A monthly series offering perspectives on events and trends affecting the economy, the financial markets, and investment management.

In this podcast, Andrew Patterson, a senior analyst in Vanguard Investment Strategy Group, provides an overview of the 2016 edition of Vanguard's economic and investment outlook.

In this podcast, Joel Dickson, Vanguard's global head of investment research and development, examines traits that distinguish exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds and provides an analysis of investor behavior regarding their purchase.

In this podcast Maria Bruno, of Vanguard Investment Strategy Group, discusses tax planning opportunities for down market conditions, as well as other tax-saving tips that you may wish to take advantage of before year-end.

In this podcast, Walter Lenhard, a senior investement strategist in Vanguard Equity Investment Group, examines topics such as recent indexing trends, how fund managers attempt to maintain the tight tracking, and why fair-value pricing affects tracking error in international funds.

In this podcast, Vanguard investment analyst Kim Stockton discusses the common aversion to global investments and offers some perspective that can help investors determine appropriate equity allocations.

In this podcast, Jean Young, lead author of Vanguard's annual report on defined contribution data, shares essential ideas for getting participants to take advantage of the full benefit of their 401(k) plans.

In this podcast, Vanguard Chief Economist Joe Davis , Vanguard Senior Economist Roger Aliaga-Díaz, and Vanguard Senior Asian Economist Qian Wang examine issues facing investors including the outlook for U.S. economic growth and challenges confronting the global economy.

In this podcast, Vanguard economic expert Andrew Patterson explains the principles of currency hedging and provides context for investors to consider.

What does factor-based investing mean, and what should those who may be considering such an approach keep in mind? Joel Dickson, Vanguard's Global Head of Investment Research and Development and a principal in Vanguard Investment Strategy Group, offers his insights and takeaways based on a new research paper he coauthored.