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TLDR; We created an app that works atop your broker to help you create a personalized flavor of the S&P 500. Right now... this personalization is "cutting out"

TLDR; We created an app that works atop your broker to help you create a personalized flavor of the S&P 500. Right now... this personalization is "cutting out" companies. Very early stage and we're building this in public as we go, so please... FEEDBACK! I shared one of my portfolios to create that link here. What I did... S&P 500 minus: * TSLA - love the car, love Elon, IMO stock is overvalued * ATVI - just cut them out since last week (obv reasons) * SPGI - wife works there and we get a lot of stock (so just don't want even more exposure) * FB - just putting them in the ice box for a little bit.. might add back So I told the app to cut out those companies and within a few seconds... boom :) What have we learned in talking to people (and would love feedback on this too). * It's easier to think of companies that will underperform, than over perform. * ESG is a creating a lot of buzz... but the definition of ESG is subjective and people like control. * Especially in tech... it's pretty easy to get single name overexposure and now you can diversify w/o further exposure. Direct links to app here (or visit the share page). IOS -> https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/pebble-finance/id1553494910 https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/pebble-finance/id1553494910 Android -> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=finance.pebble.app&hl=en_US&gl=US https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=finance.pebble...

brntsllvn 5y ago
This is interesting. I think markets are pretty efficient, so the main selling point IMO is exclusion. I used to wrk in portfolio construction and clients regularly asked for exclusions like "sin" companies (e.g. alcohol), big oil, biotech (when stem cell research was controversial), etc. Clients also wanted a chunk of the portfolio dedicated to cash (say 10%) and to understand how the cash position affected overall returns. They also wanted to know what was the min number of holdings they could use to approximately replicate index returns (mainly to harvest losses and have a large bullpen of replacement equities). In any case, cool idea. I wonder how it stacks up against Wealthfront's exclusion selectors (which I've used for years). Anyway. Cool.
- whitej125 5y ago
  Yeah it's been wild hearing what people wanted to exclude if they could. Even the definition of "sin" stocks varies person to person. Some people are anti-tobacco but perfectly fine with stem cell research. re: Wealthfront exclusion selectors - this is part of their direct indexing option at higher levels, yes?

brntsllvn 5y ago

This is interesting. I think markets are pretty efficient, so the main selling point IMO is exclusion. I used to wrk in portfolio construction and clients regularly asked for exclusions like "sin" companies (e.g. alcohol), big oil, biotech (when stem cell research was controversial), etc. Clients also wanted a chunk of the portfolio dedicated to cash (say 10%) and to understand how the cash position affected overall returns. They also wanted to know what was the min number of holdings they could use to approximately replicate index returns (mainly to harvest losses and have a large bullpen of replacement equities). In any case, cool idea. I wonder how it stacks up against Wealthfront's exclusion selectors (which I've used for years). Anyway. Cool.

whitej125 5y ago
Yeah it's been wild hearing what people wanted to exclude if they could. Even the definition of "sin" stocks varies person to person. Some people are anti-tobacco but perfectly fine with stem cell research. re: Wealthfront exclusion selectors - this is part of their direct indexing option at higher levels, yes?