What You Can Expect at the AAII Conference

Those of you who regularly read my weekly commentary know that I attend conferences and other industry events. The presentations are generally informative, but it’s the personal interaction that’s the big draw for me. I’ve made numerous connections over the years, many I never would have made had I simply stayed in my office. Those connections aren’t just with speakers, either—many have been with other attendees.

I bring this up because I want to talk to you about our forthcoming AAII Investor Conference. It’s a great opportunity to learn from some of the smartest people in the industry. Not only will you be able to attend their presentations, but there will also be time for questions and answers afterward. In addition, you’ll have ample time to meet your fellow individual investors between sessions, at the luncheon and during the two breakfasts.

Of course, the highlight of the conference will be the speakers themselves. We’re excited to have University of Chicago professor Harold Pollack as our opening ceremony speaker and long-time AAII Journal contributor MarketWatch’s Mark Hulbert as our luncheon keynote speaker. Many of you know Hulbert for his newsletter ratings and his appearances at past conferences; he always draws a big crowd. Pollack received a lot of positive attention from across the investment industry when he demonstrated how a portfolio strategy can fit on a single index card. I’m currently reading his book—“The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated” (Portfolio, 2016)—and I think you’ll enjoy his commonsense approach to investing and personal finance.

Many of the most popular speakers from past AAII Investor Conferences are returning, including Morningstar’s Christine Benz, CFRA Research’s Sam Stovall, AFAM Capital’s John Buckingham, Cambria Investment Management’s Mebane Faber and Paul Merriman of the Merriman Financial Education Foundation. We’ll also have several new speakers, including Kiplinger’s Janet Bodnar and Alpha Architect’s Jack Vogel, as well as new topics including cryptocurrencies and protecting yourself online.

In addition, you’ll get to hear from my fellow colleagues. Senior financial analyst Wayne Thorp will discuss how to develop a stock screening strategy using AAII’s Stock Investor Pro. AAII Dividend Investing product manager Jaclyn McClellan will show you how to analyze dividend-paying stocks, including what traits to look for. As for myself, I’ll discuss how and why I use value, momentum and quality to find attractive stocks.

For more program details, click here.

As you can see, there will be a lot of great information given out over the course of three days. In fact, once you are there, the hardest decision you will have will be choosing which of the concurrent presentations to sit in on. Though you’ll inevitably find yourself skipping one presentation to see another, the good news is that we’ll be recording all of the sessions so you can hear what you’ve missed. (Audio and presentation slides will be made available to all conference attendees for free.)

This year’s conference will be held at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. I’ve personally stayed there before; it’s a nice property and it’s located near the center of the famous Vegas strip. Plus, there is lots of great food and many good shows in Las Vegas.

Our conferences regularly sell out, so if you’re considering going, register now. The early bird discount—a savings of $100—is expiring Monday at midnight.

I hope to see you there.