2011 AAII Silicon Valley Main Events
All the Past Main Event Topics and Speakers
With presentations you can download, where available....
2011 Presentations
November 5, 2011 CAN COMPUTERIZED INVESTING SAVE TIME, INCREASE PROFITS AND REDUCE RISK? Can an individual investor use a computer to improve the chances of beating the market? Will using a computer help or hurt your results? Will it reduce or increase the amount of time necessary to manage your portfolio? Many performance claims ignore major negative factors in returns. Probably the four most significant such factors are fees, taxes, inflation and the impracticality of exactly following the benchmark. Claimed time savings ignore the time spent downloading data and updates and fixing the problems that occur when you install them. This seminar will look at these claims and discuss actual and simulated results obtained with real software under real market conditions. We will attempt to provide a completely realistic look at what results can be expected by an individual using a computer.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
October 15, 2011 CHANGES AND UPDATES TO MEDICARE Ask anyone turning 65 about Medicare and, likely as not, they will say it is confusing and complicated. There are Parts A and B of Original Medicare, as well as Medigap plans to supplement them. There’s Part D, the prescription drug plan with the infamous “donut hole.” And there’s Part C of Medicare, also known as Medicare Advantage, which typically combines Parts A, B and D into one plan. There is the process of enrollment, as well as a myriad of rights and rules every Medicare beneficiary should know. The Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) of the Council on Aging Silicon Valley can help current and prospective Medicare beneficiaries unravel the mysteries and wonders of Medicare.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
September 10, 2011 GETTING BETTER AT SELLING Investors don’t realize a profit until a position is sold. Numerous forces conspire to inhibit selling for a profit. Some are in the external world, and many are in our heads. This presentation will present a checklist identifying enemies to guard against and will provide specific suggestions for selling advantageously. The speaker will also point out a number of publicly available signals showing when markets are unsustainable high—great times to sell. Become better equipped to deal with selling a stock or ETF, the important and often-neglected second side of every investment position, by attending this September chapter event.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
Mondays, June - September 2011 WORKSHOP SERIES: USING EXCEL FOR INVESTMENTS Microsoft Excel has a number of built-in statistical and graphics capabilities that allow it to accomplish many useful tasks for the individual investor, such as portfolio tracking, security analysis and risk reduction. Examples of topics covered include the basics of financial analysis with Excel, portfolio tracking, equity curve analysis, charting for visibility, moving averages, timing, backtesting, risk analysis and momentum. This class consists of a series of three meetings at which example spreadsheets will be provided and homework will be assigned. There will be a fourth meeting as a final wrap-up session, and both speakers will be available online between meetings for questions. Familiarity with basic investment concepts and the use of Excel for basic spreadsheet calculations is assumed; no knowledge of programming is required. The speakers will use Microsoft Excel 7 under Microsoft Windows 7 for this class, but most spreadsheets should function with Excel 2000 or later, as well as recent versions of Excel for Apple computers. Attend This Meeting and Learn:
June 18, 2011 ESTATE PLANNING 101: THE BASICS AND BEYOND We all know that nothing is certain in life but death and taxes, yet few people effectuate successful estate plans, and even fewer understand the plans that they already have. This presentation will explain the economic and personal value of an effective estate plan, its basic components, and how to ensure that your goals are met. It will also provide an introduction to sophisticated estate planning techniques, including lifetime gifting opportunities, generation-skipping transfer tax avoidance and charitable giving. The presentation will discuss related issues such as business succession planning and real estate transfers, and you will also receive an update on significant recent changes to federal tax law.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
May 14, 2011 TODAY’S AND TOMORROW’S FIXED INCOME INVESTMENTS Bill Mullally, “The Bond Expert,” President and Head Fixed-Income Trader, Alamo Capital, will focus his presentation on the important facts that every bond investor should know. He will cover the fundamentals of municipal bonds in general, with a special emphasis on California municipal bonds. Bill will discuss taxable versus tax-free bonds and the power of taxable equivalent yields. Join us for answers to your questions about fixed-income investing.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
April 16, 2011 WHAT INVESTORS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS Increasing numbers of investors are discovering master limited partnerships (MLPs) as a steady source of tax-advantaged income with potential for capital appreciation. You may have heard of publicly traded partnerships or MLPs, but you may be unsure of what they are and how they may fit in your portfolio. Mary S. Lyman will review the basic structure of MLPs, types of MLP companies, and why MLPs are considered tax-advantaged. Richard A. Robert and M. Neale Hickerson will present an in-depth look at Vanguard Natural Resources LLC and Holly Energy Partners L.P., respectively. Attend This Meeting and Learn:- What kind of companies MLPs are - Why MLPs are considered tax-advantaged - How MLPs may fit in an investor’s portfolio SpeakersMary S. Lyman, executive director of the National Association of Publicly Traded Partnerships (NAPTP), a trade association representing publicly traded partnerships.Richard A. Robert, executive vice president, chief financial officer and secretary of Vanguard Natural Resources LLC (NYSE: VNR). M. Neale Hickerson is the vice president of investor relations for Holly Corporation (NYSE: HOC)
March 12, 2011 WAKE UP, PEOPLE!! THE OUTLOOK FOR THE SECOND FULL YEAR OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND EMERGING MARKETS (WITH SOME HOPE FOR EUROPE, TOO) Jeanette Garretty, Senior Wealth Manager and Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo Private Bank, will discuss the evolving economic recovery in the United States and emerging markets and the policy challenges that lie ahead. Key topics will include monetary policy, state and federal government debt, inflation, and employment. How do the cyclical and structural changes in global economic and financial markets affect the individual investor? Jeanette will provide a forecast for interest rates, earnings, consumer spending, capital spending, the trade deficit and the dollar. She will also discuss the information needed for financial planning and provide economic analyses for various investment sectors. Attend This Meeting and Learn:- How to measure and evaluate risks- About the economic and financial outlook for 2011 and 2012- About some thoughts on insanity, defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different resultsSpeaker Jeanette Garretty has worked with ultra high net worth clients and senior executives in various capacities for more than 25 years.
February 19, 2011 GLOBAL TACTICAL INVESTING Mebane Faber, manager of the Cambria Global Tactical exchange-traded fund (ETF) (ticker: GTAA) and co-author of “The Ivy Portfolio” (John Wiley & Sons, 2009), will show us how to develop a portfolio that mimics the stellar long-term investment track records of the Harvard & Yale endowments. Specifically, he will discuss how an investor can develop an innovative strategic asset allocation using an ETF-based investment approach. He will also present a simple tactical asset allocation method that improves risk-adjusted returns and dampens the impact of bear markets on long-term results.Attend This Meeting and Learn:- How to develop a simple portfolio that can withstand any economic environment- How to manage the portfolio to dampen bear markets - Essential investment rules and time-tested techniques that workSpeaker Mebane Faber Mr. Faber researches and manages a number of quantitative strategies at Cambria Investment Management.
- - How to use a computer to obtain specific information on what and when to buy and sell
- - How to use a computer to find and analyze data to calculate the probable returns and risks of specific securities
- With Al Zmyslowski, Bob Smithson, Richard Oehlberg, Short Topics by Andy Prophet, Lynn Gillette, and Fred Smith
October 15, 2011 CHANGES AND UPDATES TO MEDICARE Ask anyone turning 65 about Medicare and, likely as not, they will say it is confusing and complicated. There are Parts A and B of Original Medicare, as well as Medigap plans to supplement them. There’s Part D, the prescription drug plan with the infamous “donut hole.” And there’s Part C of Medicare, also known as Medicare Advantage, which typically combines Parts A, B and D into one plan. There is the process of enrollment, as well as a myriad of rights and rules every Medicare beneficiary should know. The Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) of the Council on Aging Silicon Valley can help current and prospective Medicare beneficiaries unravel the mysteries and wonders of Medicare.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - What Medicare is and its benefits and costs
- - About the required and optional parts of Medicare, including prescription drug coverage
- - What the health care reform legislation means for Medicare beneficiaries
September 10, 2011 GETTING BETTER AT SELLING Investors don’t realize a profit until a position is sold. Numerous forces conspire to inhibit selling for a profit. Some are in the external world, and many are in our heads. This presentation will present a checklist identifying enemies to guard against and will provide specific suggestions for selling advantageously. The speaker will also point out a number of publicly available signals showing when markets are unsustainable high—great times to sell. Become better equipped to deal with selling a stock or ETF, the important and often-neglected second side of every investment position, by attending this September chapter event.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - Why selling is so hard, and what to do about it
- - Specific indicators and rules to improve selling performance
Mondays, June - September 2011 WORKSHOP SERIES: USING EXCEL FOR INVESTMENTS Microsoft Excel has a number of built-in statistical and graphics capabilities that allow it to accomplish many useful tasks for the individual investor, such as portfolio tracking, security analysis and risk reduction. Examples of topics covered include the basics of financial analysis with Excel, portfolio tracking, equity curve analysis, charting for visibility, moving averages, timing, backtesting, risk analysis and momentum. This class consists of a series of three meetings at which example spreadsheets will be provided and homework will be assigned. There will be a fourth meeting as a final wrap-up session, and both speakers will be available online between meetings for questions. Familiarity with basic investment concepts and the use of Excel for basic spreadsheet calculations is assumed; no knowledge of programming is required. The speakers will use Microsoft Excel 7 under Microsoft Windows 7 for this class, but most spreadsheets should function with Excel 2000 or later, as well as recent versions of Excel for Apple computers. Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - How to use Excel spreadsheets for basic investment tasks such as portfolio tracking
- - How Excel’s library of statistical functions can be used for advanced tasks such as portfolio building, risk control and buy/sell decisions
- Speakers Al Zmyslowski and Dr. Robert C. Smithson
June 18, 2011 ESTATE PLANNING 101: THE BASICS AND BEYOND We all know that nothing is certain in life but death and taxes, yet few people effectuate successful estate plans, and even fewer understand the plans that they already have. This presentation will explain the economic and personal value of an effective estate plan, its basic components, and how to ensure that your goals are met. It will also provide an introduction to sophisticated estate planning techniques, including lifetime gifting opportunities, generation-skipping transfer tax avoidance and charitable giving. The presentation will discuss related issues such as business succession planning and real estate transfers, and you will also receive an update on significant recent changes to federal tax law.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - The essential components of an estate plan
- - Why planning is necessary to achieve your goals and protect your estate
- - How to avoid common estate planning pitfalls
May 14, 2011 TODAY’S AND TOMORROW’S FIXED INCOME INVESTMENTS Bill Mullally, “The Bond Expert,” President and Head Fixed-Income Trader, Alamo Capital, will focus his presentation on the important facts that every bond investor should know. He will cover the fundamentals of municipal bonds in general, with a special emphasis on California municipal bonds. Bill will discuss taxable versus tax-free bonds and the power of taxable equivalent yields. Join us for answers to your questions about fixed-income investing.Attend This Meeting and Learn:
- - About today’s and tomorrow’s fixed-income investments
- - About California municipal bonds
- - About taxable versus tax-free investments
- Bill Mullally, the founder, president, municipal principal, head fixed income trader and underwriter of Alamo Capital, a full-service broker dealer that specializes in fixed-income investments.
April 16, 2011 WHAT INVESTORS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS Increasing numbers of investors are discovering master limited partnerships (MLPs) as a steady source of tax-advantaged income with potential for capital appreciation. You may have heard of publicly traded partnerships or MLPs, but you may be unsure of what they are and how they may fit in your portfolio. Mary S. Lyman will review the basic structure of MLPs, types of MLP companies, and why MLPs are considered tax-advantaged. Richard A. Robert and M. Neale Hickerson will present an in-depth look at Vanguard Natural Resources LLC and Holly Energy Partners L.P., respectively. Attend This Meeting and Learn:- What kind of companies MLPs are - Why MLPs are considered tax-advantaged - How MLPs may fit in an investor’s portfolio SpeakersMary S. Lyman, executive director of the National Association of Publicly Traded Partnerships (NAPTP), a trade association representing publicly traded partnerships.Richard A. Robert, executive vice president, chief financial officer and secretary of Vanguard Natural Resources LLC (NYSE: VNR). M. Neale Hickerson is the vice president of investor relations for Holly Corporation (NYSE: HOC)
March 12, 2011 WAKE UP, PEOPLE!! THE OUTLOOK FOR THE SECOND FULL YEAR OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND EMERGING MARKETS (WITH SOME HOPE FOR EUROPE, TOO) Jeanette Garretty, Senior Wealth Manager and Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo Private Bank, will discuss the evolving economic recovery in the United States and emerging markets and the policy challenges that lie ahead. Key topics will include monetary policy, state and federal government debt, inflation, and employment. How do the cyclical and structural changes in global economic and financial markets affect the individual investor? Jeanette will provide a forecast for interest rates, earnings, consumer spending, capital spending, the trade deficit and the dollar. She will also discuss the information needed for financial planning and provide economic analyses for various investment sectors. Attend This Meeting and Learn:- How to measure and evaluate risks- About the economic and financial outlook for 2011 and 2012- About some thoughts on insanity, defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different resultsSpeaker Jeanette Garretty has worked with ultra high net worth clients and senior executives in various capacities for more than 25 years.
February 19, 2011 GLOBAL TACTICAL INVESTING Mebane Faber, manager of the Cambria Global Tactical exchange-traded fund (ETF) (ticker: GTAA) and co-author of “The Ivy Portfolio” (John Wiley & Sons, 2009), will show us how to develop a portfolio that mimics the stellar long-term investment track records of the Harvard & Yale endowments. Specifically, he will discuss how an investor can develop an innovative strategic asset allocation using an ETF-based investment approach. He will also present a simple tactical asset allocation method that improves risk-adjusted returns and dampens the impact of bear markets on long-term results.Attend This Meeting and Learn:- How to develop a simple portfolio that can withstand any economic environment- How to manage the portfolio to dampen bear markets - Essential investment rules and time-tested techniques that workSpeaker Mebane Faber Mr. Faber researches and manages a number of quantitative strategies at Cambria Investment Management.