Choosing the right index for your investment goals can be a daunting task, especially when there are millions of options available.

How do you know which one is best suited for your risk tolerance, time horizon, and expected returns? How do you evaluate the performance and design of different indexes and ETFs?

These are some of the questions that many investors face when they enter the world of index-linked products.

In this episode, Greg DuPont chats with Laurence Black, Founder of The Index Standard®,  a company that rates and evaluates ETFs and indices used in the insurance and structured product space. They explore the challenge of choosing the right index among the many available and the importance of forward-looking due diligence. Laurence emphasizes the need for diversification and preparing for unforeseen events in the investment world.

Together they discuss: 

• The importance of taking a forward-looking approach when choosing an index
  
• The Index Standard’s three-step forecasting process
  
• The significance of diversification in dealing with unknown risks and protecting oneself in the investment world
  
• The benefits of exchange traded funds (ETFs) compared to mutual funds
  
• How The Index Standard evaluates and categorizes the largest index-linked ETFs based on their robustness and design
  
• The valuable insights you’ll gain from the training with Laurence, simplifying the complexity of insurance indices for informed decision-making
  
• And more!
  

Connect With Laurence Black:

• LinkedIn: Laurence Black
  
• Website: The Index Standard®
  
• Laurence.Black@TheIndexStandard.com 
  

Connect with Greg DuPont:

• Wealth Solutions Network Website
  
• LinkedIn: Greg DuPont
  
• LinkedIn: Wealth Solutions Network
  
• LinkedIn Group
  
• Facebook: Wealth Solutions Network
  
• info@wealthsolutionsgroup.biz
  

About Our Guest:

Laurence Black is the founder of The Index Standard® and an index advisor to Robert J. Shiller, Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale University.

Before founding The Index Standard®, Laurence was Managing Director and Head of Quantitative Indices and Strategies at Barclays, where he oversaw the development of the Barclays index family. In addition to designing some of the first smart beta/factor indices, Laurence spearheaded Barclays’ index partnerships with Professors Robert Shiller and Nouriel Roubini, as well as Novus Partners.

Before Barclays, Laurence was Head of Indices at ABN AMRO in London, where he successfully launched indices with well-known investors such as Jim Rogers and Joel Greenblatt. Before ABN AMRO, Laurence worked at Lehman Brothers, Deutsche Bank, and Credit Suisse.

Laurence holds an MBA from the University of Warwick and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Cape Town. When not thinking about financial matters, he can mostly be found on a tennis court.