Debunking a popular shortcut in long-term investing
This book exposes how a widely used log-normal shortcut can mislead portfolio choices when time horizons stretch across many periods.
It guides readers through the limits of common approximations, showing where they fail and why more careful analysis matters. You’ll see concrete examples, clear explanations, and practical warnings about relying on simple surrogates when planning for the long haul.
- Learn why maximizing the expected log of wealth does not always match the best long‑term strategy
- See how substituting a log-normal distribution for actual returns can derail optimal decisions
- Understand the role of time subdivision and how it affects decision rules and risk assessment
- Explore alternative efficiency frontiers beyond mean-variance and their implications for risk tolerance
Ideal for readers of advanced portfolio theory, financial mathematics, and those seeking a rigorous check on popular heuristics used in long‑term investing.
Robert C. Merton is George Fisher Baker, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard University.