Author: Dan Mikulskis

Four questions I would love to know the answer to (but don’t)

July 10, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes To follow on from When the Rules Change. Should investors use more leverage? Usually avoided with an allergic aversion, but CALPERs recently put the cat among the pigeons with their strategic decision to use 20% leverage to meet performance targets. Clearly it all depends on the terms of the leverage. But if a foundation or … More Four questions I would love to know the answer to (but don’t)

When the Rules Change

July 9, 2020

Reading Time: 6 minutes In the 1990’s competitive swimmers got very serious about swimming large distances underwater at the start of races. This culminated most famously in Russian Denis Pankratov winning the 100m butterfly at the Atlanta olympics by swimming more than half of the first length underwater and breaking the world record. Swimming’s governing body, FINA, decided understandably … More When the Rules Change

Apples and Squirrels – IRRs vs CAGR

June 25, 2020

Reading Time: 4 minutes The internal-rate-of-return is the traditional way of measuring returns in private markets (where cash-flows occur into and out of partnerships) but its shortcomings as a measure are one big reason to be wary of private markets performance, more on that here. It can be a bit like comparing apples with squirrels. One of several issues … More Apples and Squirrels – IRRs vs CAGR

A reason this equity rally might not be overdone

June 24, 2020

Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s a psychological fact that market falls are almost always painful. But stock market rallies can be almost as hated if they take a lot of people by surprise which is the same as saying the narratives in play against it are stronger or more prevalant than those supporting it. The bounce we’ve been in … More A reason this equity rally might not be overdone

Uprated skills

June 19, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes To follow on from underrated skills. In a remote world where everything’s changed and long-term is next month, which skills have gained in importance? Starting with “I’m not sure“ False certainty can be a huge risk at the best of times, even more so when the world has changed and no-one really knows for sure … More Uprated skills

Yes, the journey matters

June 9, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes Your standard finance textbook gets it wrong, or at least doesn’t tell you the full story. Three investors, three different paths of return this year (orange, green, blue). But assuming they start and end at the same point (I know they don’t quite), who feels best? And why? Which is the best investment? Simple question … More Yes, the journey matters

The Best Investment Track Record Ever?

May 28, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes Sixty-six percent per year average returns (before fees) over thirty years. With no down years. Yes, you read that right. That’s the spectacular track record for Renaissance Technology’s Medallion fund that author Greg Zuckerman lays out in his investigative book on the legendary mathematican and Renaissance founder: Jim Simons (“The Man Who Solved the Market“). … More The Best Investment Track Record Ever?

Planning once you’ve been punched in the mouth – 3 more questions

April 30, 2020

Reading Time: 9 minutes No plan survives first contact with the enemy Herman Von Mutke the Elder During a speech in November 1957 Eisenhower told an anecdote about the maps used during U.S. military training. Maps of the Alsace-Lorraine area of Europe were used during instruction before World War I, but educational reformers decided that the location was not … More Planning once you’ve been punched in the mouth – 3 more questions