John Reagan got word this week that he officially passed the CFP® exam, which consumed every moment of his free time for the last 12 months. Congratulations to you, John! We are proud of you and thankful for your commitment to bettering yourself for the sake of the Hill Investment Group family.

Curious what John experienced on the 2-day exam? Click here for sample questions from prior tests.

We read in a recent InvestmentNews article that Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) is now the 8th largest mutual fund company. As they continue to grow, we’re encouraged to see that more investors are finally catching on to the idea that markets work and investing can be simple rather than complex.

Unlike most mutual fund companies, DFA has not used expensive public advertising campaigns to reach new investors. Their shareholders benefit from low-cost access to the markets that is limited through advisors only—sheltering DFA funds from the effect of rapid inflows and outflows that typical retail funds experience.

The story that follows is one of the more technical pieces that we have shared on our blog, but it is a fun introduction to Cliff Asness for those who aren’t yet familiar with his name. As referenced in another recent post, Cliff was a student of Gene Fama and since founded AQR Capital Management. Though his approach may seem lighthearted, his intent is seriously aimed at helping investors sort through the noise.  For example, the word “Bubble” is not only overused, but—for efficient-market fans like us—“It should never be uttered outside the tub.” Click here to read Cliff’s Top 10 Peeves.

Stay tuned for more in the future from AQR!