Investment Encyclopedia
From MDD, XIRR, and the power of compounding to exchange-rate effects and survivorship bias — the core concepts you need to understand long-term investing, organized by category and difficulty. New here? Follow the recommended order; know your profile? Follow a learning path by investor type.
A sequence to know the "price tag" of adjusting before you adjust
Discipline is your strength. But frequent adjusting brings costs, taxes, and capped gains.
- 1What Is Rebalancing?The principle of rebalancing — and how too much is as bad as too little
- 2The Erosion Effect of Fees and TaxesThe fees and taxes that leak with every adjustment
- 3Tax-Loss HarvestingHow to turn adjustments into a tax-saving opportunity
- 4How the Expense Ratio (TER) Affects ReturnsHolding and turnover costs chip away at compounding
- 5Correlation Between Assets and the Diversification EffectWhat real balance is: seeing it through correlation
This order is not a recommendation of specific securities or products; it is a learning order that fills in the concepts your profile tends to overlook.
Recommended intro course
“Returns (compounding) are large, but view them alongside drawdown, cost, inflation, and your own psychology” — an order that gives you the big picture of investing with the Beginner articles alone.
- 1What Is Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)?How to state a return in a single number
- 2The Rule of 72: The Time for Money to DoubleCompounding grows by feeding on time
- 3Why "Time in the Market" Matters More Than TimingTime in the market beats timing
- 4What Is Maximum Drawdown (MDD)?The maximum drawdown hidden behind returns
- 5The Erosion Effect of Fees and TaxesThe costs and taxes that eat into returns
- 6Real Return: Adjusting for InflationStrip out inflation for the real return
- 7The Basic Principles of Asset AllocationHow much to put in what
- 8Index Funds vs. Active FundsThe simplest tool for diversification
- 9Common Psychological Traps Investors Fall IntoYour biggest enemy is yourself
- 10Loss Aversion Eats Into Your ReturnsWhy losses feel more painful
511 concepts
Basics & Investing Mindset
The attitude to know before you startWhat Is Investing — How It Differs from Saving and Speculation
Learn the boundaries between saving to accumulate money, investing to seek future value, and speculating for a short-term jackpot, and the role each plays.
What Is a Stock — A Slice of a Company
Explains simply why a stock is "a slice of a company," through the three rights of ownership stake, voting rights, and dividends.
What Is a Bond — Lending Money
Explains simply why a bond is a "certificate of lending money" and the core concepts of principal and interest, maturity, and issuer.
What Is a Fund
Learn the structure of a fund, in which many people's money is pooled and managed by professionals on their behalf, and the history of a 100-year-old fund.
What Is an ETF — a Fund You Buy on an Exchange
Introduces the concept of the ETF, which is diversified like a fund but traded in real time like a stock, and the history of U.S. and Korean ETFs.
What Is a Stock Index (KOSPI, S&P 500)
Explains simply what representative stock indices like KOSPI and the S&P 500 mean and how they are calculated.
Primary Market vs. Secondary Market
Explains the difference between the primary market, where new stocks are born via IPOs, and the secondary market, where already-issued stocks are bought and sold.
How Stock Prices Are Set — Quotes and Execution
Explains simply the principle by which bid and ask quotes meet to complete a trade, and the price-time priority rule.
The Difference Between Market Orders and Limit Orders
Explains the characteristics of, and difference between, a market order that executes quickly and a limit order that specifies your desired price.
What Are a Brokerage Account and a CMA
Explains the difference between a brokerage account for buying stocks and a CMA that earns interest even if you deposit for just one day, plus the concept of deposit (available cash).
How to Read Stock Codes and Tickers
Why is Samsung Electronics 005930 and Apple AAPL? Learn the logic of the stock codes and tickers that identify domestic and overseas stocks.
Shares Outstanding and Market Capitalization
Market cap isn't determined by the stock price alone. Explains market cap, calculated as price × number of shares, and the difference between shares outstanding and free float.
Regular and After-Hours Trading Times
When can you buy Korean stocks, and why do U.S. stocks trade at night? Summarizes the regular and after-hours trading times of the domestic and U.S. markets.
What Is the Settlement Date (T+2)?
You sold a stock, so why doesn't the money come out right away? Explains the lag between execution and settlement, and the T+2 and T+1 settlement systems.
Circuit Breakers and VI (Volatility Interruption)
When the market plunges, trading pauses briefly. Learn about the circuit breaker that halts the whole index and the VI that calms individual stocks.
Long-Term Investing vs. Short-Term Trading — What the Time Horizon Changes
Even for the same stock, whether you'll "hold it for a long time" or "sell in a few days" completely changes the skill, the taxes, and the stress required. Summarizes what the time horizon changes.
Why Spread It Out — the Intuition of Diversification
The saying "don't put all your eggs in one basket" — why is it right? Explains, in a way you can grasp even without numbers, how diversification reduces losses.
Why Risk and Return Are Proportional — the Intuition of the Risk Premium
Digs into the true meaning of "high risk, high return." Explains what the "risk premium" you receive as compensation for taking on risk is, and points out the trap in this saying.
Separating Your Emergency Fund from Your Investment Money
The one thing you absolutely need before you start investing: an emergency fund. Here is why you should split living money from investment money, and how much to keep and where.
Setting Your Investment Goals and Time Horizon
'Just to make money' is not a goal. Only once you decide how much, by when, and for what will a strategy emerge. Here is how goals and time horizons change your investing.
The Difference Between Simple and Compound Interest — Interest on Interest
The two ways to calculate interest: simple and compound. At first the difference looks small, but the longer the time, the more explosively the gap widens. Let's confirm that difference with formulas and examples.
The Difference Between Nominal Amount and Real Value — True Value Minus Inflation
If the number in your account went up, did you really get richer? After subtracting inflation, the 'real' value can be different. Here is an easy explanation of the difference between nominal and real.
What Bull and Bear Markets Are — The -20% Threshold and Historical Cases
What exactly are the criteria behind the words 'bull market' and 'bear market'? Let's look at the -20% line, and how long bear markets have historically lasted and how they recovered.
What Is a Dividend — Sharing the Profit
If you hold a stock, the company may share part of the money it earned with you. Here is what a dividend is, how it's paid, and why having a dividend isn't unconditionally good.
What Is an Interest Rate — The Price of Money
An interest rate is the 'price of borrowing money' and a core variable that moves the entire economy. Here is the difference between the policy rate and market rates, and what happens to your investments when rates rise and fall.
What Is Inflation — What It Means for Prices to Rise
Inflation is more than just 'prices going up'; it's the phenomenon of your money's value quietly shrinking. Here is the meaning of inflation, along with recent examples.
What Is an Exchange Rate — The Ratio Between Two Currencies
News like 'the won-dollar exchange rate breaks 1,400 won'—what exactly does it mean? Here is an easy explanation of the concept of the exchange rate and how its ups and downs affect overseas investing and import prices.
The Difference Between Par Value and Market Price
The 'par value of 5,000 won' printed on a stock and the 'market price' it actually trades at are completely different concepts. Here is a short, clear explanation of these two often-confused prices.
Stock Splits and Reverse Splits — The Apple and Tesla Cases
A stock split slices the share price, while a reverse split does the opposite and combines it. Using the actual splits of Apple and Tesla, you'll understand precisely 'why your assets stay the same even though the number of shares increases.'
Fractional Trading and Minimum Trading Units
What if you could buy just '0.1 share' of an expensive stock that costs hundreds of dollars per share? Here is the principle of fractional trading and minimum trading units, and what to keep in mind.
The Line Between Investing and Speculation — Graham's Distinction
Is there a clear standard for dividing 'this is investing, that is speculation'? Let's draw the boundary using the three yardsticks offered by Benjamin Graham, the 'father of value investing.'
What Is Fintech — The Fusion of Finance and Technology
From simple transfers to digital banks to robo-advisors, we lay out the basic concepts of how technology is changing finance.
What Is a Stop-Loss Order (Stop Order)
The mechanics of a stop order, which automatically converts to a market sell when the price reaches a preset level, and hidden risks such as slippage and whipsaws.
The Stop-Limit Order — A Stop-Loss That Protects the Price
The structure of the stop-limit, which combines a stop order and a limit order, and the trade-off — controlling price but risking non-execution — explained with an example.
What Is a Trailing Stop
The mechanics of a trailing stop, which follows the price up using a 'trailing amount' rather than a fixed price to protect gains, and the risk of early liquidation in volatile stretches.
The OCO Order — When One Fills, the Other Is Canceled
The structure of the OCO (One-Cancels-the-Other) order, which sets a stop-loss and a take-profit at the same time, and the convenience and limits of automated risk management.
The Reserved Order — Placing an Order in Advance Before the Market Opens
The concept of a reserved order, which is automatically submitted at a set time or condition, and the point that submission is automatic but execution is not guaranteed.
How to Read the Order Book — Level 1 and Level 2
Explains the structure of the order book where buy and sell quotes stack up, the difference between Level 1 and Level 2, and why you should not over-trust the displayed size.
The Three Financial Statements at a Glance
Here is an easy explanation of how the three statements—the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement—connect to each other to become a company's report card.
How to Read an Income Statement
From revenue at the start down to net income, here is a step-by-step breakdown of the order in which an income statement shows 'how much a company earned.'
How to Read a Balance Sheet
Understand the balance sheet with a single formula, 'assets = liabilities + equity,' and learn how to gauge whether a company's debt is dangerous.
How to Read a Cash Flow Statement
Through the cash flow statement, split into the three branches of operating, investing, and financing, learn how to avoid the trap of 'profitable but no cash' bankruptcy.
What Is the P/E Ratio (Price-to-Earnings Ratio)?
The P/E ratio, the most famous metric for gauging whether a stock price is expensive or cheap relative to earnings. From the formula to the traps, explained at a beginner's level.
What Is the P/B Ratio (Price-to-Book Ratio)?
The P/B ratio, which shows how many times the stock price is relative to a company's book net assets. Here is an easy explanation of what a P/B of 1 means, and its traps.
ROE and ROA — How Well It Earns
ROE and ROA show how efficiently a company generates profit from its own money and from its total assets, respectively. Here is the difference between the two and the trap of leverage.
EPS (Earnings Per Share) and Diluted EPS
A simple breakdown of EPS, which splits a company's net profit down to a single share, and how diluted EPS differs by accounting for potential shares.
What Is Dividend Yield
Dividend yield shows what percentage of the share price is paid out as dividends. Along with how to calculate it, we look at why a high yield isn't always good.
What Is the PSR (Price-to-Sales Ratio)
The PSR evaluates growth companies that aren't yet profitable on a revenue basis. We look at why this metric is used when the P/E ratio doesn't work.
How to Read the Debt-to-Equity Ratio
The debt-to-equity ratio (D/E) shows how much a company leans on debt. Along with how to calculate it, we look at why the normal level differs by industry.
Current Ratio and Quick Ratio
Short-term solvency metrics that show whether a company can handle the debt it must repay within a year. We cover the difference between the current ratio and the more conservative quick ratio.
Large-, Mid-, and Small-Cap Classifications
Large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks are divided by market capitalization. We also cover how the U.S. (by dollar amount) and Korea (by rank) divide them differently.
Interest Coverage Ratio — How Many Times Over Can It Cover Interest?
Summarizes the formula and interpretation of the interest coverage ratio, which shows how many times operating profit can cover interest expense, and why below 1x is dangerous.
Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC) — How Many Days Until Cash Returns?
Summarizes the formula (DIO + DSO − DPO) and interpretation of the cash conversion cycle, which measures the number of days it takes for cash put into raw materials to come back as cash.
What Is EV/EBITDA
A metric that compares 'enterprise value (EV)'—reflecting debt and cash—against operating earning power (EBITDA). We look at why it complements the weaknesses of the P/E ratio.
PEG — Growth-Adjusted P/E
PEG divides the P/E ratio by earnings growth to see 'valuation adjusted for growth.' We cover how to interpret and the limits of this metric popularized by Peter Lynch.
What Is Free Cash Flow (FCF)
FCF looks at 'the cash truly left over' after subtracting essential investment from the cash earned in operations. We explore why it's a more honest number than accounting profit.
Return Metrics
What counts as a returnWhat Is Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)?
Explains the concept and calculation of CAGR, used to fairly compare assets with different investment periods.
The Rule of 72: The Time for Money to Double
Dividing 72 by the return gives the time for your principal to double. Learn why this simple rule is so powerful.
Compounding and the Rule of 72
Explains compounding, which Einstein reportedly called "humanity's greatest invention," and the Rule of 72 for easily calculating doubling time.
How to Calculate the Time for Your Principal to Double
With just the 'Rule of 72,' you can instantly figure out in your head how many years it takes for your money to double.
The Rule of 114 and 144 — Time to Triple and Quadruple
If the 'Rule of 72' tells you the time to double, 114 and 144 let you mentally estimate the time to triple and quadruple. A way to gauge the speed of compounding at a glance.
Why "Time in the Market" Matters More Than Timing
We examine, with data and historical cases, why staying in the market matters if you want to fully enjoy the long-term compounding effect.
The Principle and Limits of Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA)
Examines how the DCA strategy of regularly investing a fixed amount works, its real effect, and the aspects that are overrated.
What Is Annualized Return (XIRR)?
Explains the concept of XIRR, used to calculate the real return of recurring investing, and how it differs from a simple return.
The Principle and Traps of Annualizing Returns
We look at the formula for annualizing—converting a short-period return to a yearly basis—and how not to be fooled by that number.
Total Return vs. Price Return — The Difference Dividends Make
Why does the same index have two returns? We look at the difference between total return and price return, which splits on whether dividends are included or excluded.
Compounding Frequency (Yearly, Monthly, Daily) Changes the Result
Even at the same interest rate, the result differs depending on whether interest is added once a year or every month or every day. Learn the principle of compounding frequency and how much difference it actually makes.
Why -50% Needs +100% to Recover
We unpack, with formulas and historical cases, why loss and gain aren't the same %—that is, the asymmetry of drawdown recovery.
What Is Holding Period Return (HPR)
The most basic metric that shows at a glance 'how much the money you first put in became,' no matter how long the investment period. We cover the concept and calculation of holding period return.
The Confusion Between Cumulative Return and Annualization
If you've ever been confused about what per-year percentage a 'return of 300%' actually is, we clarify the difference between cumulative return and annualized return.
Gross Return vs. Net Return (Before and After Costs)
Net return is your true share hidden behind a flashy 'gross return.' We examine why before and after subtracting fees and charges differ so much.
How to Calculate After-Tax Return
We cover how to calculate the after-tax return—how much you actually pocket once you subtract taxes from the pre-tax return.
What Is Risk-Adjusted Return
Looking only at return numbers leads you into a trap. We introduce the concept of risk-adjusted return, which weighs how much risk you took for the same return.
What Is a Benchmark
To judge whether your investment did well or poorly, you need a 'yardstick' to compare against. We look at the benchmark, the standard for measuring performance.
The Trap of CAGR vs. Simple Average
Don't be fooled by the words 'average return.' We explain why the simple average and the compound average (CAGR) differ, and which one is the real thing.
Calculating Total Return Including Dividends
Looking at price alone misses the actual return. We look at how to measure performance on a 'total return' basis that reinvests dividends.
What Is the Effective Annual Rate (EAR)?
Even a stated rate like 'annual 6%' has a different actual rate depending on the compounding frequency. We look at the effective annual rate (EAR), which measures the true annual rate.
The Rule of 70 and 69
The Rule of 72 mentally estimates the time for money to double; we look at when its cousins, the Rule of 70 and the Rule of 69, are more accurate.
Arithmetic Mean vs. Geometric Mean: Why Are They Different
There's a trap hidden in the phrase "average annual return of 10%." We explain simply why the simple (arithmetic) average and the true compound (geometric) average differ, and why the gap widens as volatility grows.
Geometric Mean Return — The True Average of Compounding
We explore why the arithmetic mean inflates actual returns, and the concept and calculation of the geometric mean return, the true average of compounding.
What Is Time-Weighted Return (TWR)?
A return that strips out the effect of contribution/withdrawal timing to measure only the 'performance of the asset itself.' We explain TWR, the international standard for comparing fund managers' skill, with an example.
The Relationship Between Money-Weighted Return (MWR) and XIRR
We plainly unpack the MWR that measures the return you actually earned, and why XIRR — which reflects even irregular deposit/withdrawal dates — is effectively the same value.
Rolling Returns — Removing Entry-Timing Bias
We explain rolling returns, which remove the 'timing bias' where results change depending on when you started, and look at all entry points evenly.
Negative Compounding — When Losses Grow Through Compounding
Compounding doesn't only grow gains. We use examples to unpack why recovering from -50% requires +100%, and how losses grow heavier through compounding.
What Is Reinvestment Risk?
The risk of not being able to reinvest received interest, dividends, and matured principal at as good a rate as before. We plainly unpack this hidden variable that drives compounding outcomes.
Log Returns vs. Arithmetic Returns
We look at the difference between log returns, which can simply be added across multiple periods, and the arithmetic (simple) returns we commonly use.
Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Basics
We plainly explain what the internal rate of return (IRR)—the root of XIRR—is, and why it's 'the discount rate that makes NPV zero.'
The Modified Dietz Method
We introduce the Modified Dietz method, a practical approximation that reflects cash flows to find the return without complex iterative calculation.
The Meaning of Excess Return (Alpha)
Excess return and alpha express 'beating the market' in numbers. We look at what it's measured against and how.
Information Ratio
The information ratio measures how steadily and consistently a manager beats the benchmark. We unpack this metric, which divides excess return by tracking error.
Treynor Ratio
The Treynor ratio measures risk by 'sensitivity to the market (beta)' instead of by volatility. We look at how it differs from the Sharpe ratio.
Jensen's Alpha
Jensen's alpha measures how much you actually exceeded the return predicted by the CAPM. It's a way to calculate the true 'excess return from skill.'
Calculating Return Reflecting the Exchange Rate
Even if a U.S. stock rises, you can lose money in won terms. We look at how to calculate the true return of overseas investing, reflecting the exchange rate.
What Is Alternative Data Investing
A look at the concept and limits of alternative data, which draws investment insights from non-traditional data such as satellite imagery, card payments, and web traffic.
What Is CAPE (the Shiller PE) — Valuation Based on 10 Years of Earnings
The mechanics of CAPE (the Shiller PE), which measures market valuation using 10-year average earnings adjusted for the economic cycle and inflation, and its historical extremes.
What Is the Equity Risk Premium (ERP)
How much more stocks should earn over safe assets — the concept of the equity risk premium as the reward for taking on risk, and its historical estimates.
What Is the Dividend Discount Model (the Gordon Growth Model)
The mechanics and limits of the dividend discount model, which values a stock as the sum of the present values of future dividends, and the Gordon growth model (P = D / (r - g)).
Risk & Drawdown
Every return comes with a drawdownWhat Is Maximum Drawdown (MDD)?
Learn the meaning and calculation of maximum drawdown (MDD), the most feared number in investing.
What Is Volatility (Standard Deviation)?
We look at the meaning and calculation of volatility (standard deviation), which expresses in numbers how much a price swings, and at the differences across assets.
The Meaning of Time Underwater (Drawdown Duration)
We cover the metric that measures 'how long you were submerged,' which is as important as how deep you fell (MDD).
The Sharpe Ratio: Return Relative to Risk
We explain the Sharpe Ratio, which evaluates investment performance by return relative to the risk taken rather than by absolute return.
Beta (β): How Much It Swings Relative to the Market
Beta is a risk metric that shows, in a single number, how much more (or less) an asset swings when the whole market is shaking.
Understanding Standard Deviation Visually
We get a feel for what standard deviation, the flagship measure of volatility, actually measures, using a normal-distribution picture and the 68-95-99.7 rule.
The Relationship Between Variance and Standard Deviation
How do variance and standard deviation differ? We explain simply why the single step of squaring and taking a square root matters.
What Is a Black Swan?
An event that is unpredictable, has an enormous impact, and is explained only in hindsight. We explain Nassim Taleb's black swan concept.
Drawdown Duration vs. Recovery Period
If the maximum drawdown is 'how deep it went,' the duration and recovery period are 'how long it hurt.' We check the difference between the two through history.
How to Read Rolling Volatility
Volatility isn't a fixed number—it changes over time. Learn about rolling volatility, which tracks how volatility shifts using a moving window.
How to Read the VIX (Fear Index)
'The volatility the market expects going forward,' as told by option prices. Learn the meaning of the VIX—called the fear index—and its historic spikes.
Idiosyncratic Risk vs. Market Risk
The risk you can eliminate through diversification, and the risk that remains no matter how you spread it out. Learn the decisive difference between the two.
The Risks of Margin and Leverage — Forced Liquidation and Margin Calls
Margin and leverage — investing with borrowed money — magnify both gains and losses. Using the 1929 Great Depression and the 2021 Archegos case, this piece shows how margin calls and forced liquidations create losses that exceed principal.
Liquidity Risk — The Risk of Not Being Able to Sell When You Want
Liquidity risk is the risk of not being able to sell an asset at a fair price when you want. This piece explains why liquidity disappears in a crisis, how liquidity differs by asset, and why it is more dangerous in a crashing market.
The Gray Rhino — A Foreseen but Neglected Risk
A gray rhino is a highly probable, high-impact risk that is nonetheless neglected. We explain how it differs from the black swan, a random surprise, and why we look away from obvious risks.
Algorithmic Trading Basics — Rules Place Orders Instead of People
Summarizes how algorithmic trading works, where a computer places orders automatically according to preset rules, its stages, and risks such as overfitting and system errors.
The Sortino Ratio — A Metric That Looks Only at Downside Risk
We look at the definition, formula, and interpretation of the Sortino ratio, which improves on the Sharpe ratio by treating only downside volatility as risk.
Downside Deviation — Measuring Only the Bad Swings
Unlike standard deviation, we explain downside deviation, a risk metric that picks out and measures only the 'bad swings' that fall below a target.
The Calmar Ratio: Return Relative to Maximum Drawdown
A risk metric that divides the average annual return by the maximum drawdown, showing "how much you earned" relative to "how much it hurt" in a single number.
The Ulcer Index — Quantifying Stress
A downside-risk metric that captures, in a single number, how deep and how long a loss lasted.
Understanding VaR (Value at Risk) Simply
We clearly organize the meaning, calculation methods, and limits of VaR, a risk metric that answers 'How much could I lose at most in a month?' as a probability.
The Trap of Volatility Drag
Even with the same average return, if the ups and downs are severe, the money you actually end up with is less. We look at 'volatility drag,' where volatility eats into compounding.
What Is Semi-Variance?
Standard deviation counts rises as risk too. We look at the idea of semi-variance, which picks out and measures only the downside swings.
Conditional VaR (Expected Shortfall)
If VaR is 'how much you could lose,' conditional VaR answers 'once you cross that line, how bad is it on average.'
What Is Tail Risk?
The rare but game-changing extreme loss—we understand tail risk together with historical cases.
Fat-Tailed Distributions
Actual stock returns produce extreme values far more often than a normal distribution. We look at what 'fat tails' are and why they matter.
Reading the Return Distribution with Skewness and Kurtosis
Reading whether a return distribution is tilted to one side (skewness) and whether its tails are fat (kurtosis) reveals risks that the mean and standard deviation cannot see.
The Pain Index
If the maximum drawdown is 'the single worst moment,' the Pain Index measures 'on average, how long and how deeply it hurt' as a single number.
The Gain-to-Pain Ratio
A simple measure that divides the sum of gains by the sum of losses. We look at the Gain-to-Pain Ratio, which Jack Schwager created out of his dissatisfaction with the Sharpe ratio.
The Omega Ratio
A measure that reflects the entire distribution rather than looking only at the mean and standard deviation. We look at the Omega ratio, which measures the ratio of upside to downside relative to a target return.
The Information Coefficient (IC)
A statistical measure that scores how well predictions matched actual outcomes, on a scale of -1 to +1. We look at the information coefficient, which gauges the skill of active management.
Volatility Clustering
"Large changes tend to be followed by large changes." Learn why a crash doesn't end in a single day and why volatility arrives in bunches.
The Difference Between Beta and Correlation
Both seem to measure 'how much something moves together with the market,' but they're different. We sort out the difference between sensitivity (beta) and co-movement (correlation).
The 2010 Flash Crash — an Instant Plunge Made by Algorithms
We organize the causes and lessons of the "flash crash" of May 6, 2010, when the Dow plunged about 1,000 points within minutes and then recovered most of it.
The 2018 Volmageddon — a Product Betting on Volatility Fell -97% in a Single Day
We organize the "Volmageddon" event of February 2018, in which the VIX surged in a single day and the inverse-volatility product (XIV) effectively ceased to exist.
Implied Volatility — The Market's Expectation Priced Into an Option
Implied volatility (IV) is the future volatility the market expects, embedded in an option's price. This piece explains how it differs from realized volatility, its relationship to the VIX, and why it makes 'expensive options.'
Counterparty Risk — The Risk That the Other Side Can't Pay
Counterparty risk is the risk that the party you're dealing with fails to keep its promise (default). We use the 2008 Lehman Brothers bankruptcy as a case study of how it spread into chain losses across financial institutions worldwide.
Systemic Risk — When One Collapse Spreads to the Whole
Systemic risk is the risk that the failure of one institution or market spreads across the whole system through the network of connections. Using the 1998 LTCM and 2008 Lehman cases, we look at why the phrase 'too big to fail' arises.
High-Frequency Trading (HFT) — The World of Microseconds
Summarizes the definition of high-frequency trading, which places huge volumes of orders in millionths of a second, its market share, and its relationship to and debate around individual investors.
What Is a Credit Default Swap (CDS) — Insurance Against Default
Summarizes the structure of the CDS, a derivative that buys and sells the default risk of bonds, along with the risks revealed in the 2008 AIG episode, with historical figures.
Understanding Asset Classes
What you invest inWhat Is a Blue-Chip Stock
Where did the term 'blue chip' come from, and which companies are called blue chips? We sort out the conditions and misconceptions of blue chips by market cap, history, and dividends.
Comparing Deposits, Installment Savings, and CMAs
Fixed deposits for growing a lump sum, installment savings for setting aside a little at a time, and CMAs that earn interest even for a single day. We organize the differences among the three and the common myth that 'CMAs are covered by deposit insurance.'
Deposit Insurance (₩100 Million)
If a bank fails, can you get your deposit back? We organize the deposit-insurance limit, which rose from ₩50 million to ₩100 million starting September 2025, and which products are covered and which aren't.
What Is Fractional Investing
The mechanics and cautions of fractional investing, which lets you buy even a stock priced in the hundreds of dollars per share with just a dollar or two.
The Size of the World's Stock Markets and the U.S. Share
Add up all the world's stocks and you get about $126 trillion. The U.S. alone accounts for roughly half of it — so how do the other countries divide the rest? And what does this 'U.S. concentration' mean for investors?
The U.S. Stock Market at a Glance
The U.S., the world's largest stock market. We plainly explain what its two exchanges — the NYSE and Nasdaq — and its flagship indexes — the S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq Composite, and Russell 2000 — each contain.
Nasdaq vs. the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
The Nasdaq and the NYSE, the two flagship U.S. exchanges. We look at how they differ in the character of listed companies, trading method, and image — and how much 'which exchange' actually matters to investors.
The Korean Stock Market at a Glance
Two markets, KOSPI and KOSDAQ, and the Korea Exchange (KRX) that operates them. We cover when each market was created and what companies it holds, and where the Korean market ranks in the world.
KOSPI vs. KOSDAQ — What's the Difference?
Both are Korean markets, but KOSPI centers on large blue-chip stocks and KOSDAQ on venture and growth stocks. We plainly explain the differences in listing standards, size, and volatility, and 'why KOSDAQ swings more.'
The Relationship Between Bonds and Interest Rates
Explains why bond prices fall when rates rise, the concept of duration, and the core principles to know in bond investing.
What Kind of Asset Is Gold?
We look at why gold, which pays neither interest nor dividends, has survived for thousands of years as a 'store of value' — and at the -57% drawdown and 28-year recovery period hidden behind its glittering reputation.
REITs Basics
Learn how REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) let you invest in real-estate rental income even without the money to buy a whole building, along with their risks.
Common Stock vs. Preferred Stock
They're stock in the same company, but how do 'Samsung Electronics' and 'Samsung Electronics Preferred' differ? We sort out the difference between common and preferred stock by voting rights and dividend priority.
Growth Stocks vs. Value Stocks
Should you buy a fast-growing company or a company trading cheaply? We look at the difference between growth and value stocks, and the cycling of the two styles that nearly a century of history reveals.
Cyclical Stocks vs. Defensive Stocks
Stocks that run along when the economy is good, and stocks that hold firm even in a recession. We explain the difference between cyclical and defensive stocks, sorted by industry and beta.
The Risks of Penny Stocks
Why are 'penny stocks' trading at just a few hundred won so risky? We examine the real risks of penny stocks—low liquidity, high volatility, and even pump-and-dump fraud.
What Is an IPO
An IPO is a private company's first debut on the stock market. We look at how the offering price is set, what 'lock-up' means, and the risks hidden behind a first-day surge.
What Is Impact Investing
The definition and market size of impact investing, which pursues financial returns together with measurable social and environmental outcomes.
ADRs — Foreign Stocks Listed in the U.S.
We sort out the structure of ADRs (American Depositary Receipts)—foreign-company stocks bought and sold in dollars on U.S. exchanges—along with the sponsored/level distinctions and exchange-rate risk.
What Is the Capitalization Rate (Cap Rate)
How to calculate the cap rate, real estate's net operating income divided by asset value, and the risks this metric conceals.
What Is Real Estate Crowdfunding (Fractional Investing)
The structure of crowdfunding, in which many investors pool small amounts to invest together in real estate, and its key risks such as lack of liquidity.
Types of Funds (Equity, Bond, Balanced)
A fund's character changes completely depending on what it holds. We sort out the difference and risks of equity, bond, and balanced funds at a beginner's level.
What Is a Money Market Fund (MMF)
We explain the structure of the MMF—used to park money briefly—and why 'it looks safe but isn't principal-guaranteed,' using a real 2008 case.
The Characteristics of Bond ETFs
We explain how a bond ETF—which has no maturity and trades daily—differs from an individual bond, and why it falls when rates rise, using the concept of duration.
What Is a Sector ETF
We explain the structure of a sector ETF—which concentrates investment in a specific industry sector like technology, healthcare, or energy—along with the GICS classification and concentration risk.
The Bright and Dark Sides of Thematic ETFs
We look at both the appeal of thematic ETFs that bundle trends like AI, EVs, and the metaverse, and the risk that they tend to launch at the peak of a fad and then underperform.
The Structure of Dividend ETFs
We explain why dividend ETFs, which gather dividend-paying companies, split into two branches—'high yield' and 'dividend growth'—and how each index is constructed.
Government Bonds vs. Corporate Bonds
What's different between government bonds issued by governments and corporate bonds issued by companies? We organize the character of the two using default risk and the 'yield premium (spread)' as the yardstick.
The Basics of Real Estate Investing — Direct vs. Indirect
Investing in real estate isn't only about buying a home. We lay out, at a beginner's level, the difference between directly buying the physical property and investing indirectly through REITs and funds, along with the costs and risks of each.
Coupon Rate and Yield to Maturity (YTM)
Why is the 'coupon rate' printed on a bond different from the 'yield to maturity (YTM)' I actually earn? We unpack the difference between par, discount, and premium bonds with examples.
Types of REITs (Office, Retail, Logistics)
Even among REITs, the character changes completely depending on what buildings they hold. We look at the differences by sector—office, retail, logistics, residential, data centers—and the winners and losers that COVID reshaped.
The Inverse Relationship Between Bond Prices and Interest Rates
Why do bond prices fall when rates rise? We build an intuitive, formula-free understanding of the seesaw-like inverse relationship between bond prices and rates.
What Is Commodity Investing — Energy, Metals, Agriculture
How do commodities like crude oil, gold, copper, and wheat differ from stocks and bonds? We lay out the three main categories, their inflation-hedge character, and the 'roll cost' trap hidden in futures investing.
What Kind of Asset Is Crude Oil — WTI, Brent, and Historic Swings
Crude oil moves the global economy. From the difference between WTI and Brent, to the 2008 surge to $147 and its crash, to the unprecedented event of negative oil prices in 2020, we look at crude's extreme volatility.
Precious Metals Like Silver and Platinum
There's more than gold—there's silver and platinum. From the gold-silver ratio, to silver's volatility being larger than gold's, to platinum being swayed by the auto industry, we lay out the character and risks of the major precious metals.
What Are High-Yield Bonds (Junk Bonds)
Why are 'high-yield' bonds—also called junk bonds—that pay high interest so risky? We look at their true nature through the investment-grade boundary and the spread surges during the 2008 and 2020 crises.
How to Read Credit Ratings (Moody's, S&P)
AAA, Baa3, BB+... what do the letters of a bond's credit rating mean? We organize the rating systems of Moody's and S&P/Fitch and how to read the boundary between investment grade and speculative grade.
The Bond Ladder (Laddering) Strategy
A ladder strategy holds bonds with maturities staggered like steps. We organize the principle of easing reinvestment risk and rate risk without predicting rates, and an example of 'rolling the ladder.'
What Is a Cryptoasset — An Overview of Bitcoin and Blockchain
What exactly are Bitcoin and blockchain? We neutrally lay out the basic concept of cryptoassets that run without a central bank, the birth of Bitcoin in 2009, and the 21 million issuance cap.
Bitcoin's Volatility and Drawdown History — Cases of -80% Plunges
Why is Bitcoin called 'the ultimate risk asset'? We soberly look, in comparison with stocks, at the history of actual drawdowns of about -80% and -77% from the peak in 2018 and 2022.
The Unique Risks of Cryptoassets — Hacking, Regulation, Exchange Risk
Cryptoassets have special risks not found in stocks. We lay out exchange collapses like Mt. Gox and FTX, hacking, regulatory uncertainty, and the absence of depositor protection through real cases.
Viewing Foreign Currency (Dollar, Yen) as an Asset
Can simply holding dollars or yen be an investment too? We lay out the return structure of holding foreign currency (interest + exchange rate) and the limitation that physical cash foreign currency earns no interest and cannot make money by itself.
The Terra-Luna Collapse — The Death Spiral of an Algorithmic Stablecoin
A summary of the Terra-Luna episode, in which UST, which promised to hold '$1,' collapsed in 2022 and more than about $40 billion evaporated in a matter of days.
The FTX Bankruptcy — Customer Funds Lost by Trusting an Exchange
A summary of how FTX, once the world's second-largest crypto exchange, went bankrupt in a matter of days in 2022 and more than $10 billion in customer funds disappeared.
What Is a Robo-Advisor — A Portfolio Run by Algorithms
A look at the mechanics and costs of robo-advisors, which automatically diversify and rebalance based on nothing more than your goals and risk tolerance.
What Is DeFi — The Experiment of Finance Without Banks
A look at decentralized finance (DeFi), which automates lending and trading through smart contracts, and the history of surging and crashing total value locked.
What Is a Green Bond
A look at the structure of green bonds, which fund environmental projects such as renewable energy and energy efficiency, and the rapidly growing market.
S&P 500 vs. Nasdaq 100 — What's the Difference?
Both are flagship U.S. indexes, but their characters are quite different. The Nasdaq 100 excludes financials and concentrates on tech and growth stocks; the S&P 500 spans all sectors broadly. We explain how this difference shows up in volatility and drawdown.
The Japanese Stock Market and the 'Lost 30 Years'
The Nikkei 225 didn't surpass its 1989 record high again until 2024. We lay out, with facts, the lesson of a 34-year recovery period, the difference between the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX, and the features of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
The Chinese Stock Market at a Glance
Two exchanges in Shanghai and Shenzhen, the Shanghai Composite, Shenzhen Composite, and CSI 300 indexes, and a top-tier global size. We lay out the structure of a Chinese market where regulation and policy have a large influence, and the features investors should know.
The Indian Stock Market at a Glance
The Sensex and Nifty 50, the two exchanges BSE and NSE, and a crossing of the 4% mark in world market-cap share. We lay out the structure of a rapidly grown Indian market and the exchange-rate and volatility risks that come with the growth expectations.
The European Stock Market at a Glance
Euronext, Europe's largest exchange, and flagship indexes like the STOXX 600, Euro Stoxx 50, DAX, FTSE 100, and CAC 40. We lay out, at a beginner's level, the structure and features of a European market split across many countries.
Developed Markets vs. Emerging Markets
What are the criteria by which bodies like MSCI and FTSE divide countries into 'developed' and 'emerging,' and how do the two markets differ in return, volatility, and exchange-rate risk? We also address why Korea's classification diverges from body to body.
What Are Emerging Markets?
The definition and features of emerging markets, which group countries like India, Brazil, Taiwan, and China. We explain the exchange-rate, capital-outflow, and concentration risks hidden behind high growth expectations, along with a case where one market's plunge shook the whole.
Understanding the MSCI Index Family (ACWI, World, EM)
The MSCI indexes, used as the 'yardstick' for global investing. We plainly lay out what the ACWI, World, and Emerging Markets each contain, the structure of 23 developed and 20-some emerging countries, and the meaning of a 'benchmark.'
The Mechanics and Risks of Short Selling — The Possibility of Unlimited Loss
Short selling is a bet on a decline in which you borrow stock, sell it, and later buy it back to return it. This piece explains concretely, using the 2021 GameStop short squeeze, the structure in which — unlike buying — there is no cap on losses.
How to Read the Yield Curve
How to read the temperature of the economy from a single line connecting interest rates across maturities — the meaning of normal, flat, and inverted curves, and their history as a recession signal.
What is a Credit Spread
The 'price of risk'—the corporate bond yield minus the government bond yield. When this number widens, it's a signal that the market is getting scared.
Inflation-Linked Government Bonds (TIPS / KTBi)
We cover how inflation-linked government bonds (TIPS / KTBi), whose principal grows with prices, work — and why they can still lose money, as in 2022.
What Is a SPAC
We look at the structure of a SPAC—a 'blank-check company' that lists first without even deciding which company to acquire—and the risks that surfaced after the 2020–2021 boom.
Closed-End Funds vs. Open-End Funds
We sort out the difference and risks between open-end funds—redeemable anytime—and closed-end funds (CEFs), which trade like stocks and develop discounts or premiums to NAV.
How Leveraged ETFs Work and Their Risks
We explain why a leveraged ETF aiming for 2x or 3x an index can incur losses when held long-term, covering compounding erosion and regulatory warnings together.
What Is an Inverse ETF
We explain the structure of an inverse ETF—designed to rise when the index falls—the limits of the daily reset, and why it's unsuitable for long-term holding.
What Is a Smart Beta ETF
We explain the principle and limits of smart beta ETFs, which weight holdings by factors like value, momentum, quality, and low volatility instead of market capitalization.
What Is Convexity
Duration alone can't fully explain bond price changes. We unpack, without formulas, why convexity—which captures the 'curvature' of the price-yield curve—tends to work in an investor's favor.
Is Gold an Inflation Hedge — The Reality of the Historical Correlation
How far is the saying 'gold is strong against inflation' actually true? Looking together at the powerful hedge of the 1970s and the long failure of 1980–2000, we soberly examine the real relationship between gold and prices.
Callable Bonds (Redeemable at the Issuer's Option)
Callable bonds let the issuer repay the principal early before maturity. We cover the call premium and reinvestment risk, and why you shouldn't rely on yield to maturity (YTM) alone.
Commodity Futures Roll Cost — Contango and Backwardation
You bought a crude oil ETF, but oil prices rose while your return stayed flat or even shrank? We unpack the futures roll cost, the traps of contango and backwardation, with the USO case.
Farmland and Timberland Investing
Is there an asset that moves separately from stocks and bonds? We lay out the return structure of farmland and timberland investing (rent, crops, the biological growth of trees), their inflation-hedge character, and their illiquidity and access constraints.
What Is a Zero-Coupon Bond
How do you make money on a bond that pays no interest at all? We cover the principle of discount issuance and face-value redemption at maturity, U.S. STRIPS, and 'phantom income'—paying tax even though no cash comes in.
Floating-Rate Notes (FRNs)
Floating-rate notes have interest that isn't fixed but rises and falls with market rates. We cover the reference-rate-plus-spread structure, the transition from LIBOR to SOFR, and their characteristics in a rising-rate environment.
What Is Infrastructure Investing — Toll Roads and Power Assets
What does it mean to invest in the roads, electricity, and water we use every day? We lay out infrastructure investing's stable cash flow, inflation-linked returns, and the difference between illiquidity and listed infrastructure.
Private Equity (PE) Basics — Investing in Unlisted Stakes
What exactly is the 'private equity' that often appears in the news? We lay out the GP/LP structure, buyouts, the '2 and 20' fee, the 7–10 year lock-up and J-curve, and the performance dispersion and biases.
What Are Municipal Bonds and Special Bonds
Local bonds issued by local governments and special bonds issued by public institutions. We clarify, without confusion, the tax-exemption benefit of U.S. municipal bonds and how Korea's local and special bonds differ.
What Is Venture Capital (VC) — The Structure of Startup Investing
An investment where you make money even if 9 of 10 investments fail? We lay out, at a beginner's level, venture capital's 'power law,' stages like seed and Series A, and its high failure rate and illiquidity.
The Difference Between Duration and Maturity
Why are some bonds more sensitive to rates even with the same maturity? We organize why duration is a 'time-weighted recovery period' and how to approximate how much the price moves when rates change by 1%.
What Is a Hedge Fund — The Pursuit of Absolute Return
Hedge funds claim to make money whether the market rises or falls. We lay out the structure of long/short, leverage, and the '2 and 20' fee, along with underperformance versus the S&P 500 in the 2010s and the result of Buffett's famous 10-year bet.
Art and Collectibles Investing
Can a single painting, a limited-edition sneaker, or a rare card be an investment? We lay out the appeal of art and collectibles investing and the traps hidden behind it—low liquidity, high fees, and the absence of cash flow.
Real Rate vs. Nominal Rate
The bank pays 3% interest, but if prices rise 4%, am I ahead or behind? We unpack the difference between the stated rate (nominal) and the purchasing-power-based rate (real) using the Fisher equation.
What Is the Term Premium
Why does a 10-year government bond pay more interest than a 1-year one? We look at the concept of the term premium—compensation for the risk of locking money away for a long time—and an unusual period when it was negative.
What Is a Stablecoin — Peg and Depeg Risk
Is a stablecoin that promises '1 coin = 1 dollar' really safe? We examine the principle of the peg and its risks through the 2022 Terra/UST collapse and the 2023 USDC temporary depeg.
Certificates of Deposit (CDs) and Commercial Paper (CP)
CDs issued by banks and CP issued by companies. Both are means of putting money to work short-term, but their risks are completely different. Along with definitions, maturities, and discount issuance, we point out real cases of CP going bad.
What Is a Repurchase Agreement (Repo)
A repo is a trade where you sell a bond while promising to 'buy it back later.' We look at the structure of this product—essentially a short-term loan collateralized by a bond—and the 2019 U.S. repo market seizure.
What Are Bond Vigilantes — The Penalty the Market Charges the Government
A summary of the 'bond vigilante' concept, in which bond investors worried about fiscal deficits and inflation sell government bonds to push up rates and force discipline on governments.
What Are Tokenized Securities (STOs)
A summary of the concept and regulation of tokenized securities and STOs, which issue real-world assets like stocks, bonds, and real estate as blockchain tokens.
What Is a Convertible Bond (CB) — Between Bond and Stock
A convertible bond (CB) is a bond that can be converted into stock under set conditions. This piece explains the hybrid structure of gaining a stock conversion right in exchange for low interest, and the feature of 'bond on the downside, stock on the upside.'
China A-shares and H-shares — What's the Difference?
The same Chinese company, yet the price of its mainland listing (A-share) and its Hong Kong listing (H-share) differ. We plainly lay out the differences in currency, investors, and rules, the 'A-H premium,' and the Stock Connect mechanism that links them.
What Are Frontier Markets?
Frontier markets are at an even earlier stage than emerging markets. They include countries like Vietnam and Kazakhstan, and carry large liquidity, accessibility, and exchange-rate risks along with growth expectations. We lay out the concept using Vietnam's scheduled promotion to emerging status.
A Look at Southeast Asian Markets Like Vietnam and Indonesia
Southeast Asian markets, drawing attention as 'post-China.' We lay out Vietnam's scheduled promotion to emerging status, the features of the Indonesian market, and the liquidity and exchange-rate risks you must address alongside growth expectations.
What Is an Option — Calls, Puts, and the Premium
An option is 'the right to buy or sell at a set price.' This piece explains, at a beginner's level, the difference between calls and puts, the meaning of the premium, and why the payoff structures for buyers and sellers are so extremely different.
What Are Futures — Margin and Leverage
Futures are contracts agreed in advance to buy or sell on a set future day at a set price. This piece looks at how margin, daily settlement, and leverage work, and why small money produces large gains and losses.
The Option Greeks — Delta, Gamma, Theta, Vega
An option's price responds to several variables at once. The 'Greeks' express those sensitivities with Greek letters. This piece explains simply what delta, gamma, theta, and vega each measure.
Covered Call — A Structure That Sells the Upside to Earn Income
A covered call is a strategy that sells a call option on stock you hold to earn a premium (income). This piece points out that although it looks stable, its essence is 'the price of giving up upside gains,' and its downside defense is limited.
Protective Put — 'Insurance' to Prepare for a Decline
A protective put is a strategy of buying a put option on assets you hold to defend against downside losses. This piece explains both sides of the cost — it feels reassuring like insurance, but the 'premium' eats into returns.
Securities Lending — The Back End of Short Selling
Lending out stock you own and receiving a fee is securities lending. This piece explains that it is essential infrastructure for short selling and extra income for the lender, but comes with collateral and counterparty risk.
The Risks of Structured Products (ELS/DLS) — The Trap of Conditional Payoffs
ELS/DLS are structured products of 'profit if conditions are met, principal loss if they aren't.' Using the 2024 Hong Kong H-Index ELS episode, this piece looks at how knock-ins and loss rates actually worked.
What Are Warrants and ELWs — Highly Leveraged Derivative Securities
A warrant (ELW) is a listed security that carries the right to buy or sell an asset at a set price. This piece points out that, like options, they carry high leverage and that value disappears over time, so a total loss is possible.
Portfolio & Strategy
How you mix themThe Basic Principles of Asset Allocation
Learn why asset allocation, which spreads investment across different assets such as stocks, bonds, and cash, matters and how to design it.
Portfolio Diversification in Practice
We explain with real data how many assets and how many holdings are needed for effective diversification, and the diminishing-returns principle of diversification.
Index Funds vs. Active Funds
Compares index funds that track the market average with active funds that seek excess returns, from the standpoints of fees, performance, and taxes.
ETF vs. Fund: How Do They Differ
We look at the structural, cost, tax, and liquidity differences between ETFs and regular funds (mutual funds), and which is more advantageous in which situation.
What Is Age-Based Allocation (100 − Age)?
The rule of thumb 'stock weight = 100 − age.' We cover its meaning, the 110/120 variants, and its limitations.
Correlation Between Assets and the Diversification Effect
We explore why combining assets that move differently reduces risk, and the mathematical principle of correlation.
What Is Rebalancing?
Explains the principle, methods, and tax effects of rebalancing, which restores your target asset weights when they drift.
The 60/40 Portfolio: Principles and Limits
60% stocks + 40% bonds—we look at how this asset-allocation formula, beloved for half a century, works and at the weakness exposed in 2022.
Lump-Sum vs. Recurring Investing — Which Is Better?
Should you put a lump sum in all at once, or spread it out? We examine the difference in expected return and risk between the two approaches through historical data.
Passive vs. Active Investing
Passive follows the index as is, active tries to beat the market — what's the difference, and what does the data say?
The Benefits and Limits of International Diversification
We organize, with historical data, what's good and what's disappointing about spreading investments across multiple countries rather than concentrating them in one.
The Pros and Cons of Market-Cap Weighting
We examine the mechanics of the market-cap weighting used by flagship indexes like the S&P 500 — 'holding bigger companies more' — along with its concentration risk.
What Are Rebalancing Bands (Deviation-Based)?
How far from the target weight do you let it drift before adjusting back? We explain rebalancing bands, including Swedroe's 5/25 rule.
Calendar vs. Threshold Rebalancing: What's the Difference?
Adjust by the date, or by the amount of drift? We compare calendar rebalancing and threshold (deviation) rebalancing.
What Is Position Sizing?
How much do you put into a single asset? We explain the concept and rules of position sizing for managing concentration risk.
What Is the Permanent Portfolio (Harry Browne)?
25% each in stocks, long-term government bonds, gold, and cash. We look at Harry Browne's Permanent Portfolio and its historical performance and drawdowns.
What Is the Three-Fund Portfolio?
A simple combination that gets done with just three indexes: U.S. stocks, international stocks, and bonds. We explain the Bogleheads' three-fund portfolio.
What Is a Target Date Fund (TDF)?
Pick a single target retirement year and the TDF adjusts the stock/bond mix for you. We explain the glide path and points to watch.
Recurring vs. Lump-Sum Investing: A Look at Historical Data
Do you put a lump sum in all at once, or split it up? Using historical data such as Vanguard's research, we compare the performance and psychology of lump-sum and recurring investing.
How an Index Is Built
From inclusion rules to weighting methods to periodic reconstitution — explains how a stock index is built, using the S&P 500 and KOSPI as examples.
Equal-Weight Index vs. Market-Cap Weight
Equal weighting holds every stock at the same weight, while market-cap weighting is led by large caps. Compares the differences and performance using the RSP and SPY examples.
What Is a Total Market Index
How does it differ from the S&P 500? Explains the meaning of total market indices such as the CRSP US Total Market, Russell 3000, and MSCI ACWI, and what broad diversification means.
How Dividend Indices Are Constructed
How does high-yield differ from dividend aristocrats? Explains the two ways dividend indices are constructed and the trap of the 'dividend trap' with examples.
What Is ESG Investing
Balances the definition of ESG investing, which reflects environmental, social, and governance factors, its screening methods, the performance debate, and greenwashing criticism.
How ESG Ratings Are Assigned — And Why They Differ
The mechanics of ESG ratings that score environmental, social, and governance factors, and why results diverge widely across rating agencies.
What Is Greenwashing — Disguising Something as Eco-Friendly
The concept of greenwashing, which exaggerates or misleads about eco-friendly or ESG performance, and the perspective investors can use to filter it out.
What Is the All Weather Portfolio
Ray Dalio's asset-allocation strategy of mixing stocks, bonds, gold, and commodities to endure any weather—growth or inflation—and the story of 2022, when even "All Weather" could not avoid losses.
The Core-Satellite Strategy
An asset allocation approach that keeps most of your assets stably in low-cost indexes (core) and runs the remaining small portion in stocks and sectors you're interested in (satellite).
Risk Parity — Equalizing Risk
An asset-allocation approach that spreads 'risk,' not money, equally across assets. We examine both the idea and its limits.
The Efficient Frontier
Maximize return for the same risk, minimize risk for the same return. We easily unpack the map of the 'smartest portfolio' that Markowitz drew.
Life-Cycle (Glide Path) Asset Allocation
We learn what a 'glide path'—reducing stocks and increasing bonds as you age—is, along with the principle of target-date funds (TDFs) and the 2008 controversy.
Strategic vs. Tactical Asset Allocation
We look at the difference between strategic allocation, which maintains long-term baseline weights, and tactical allocation, which adjusts weights based on market conditions, along with their costs.
Factor Investing (Value, Momentum, Quality)
We look at factor investing—systematically betting on characteristics like 'cheap stocks,' 'rising stocks,' and 'solid stocks' beyond the market index—together with its dazzling premiums and painful underperformance periods.
What Is Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT)
We plainly lay out the core of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), which Markowitz established in 1952—diversification, correlation, and the efficient frontier.
What Is the CAPM (Capital Asset Pricing Model)?
Expected return = risk-free return + beta × market risk premium. We walk through the CAPM formula and its meaning with an example.
What Is the Security Market Line (SML)?
The Security Market Line (SML) is the CAPM drawn as a graph. We explain the relationship between beta and expected return, and how to judge under- and overvaluation.
The Capital Allocation Line (CAL) and the Risk-Free Asset
How does risk and return change when you mix a risk-free asset with a risky portfolio? We explain the CAL and the two-fund separation theorem.
What Is the Minimum Variance Portfolio?
The combination that 'minimizes swings' rather than maximizing return. We explain the meaning of the minimum variance portfolio and the effect of diversification.
The Tangency Portfolio and the Optimal Risky Asset
The tangency portfolio maximizes the Sharpe ratio among combinations of risky assets. We explain its connection to the CAL and the CAPM.
What Is the Kelly Criterion?
The Kelly criterion is the optimal betting fraction that maximizes the long-term growth rate. We explain the formula, its meaning, and its large-drawdown risk.
What Is the Golden Butterfly Portfolio?
A five-way split that adds small-cap value stocks to the Permanent Portfolio. We look at the Golden Butterfly's composition and its historical performance and drawdowns.
What Is the Barbell Strategy?
Most in the ultra-safe, a slice in the ultra-risky. We explain Nassim Taleb's barbell strategy, which avoids the middle.
What Is Value Averaging?
One step beyond recurring investing. We explain the principle and limitations of value averaging, which sets a target 'value path' and buys more when you fall short and less when you overshoot.
The Principle and Risk of the Momentum Strategy
Momentum is the tendency for what has recently risen to keep rising. We look at the principle and risk, from the Jegadeesh-Titman research to the 2009 momentum crash.
What Is Trend Following?
Investing that follows the trend by rules such as the 200-day moving average. We explain the strengths of Meb Faber and managed futures, and the limitations of whipsaws and costs in a sideways market.
The Mean Reversion Strategy
Does price return to the mean? We explain the statistical basis of mean reversion, the concepts of RSI and Bollinger Bands, and the risk in a trending market.
What Is Dual Momentum
Gary Antonacci's dual momentum — the principles and limits of the GEM strategy, which combines relative momentum and absolute momentum.
Understanding the Concept of Pairs Trading
When the spread between two stocks that used to move together widens, you buy one and sell the other. Explains pairs trading, a market-neutral relative-value arbitrage.
What Is a Float-Adjusted Index
Free-float weighting, which assigns weights using only actually tradable shares. Looks at why it was introduced and how the S&P and MSCI use it.
What Is the Index Reconstitution (Rebalancing) Effect
Why does a stock's price move when it is added to or removed from an index? Explains the index reconstitution effect using Russell reconstitution and front-running as examples.
The History of the Value Factor
Do low-PBR stocks really win over the long run? Organizes the Fama-French three-factor model and HML, the 'value winter,' and the 2022 rebound with fact-checking.
What Are the Momentum and Quality Factors
Do rising stocks rise further, and is a good company a good investment? Explains the traits of the momentum and quality factors and the risks of momentum crashes and valuation.
Behavioral Finance & Psychology
Your biggest enemy is yourselfCommon Psychological Traps Investors Fall Into
Introduces representative cognitive biases that distort investment judgment, such as overconfidence, herd behavior, and anchoring.
Loss Aversion Eats Into Your Returns
Learn how loss aversion, in which the pain of a loss is twice the joy of a gain, distorts investment behavior.
FOMO — The Psychology of Jumping In for Fear of Missing Out
The anxiety of rushing in for fear you alone will miss out while everyone else is making money. It's a classic reason for buying at the top and selling at the bottom.
Why Market Timing Fails
We check with data why market-timing strategies that try to guess when to buy and sell fail over the long run.
Recency Bias: Overtrusting Recent Performance
We check with data why the belief that a recently successful investment will keep doing well is dangerous.
Herding — the Psychology of Buying Because Others Do
We unpack, through the dot-com bubble and Korea's 'Donghak retail investor' phenomenon, how the mindset of following the crowd 'because everyone's buying' creates bubbles and crashes.
The Anchoring Effect
A single number you see first pulls your entire judgment toward it. We look at anchoring bias, which causes mistakes by tethering you to your purchase price or an all-time high.
Confirmation Bias — Seeing Only What You Want to See
The tendency to selectively see only information that confirms what you already believe. It is a classic trap that makes you hold on to a losing stock for too long in investing.
The Disposition Effect — Selling Winners, Holding Losers
We unpack the psychological bias of hurriedly selling profitable stocks and clinging to losing ones to the end—the disposition effect—using actual research figures.
Overconfidence Bias
We examine, with real research data, why the illusion of 'I do better than average' leads to frequent trading and lower returns.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy
The psychology of continuing bad choices because the money and time already spent feel too wasteful to abandon. We unpack, with examples, this classic trap that blocks cutting losses in investing.
Mental Accounting
It's the same $74, so why do we spend New Year's gift money freely? We look at the mental-accounting bias of dividing money into mental accounts and treating them differently.
Home Bias: Overholding Domestic Stocks
We look at why most investors overhold their home-country stocks and how this affects a portfolio.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Investing
Explores how the Dunning-Kruger effect — where confidence grows the less you know — leads to the overconfidence of investing beginners.
Framing Effect — The Same Fact, Its Wording Changes the Decision
Explains the framing effect — where the same information flips your choice depending on whether it's said as a 'gain' or a 'loss' — using the Asian disease problem experiment.
Regret Aversion
Explores the psychology of regret aversion — how the desire to avoid regret makes you delay investment decisions.
Action Bias (Inability to Sit Still)
Explores action bias — the pressure to 'do something' whenever the market shakes, leading to frequent trading.
Availability Heuristic — Overrating What Comes to Mind Easily
Explains how the availability heuristic — judging probability by cases that come easily to mind — distorts the perception of investment risk.
Lottery Preference (Lottery Stocks)
Explores the psychology of lottery preference — overvaluing low-probability jackpots — and why such stocks have had low average returns.
Money Illusion
Explores the psychology of money illusion — being fooled by nominal amounts and missing the real value that reflects inflation.
The Gambler's Fallacy — Linking Independent Events
Explains the gambler's fallacy ('red keeps coming up, so now it's black's turn') using the 1913 Monte Carlo roulette incident.
The Hot-Hand Fallacy — The Illusion of Streaks, and the Twist
Balances the hot-hand fallacy (believing a run of successes will continue) with the statistical correction by Miller and Sanjurjo that overturned the original study.
Status Quo Bias — The Inertia of a Mind That Doesn't Want to Change
Explains the causes of status quo bias — the tendency to keep the current state as is — and its effects on neglected portfolios and postponed rebalancing.
The Endowment Effect — The Moment It Becomes Mine, It Gets More Expensive
Explains the endowment effect — valuing an object more highly the moment you own it — using the Cornell University mug experiment (WTA/WTP).
Recency Effect vs. Primacy Effect — Memory Keeps the Beginning and the End
Explains the serial-position effect — where the beginning (primacy effect) and the end (recency effect) of a list are better remembered — connected to the traps of judging investment information.
Optimism Bias — The Illusion That 'I'll Be the Exception'
Explains how optimism bias — overestimating positive futures and underestimating bad outcomes — affects investment risk management.
Self-Attribution Bias — Success Is My Skill, Failure Is Someone Else's Fault
Explains how self-attribution bias — crediting success to one's own ability and blaming failure on external factors — leads to overconfidence and flawed learning.
Confusing Correlation and Causation
Two indicators moving together doesn't mean one causes the other. Knowing about confounders and reverse causation keeps you from being fooled by 'when this rises, that rises too.'
Illusion of Control — Mistaking Chance for Skill
Explains the illusion of control — believing you can control outcomes you actually cannot — through Langer's lottery experiment, connected to investment psychology.
Social Proof and Herd Psychology — Because Everyone Else Is Doing It
Explains the psychology of social proof — copying the crowd when you're unsure — through Asch's conformity experiment, connected to investment herd behavior.
How to Read the Fear & Greed Index
Explains what the CNN Fear & Greed Index measures and how, covering its 7 indicators and 0–100 scale, and how not to misuse a sentiment gauge as a trading signal.
The Clustering Illusion
Random data too shows chance clumps and streaks. Using the London bombing distribution and the basketball "hot hand" case, this article looks at the illusion of seeing patterns that are not there.
The Psychology and Price of Panic Selling
Explains the psychological mechanism of panic selling — selling at the bottom out of fear — and the historical tendency for the average investor to underperform the market as a result.
The 2021 Meme Stock Frenzy — GameStop, When a Community Shook the Market
A summary of the 2021 'meme stock' phenomenon, in which retail investors banded together through online communities to send GameStop's share price soaring, and the risks it exposed.
How to Read Sentiment Indicators — Fear, Greed, and Contrarian Thinking
The meaning and limits of sentiment indicators such as the Fear & Greed Index, the put/call ratio, and retail investor surveys.
Hindsight Bias
The illusion of feeling 'I knew it would happen' once you know the outcome. We look at why this bias makes investors overconfident and keeps them from learning from mistakes.
Survivorship Bias: The Trap of Seeing Only What Remains
Explains how survivorship bias, where only successful assets survive to be included in an index, distorts investment judgment.
Backtest Overfitting
We look at the trap of backtest overfitting—why a strategy tailored to "fit perfectly" to past data collapses in the real world.
Data Snooping — The Trap of Overfitting
If you dig through past data over and over, a 'perfect rule' is bound to appear. But is it real, or is it coincidence?
What Is Prospect Theory
Explains the core of prospect theory (reference point, loss aversion, S-shaped value function), presented by Kahneman and Tversky in 1979, in connection with investment psychology.
Representativeness Heuristic — Mistaking Plausibility for Probability
Explains the representativeness heuristic ('it resembles this, so it must be so') and the judgment error of ignoring base rates through the famous Linda problem (the conjunction fallacy).
The Reality of Survivorship Bias in Funds
When funds that vanished through liquidation or merger drop out of the statistics, average returns get inflated. Explores with real figures how much fund survivorship bias distorts performance.
Selection Bias
If a sample fails to represent the population, the conclusion is wrong no matter how accurate the calculation. Makes selection bias easy to grasp with the WWII bomber story.
Look-Ahead Bias (in Backtesting)
Secretly using information that couldn't be known at the time inflates backtest performance. Explores look-ahead bias — the true nature of a dazzling but unreproducible track record.
P-Hacking and Multiple Testing
If you keep changing conditions and testing until a significant result appears, even chance looks 'real.' Explains p-hacking and the multiple-testing problem through an investment-factor example.
Base Rate Neglect
Forgetting the overall probability (base rate) and being captivated by the story in front of you makes judgment go badly astray. Explores how base rate neglect distorts investment decisions.
Regression to the Mean (in Statistics)
After extreme performance, ordinary results tend to follow. Explains regression to the mean — first discovered in Galton's height research — connected to investing.
Spurious Correlation
What if the number of Nicolas Cage films moves together with the number of drownings? The more data there are, the more pairs turn up with high correlation by chance. The same goes for market superstitions like the Super Bowl indicator.
The Narrative Fallacy — The Trap of a Plausible Story
Explains the narrative fallacy — the urge to simplify a complex, random reality into a smooth story — alongside Taleb's concept of the black swan.
The Small-Sample Trap
Why we judge a fund's skill from three years of performance and feel certain of our ability after a few winning trades. This article looks at the error of generalizing from small samples, even though small samples easily produce extreme values.
The Average-of-Averages Error
Averaging the averages of differently sized groups again gives the wrong answer. Using Simpson's paradox and the UC Berkeley admissions case, this article looks at why weighted and geometric means are needed.
Costs & Taxes
What eats into your returnsThe Erosion Effect of Fees and Taxes
Uses concrete figures to show how much seemingly small fees and taxes eat into long-term investment returns.
How the Expense Ratio (TER) Affects Returns
Uses figures to confirm how large a gap the difference between 0.03% and 1% per year creates in gains after 30 years.
The Structure of Brokerage Commissions — How Different Are Domestic and Overseas Stocks?
The concept of the brokerage commission you pay to your broker, the difference in commissions between domestic and overseas stocks, and the other costs that come attached alongside commissions.
Account Transfer and Withdrawal Fees — Small but Leaking Costs
This article organizes the easy-to-miss small costs, such as the stock-account transfer fee when switching brokerages and the wire fee for overseas remittances and withdrawals.
The Structure of Front-End and Back-End Loads
We plainly organize what front-end loads (charged when you buy) and back-end loads (charged when you sell) are, and how they differ by share class.
The Bid-Ask Spread and Slippage
We explain how the difference between the bid and ask (the spread) and slippage—when the expected price and the executed price diverge—quietly eat into returns.
How Taxes Eat Into Compounding (Tax Drag)
Taxes take a little of your return each year, and that money taken away can no longer compound, so the gap widens over time. We clearly explain the principle of tax drag and Korea's tax system.
High Turnover Means Leaking Costs
The more often you buy and sell, the more fees and taxes pile up. We look at the principle by which portfolio turnover eats into returns and at historical research findings.
What Is Tracking Error?
A metric that measures how 'steadily, without wobbling' an index-tracking ETF or index fund follows its index. We clearly organize its causes and its difference from the premium/discount.
The Tax-Saving Mechanics of the ISA Account
We plainly explain how the ISA account — which reduces taxes through loss-offsetting, tax deferral, and a tax-free allowance — works, along with its mechanics and cautions.
The Tax Benefits of Pension Savings and IRP
Pension savings and IRP refund taxes in the year you contribute and defer taxes while your money grows. We plainly organize the tax-credit limits, credit rates, pension-withdrawal tax, and even the early-termination trap.
The Basics of Dividend Income Tax (Domestic)
This article clearly organizes the composition of the 15.4% withholding on dividends from domestic stocks, and the comprehensive financial income taxation that begins when you exceed 20 million won a year.
Calculating Capital Gains Tax on Overseas Stocks
If you sell U.S. or overseas stocks at a profit, you pay a 22% capital gains tax. We cover the 2.5 million won basic deduction, gain-loss netting, the May filing, and the frequently overlooked exchange-rate calculation.
Capital Gains Tax and Securities Transaction Tax on Domestic Stocks
For domestic listed stocks, small shareholders' transfer gains are tax-exempt, but you pay the securities transaction tax every time you sell. We organize the major-shareholder criteria and the 2026 transaction tax rate.
ISA Tax Exemption and Separate Taxation in Detail
We organize, based on current 2026 law, the ISA account's tax-exemption limits by type, the 9.9% separate taxation on excess gains, the contribution limit, and the mandatory holding period.
Calculating the Pension Savings Tax Credit
We explain the pension savings/IRP tax-credit limits (6 million/9 million won) and credit rates (13.2%/16.5%) as of 2026, with calculation examples.
IRP Taxation and Withdrawal Taxation
We organize the IRP's contribution tax credit, tax deferral during management, the 3.3–5.5% pension income tax at pension receipt, and the 16.5% other-income tax on early termination.
Pension Income Tax (3.3–5.5%)
We explain, as of 2026, the pension income tax rates by age at private pension receipt and the comprehensive/separate taxation election rule when exceeding 15 million won a year.
The Difference Between Dividend Tax and Capital Gains Tax
There are broadly two ways to make money on stocks: "dividends" and "gains from selling." But these two have completely different tax rules. Dividend tax is deducted automatically, while capital gains tax you file yourself. Whether losses can be offset also differs.
Year-End Tax-Saving Checkpoints
Taxes can change just by shifting "when you sell." From the overseas stock 2.5 million won deduction, gain-loss netting, and ISA/pension contribution limits, to managing the 20 million won financial income line—we've organized into a checklist the items worth reviewing once at year-end.
The Full Picture of Transaction Costs — Visible Costs and Hidden Costs
From explicit costs such as brokerage commissions and taxes to hidden costs such as the bid-ask spread and market impact, this article organizes the full structure of the costs attached to a single trade.
The FX Conversion Spread Cost — The Hidden Toll of Overseas Investing
The principle of the FX conversion spread charged when you convert won into foreign currency for overseas stock investing, the meaning of the preferential FX rate, and how to calculate the round-trip cost.
Custody Fees — The Small Cost Hidden Inside a Fund
The concept of the custody fee charged as the price of safely holding a fund's or ETF's assets, and how it is baked into the total expense ratio.
The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Perspective — When You Add Up All the Costs
The total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective, which sees the true cost of an investment by adding in the turnover, transaction costs, and taxes that you miss when you look only at the management fee (TER).
Calculating the Compounding Drag of Fees — A 1% Difference After 30 Years
Using the official example from the U.S. SEC, this article calculates how much a seemingly small 1% annual fee, compounded over time, eats into long-term returns.
Understanding Slippage with Examples — The Difference Between Expected Price and Fill Price
The concept of slippage, the difference between the price you expected when placing an order and the actual fill price, explained with examples of how volatility and liquidity enlarge it.
The Spread in Low-Liquidity Stocks — Trading Volume Is a Cost
Why the difference between the buy and sell quotes grows for thinly traded stocks, and why that wide spread becomes an immediate cost to the investor.
Which Is Bigger, Taxes or Fees — The Priority of Costs
To prevent the mistake of focusing only on saving on fees while missing larger taxes and transaction taxes, this article compares the relative sizes of the costs a Korean investor bears.
Capital Gains Tax Basics (Domestic & Foreign Stocks)
Domestic and foreign stocks have completely different tax rules. Domestic stocks for ordinary individuals are mostly tax-exempt, but foreign stocks such as U.S. stocks are taxed 22% on gains over 2.5 million KRW a year, and you must even file it yourself. We've summarized the basics at a glance.
What is the Global Financial Income Tax
A system that, when financial income like interest and dividends exceeds 20 million won per year, taxes it together with other income at progressive rates. We easily summarize the criterion, rates, and history.
Tax-Loss Harvesting
Examines the principle of selling assets with unrealized losses to reduce taxes and its applicability in Korea.
Overview of the Financial Investment Income Tax
We organize what the financial investment income tax ("geumtu-se"), once slated for implementation, was, and why it was deferred several times before being confirmed abolished in January 2025.
Tax Treaties and the Foreign Tax Credit
When you receive a dividend on U.S. stocks, the U.S. deducts 15% first. But if Korea deducts again, isn't that double taxation? The devices that prevent this are tax treaties and the foreign tax credit. Rates differ by country, which also splits whether Korea withholds additionally.
Loss Carryover and Gain-Loss Netting
When you take a loss, how do you reduce tax? Korea lets you offset gains and losses only "within the same year," and unlike the U.S., you cannot carry losses forward to the next year. This one rule greatly changes tax-saving strategy.
Gifts, Inheritance, and Stocks
If your parents pass down or buy stocks for you, how does tax work? We organize, at a teen/twenties eye level, the gift property deduction (50 million won for adult children, 20 million won for minors, 600 million won for a spouse), the valuation of listed stocks at the "average of closing prices for 2 months before and after the gift date," and the five-bracket 10–50% rates.
Financial Income and Health Insurance Premiums
When dividends and interest rise, it's not only taxes that go up—health insurance premiums can rise too. We organize, from a "quasi-tax rather than tax" angle, the 10 million won/20 million won financial income thresholds, loss of dependent status, and conversion to a regional subscriber.
The Wash Sale Rule (U.S.)
What if you sell a losing stock to reduce tax and then immediately buy it back? In the U.S., the "wash sale rule" disallows that loss. By contrast, Korea has no such rule, so gain-loss netting via sell-and-rebuy is possible. We organize the two countries' differences and cautions.
Asset Location by Account (Tax-Saving)
Even for the same portfolio, after-tax returns differ by "which asset you place in which account." We explain the basic principle of asset location—putting tax-heavy assets (overseas dividend ETFs, bonds, REITs) in tax-saving accounts like pension savings/IRP/ISA, and tax-favorable assets in ordinary accounts.
What Is Market Impact Cost — A Large Order Pushes the Price
The concept of market impact cost, which arises when a large order pushes the price by itself, and the square-root law that describes the relationship between order size and impact.
What Is Implementation Shortfall — The Distance Between Decision Price and Fill Price
The concept of implementation shortfall, which captures in a single number the difference between the price at the moment you decided to trade and the actual fill price, and its components.
The Performance-Fee (2 and 20) Structure — How Do Hedge Funds Get Paid?
The "2 and 20," the representative fee structure of hedge funds, and the principles of the high-water mark and hurdle rate that limit the performance fee.
What Are Soft Dollars — The Research Value Hidden in Commissions
The soft-dollar practice by which an asset manager pays higher commissions in exchange for receiving research from a broker, and its effect on investors' costs.
ETF Premium/Discount — When the Market Price Diverges from NAV
The principle of the premium or discount when an ETF's market price is above or below its net asset value (NAV), and the structure by which authorized participants' arbitrage narrows that gap.
ETF NAV and Tracking Error — How Accurately Does It Follow the Index?
The difference between tracking difference and tracking error, which measure how accurately an ETF follows its underlying index, and the costs, sampling, and cash drag that cause them.
Iceberg Order — A Large Order Hidden Like an Iceberg
Explains how an iceberg (reserve) order exposes only part of a large order in the quotes and hides the rest, and its purpose of reducing market impact.
VWAP·TWAP — Algorithms That Slice Up a Large Order
Summarizes the definition and difference of the VWAP and TWAP algorithms, which reduce execution cost by finely slicing a large order by volume and by time.
What Is a Dark Pool — The Invisible Exchange
Summarizes the structure, regulation, and market share of dark pools, private trading venues that do not reveal orders in public quotes, and explains their relationship to individual investors.
Payment for Order Flow (PFOF) — The Real Cost of 'Free' Commissions
Summarizes the structure of Payment for Order Flow (PFOF) hidden behind 'free commissions,' and the conflict-of-interest debate among market makers, brokers, and investors.
Dividends & Cash Flow
Investing seen through cash flowThe Compounding Effect of Dividend Reinvestment
Uses S&P 500 historical data to examine how big a difference dividend reinvestment makes over the long run.
The Ex-Dividend Date — What Happens Around a Dividend
By when must you buy a stock to receive its dividend? We easily summarize the relationship between the ex-dividend date, record date, and payment date, and why the price drops sharply on the ex-dividend date.
How to Read the Payout Ratio
We explain, with examples, the meaning and calculation of the payout ratio — which shows how much of what a company earned it paid out as dividends — and why 'higher isn't unconditionally better.'
What is a Dividend Growth Stock
An easy summary of the concept, historical performance, and hidden drawbacks of dividend growth stocks—companies that have steadily raised their dividends every year.
What Are Dividend Aristocrats and Dividend Kings?
We organize the definitions and misconceptions of Dividend Aristocrats and Dividend Kings—companies that have raised dividends for 25 or 50 consecutive years.
Dividend Coverage Ratio — How Solid Is the Dividend?
We look at the calculation and interpretation of the Dividend Coverage Ratio, which shows how many times over earnings can pay the dividend.
The High-Dividend Trap — What Is a Dividend Trap?
We look at the mechanism of the Dividend Trap, where a high dividend yield can actually be a warning sign, and a real case (AT&T).
What Are Special Dividends and Interim Dividends?
We explain, with examples, the concept of the special dividend, paid one-off apart from the regular dividend, and the interim dividend, paid partway through the accounting period.
What Is a Stock Dividend — Stock Instead of Cash?
We explain the mechanism of the stock dividend, paid in stock instead of cash, and its effect on real value, taxes, and the stock price.
Buybacks vs. Dividends — Two Paths of Returning Capital to Shareholders
Compares the two ways a company returns money to shareholders, share buybacks and dividends, and their differences in tax and stock-price effects.
What Is a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP)?
Explains how a DRIP automatically reinvests received dividends into the same stock, along with its compounding effect, pros, and cons.
High Yield vs. Dividend Growth — Which Should You Watch?
Compares two styles, high current yield (high dividend) and steadily growing dividends (dividend growth), and their historical performance data.
The Dividend Record Date and Payment Date Timeline
Explains what the declaration date, ex-dividend date, record date, and payment date each mean, and by when you must buy to receive a dividend.
The Characteristics of REIT Dividends — Why Are They So High?
Explains why REITs pay out more than 90% of their earnings as dividends, and the taxes, stability, and risks of those dividends.
The Structure of Monthly-Dividend Products
Explains the structure, pros, and cons of monthly-dividend stocks and ETFs that pay every month instead of quarterly, and addresses the misconception that "monthly dividend equals high yield."
How to Check Dividend Sustainability
A practical checklist for judging whether a dividend can be maintained going forward — examining the payout ratio, coverage, cash flow, and debt together.
Bond Interest vs. Dividends — Comparing Income
The difference between two assets that provide regular cash flow, bond interest and stock dividends — comparing stability, growth potential, taxes, and risk.
The Illusion of Yield on Cost (YoC)
Why the dividend yield calculated based on your purchase price (YoC) can look like 9% yet actually be an illusion — explained through Buffett's Coca-Cola case.
Qualified Dividends (U.S.) and Their Tax Treatment
Summarizes the tax-rate difference between U.S. qualified dividends and ordinary dividends and the holding-period requirement. Also covers points to watch from a Korean investor's perspective.
The Reality of the Dividend Capture Strategy
Explains, through the ex-dividend drop, taxes, and costs, why the dividend capture strategy of buying just before the ex-date and selling right after does not yield as much as expected.
The Mechanics and Limits of Covered-Call Income
Explains, with data, how the popular high-monthly-distribution covered-call strategy works and its price: a capped upside and NAV erosion.
Macro, FX & Inflation
It looks different in real termsReal Return: Adjusting for Inflation
Explains the difference between nominal and real returns, and how inflation erodes investment gains.
How Exchange Rates Change Your Return
Explains how currency movements affect the real return when a Korean-won investor invests in overseas assets.
What Are Inflation-Hedge Assets?
Examines the characteristics and historical performance of assets that respond to rising prices. Are gold, real estate, and TIPS really effective?
Managing Currency Risk in Overseas Investing
We look at the extra risk created by exchange-rate movements when investing in overseas assets, and how to manage it.
The Business Cycle and Asset Prices
We examine historical patterns of how stocks, bonds, commodities, and real estate move differently across the expansion and contraction phases of the business cycle.
How to Read the Dollar Index (DXY)
Through the makeup and history of the DXY—an indicator that shows at a glance whether the dollar is currently strong or weak—learn how to read the broad flow of exchange rates.
What Does a Central Bank Do — The Coordinator of Prices and Employment
Explains simply why central banks like the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Korea exist and what they do for price stability, employment, and financial stability.
The Policy Rate and Monetary Policy — How One Rate Change Spreads Through the Whole Economy
Explains the transmission channels and time lags of how a central bank raising or lowering the policy rate cascades to loans, spending, exchange rates, and asset prices.
What Are Safe-Haven Currencies (Dollar, Yen, Swiss Franc)
The identity and reasons behind 'safe-haven currencies' that actually strengthen when a crisis hits, confirming with data how much the dollar, yen, and franc actually rose during the 2008 financial crisis.
Understanding the U.S. Fed and the FOMC — The Meeting That Sets the World's Interest Rate
Summarizes the structure by which U.S. monetary policy is decided, from the FOMC's composition (12 voters) and eight meetings a year to the statement and press conference.
The Bank of Korea's Monetary Policy Board — Who Sets Our Interest Rate?
Summarizes the structure of domestic monetary policy, from the composition of the Bank of Korea's Monetary Policy Board (7 members) and eight monetary-policy-direction meetings a year to the 2% price-stability target.
History of the Won–Dollar Rate — The Number That Spiked in Every Crisis
Tracing with historical data how sharply the won–dollar rate surged during the 1997 IMF crisis and the 2008 financial crisis, and examining why the exchange rate is a 'hidden risk' for Korean investors.
History of Currency Crises — What the Asian Financial Crisis Left Behind
Confirming with data how far the Thai baht and Indonesian rupiah plunged during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and examining the common pattern of why currency crises recur.
Hedged vs. Unhedged ETFs — The Meaning of the '(H)' Label
What the '(H)' attached after an ETF's name means, how hedged and unhedged types differ in cost and return, and when each is more advantageous.
Inflation Targeting (2%) — Why Exactly 2%?
An overview of inflation targeting, which New Zealand pioneered as the world's first in 1990, and the origin and meaning of the number "2%."
Fiscal Policy vs. Monetary Policy — The Two Hands That Move the Economy
A simple overview of the difference and division of roles between the government's taxes and spending (fiscal policy) and the central bank's interest rates and money supply (monetary policy).
The Effect of Currency Diversification — Spreading Eggs Across Currencies
The principle that holding assets across multiple currencies can reduce the risk of a single currency's sharp move, examined together with the limits and costs of currency diversification.
What Is GDP
The definition of GDP, the representative measure of the size of a country's economy, and a simple explanation of the difference between nominal and real GDP.
How to Read the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
How the CPI, the representative measure of how much prices have risen, is constructed, and how to read the numbers you see in the news.
Core vs. Headline Inflation
The "inflation rate" in the news has two faces. This article explains the difference between headline inflation, which looks at the whole, and core inflation, which looks at the trend.
How to Read the Unemployment Rate and Employment Data
The definition and calculation of the unemployment rate, nonfarm payrolls (NFP), and why the unemployment rate is a "lagging indicator."
What Is the Leading Economic Index
A simple overview of the difference between leading, coincident, and lagging indices, and the 10 components of the Conference Board's LEI.
How to Read the PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index)
A simple explanation of what the PMI's 50 threshold means and the difference between the ISM and S&P Global PMIs.
What Is the Consumer Sentiment Index
What the consumer sentiment index (CCI, CCSI) is, the meaning of the threshold of 100, and how it should be read.
The Definition of a Recession
Why the common belief that a recession is "two consecutive quarters of negative GDP" differs from the multi-indicator approach of the U.S. official arbiter, the NBER.
Soft Landing vs. Hard Landing
The difference between a "soft landing," in which the central bank tames inflation while avoiding recession, and a "hard landing," in which tightening leads to recession, explained through historical cases.
The Dangers of Deflation
Deflation, said to be even scarier than the inflation of rising prices. This article examines its dangers through the vicious cycle of debt deflation and Japan's lost decades.
The History of Hyperinflation
Hyperinflation, in which money turns into scrap paper. Through the worst cases — Weimar Germany, Zimbabwe, and Hungary — this article examines the scale of currency collapse and its lessons.
100 Years of Currency Value Change
How much is $1 from 1913 worth today? We trace over a century of currency erosion using actual CPI data.
Reading Exchange Rates with the Big Mac Index
How The Economist's 'Big Mac Index' fun-fully shows whether currencies are over- or under-valued, and what its limits are.
The 1929 Great Depression and the -89% Drawdown
We look at the history of the Great Depression of 1929, in which the Dow collapsed about -89% from its peak and took a full 25 years to recover its principal.
Black Monday 1987, -22.6% in a Single Day
We look at the causes of Black Monday, when the Dow crashed -22.6% in a single day on October 19, 1987, and its unexpectedly quick recovery.
The Nifty Fifty Bubble (1970s)
We look at why the Nifty Fifty, called "quality stocks you buy and hold forever," collapsed even harder in the 1973-74 bear market.
The 1970s Oil Shocks and Stagflation
We look at the 1973 oil shock, when oil prices jumped 4x and inflation and recession came at once—"stagflation." The S&P 500 fell about -48%.
Volcker's War on Inflation — The Price of 20% Rates
We look at the "Volcker Shock," when Fed Chair Paul Volcker raised the policy rate to 20% to tame double-digit inflation, and the deep recession he paid as its price.
Japan's Asset Bubble and the Nikkei's -80%
We look at the history of how the Nikkei index peaked at 38,915 in 1989, then collapsed roughly -80%, and took a full 34 years to recover that high.
The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and the IMF
We look at the Asian financial crisis that began in Thailand in 1997 and spread to Korea, along with the history of the won's plunge and the IMF bailout.
The Dot-com Bubble and the Nasdaq's -78%
We look at the dot-com bubble in which the Nasdaq peaked at 5,048 in 2000, then collapsed roughly -78%, and took about 15 years to recover that high.
The Enron and WorldCom Accounting Frauds
We look at the massive accounting frauds at Enron and WorldCom that shook the U.S. in 2001–2002, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that was born from them.
Tulip Mania (1637) — the First Asset Bubble
We look at the first recorded speculative bubble, in which a single tulip bulb in 17th-century Netherlands soared to the price of a house before crashing.
The South Sea Bubble (1720) — Even Newton Lost
We look at the 1720 event in which Britain's South Sea Company stock soared more than 8x before collapsing, and how even the genius scientist Isaac Newton took a large loss.
The Weimar Hyperinflation — the Collapse of Money's Value
We look at the causes and conclusion of the 1923 hyperinflation in Germany's Weimar Republic, when 1 dollar came to equal 4.2 trillion marks as the value of money collapsed.
Japan's Lost 30 Years
We look at the prolonged low growth and deflation Japan experienced after the 1990 bubble burst, and the concept of the "balance sheet recession."
A Full Rundown of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis — S&P 500 -57%, 5.5 Years to Recover
We organize with numbers the unfolding of the 2008 financial crisis, which began with subprime and engulfed the world, and how the S&P 500 collapsed and how long it took to recover.
The Subprime Mortgage Crisis — How MBS and CDOs Shook the World
We break down in an easy way how mortgages were repackaged into MBS and CDOs and sold worldwide, and why they all went bad at once.
The Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers — the Day That Became the Symbol of the Crisis
We organize the path to the bankruptcy of the 158-year-old investment bank Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008, and why that bankruptcy became the symbol of the crisis.
The 2015 China Stock Crash — When a Bubble Inflated by Debt Bursts
We organize the background of the roughly -32% plunge from the high in the Shanghai market in 2015, and the following year's circuit-breaker fiasco that was scrapped four days after introduction.
The 2020 COVID Crash and Sharp Rebound — -34%, and the Fastest Recovery in History
We organize the fastest crash and recovery in history, in which the S&P 500 plunged -34% within about a month due to the 2020 COVID pandemic and then recovered within a few months.
The 2022 Rate Shock — The Year Stocks and Bonds Fell Together
A summary of how the Federal Reserve's rapid rate hikes in 2022 sent stocks and bonds down at the same time, giving the 60/40 portfolio its worst year.
Nominal vs. Real Exchange Rates
'$1 = 1,300 won' is only the nominal exchange rate; actual purchasing power can differ. We plainly unpack what the real exchange rate and the real effective exchange rate (REER) are, and why the two move separately.
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and the Big Mac Index
We plainly unpack purchasing power parity theory, which gauges the appropriate level of exchange rates using the reason the same Big Mac costs different amounts in different countries.
Currency Hedging Costs Money
An easy explanation of why currency hedging, which shields you from exchange-rate swings, is not free, and how the interest-rate difference between two countries turns into a cost.
The Carry Trade: The Risk of Earning on Rate Differences
We look at the principle of the carry trade—borrowing in a low-rate currency and investing in a high-rate currency to earn the rate difference—and the crash risk when exchange rates flip.
What Is Stagflation?
We unpack the most troublesome economic situation—where prices rise while the economy stagnates and unemployment increases—using the real case of the 1970s.
Yield Curve Inversion and Recession
We examine why a 'yield curve inversion'—when short-maturity Treasury yields rise above long-maturity ones—is called a recession signal, along with the evidence and its limits.
Fixed vs. Floating — Types of Exchange Rate Regimes
How each country sets its exchange rate, organizing fixed, floating, and in-between arrangements by the IMF classification, and examining the pros, cons, and risks of each regime.
The Dollar Smile Theory — Two Faces of a Strong Dollar
An easy explanation of the dollar smile theory, which explains why the dollar strengthens in both of the opposite situations of a 'crisis' and a 'U.S. boom.'
What Is Quantitative Easing (QE) — When Rates Don't Work, Inject Money Directly
Summarizes the Fed's quantitative easing in 2008 and 2020, the process by which its balance sheet swelled from $1 trillion to $9 trillion, and the mechanics behind it.
Interest Rate Parity (IRP) — The Promise Between Rate Gaps and Forwards
An easy explanation via covered interest rate parity of why the interest-rate gap between two countries shows up as the difference between spot and forward rates, and why risk-free arbitrage disappears.
What Is Quantitative Tightening (QT) — Withdrawing the Money That Was Released
Summarizes QT, the opposite of quantitative easing, and how the Fed has shrunk its balance sheet since 2022, along with the mechanics behind it.
Forward FX / Currency Forwards — Locking In a Future Rate Now
The structure of forward FX (currency forwards) that fixes a future exchange rate today, and how it becomes a hedging tool that eliminates exchange-rate risk.
What Is a Currency Swap — The 'FX Breakwater' in a Crisis
The structure of a currency swap in which two countries exchange currencies, and how the 2008 and 2020 Korea–U.S. currency swaps calmed the won–dollar rate, examined with actual figures.
How to Read the Money Supply M1 and M2 — How Much Money Is Circulating in the World?
Summarizes simply the definitions and differences of narrow money M1 and broad money M2, and why money-supply indicators are the thermometer of liquidity.
What Is the Taylor Rule — A Formula for Calculating the Appropriate Rate
Explains the formula and meaning of the Taylor Rule proposed by John Taylor in 1993, and why central banks do not follow this rule mechanically.
Capital Flows and Exchange Rates — When Money Moves, the Rate Moves
How foreign funds coming in and going out move the exchange rate, and why sudden capital flight (a sudden stop) becomes the trigger of a crisis.
The Real Interest Rate and the Fisher Equation — The True Interest Shows Only After Subtracting Inflation
Explains simply, with examples, the real interest rate obtained by subtracting inflation from the nominal rate, and the meaning of the Fisher equation (nominal = real + expected inflation).
The Liquidity Trap — When Cutting Rates to Zero No Longer Works
An overview of the liquidity trap, in which monetary policy becomes powerless as the nominal interest rate hits zero, illustrated by Japan's "Lost Decade."
Trade Balance and Exchange Rates — Trade Pushes and Pulls the Currency
The principle that a currency strengthens when exports are high and weakens when imports are high, and an easy explanation of the 'J-curve' effect in which currency depreciation initially worsens the trade balance.
Negative Interest Rate Policy — Paying a Fee to Deposit Your Money?
An overview of the negative interest rate policy (NIRP) experimented with in Europe and Japan: the concept, the history of its adoption, and the differing goals from country to country.
What Are Twin Deficits — The Link Between Fiscal and Current Account Deficits
The concept of 'twin deficits' in which a government's fiscal deficit and a nation's current account deficit appear together, their theoretical connecting path, and why they do not always hold empirically.
The Privilege and Burden of the Reserve Currency — Why Is the Dollar Special
The status of the U.S. dollar, which makes up about 58% of the world's foreign reserves, and the 'exorbitant privilege' the reserve currency enjoys and the burden that comes with it, examined with data.
What Is Forward Guidance — The Central Bank's "Heads-Up"
An explanation of forward guidance, by which a central bank communicates its future policy direction in advance to reduce market uncertainty, and the difference between the Delphic and Odyssean types.
How to Read the Dot Plot — The Members' Hidden Views on Rates
The structure of the dot plot the FOMC releases each quarter and how to read it, plus why you should not mistake it for the future path of rates.
The Volatility of Emerging-Market Currencies — Why Do They Swing So Much
The reasons emerging-market currencies swing more than developed-market currencies, and the emerging-market currency risk seen through the 2018 Argentine peso and Turkish lira crashes.
History of the Yen Carry Trade — A Quiet River and a Sudden Flood
The history of the yen carry trade that has moved global finance for decades, and the cases that shook markets each time unwinding piled up.
What Is FX Market Intervention — When the Authorities Step In as Rates Get Volatile
An overview of monetary authorities' FX market intervention (smoothing operations), the difference between sterilized and unsterilized intervention, and cases from Korea and Japan.
What Are the Producer Price Index (PPI) and the PCE Price Index
A simple overview of two inflation measures besides the CPI — the PPI, which looks at the production stage, and the PCE, which the Fed trusts most.
The 2024 Yen Carry Unwind Panic — The Shock of the Nikkei Falling -12% in a Day
A summary of the August 2024 event in which the Bank of Japan's rate hike and a surging yen combined to unwind the yen carry trade and send global markets plunging.
What Are Inflation Expectations
The meaning of "inflation expectations" — how much people expect prices to rise going forward — and how to measure them through markets and surveys.
What Is a Commodity Super-Cycle
The meaning of the 'super-cycle' in which commodity prices such as oil, copper, and iron ore rise over decades, examined through the 2000s China case with historical data.
The LTCM Collapse (1998) — the Fall of Geniuses
We look at how the hedge fund LTCM, led by Nobel laureates, lost about 4.6 billion USD within a few months amid 25x leverage and collapsed.
The U.S. Savings and Loan (S&L) Crisis
We look at the financial crisis of the 1980s–90s in which about 1,000 U.S. savings and loan associations collapsed and taxpayers bore about 124 billion USD.
The Latin American Debt Crisis and Brady Bonds
We look at Latin America's "lost decade," which began with Mexico's 1982 default, and the Brady Plan (Brady bonds) that resolved it.
The European Debt Crisis (PIIGS) — Countries Can Go Bankrupt Too
We organize the unfolding of the 2010–2012 European debt crisis, which began in Greece and shook the eurozone, along with bailout sizes and its structural causes.
The 2013 Taper Tantrum — the Ripple from a Single Phrase About 'Tightening the Money Tap'
We organize with numbers the "taper tantrum," in which bond yields surged and emerging markets were shaken in 2013 when the Fed hinted at reducing asset purchases.
The 2023 SVB Bank Collapse — A Crisis Made by 'Safe' Government Bonds
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in about 44 hours in 2023 was driven by valuation losses on bonds amid surging rates and an ultra-fast deposit run.
Breakeven Inflation Rate (BEI) — The Bond Market's Inflation Outlook
Summarizes the definition and limits of the BEI (TIPS spread), which reads the market's expected inflation from the yield difference between nominal government bonds and inflation-linked bonds.
Retirement, Withdrawal & Pensions
How to spend it once you have savedThe 4% Rule — A Safe Withdrawal Rate After Retirement
How much can you withdraw each year from retirement assets so they don't run dry for 30 years? We easily summarize the origin and limits of the '4% rule.'
Basics of Retirement Fund Planning — How Much Will You Need
Estimating the target amount needed for retirement using an annual-spending multiple and an income replacement ratio, and organizing the basic framework of summing national pension, retirement pension, and personal resources.
The Bucket Strategy — Dividing Time with Cash, Bonds, and Stocks
A withdrawal strategy that divides money into three buckets (cash, bonds, stocks) by when you'll spend it, to avoid the mistake of selling stocks at fire-sale prices in a crash.
The Structure of Annuities (Immediate & Lifetime) — Insurance-Type Withdrawal
The structure of immediate, lifetime, and fixed-period annuities—entrusting a lump sum to an insurer to receive a monthly annuity—the principle by which the insurer bears longevity risk, and the fees, inflation, and liquidity risks to watch.
The Structure of Korea's National Pension and Its Replacement Rate
The National Pension contribution rate and income replacement rate (nominal vs. real), the receipt-start age by birth year, and the fund-depletion debate—summarized neutrally, reflecting the 2026 reform.
The Three-Pillar Pension — National, Retirement, and Personal
Korea's retirement income is built on three pillars: the National Pension (Pillar 1), the retirement pension (Pillar 2), and the personal pension (Pillar 3). We explain the role and tax benefits of each pillar simply.
Longevity Risk — The Risk of Living Longer Than Your Money
Living long is a blessing, but living longer than the money you prepared becomes a risk. We look at Korea's life-expectancy statistics and how to respond to longevity risk.
Inflation Risk in Retirement — Prices Gnawing at Retirement Funds
Even if you withdraw the same amount each month in retirement, your actual purchasing power keeps shrinking as prices rise. We explain inflation risk with the Rule of 72 and Korean price examples.
Coast & Barista FIRE — Variations on Early Retirement
Instead of full retirement, we look with calculation examples at Coast FIRE, where you save a target amount young and entrust it to compounding, and Barista FIRE, where you work part-time and earn only the shortfall.
What Is the FIRE Movement — The 25x Rule
FIRE, meaning Financial Independence, Retire Early; its core 25x rule and 4% rule; the famous table showing that the savings rate determines the retirement point; and the limits of this plan.
Principles for Managing Pension Accounts — Long-Term, Low-Cost, Diversified
How should you manage money inside pension-savings and IRP accounts? We cover the basics of long-term, low-cost, diversification, and rebalancing; the IRP 70% risk-asset cap rule; and the opportunity cost of "neglect."
Sequence of Returns Risk (the Trap Right After Retirement)
We explain why, even with the same average return, your assets run out far faster if the bad years cluster early in retirement.
The History of the Safe Withdrawal Rate — The Trinity Study
How the 1998 Trinity Study calculated the 30-year success probability of a 4% withdrawal, and how the results change with the equity allocation.
Bengen's 4% Study in Detail — The Meaning of SAFEMAX
How William Bengen's original 1994 paper created the 4% rule and the SAFEMAX concept, up through later discussions that raised it to 4.5-4.7%.
Dynamic Withdrawal Strategies — Adjusting with Guardrails
The principles, pros, and cons of dynamic strategies (Guyton-Klinger guardrails, Vanguard ceiling/floor) that adjust withdrawals based on market conditions instead of a fixed 4%.
Minimum Pension Withdrawal Rules — When and How Much to Withdraw
The pension-receipt requirements and pension-withdrawal-limit formula for Korea's pension savings and IRP, the tax disadvantages of exceeding the limit, and a comparison with the U.S. RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) system.
Reducing Sequence-of-Returns Risk — Defending the Early Years of Retirement
A crash in the first few years right after retirement shakes your entire retirement. We cover ways to reduce sequence-of-returns risk, such as a cash buffer, flexible withdrawals, and a rising-equity glide path.
Shifting Asset Allocation Around Retirement — The Risk-Reduction Path
The traditional glide path that reduces stocks and raises bonds as you age, why the retirement point is the most dangerous (sequence risk), and the rising-equity debate that flips it.
Purpose of this encyclopedia
This encyclopedia is not a solicitation to invest. It is educational material that explains the concepts you should know before making investment decisions, to help you understand them better. All content is for educational purposes; consult a professional based on your personal circumstances.
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