Jim Woods
Smart Beta, Smart Bet?
Smart beta funds have been increasing in popularity over the past 10 years. Using mostly passive investment methods, smart beta funds apply a factor investing approach. These smart beta funds track an index but aim to beat the returns by using a variety of factors to shift the metrics used to select stocks. Strategies range […]
The Beautiful Banality of Sublime Moments
Sublime moments. They may seem infrequent and evanescent, and many of the moments we categorize as “peak experiences” are, by their very nature, uncommon. Yet, it is my opinion that these sublime experiences don’t have to be as infrequent and uncommon as most people perceive them to be. I say that because all too often, […]
Exposing Ourselves with This Emerging-Market ETF
Once in a while, we find ourselves exposed. And, regardless of whether we’ve done it on purpose or not, there is a level of vulnerability in exposure. However, being vulnerable is not always a bad thing, as it opens us up to opportunities we may not have otherwise been given — and when opportunity arises, […]
The Cat and the Horror (2023)
There was a cat sleeping on my porch She didn’t know what I had witnessed The lacerated skyline of metropolis A bleeding out of her twin sons Flying lancets piercing steel hulls Black smoke seasoning the azure sky As the falling man descends to the concrete Incendiary ideas born in Bronze To please a prophet […]
An Investment Trip to India
Over the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific region. One of those, India, with its robust gross domestic product (GDP) growth and desire to become increasingly industrialized, has captured the attention of many investors, who observe the progress that developing nations, such as India, are […]
On the Intangible Essence of Friendship
Friendship. It’s an essential component of any life well-lived. However, it’s also somewhat of a mysterious proposition, because what draws one person to another is often difficult to define. Yet, we all know what a friend is, and who our friends are, and what we like about our friends. Interestingly, most of us have friends […]