The Curious Quant

The Curious Quant series, hosted by Michael Kollo, is a discussion between technically-minded professionals in the financial services, technology and data science fields. It carefully examines the application of new data and new methodologies to common problems in financial markets. The aim is to promote better discussions about these emerging areas, and a better understanding of new technologies.

 

 

Michael Kollo is a seasoned investment professional with a deep passion for the pragmatic discussion and application of quantitative models to solve problems. His PhD in Finance is from the London School of Economics where he lectured in quantitative finance in addition to Imperial College and at the University of New South Wales. He has created models and led quantitative research teams at Blackrock, Fidelity and Axa Rosenberg in the UK before more recently moving to Australia where he established the quantitative team for the $50 billion industry superannuation fund, HESTA. Kollo is an experienced speaker, author, mentor, a keen student of philosophy and more recently, a podcaster. The Curious Quant is a series of conversations with market leaders, deep thinkers and practitioners who deal with the wonder and frustrations of these models and who are on the front line of AI innovation.

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Merton’s message: give up on alpha

Nobel Prize winner, Robert Merton, has thrown down the gauntlet. He claims that by focusing on a retirement income goal he can beat any competitor that is managing a 70:30 portfolio that has wealth accumulation as the goal. Do you dare take him on? The defined contribution pension management industry has it wrong, according to

New York’s budget, how would you spend it?

The city of New York spent $472.5 million on asset manager fees in 2012/13. The allocation of these funds is part of the $68 billion annual budget the City Comptroller has to run the city of New York. The bureau of asset management that oversees the $137.4 billion in pensions fits within that budget, but

Carbon credit market gets a boost

Norway and Britain have both announced plans to buy carbon credits, giving the United Nation’s struggling Clean Development Mechanism a boost.   Sovereign institutions have thrown a lifeline to the United Nation’s struggling Clean Development Mechanism, CDM, set up under the Kyoto Protocol which awards tradable carbon credits to projects like wind farms or solar

Contingent-COLAs the cornerstone of reform success

What can other states can adopt from the pension reforms at Rhode Island. The most significant item from the pension reform at Rhode Island is the fact the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) is conditional. Or in other words, the fund will only pay the COLA if it can afford to do so. This simple

UK local authority funds question “bigger is best”

UK local authority schemes are under pressure to merge. It’s their turn to suggest ways in which pooling investments, or adminstriation, could achieve the economies of scale necessary for survival, but many are resisting the notion that “bigger is better” when it comes to investments.   The United Kingdom’s local government pension schemes have begun

Integrating ESG at Norway’s giant SWF

Behind the Strategy Council’s report to the Norwegian Ministry of Finance on responsible investment for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global.

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