who spend less than they earn and to older individuals who do not risk running out of money. The usual guidelines for assessing conversion opportunities neglect these risks. The usual guidelines are also unreliable because of unnecessary mortality and income tax approximations. Peter’s presentation in another AAII venue was well received.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - Why the usual guidelines are unreliable
- - Optimum conversion amount and timing
- - How tax policy and return variation affect conversion benefits
- Speaker Peter James Lingane, EA, CFP Financial Security by Design
May 8, 2010 FREE INVESTING TOOLS: 24/7 ONLINE ACCESS TO VALUE LINE, S&P and MORNINGSTAR The Santa Clara County Library offers free access to Value Line, Morningstar and Standard & Poor’s databases online, anywhere, 24/7 to library card holders. Cards are free, with no residency requirement. All three databases provide a wealth of information regarding both stocks and mutual funds. This presentation will show you how to personally use these valuable investment tools.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - How each site is organized for quick access to stock and mutual fund information
- - How to retrieve basic reports, including those you may currently be using in print form
- - The five best or unique features about each site
April 17, 2010 Financial ROUNDTABLE SEMINAR: STOCKS, MUTUAL FUNDS, ETFs, REAL ESTATE & INTEREST RATES Former Wall Street CEO, educator and investing guru, Harvey Baraban will present his popular seminar. At his last appearance in October 2008 when the market was trading just under 10,000, Harvey suggested preparing for the worst economic scenario and recommended reducing stock exposure in portfolios—wise and accurate advice. Harvey will share his inside secrets for successful investing and where the best opportunities for profit in the markets are now. With insight from over 40 years in the investment industry, he will show how being an informed investor can lead to better overall performance. Harvey will discuss how stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate and interest rates are impacted by current market conditions, and how ETFs are changing the market.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - Harvey’s essential rules of investing
- - Asset allocation strategies using stocks, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs
- - Trading techniques that work
- Speaker Harvey Baraban Former CEO, Baraban Securities
March 13, 2010 THE BOND MARKET WENT FROM FAMINE TO FEAST...NOW WHAT? The credit crisis triggered many changes in bondland. If you are managing your own portfolio, you’d be well served to understand those changes.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - About the bond fund bubble
- - How to buy individual bonds with fortress balance sheets
- - Steps to creating a bullet-proof bond portfolio
- Speaker Marilyn Cohen, President, Envision Capital Management
February 13, 2010 TAKING ADVANTAGE OF INVESTMENT TRENDS Dynamic asset allocation blends the timelessness of the historical efficient frontier of investing with the future expectations of 3-5 year trends. Learn the investment trends that you can take advantage of in the next few years.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - The global economic trends and the countries most likely to profit from them
- - When each sector of the economy does the best during the market cycle
- - How to profit from inflation and currency trends
- - Maximizing aftertax returns in the coming tax tsunami
- - Dynamic asset allocation in an evolving market environment
- Speaker David John Marotta President and Senior Wealth Manager, Marotta Wealth Management
January 9, 2010 INSIDE THE INVESTOR'S BRAIN: MANAGING YOUR MIND TO PROSPER IN THE MARKETS Have you ever bought at a top or sold at a bottom? This and other mistakes are remarkably common among investors. The origin of such errors lies in the way our brains process financial information. Using data from recent neuroimaging research carried out at Stanford, Dr. Peterson will demonstrate the unconscious origins of most investment mistakes, evidence of their impact on profitability, and techniques for overcoming them. This talk is interspersed with humor and interactive exercises.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - About the “hard science” of investment psychology, from the level of the genes, to the brain, to your individual trading decisions
- - How to identify common perceptual mistakes in the media and in your own investing process
- Speaker Richard L. Peterson, MD Managing Director, MarketPsy Capital, LLC