Absolute return strategies may help buffer portfolios against a downturn, but the landscape is quite large…

That’s the subheading of my first column in ThinkAdvisor. An excerpt:

Absolute return strategies strive to hedge your portfolio by taking both long and short positions on what they trade, such as stocks. Because absolute return managers can short, many of them have the potential to reduce downside risk in stock and bond portfolios during periods of economic duress, such as the Great Recession of 2008.

See 10 Due Diligence Questions to Ask Absolute Return Managers in ThinkAdvisor.

Considering the uptick in volatility lately, with U.S. and global markets reaching new highs one day, wiping out entire gains for the year another day, this could be a good time to be interviewing alternative investment managers.