Practical Applications of The Glidepath Illusion: An International Perspective

Abstract

Pension savers should adopt less-conventional investment strategies, and the asset management industry should step up with innovative products, advises Javier Estrada , a Professor of Financial Management at IESE Business School . In this report and his original article in The Journal of Portfolio Management ’s Summer 2014 issue, Estrada draws on inspiration from Rob Arnott and Robert Shiller . Just as Arnott and Shiller have done, Estrada argues that the glidepath of target-date funds is exactly the opposite of what would be ideal if the ultimate goal is to maximize your nest egg at retirement.

In this Practical Applications report, Estrada explains how he expanded Arnott’s original research ( The Journal of Retirement, Fall 2013 ) to include more markets and more strategies. It discusses the continued debate about the efficacy of the glidepath, (see MarketWatch, Why Target-Date Funds Could Miss the Bull’s-Eye ).