High Returns from Low Risk – A remarkable stock market paradox

For generations investors have believed that risk and return are inseparable. But is this really true? In High Returns from Low Risk, Pim van Vliet, founder and fund manager of multi-billion Conservative Equity funds at Robeco and expert in the field of low-risk investing, combines the latest research with stock market data going back to 1929 to prove that investing in low-risk stocks gives surprisingly high returns, significantly better than those generated by high-risk stocks. Together with investment specialist Jan de Koning, he presents this counterintuitive story as a modern upbeat stock market equivalent of the tortoise and the hare . This book helps you to construct your own low-risk portfolio, select the right ETF or to find an active low-risk fund in order to profit from this paradox. And it explains why investing in low-risk stocks works and will continue to work, even once more people become aware of the paradox. It s also a personal story, one that links our human nature and behavior to a prudent and successful investment formula. High Returns from Low Risk gives all the tools one needs to achieve excellent, long-term investment results. "I loved reading the book. It s educational, humble, funny and philosophical; quite rare attributes for a financial book. In today's world where individuals will have to take more and more responsibility for their savings, this book serves a need: providing sound and pragmatic advice about how to manage one s savings. Furthermore, this book puts forward an inconvenient truth about investment that is close to my heart: more risk doesn t necessarily mean more return. On the contrary, it is sound and pro-active risk management that permits investment portfolios to have sustainable long-term returns" Fiona Frick, CEO Unigestion, Switzerland Explaining a financial theory to a broad audience is no easy task, and refuting one of the oldest and best known investment theories: higher risk for higher returns, harder still. But Pim (and Jan) manage to convince the reader in this easy to read and accessible book of their approach. They not only explain low-risk investing, but offer readers a whole set of investment (and even life) lessons at the same time. I would recommend every investor read this book. It may not turn all readers into low-risk investors, but it certainly will offer valuable insights into the risk/return question. Ronald van Genderen, CFA, Manager Research Analyst at Morningstar, The Netherlands "The low-risk effect, that is the idea that historically, unlike many well-known theories, average return across stocks doesn't appear to go up with most standard measures of risk, is one of the most important 'anomalies' in modern finance. Pim van Vliet is one of the pioneers in studying this effect and using it to improve investor portfolios. Anyone interested in systematic equity investing should carefully read this important book." Clifford S. Asness, Founder, Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer at AQR Capital Management, USA "Pim van Vliet s experience as one of pioneers of low volatility investing gives him unique insight into one of the most fascinating economic anomalies of our time. The idea that risk, properly defined, generates a positive return, is one of those ideas that becomes even more profound when we learn it is not true. There is no cosmic risk karma that pays people for taking risk, and this book will help people understand what types of investment risks generate premiums, and which actually will cost you money." Eric Falkenstein, Author of The Missing Risk Premium : Why Low Volatility Investing works, USA

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1 Chapter One The Opposite of What You re Aiming For 5 Chapter Two Mr Thrifty Enters the Stock Market 11 Chapter Three The Tortoise Beats the Hare 19 Chapter Four A Little Bit Is Enough 29 Chapter Five Ignoring the Eighth Wonder of the World 35 Chapter Six It s All a Matter of Perspective 43 Chapter Seven The Dark Appeal of Risk 53 Chapter Eight Buy Them Cheap and Remember the Trend Is Your Friend 59 Chapter Nine All Good Things Come in Threes 67 Chapter Ten Spotting Tortoises and Hares 77 Chapter Eleven Slice and Dice, But Do It Wisely 83 Chapter Twelve Sit Back and Relax 91 Chapter Thirteen Trade Little, Be Patient 101 Chapter Fourteen The Biggest Victory of All 109 Chapter Fifteen The Golden Rule 117 Chapter Sixteen The Paradox Is Everywhere 123 Chapter Seventeen Will the Paradox Persist? 129 Chapter Eighteen Final Reflections 133 Epilogue Jan s Perspective 137 Appendix ParadoxInvesting.com 143 Acknowledgments 145 References 147 Index 151

About the Author :
PIM VAN VLIET, PD, is the Founder and fund manager of the multi-billion dollar Conservative Equity funds at Robeco. These low-risk funds are based on academic research and provide investors with a stable source of income from the stock market. Pim is a guest lecturer at several universities, the author of numerous financial publications and travels the world advocating low-volatility investing. JAN DE KONING, CFA, CAIA, CMT is an investment specialist for Robeco's quantitative equities strategies and conducts client and consultant meetings, speaks at conferences, and gives seminars on low-volatility investing. In the past, he published regular investment updates and was an investment advisor, portfolio manager and fiduciary manager for institutional investors.