During Morningstar.co.uk's special Managing Risk Week, May 31-June 3, you can get a handle on today's risk environment, gauge your portfolio's risk level, take an objective step back from your own risk tolerance, learn how some notable managers and advisers are handling risk today, and find picks from across the risk spectrum.
We kickstart this week with some insight into what exactly constitutes 'risk'. A variety of risk factors could be pressuring your portfolio, from economic risks to market risks to the risk of not identifying opportunities. We take a look at how to identify, measure, and mitigate the true risks in your portfolio to ensure you manage the biggest risk of all: not meeting your financial goals.
We hope that Managing Risk Week will help you to round out your investing toolbox, equipping you to better identify, gauge, and prepare for the risks in your portfolio, in your individual investments, in the larger market and economy, and even in your own behaviour.
We'll be updating this summary article with links to risk-related articles and videos throughout the week. Bookmark this page and be sure to check back throughout the week.
Defining Risk
The Basics of Risk Are you aware of the potential risks and returns of various investment vehicles and styles?
A Field Guide for Recognising Risk Several types of investment risk can threaten your portfolio--some are easier to avoid than others.
Risk, Not Volatility, Is the Real Enemy Grant us investors the wisdom to know the difference.
Under-the-Radar Risks While most people focus on volatility, there are other more subtle and arguably more important risks, says Ross Levin of planning firm Accredited Investors.
Measuring Risk
How Much Should You Rely on Beta? Part I of a series on Modern Portfolio Theory, in which we look to determine the level of a fund's index-related risk.
What Does R-Squared Reveal? Part II of a series on MPT, where we discuss how R-squared can determine the usefulness of other MPT statistics.
Should You Bank on Alpha? In Part III of our series on MPT, we consider the alpha data point's reliability in determining a fund's risk/reward profile.
The Many Faces of Risk The only way to get really close to understanding risk is to combine many different indicators of the concept.
Investment Vehicles and Their Risks
Are Your Fund's Returns Worth the Risk? The Sharpe ratio can help investors compare funds' risk/reward profiles.
Closed-end Funds: Where Do the Risks Lie? CEFs have their own set of risks that need to be considered but that doesn't necessarily make them more risky than their peers, says Morningstar's Jackie Beard.
Be Sure You Know What You Own in ETFs VIDEO: ETFs suit investors both large and small, but the right investment idea can be completely ruined by bad execution of that idea, says Morningstar's Scott Burns.
What Happens to ETFs in Times of Crisis? VIDEO: What should investors keep in mind about country-specific ETFs when turmoil or disaster strike?
Putting Risk Perspectives into Practice
How Much Risk Can You Take? Investing Classroom: Investing is about trade-offs, namely risk versus return, ut how much can you tolerate?
Risk Calibration for Retiree Portfolios Going too light on risky assets is a risk unto itself.
When to Increase the Risk of Your Portfolio Timing the market is a risky business, but are there some simple signs of opportune points to enter the market for long-term investors?
Investing on a Fault Line VIDEO: Devastating crises--geophysical, financial, and political--can happen at unpredictable junctures, but investors can endure by owning strong businesses with a margin of safety.
How Political Risk Impacts Your Portfolio An amorphous concept with real market consequences, political risk is difficult to measure and yet crucial to keep in mind.
Case Study: Is Russia Over-penalised for Risk? With its high level of risk exposure and promise of higher return, Russia is a fascinating investment case study of how real and perceived country risk can impact a portfolio.