In this paper we offer two suggestions, both of which we believe are basic principles.
All portfolios, even those that lack cashflows in or out, stand to benefit from these
suggestions. But portfolios with material cashflows, and for which sequence of return
risk is particularly salient, stand to benefit the most.
First, you should be asking the right question. What is it that you want/need from your
portfolio, and how do you minimize the risk that your portfolio does not deliver what
you need when you need it? This requires rethinking risk. Typically, risk is thought of
as volatility. But as we show in this paper, reframing risk as “not having what you need
when you need it” can lead to substantially better outcomes simply because you are
asking the right question. Furthermore, minimizing shortfall risk by incorporating two
horizons – when you need the money and how long you need the money to last – goes a
long way to naturally addressing shortfall risk when it matters most.
Second, you should be “moving your assets,” which is nothing more than an application
of the basic theorem of investing (buy low, sell high). While this sounds trite, in
reality it can be painful to attempt and most investors, professionals included, don’t
even really try to. However, the outcomes can be so much better for the effort that we
believe it is well worth the social pain inherent in always moving against the herd.
Changing your allocations is also tied to the notion that if you are a forced seller, you
should sell the expensive assets and if you are a forced buyer, you should buy the cheap
assets. This will naturally tilt your portfolio in a more profitable direction and lead to
better outcomes.