Michael Batnick: Four Brilliant Ways to Invest

This is a bit of a coming out party for my colleague and friend Michael Batnick. Michael is Ritholtz Wealth Management’s director of research and he’s been working with Barry and I since the fall of 2012. Much of what we do as an investment firm would be impossible if not for his work and insights.

Michael is a CFA level two candidate (wish him luck, test is in June) and spends the majority of his day working with our in-house investment models, analytics tools, software vendors and separate managers to optimize client portfolios. His most crucial role is to make sure everything is running smoothly on the asset management side of our practice. He tests our ideas, pushes back when the data doesn’t support our assumptions and is a vigorous zealot for logic and common sense when it comes to investment decision-making within the firm.

Michael’s begun blogging on Tumblr a bit. His site is called The Irrelevant Investor, which is self-deprecatingly hilarious and heavily satirical all at once – by adopting the guise of a clueless neophyte, he is surreptitiously holding up a mirror to you, and you and you and me, and all of us who think we have a deep understanding of the action taking place on our screens.

For example:

Chinese data has a strong influence on my multi-factor made up model.

— Irrelevant Investor (@michaelbatnick) April 10, 2014

and

Once again, the Beige Book was the tell.

— Irrelevant Investor (@michaelbatnick) April 4, 2014

Over the last week, Michael has published a series of blog posts on four popular investing styles that everyone should read. They’re short, to the point and no BS.

Collect ’em all!

Asset Allocation is brilliant

Value investing is brilliant

Trend Following is brilliant

Technical Analysis is brilliant

Follow Michael Batnick on Twitter