The Wealth Management League 2021 Winter Summit: The Incredible Shrinking Alpha

A Wealth Management League Sponsored Event

Mr. Swedroe’s and Dr. Berkin’s talk, The Incredible Shrinking Alpha, is a presentation based on their book, The Incredible Shrinking Alpha: And What You Can Do to Escape Its Clutches. Attendees will learn what is happening to the alpha for which so many investors yearn. Offering compelling data from decades of academic research, he will present the hard truth—it's not worth the time or effort spent battling to win those few extra cake crumbs. Instead, focus on the things you can control and discover what life has to offer beyond the quest for alpha.

SPEAKERS

Larry Swedroe | Since joining the firm in 1996, Larry Swedroe has spent his time, talent and energy educating investors on the benefits of evidence-based investing with enthusiasm few can match. Larry was among the first authors to publish a book that explained the science of investing in layman’s terms, The Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You’ll Ever Need. He has since authored seven more books: What Wall Street Doesn’t Want You to Know (2001), Rational Investing in Irrational Times (2002), The Successful Investor Today (2003), Wise Investing Made Simple (2007), Wise Investing Made Simpler (2010), The Quest for Alpha (2011) and Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett (2012). He has also co-authored eight books about investing. His latest work, “Your Complete Guide to a Successful and Secure Retirement,” was co-authored with Kevin Grogan and published in January 2019.

In his role as chief research officer and as a member of the firm’s Investment Policy Committee Larry regularly reviews the findings published in dozens of peer-reviewed financial journals, evaluates the outcomes and uses the result to inform the firm’s formal investment strategy recommendations. He has had his own articles published in the Journal of Accountancy, Journal of Investing, AAII Journal, Personal Financial Planning Monthly, and the Journal of Portfolio Management.

Larry’s dedication to helping others has made him a sought-after national speaker. He has made appearances on national television shows airing on NBC, CNBC, CNN and Bloomberg Personal Finance. Larry is a prolific writer, contributing regularly to multiple outlets, including Advisor Perspectives, The Evidence Based Investor, Alpha Architect, and Seeking Alpha.

Before joining Buckingham, Larry was vice chairman of Prudential Home Mortgage. He has held positions at Citicorp as senior vice president and regional treasurer, responsible for treasury, foreign exchange and investment banking activities, including risk management strategies.

Larry holds an MBA in finance and investment from New York University, and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Baruch College in New York. Back To Top ^^

Andrew L. Berkin, PhD | Dr. Berkin oversees the development and implementation of Bridgeway's statistically driven, evidence-based investment strategies. Andrew has published numerous research articles on quantitative investing and serves on the editorial board of the Financial Analysts Journal. In addition, he has authored several papers on physics and computer science and has studied astrophysics and general relativity. With this scientific background, he brings a unique perspective to analyzing financial data and uncovering research-backed strategies for financial professionals and investors.

Andrew has co-authored two books on investing. His latest works, The Incredible Shrinking Alpha: How to be a Successful Investor Without Picking Winners (2nd Edition – 2020, 1st edition - 2015) and Your Complete Guide to Factor-Based Investing (2016), were co-authored with Larry Swedroe.

Prior to joining Bridgeway, Andrew was co-chief investment officer and director of research for Vericimetry Advisors. He previously was a senior member and director of the quantitative research group at First Quadrant, where he spent 14 years in a variety of responsibilities, including the development and implementation of stock selection models in both taxable and tax-exempt portfolios primarily for institutions.

Andrew earned his Bachelor of Science with honors in physics from the California Institute of Technology and a Doctor of Philosophy in physics from the University of Texas, where he concentrated his studies in general relativity and astrophysics. Back To Top ^^