While we are free and do use other funds, ETFs, and other individual securities, we believe in the way that Dimensional Fund Advisors (“DFA”) sees the markets – which is to say, as mostly very efficient. DFA researchers works closely with leading financial economists to better understand where returns come from.
Decades of academic research has shown that securities offering higher expected returns share certain characteristics, which are referred to as “dimensions.” To be considered a dimension, these characteristics must be sensible, persistent over time, pervasive across markets, and cost-effective to capture. To date, quantifiable “dimensions” that have been established from academic research have been “Value,” “Size,” “High Profitability,” “Momentum,” and most recently “High Investment.” Where the use of one or more of such “dimensions” or “factors” in an investor portfolio is appropriate, we can incorporate an appropriate allocation of DFA funds into a client’s portfolio based, of course, on their individual goals, circumstances, time horizons, and risk tolerance.
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