A practitioner's guide to the essentials of asset allocation

By Russ Koesterich

For most of the past 50 years the simplest asset allocation solution was often the best. A balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds provided the investor with good returns. Unfortunately, this approach is not likely to work as well in the future. Interest rates are close to historic lows, equity valuations and bond prices appear stretched, and global economic growth has slowed. Investors need a new asset allocation solution.

In Portfolio Construction for Today’s Markets, BlackRock Portfolio Manager and investment expert Russ Koesterich addresses this problem by describing the step-by-step approach to building a portfolio consistent with investor goals and suited to today’s market environment.

This portfolio construction process is divided into six stages, beginning with setting objectives and moving through assessing risk tolerance, diversification, the importance of factors, generating return assumptions, and combining assets in a risk-controlled manner. In the final chapter, Mr Koesterich presents a highly useful summary of the five fundamental rules of asset allocation and a five-step checklist to follow when constructing portfolios.

For investors and their advisors constructing portfolio in today’s markets, this book is an indispensable new guide.

Mr Koesterich is a financial services veteran with 22 years' experience in the industry. Since 2005 he has worked at Barclays Global Investors and BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, with over $4.5 trillion in assets.

Mr Koesterich is currently a Portfolio Manager of the BlackRock Global Allocation Funds. In that capacity Mr Koesterich is responsible for driving asset allocation and risk management for BlackRock's largest investment team, managing approximately $80 billion. Prior to his current role Mr Koesterich served as the Global Chief Investment Strategist for BlackRock as well as the Chief Investment Strategist for the iShares business, the world's largest provider of exchange traded funds (ETFs). Prior to joining BlackRock (then BGI) in 2005, Mr Koesterich was the Chief North American Strategist for State Street Global Markets in Boston.

Mr Koesterich is a frequent contributor to the financial news, including CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox Business television, the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Market Watch. He is the author of two previous books.

Mr Koesterich holds a BA from Brandeis University, a JD from Boston College Law School and an MBA from Columbia Business School. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).