Institutional investors moving more cash to diversified strategies

Plus: Bracing for an SEC exam, robo-adviser asset-gathering update, stocks to watch next week, and more ways to spend bitcoin

By Jeff Benjamin

Jan 17, 2014 @ 7:54 am (Updated 9:07 am) EST

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For more proof that diversification is in the eye of the beholder, a BlackRock report showing portfolio diversification is somewhat ironically described as risk-taking. Note to reader, when the S&P 500 gains more than 32% in a year, moving cash off the sidelines to invest in real estate and hedge funds is smart defense, not aggressive offense. Building better portfolios
With the SEC now committed to visit a wider variety of financial advisers, this would be a good time to start preparing for such exams. It's still not clear if the commission with have the resources or the energy to go beyond its average of visiting about 9% of the adviser community, but here are some tips to help you prep. Test yourself
Robo-adviser efforts to crack the code of asset gathering. Tech talk
As earnings season rolls on, here are nine low-valuation stocks slated to report next week. Potential bump from positive earnings surprises
For those folks fired up over how much money the federal government is making on the mortgage business, there is at least a show of support for selling Fannie and Freddie. But it's mostly just political bluster. Little chance of being adopted
The NBA's Sacramento Kings becomes the first pro sports franchise to accept bitcoin. Meanwhile, the Kings can't seem to win at home or on the road, and are clinging to a one-game winning streak. Fans can buy tickets and merchandise with the digital currency

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Jeff Benjamin covers investment strategies in his award-winning column, Investment Insights, and also dives deep into the minds of leading portfolio managers in his regular column, Portfolio Manager Perspectives.

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