4-minute Money Ideas

How Modern Portfolio Theory Can Make You a Better Investor By Douglas Goldstein, CFP® Can “Modern Portfolio Theory” increase your investment returns? Recently, on The Goldstein on Gelt Show, I spoke with the inventor of Modern Portfolio Theory, Nobel Prize in Economics winner, Dr. Harry Markowitz. Dr. Markowitz explained various aspects of Modern Portfolio Theory and its impact on the individual investor. His theory explains how to construct an investment portfolio by optimizing expected returns based on the level of market risk. The goal is to help investors construct portfolios to maximize returns while limiting risk as much as possible. By combining various asset classes in one portfolio, Markowitz explains, the overall account may have a lower volatility and higher return than a portfolio that isn’t properly optimized. Can theories really help investors? When investors are faced with market upheaval, they often panic and lose confidence. When I asked Dr. Markowitz how to advise clients during turbulent m