Asset Allocation in a Changing World

Ever since investors have had a choice about where to invest their assets (whether dollars, drachmas, or doubloons), they have been making asset allocation decisions. And ever since the dawn of time, the world has been changing. Thus, allocating assets in a changing world is not a new phenomenon. What is new is how (and why) investors are making those asset allocation decisions. Asset allocation naturally requires determining how much to invest in which assets. Strategies based on tactical asset allocation and strategic asset allocation can help with the allocation decisions, but effective asset allocation cannot stop there. Investors must determine when (and if) to rebalance the portfolio, which are the appropriate benchmarks to use, whether to use derivatives to control the asset mix, and how to handle currency issues. Asset allocation also requires a great deal of forward-looking thinking. For example, investors must consider not only how formation of the European Monetary