The Incredible Shrinking Alpha (Second Edition)

Based on decades of research and my personal experiences, I too gave up the quest for alpha long ago. I hold an endowed chair in investments and am a member of The Wall Street Journal Experts panel. Yet, I do not own a single individual stock or corporate bond. Rather, I invest in low-cost passive mutual funds and ETFs. Swedroe and Berkin demonstrate how this strategy can be used to achieve a prudent, globally diversified portfolio. Their book could well end up saving you a lot of money?your money?and giving you a lot of free time. -- William Reichenstein, Investment Professor at Baylor University
Swedroe and Berkin have done a remarkable job in absorbing academic finance research and disseminating its key insights to a broad audience. Their core message that passive investing is beneficial for a vast majority of investors is supported by a large body of evidence-based scientific research. Swedroe and Berkin’s writings are informative, insightful, and fun to read. I highly recommend this book. ?Lu Zhang, The John W. Galbreath Chair, Professor of Finance, The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business -- Jim O'Shaughnessy, Author of What Works on Wall Street
Berkin and Swedroe knock it out of the park with The Incredible Shrinking Alpha. The authors provide an incredibly thorough and balanced summary of the research on the challenges faced by active asset management. I learned a lot from this book and I think you will too. Read it. -- Wesley R. Gray PhD, CEO of Alpha Architect, and co-author of Quantitative Value and Quantitative Momentum
Ever wonder why your actively managed funds almost invariably disappoint you? Piece by piece, the authors peel back the claims that active managers can add value in a system where it gets harder and harder to generate Alpha. In a world where academic research uncovers the true sources of return and markets relentlessly become more efficient, what’s an investor to do? Go passive! Swedroe is the master of explaining financial research in terms that every reader can easily understand. Read and improve your financial acumen. -- Francis Armstrong III, author of The Informed Investor and Investment Strategies For The 21st Century
If you think you can beat the market, you need to read this wise book. Swedroe and Berkin show that whatever superior investment performance you may achieve is fully accounted for by the risks you are taking with your money and even risk compensation may be shrinking as well. But there are things you can do, and the authors suggest a number of sensible strategies to improve investment results. -- Burton Malkiel, author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street
Want to outperform the average active manager? Reduce costs and be tax efficient? And stay disciplined in your investments? Then read this book?and join the huge wave moving to evidence-based, systematic investing. Swedroe and Berkin have masterfully combined academic and practitioner insights, relatable anecdotes, with clear actions that will make a big difference in your portfolio. -- Andrew Ang, Head of Factor Investing at BlackRock and former Professor of Finance at Columbia Business School
Swedroe and Berkin provide a concise treatment of the research passive and active investors (both individual and institutional and also financial advisors) need to become more successful. This treatment also appeals to college finance students seeking to gain a better understanding of passive versus active investing, along with the correct answers. The authors enable investors seeking to generate real alpha to understand that passive investing is increasingly the correct approach, while active investing is just the opposite. -- John Haslem, Professor Emeritus of Finance, University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business, and editor/author of Mutual Funds: Portfolio Structures, Analysis, Management, And Stewardship
Over the last decade investors have benefitted from abandoning active stock pickers in droves. Packed with brand new studies brought to life by helpful anecdotes, this book promises to turbo-charge the trend. -- Adam Butler, CEO, CIO of ReSolve Asset Management
For over half a century, academics and practitioners have debated the very nature of markets. Berkin and Swedroe guide us through this labyrinth of literature to reach one clear conclusion: what once was opaque, expensive alpha is now transparent, low-cost beta. Providing a framework for how and where to put that knowledge into action?and how investors can avoid playing the loser’s game?is where this book really shines. -- Corey Hoffstein, Co-founder & CIO, Newfound Research
There is overwhelming evidence showing traditional active management is a losing strategy, but the allure of alpha still attracts investors of all kinds. Berkin and Swedroe clearly and succinctly describe why the pursuit of alpha is unlikely to help you achieve your goals and offer strategies to improve the likelihood of success. -- Peter Lazaroff, CIO of Plancorp and author of Making Money Simple
Swedroe and Berkin roll up their sleeves and dig into decades of research to help us better understand how markets work. The result is a clear and concise synthesis of how investing can indeed be a winner’s game. Read, study and apply their approach. -- Tobias Moskowitz, Fama Family Professor of Finance, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and Managing Director, AQR Capital Management
In this short but powerful book, Swedroe and Berkin have advanced the debate on active v. passive to a new level. Their discussion of how alpha (beating the market) has steadily morphed into beta (achieving market returns) is the best description I’ve read of this process yet. No polemics here, just a data-centered exposition of the issues?the longtime trademark of Larry Swedroe. -- Edward Wolfe, Professor Emeritus of Finance, Western Kentucky University