John Fawcett: Disrupting the secretive world of quants

I chat with John, the founder of Quantopian, on how he got started in quantitative finance, where he sees the industry evolving and how he created a global community of intrinsically motivated coders to create unique solutions to the greatest intellectual game on earth.

Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

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Border to Coast hunts strategic partners as private markets set to surge

Border to Coast hunts strategic partners as private markets set to surge

The UK’s LGPS pool, £120 billion ($161 billion) Border to Coast, is hunting for strategic relationships with asset managers and global asset owners as it prepares to invest £40 billion in private markets. Chief executive Rachel Elwell speaks to Top1000funds.com about the fund's approach to finding long-term partnerships in the market.

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Disruption in demographic trends

Demographic trends will have a profound impact on pension funds’ investment returns, argued Patrick Zweifel, chief economist at Pictet Asset Management speaking at the Fiduciary Investors’ Symposium at Harvard University. He said ageing populations mean retirement ages need to rise and will see pension funds increase risk to stretch for returns.

The dangers of MMT: A counter argument

Look no further than the economic travails of Italy and Japan to see the perils of Modern Monetary Theory, MMT, said Sonal Desai, CIO, fixed income at Franklin Templeton. Speaking at the Fiduciary Investors’ Symposium at Harvard University, she countered the arguments of Stephanie Kelton, a leading MMT scholar at Stony Brook University and senior economic advisor to presidential candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders who espoused the virtues of MMT in a previous session MMT: A solution to broken policy?

Global critique calls for Aussie reform

A global working group of pension experts critiqued the Australian system at the recent ICPM meeting in Sydney. They emphasised a desperate need for the system to move from accumulation to retirement income, reduce complexity, focus on retirees (not 40-year olds) and be holistic. After all, they said, the purpose of a pension system is about paying pensions not investment.

Still life in PE energy: Cambridge Assoc

Is private equity investment in the energy sector dead? Not according to Cambridge Associates. But the consultant argues that the game has changed and to be successful, investors should adopt a new commitment strategy; and while the industry faces secular challenges, managers can innovate to exploit disruption and generate attractive absolute returns.

Washington State’s secret sauce

A big contributor to the long-term top decile performance of the Washington State Investment Board has been its high allocation to private markets. But it is not just the high allocation that sets the fund apart from its peers, it’s also the nature of the relationships with its GPs. Amanda White speaks to retiring CIO Gary Bruebaker about the fund's secret sauce.

Foundation puts diversity first

Bert Feuss, senior vice president, investments at the $13.5 billion Silicon Valley Community Foundation, SVCF, explains why diversity is so important, the steps the impact investor has taken to address the institutionalised lack of diversity, and the impact on performance.

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