Q: The price of gold has recently topped $1,400 an ounce, providing eye-popping returns to investors. It seems we’ve missed out; should we reconsider whether gold belongs in my portfolio?

Q: Does indexing only work in efficient markets?

After accurately predicting the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, Robert Rodriguez and Peter Schiff quickly came to be viewed as investment gurus who could provide shelter from the storm. Investors eagerly followed their advice in anticipation of the fortunes certain to follow. How did they fare?

With enormous resources at their disposal, institutional investors—the so-called “smart money”—should have an advantage in identifying tomorrow’s winning fund managers…but do they?

At nearly half a trillion in assets, the Norwegian Government Pension Fund has a lot going for it: 249 highly-skilled investment managers, no taxes and management fees that are next to nothing. With every advantage an investor could hope for, why couldn’t they outperform a simple index fund?

Research by M.I.T. instructor, Mark Kritzman, revealed that even with higher gross returns, actively managed mutual funds and hedge funds, net of all expenses—fees, trading costs and taxes—leave less in your pocket than a simple index fund.