How Harvard and Yale Beat the Market

Large university endowments like Harvard and Yale have always had to be more innovative than most institutional investors, as they have an almost impossible investment mandate—generate a large enough real return (return after inflation) so the endowment can spend money and avoid risks that could subject the endowment to any losses.

By thinking outside the box about how a portfolio should be managed, many endowments have outperformed the market over the years. Now, with How Harvard and Yale Beat the Market, you'll become familiar with the endowment philosophy of investing and discover how to structure your individual investment endeavors around an endowment-type portfolio.

Author Matthew Tuttle has been involved with the markets in one way or another for almost two decades. During this time, he's developed an in-depth understanding of how large university endowments work and created portfolios for clien-ts based on their investment strategies. With How Harvard and Yale Beat the Market, he shares his extensive experiences with you and puts this proven approach in perspective.

Divided into four comprehensive parts, How Harvard and Yale Beat the Market addresses everything from basic endowment investing principles to integrating endowments' ideas into a profitable portfolio. But before Tuttle talks about how you can invest like an endowment, he discusses the current financial environment and its implications for investors in Part I. In doing so, Tuttle explores why investors make the mistakes they do and how you can avoid them. He also begins to lay the groundwork for thinking about your portfolio the same way endowments do, by examining the issues of endowment portfolio theory, true diversification, and skill-based money managers.

After this informative introduction:

Part II details the different investment vehicles—separately managed accounts (SMAs), exchange traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, hedge funds, and structured products—you can use to create an endowment type of investment portfolio

Part III highlights the various asset classes– and strategies—from stocks, managed futures, and private equity to portable alpha—you may want to consider for your portfolio

Part IV takes what you've learned and shows you how to apply it when designing your own portfolio

Large university endowments like Harvard and Yale have revolutionized the investment landscape. Following in their footsteps can deliver consistent performance through superior money manager selection, asset allocation, and portfolio construction. With How Harvard and Yale Beat the Market, you won't need a multimillion-dollar portfolio to invest like an endowment because you'll have the insights and understanding to take on the market at a much more personal level.