Lev Marcus | Merriman

Thinking Through Cryptocurrencies | Part 3

by Lev Marcus | Aug 10, 2021 | Investing 101, Lev Marcus, Merriman's Take, Research, Tech Focus

It seems like everyone nowadays is talking about cryptocurrencies. Whether it’s the proselytizers on CNBC or the techie next door, it feels as if everyone is either talking about or buying into this next big thing.

Trying to adequately explain an emerging technology and it’s economic impact in less then a few thousand words is bound to neglect certain facets of the subject. This series attempts to cover the technical specification of cryptocurrencies, how they can be viewed in an investment environment, the narratives that accompany this new technology, and the future impact, applications, and risk of the cryptocurrency universe.

If you missed Part 1 or Part 2, check them out. In Part 3, we consider what the future could look like.

What Might the Future Look Like?

Cryptocurrencies are experiencing a golden age where new types of assets and new uses for blockchain technologies are emerging every day. However, in this case, widespread use does not automatically translate to amazing long-term investment returns. Sustaining long-term high investment returns requires a combination of low supply and high demand.

When it comes to low supply, there is certainly a limit to the amount of a given cryptocurrency. However, new cryptocurrencies can and have continued to be created. Dogecoin was launched in 2013 and now has a circulation value which has exceeded $80B. Polkadot was launched in 2017 and has a circulation value that has exceeded $10B. When supply dwindles and prices rise, entrepreneurial spirits enter markets and create supply, especially when the barriers to entry are relatively low.

Cryptocurrencies have a few hurdles ahead of them. The most notable of these is the possible environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining. According to Digiconomist, the annualized carbon footprint of Bitcoin mining is comparable to the country of Hungary and is growing every year. As more and more individuals flock to the cryptocurrency space, the power necessary to rectify transactions grows. There are new cryptocurrency assets such as Cardano that seek to use optimized protocols to decrease the power required. However, because most cryptocurrencies utilize a proof-of-work methodology, there is a lower limit on the computation required for the cryptocurrencies to remain secure. This means that there will always be a certain energy requirement for these cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin has also made a name for itself in non-reputable markets such as money laundering, drug trade, and even human trafficking. Blockchain analysis company Chainalysis tracked just under $930,000 worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum payments to specific addresses associated with child sexual abuse material. This was a 32% increase in payments from 2018 and a total of a 310% increase since 2017. Financial institutions in the U.S. filed over 2,000,000 suspicious activity reports (SARs) in 2019. The increasing use of cryptocurrencies in illegal transactions makes it harder for U.S. organizations to trace the financial trail.

Chainalysis also reported on Bitcoin use in terrorism financing. Known terror organizations would create campaigns to “donate to the jihad” with QR codes leading to Bitcoin addresses.

It’s important to point out that while these illegal organizations did use Bitcoin, there are other non-cryptocurrency methods that they could have used. Before Bitcoin, and even today, many black-market or illicit deals are done in cash. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers endorsed an idea published by Harvard president emeritus Peter Sands to all but get rid of cash. A case study in Missouri looked at the mid-1990s transition from distribution of federal welfare via cashable check to a preloaded debit card. Researchers found that crime in areas that moved away from cash dropped roughly by 10%.

Another inherent risk to the cryptocurrency markets that has increased its probability of late is Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies becoming illegal to own. China has recently banned financial institutions from offering services involving cryptocurrencies. The U.S. government also showed its ability to pursue Bitcoin transactions after the Colonial Pipelines hack in spring of 2021. The hack, which yielded hackers $4.4 million was recovered as the government pursued the digital addresses associated with the hackers. The combination of Chinese regulation and the ability of governments to track and recover stolen or ransomed cryptocurrency assets is a direct blow to the claim that cryptocurrencies are outside of government control.

So where does this leave the average investor when it comes to Bitcoin? As an emerging asset class, it’s possible that the Bitcoin narrative is a self-fulfilling prophecy. In a period of low interest rates and inflation concerns, there are some good arguments as to why putting a small portion of a portfolio in cryptocurrency assets might provide some benefit, just as a small allocation to gold can provide benefits in certain macroeconomic environments.

Cryptocurrencies are volatile and may provide some correlation benefit with a small, value-tilted portfolio. The recent rapid increase in price across the cryptocurrency universe is fairly concerning as no other time in history has seen an asset class that has grown at such a rapid rate relative to inflation. It is also important to remember that in the case of gold rushes, it was the merchants who traded in goods who on average made the most profit, not the miners themselves.

We at Merriman do not shy away from new or emerging asset classes. Historically, we have either started new funds or have been some of the first investors in an asset class. The research and portfolio management team at Merriman has been monitoring the cryptocurrency market for many years.

As long-term investors, we try to develop our portfolios to maximize the probability of getting higher returns than the market. While Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency assets have shown extremely high returns for the past decade, this is not necessarily indicative of future returns. As said on almost every investment document, “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.”. At this moment in time, the cryptocurrency market is too risky and speculative to recommend in our portfolios. This stance may change in the future are the market evolves. Even though we do not recommend holding cryptocurrencies in our portfolio, it is OK to buy a little with some play money. It’s fine to play roulette at a casino as long as you only bet what you are willing to lose.

At Merriman, we will continue to monitor and research cryptocurrency assets so that if an expected return benefit appears, we can implement it for our clients.

Disclosure: The material is presented solely for information purposes and has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, however Merriman cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. Merriman does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be relied upon as such.

It is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Opinions expressed by Merriman are based on economic or market conditions at the time this material was written. Economies and markets fluctuate. Actual economic or market events may turn out differently than anticipated. Any reference to an index is included for illustrative purposes only, as an index is not a security in which an investment can be made. Indices are unmanaged vehicles that serve as market indicators and do not account for the deduction of management fees and/or transaction costs generally associated with investable products. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital and past performance does not guarantee future returns; please seek advice from a licensed professional. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Merriman and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Merriman unless a client service agreement is in place. All composite data and corresponding calculations are available upon request.

Thinking Through Cryptocurrencies | Part 2

by Lev Marcus | Jul 27, 2021 | Investing 101, Lev Marcus, Merriman's Take, Research, Tech Focus

It seems like everyone nowadays is talking about cryptocurrencies. Whether it’s the proselytizers on CNBC or the techie next door, it feels as if everyone is either talking about or buying into this next big thing.

Trying to adequately explain an emerging technology and it’s economic impact in less then a few thousand words is bound to neglect certain facets of the subject. This series attempts to cover the technical specification of cryptocurrencies, how they can be viewed in an investment environment, the narratives that accompany this new technology, and the future impact, applications, and risk of the cryptocurrency universe.

Recent Market Conditions

Economist Robert Shiller, the 2013 Economics Nobel Prize co-recipient, noted a similarity between the current Bitcoin movement and the bimetallism movement of the late 1800s. Shiller’s recent book Narrative Economics focuses on the stories or ideas that we tell ourselves that influence our economic decisions.

The narrative of Bitcoin is a fascinating story to tell. It starts with intrigue as the founder (or founders) of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, has never been identified or even confirmed to exist. This creates a great human-interest story and helps to grab the attention of individuals.

We follow the human-interest story by delving into the complexity of cryptographic hash functions and network protocols that few understand. This complexity and need for experts to understand presents the next draw of Bitcoin.

Similar to young people of the late 1800s and their enthusiasm with the abstruse monetary economics of bimetallism, Bitcoin advocates take pleasure in the fact that it is only a select few (including themselves) that understand this complicated subject.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies have also caught the eye of various pop culture icons. In January of 2020, Bitcoin rose 20% in a matter of hours after Elon Musk famously changed his Twitter Bio to #bitcoin. Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter and Square, has been a vocal supporter of Bitcoin and even sold his very first tweet in the form of a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) for 1,630 Ethereum (or $2.9 million). This allure of seeing individuals with household names using cryptocurrencies provides yet another boost in the awareness and interest created by the narrative of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.

Add to this the fact that in the past eight years (11/5/15 – 4/26/21) Bitcoin has had an annualized return of 82%. This has led to many sites and brokerages promoting advertisements showing these high levels of returns without mentioning the fact that Bitcoin has also suffered three 75% corrections in the 10+ years of its existence. Unfortunately, our human brains were wired millions of years ago and tend to value recent information over past information. Throughout history, this wiring has led to commodity fads. One of the earliest and most spectacular was “tulip mania,” a three-year period in the mid-1600s when tulip bulbs appreciated at an annualized rate of 200% per year.

While we have seen many of these types of narratives before, the combination of them in Bitcoin provides something attractive and seemingly new; and the ease and accessibility has never been higher, facilitating high demand. Financial applications such as PayPal can give just about anyone with a few bucks access to buying this exciting new asset class.

Stay tuned for the last installment where we discuss the future of cryptocurrencies. And if you missed our first installment, you can find it here.

Disclosure: The material is presented solely for information purposes and has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, however Merriman cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. Merriman does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be relied upon as such.

It is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Opinions expressed by Merriman are based on economic or market conditions at the time this material was written. Economies and markets fluctuate. Actual economic or market events may turn out differently than anticipated. Any reference to an index is included for illustrative purposes only, as an index is not a security in which an investment can be made. Indices are unmanaged vehicles that serve as market indicators and do not account for the deduction of management fees and/or transaction costs generally associated with investable products. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital and past performance does not guarantee future returns; please seek advice from a licensed professional. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Merriman and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Merriman unless a client service agreement is in place. All composite data and corresponding calculations are available upon request.

Thinking Through Cryptocurrencies | Part 1

by Lev Marcus | Jul 13, 2021 | Ask Merriman, Investing 101, Lev Marcus, Merriman's Take, Research, Tech Focus

It seems like everyone nowadays is talking about cryptocurrencies. Whether it’s the proselytizers on CNBC or the techie next door, it feels as if everyone is either talking about or buying into this next big thing.

Trying to adequately explain an emerging technology and it’s economic impact in less then a few thousand words is bound to neglect certain facets of the subject. This series attempts to cover the technical specification of cryptocurrencies, how they can be viewed in an investment environment, the narratives that accompany this new technology, and the future impact, applications, and risk of the cryptocurrency universe.

What Is a Cryptocurrency?

The first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was originally imagined as a system of value exchange that could bypass institutions and instead allow users to make transactions on a peer-to-peer basis. For such a network to succeed, there had to be a way to verify the veracity of the transaction for both parties.

This is where the revolutionary technology called the blockchain comes in. The blockchain can be visualized as its name suggests: a chain made up of individual blocks of transactions. At its heart, this is what Bitcoin is: a series of transactions leading up to the current moment. When an individual buys Bitcoin, they are simply adding their name to the transaction list (or ledger), saying, “I have bought x number of Bitcoins.” Of course, it’s not as simple as adding a line.

Bitcoin works by having computers (or nodes) confirm and document transfers. When a transaction between Person A and Person B occurs, this transaction is sent out over the Bitcoin network. These nodes then verify that Person A has the right amount of Bitcoin to transfer to Person B by looking at the blocks of historical transactions on the chain. Once the majority of nodes on the network (50%) verify that a transaction can take place, it is added to the blockchain transaction log.

This verification process is where Bitcoin miners come into the picture. Miners provide the computers and computer power needed to verify transactions. They provide this service and get “paid” for it by having the opportunity to mint a new Bitcoin. To mint a new Bitcoin, a miner must verify 1MB worth of transactions and find a solution to a cryptographic hash function, which is the difficult part. The Bitcoin miner who verifies the transactions and is the first one to determine the target hash is the one who gets to include a new transaction for themselves, essentially minting a Bitcoin. While cryptocurrencies differ in the exact way that they go about transactions and the minting of new coins, the Bitcoin method is a solid enough base to understand cryptocurrencies at their base level.

Where Do Cryptocurrencies Fit in the Investment Landscape?

Cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, are sometimes referred to as digital gold. Like gold and other currencies, they are something that derives their value from the belief that they can be exchanged in the future for something else of value and that the future value will be greater than the present value. The term that is frequently used is “a store of value.” Perceptions of value can change much more quickly than physical objects, which leads to the volatility that has always been present in currency markets, digital and fiat.

One of the advantages of cryptocurrencies, unlike gold or silver, is the ability to store value in an even more concentrated physical form. A 100-gram gold bullion cost about $6,000 dollars in 2020. This gold bullion could be slipped into your pocket or placed in a safe. A small flash drive, smaller than the gold bullion, could essentially hold billions of dollars in Bitcoin.

As with gold, there is a physical limit to the number of Bitcoins that can be produced. There can only be 21 million Bitcoins in the current Bitcoin network. So far, almost 19 million have been mined. Many believe this commodity-like supply will result in the value of Bitcoin rising with inflation—or possibly even faster.

Cryptocurrency advocates have discussed how this feature also makes digital currencies immune to the hyperinflation that can result from governments printing money. On the one hand, that is true. However, on the other side of the coin, the creation of a new Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency via mining injects new money into the supply. And as has been seen with gold historically, short-term, localized abundance of even a limited supply commodity can result in hyperinflation. The famous 1849 Gold Rush in California is a perfect example of the phenomenon. The prices for various goods like eggs, bread, and boots in the local area rose to more than three times the original price. Allowing for the lower accuracy of CPI data from the late 1800s, there is general consensus that the various gold rushes of the era from the U.S., Australia, and South Africa all resulted in increased inflation rates. So, while cryptocurrencies may be more immune from government influence, it is unlikely that they are immune to supply and demand shocks.

Other types of cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum or Cardano, offer different use cases by allowing the creation of new cryptocurrency assets or non-proof-of-work methods. The full effect of these other types of cryptocurrencies remains to be seen. One Ethereum-based crypto asset that has seen a lot of recent attention is the rise of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). These tokens represent a unique digital item and are not interchangeable. This has created a marketplace for artists to sell digital items with the authenticity guaranteed by the blockchain. Many of the applications of varying alternative cryptocurrencies are still being figured out at this time. It has yet to be seen whether these become alternate stores of value or simply new, more efficient ways to transact.

Watch for the next installment where we discuss cryptocurrencies and recent market conditions.

Disclosure: The material is presented solely for information purposes and has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, however Merriman cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. Merriman does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be relied upon as such.

It is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Opinions expressed by Merriman are based on economic or market conditions at the time this material was written. Economies and markets fluctuate. Actual economic or market events may turn out differently than anticipated. Any reference to an index is included for illustrative purposes only, as an index is not a security in which an investment can be made. Indices are unmanaged vehicles that serve as market indicators and do not account for the deduction of management fees and/or transaction costs generally associated with investable products. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital and past performance does not guarantee future returns; please seek advice from a licensed professional. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Merriman and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Merriman unless a client service agreement is in place. All composite data and corresponding calculations are available upon request.

Pitfalls of Buffered and Levered ETFs to Achieve Your Financial Goals

by Lev Marcus | Feb 23, 2021 | Investing 101, Lev Marcus, Merriman's Take, Tech Focus

The marketplace for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) grows each day, and more and more different and innovative products are being created. One new type utilizes derivatives. A derivative is a financial object that derives its value from an underlying financial security. An example of this is what is called an option. An option is a contract between two parties that gives the buyer the choice to buy or sell a security at a predetermined fixed price. The original purpose for options was to balance risk in a concentrated portfolio. You could hedge a bet by securing a selling price or buying price of a stock. Nowadays, some ETFs are using derivatives for very different purposes, such as increasing their exposure (levered ETFs) or setting a buffer on the equity returns (defined-outcome ETFs). While these ETFs are innovative and flashy, it’s important to think about the ramifications of investing in such a product.

A levered ETF uses either derivatives or borrowed capital to increase exposure to the underlying assets (e.g., stocks). This increase is a double-edged sword. Not only are the ups larger but the downs are larger as well. In a portfolio, the increase in the drawdowns makes the leverage ineffective for increasing risk-adjusted returns, unless paired with volatility or drawdown-reducing strategies such as trend following. In March of 2020, the S&P 500 Index fell by -12.5%. For a theoretical 2x levered portfolio, the drawdown would have been -25%. An unlevered portfolio would need a return
of 14.3% to get back to breakeven. A 2x levered portfolio would need a return of 33.3% to get back to breakeven. Astute readers will notice that 33.3% is MORE than double 14.3%. This simple aspect of leverage is one of the many reasons it should be taken on with caution. Successful investing is often more about not losing than it is about winning.

These ETFs offer certain upsides and downsides. These upsides and downsides are calculated for the lifetime of these funds. Depending on when the investor buys into the fund, they could experience a very different return, including one outside of the promised range. This limitation can particularly be a problem if the market increased prior to the purchase, as the upside return at that point can be severely capped. The forward-looking return of these products decreases exponentially as the market increases.

Levered ETFs also suffer from underperformance compared to their benchmark. This drag comes from the imperfect way that leverage is acquired either through derivatives or borrowed capital. Out of 22 standard levered ETFs in the market today, every single one of them has underperformed their prospectus benchmark when the same amount of leverage was provided for the past five years. We believe this underperformance, when combined with the issue of large drawdowns, high tax costs due to inefficiency of derivatives, and high fees, makes these levered ETFs ill-advised as long-term investments.

Another new instrument that has captured the attention of many is the so-called “buffer ETF.” Buffer ETFs advertise guaranteed returns in a specific range. While these products offer a solution to specific problems, like the levered ETFs, we believe they are an ill-advised investment for long-term investors looking to grow their principal or provide income in retirement.

The biggest drawback of buffered ETFs is that investors pay too much for the downside protection that they receive.

The most widely held products advertise options for reducing annual downside risk by 9%, 15%, or 30%. In return, the investor relinquishes upside growth.

The plot below shows how the annual return distribution of a buffered approach compares to the return of the underlying index. The index is represented by the historical annual returns of the S&P 500 minus 0.05% which is an estimated cost for a low cost S&P 500 index fund. The buffered approach simulates applying a 9% reduction in downside risk and capping the upside at 15%. It is intended to be representative of the types of products currently on the market. It also includes a 0.75% reduction to simulate the fees associated with typical defined-outcome products.

The plot shows clearly that while the buffering provides some downside protection in large drawdown years, there have been very few of those historically. Let’s see how this affects an investor’s outcome in some real-life scenarios.

For the years 2017, 2018, and 2019, the S&P 500 has returned 22%, -4%, and 32%. A 13% buffer ETF would have reduced the cumulative 53% gain to an approximate 25% gain. When we apply this same methodology of a 15% top buffer and a -9% bottom buffer to the S&P 500 since 1928 (94 years) on an annual basis, we get a stark difference in returns. During the 94 years surveyed, the S&P 500 index minus an average index fund expense ratio (“Net S&P 500 Index”- see important disclosures regarding these calculations below) had an annualized return of 10.2%, while a the model for a rolling buffer ETF on the S&P 500 Index starting January 1st would have a return of 6.1%. To further illustrate this point, for example, start with $100,000 and invest it for 25 years, and at these annualized rates of return an investor may see the Net S&P 500 Index outperform the rolling buffer ETF model by $600,000. This underperformance can seriously affect the probability of successfully reaching one’s goals.

While an investor is buying drawdown protection by using a buffer ETF on a 5-year timescale since 1928 this has only yielded better returns 18% of the time as compared to utilizing alternative vehicles in seeking to protect against downside risk. Historically, a more efficient and higher return way of decreasing downside risk is using fixed income solutions such as treasury bonds. By way of an example utilizing the historical data described above, if an investor used 20% of the portfolio allocated to 5-year treasury bonds and the rest to the S&P 500 index model referenced above, the investor has reduced the historical possibility of underperformance to 13% and will maintain, pursuant to the historical data, a return that’s over 3% of the buffer ETF model. When done with multiple types of fixed income and alternative asset classes such as reinsurance or alternative lending the probability of underperformance continues to decrease. Do take note that the return and underperformance possibilities are based upon historical performance data and, therefore, future performance is in no way guaranteed and may be subject to wide variances due to unforeseen market, economic and other conditions. Peace of mind is something we all seek. In many cases, purchasing insurance to guard against risks one can’t control is an excellent choice. However, if the premium you pay is greater than the insurance you receive, it doesn’t make financial sense.

The bottom line for most of these derivative investments is that while they seem very attractive on the surface, once you look at the mechanics and nuances, they turn out to be ineffective at generating the solid risk-adjusted returns most investors need and want to meet their financial goals.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE AND DATA INFORMATION

The distribution graph is for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to serve as personalized tax and/or investment advice since the availability and effectiveness of any strategy is dependent upon your individual facts and circumstances. The information portrayed in these materials represents model performance and characteristics for the Merriman Model S&P 500 Index Fund or the Buffered S&P 500 and may not reflect the impact that material economic and market factors may have had on the adviser’s decision making. The make-up of any actual advisory program portfolio may differ as compared to the model portfolio provided herein, and is not meant to be representative of any one client or portfolio. In addition, the actual results of any of the adviser’s client portfolios may have been, or may be, materially different than the results of the hypothetical portfolio set forth herein. Market conditions, client restrictions, world events and any other macro variables may have a substantial impact on any of the adviser’s advisory program portfolios. The performance information does include the deduction of advisory fees and execution related fees, except custodial fees. To determine the Net S&P 500 Index, the average expense ratio used was determined by taking three of the largest and most liquid S&P 500 Index ETFs and averaging their fee. (IVV @ 0.04%, VOO @ 0.03%, and SPY @ 0.0945%) This averaged to 0.058% and then rounded down to 0.05% for ease of use and due to industry wide fee compression. The performance information does reflect the reinvestment of dividends and earnings. The information used for S&P 500 columns is based on historical index returns from 1928-2019. The information used for the “buffered” column is based on simulated data as described in the article. All data calculations are available upon request.

The information provided should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell any industry, sector or particular security. There is no assurance that any industry, sector or security discussed herein will remain in a client’s account at the time of reading this material or that any industry, sectors or securities sold have not been repurchased. The industries, sectors or securities discussed herein do not represent a client’s entire account and in the aggregate may only represent a small percentage of an account’s holdings. It should not be assumed that any of the securities, transactions or holdings discussed were, or will prove to be profitable, or that investment recommendations or decisions we make in the future will be profitable or will equal the investment performance of the securities discussed herein. All investing entails the risk of loss.

The S&P 500 index includes 500 leading companies in the US and is widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap US equities. Any reference to an index is included for illustrative purposes only, as an index is not a security in which an investment can be made. Indices are unmanaged vehicles that serve as market indicators and do not account for the deduction of management fees and/or transaction costs generally associated with investable products. The holdings and performance of Merriman client accounts may vary widely from those of the presented indices. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Merriman and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Merriman Wealth Management unless a client service agreement is in place.

Incorporating Environmental and Social Values into Your Merriman Portfolio

by Lev Marcus | Nov 17, 2020 | Advanced Portfolio Management, Lev Marcus, Life at Merriman, Research, Tech Focus, Wealth Preservation, Why Merriman

Investors like you are, by definition, actively planning for your financial future. At Merriman, we understand that you also want to make sure the world is bright for future generations.

To help align your investments with your values, we offer our Values-Based Investing portfolios. These portfolios are built in a manner consistent with our overall investment philosophy and designed to deliver similar after-fee, after-tax returns while offering you the ability to have an impact through your investment choices. One of these values-based options is our Sustainability portfolio. The UCLA Sustainability Committee defines sustainability as “the physical development and institutional operating practices that meet the needs of present users without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, particularly with regard to use and waste of natural resources.”

Our Sustainability portfolio focuses on including and overweighting companies that score high on sustainability measures. By choosing this portfolio, clients have the ability to shift money away from companies that have negative environmental impacts and into companies that rank better than their peers.

For the equity allocation in our Sustainability portfolio, we have selected funds managed by Dimensional Fund Advisors. When it comes to determining environmental impact, Dimensional’s approach to sustainability investing stands out. While many asset managers offer binary screening to exclude certain securities, Dimensional tilts toward companies that rank high on its sustainability framework while reducing the weight of companies with negative scores. This approach ensures a company doing better than its peers is rewarded even if it lags behind other companies in different sectors. This process is important because while a software company won’t have a very large environmental impact, investing in an energy company that has better environmental business practices than its peers can end up being more impactful on reducing carbon emissions in the future.

Incorporating sustainability considerations is a complex task. The sustainability funds we have selected use a Sustainability Scoring Framework on an industry level. The table on the right shows how the sustainability scores are determined, taking into account both the greenhouse gas emissions the company reports as well as potential future emissions from their fossil fuel reserves. This process penalizes companies that enable others to emit more or will themselves emit more in the future.

Dimensional also screens out companies with particularly negative practices around factory farming, cluster munitions, tobacco, and child labor.

Equities aren’t the only asset class where our portfolio includes sustainability considerations. Real estate has a high environmental impact and is an asset class where we are able to successfully incorporate sustainability considerations with minimal impact on investment returns.

Per the UN Enviroment Programme (UNEP), “The construction and operations of buildings account for 40% of global energy use, 30% of energy-related GHG emissions, approximately 12% of water use, nearly 40% of waste, and employs 10% of the workforce.”

As shown in the graph below using data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, buildings have the lowest cost to reduce emissions. A great example of this comes from the iconic New York Empire State Building, which in 2010 underwent a retrofit. Windows were rebuilt, HVAC was replaced, and reflective insulation was installed. These changes resulted in the building having an annual energy reduction of 38% which translates to a cost saving of $4.4 million per year. This type of cost saving is also beneficial to the investment as profits from these endeavors are passed through to the investors.

Source: VERT Asset Management

We are partnering with some of the most informed individuals in the field of sustainable real estate investing by using the groundbreaking Global Sustainable Real Estate Fund from VERT Asset Management. This fund targets companies that meet a threefold criteria of environment, social, and governance factors. These include both positive and negative screening and tilts. The fund overweights REITs with energy, GHG, and water reductions and also screens out prisons, businesses, or companies with environmental fines. The Venn diagram below shows how VERT incorporates a multi-dimensional scoring methodology. VERT focuses on companies that exhibit “Comprehensive Excellence,” those that fall in the middle of the Venn diagram. After this, VERT targets “Focused Excellence” REITs which fall into two of the Venn diagram categories. In this way, VERT builds a portfolio targeting the best of the best first.

Source: VERT Asset Management

There is more than one way to invest in line with your values. Whether by using sustainable funds like those from Dimensional and VERT, or one of our other investment offerings, Merriman is by your side. We want to make sure your investments not only fulfill your financial goals but also allow you to live fully, knowing that you are making a difference for future generations.