The investing world recently lost one of its quiet pioneers, Mac McQuown. While his name may not be widely recognized outside our industry, his influence runs deep. A trailblazer in modern investing, Mac’s visionary contributions laid the groundwork for the strategies many investors benefit from today. As David Booth, Co-Founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors, aptly noted, Mac was a true transformer in the field. [Click the quote to read Dimensional’s tribute.]

To bring about fundamental change, you need great thinkers and researchers, but you also need implementers. People like Mac don’t win Nobel Prizes; they implement the ideas of the guys who do. He’s a catalyst.

“Catalyst” is the keyword. There are so many useful nuggets in the attached article in the Financial Times that you’ll be better off reading it. In a short space, you will learn the history of evidence-based investing, the first index fund (Mac’s creation), the birth of many future Nobel Laureates, and their impressive connection to Dimensional, Blackrock, and other global finance leaders.

If you want to know and understand the recipe you’re investing in when investing with Hill, this is one of the better shortcuts to taking the long view you’ll ever read.

At conferences, I often hear experts advocate for private and alternative investments, claiming they’re essential for our largest and most sophisticated clients. They argue that these exclusive opportunities are what the wealthy truly want. These voices are growing louder, and the products they pitch are becoming more prevalent.

At Hill Investment Group, we take a different approach. We continue to value simplicity and transparency, regardless of how much money our clients have. We avoid complex, illiquid, and expensive options, even when others say they’re necessary. Our guiding question is this: once the marginal utility of wealth kicks in—when each additional dollar has less impact on your life—why take on added risks?

You can achieve extraordinary success by embracing what we call a “passive-aggressive” approach:

• Own global capitalism: Invest in broad market ETFs.
• Tilt toward premiums: Focus on factors identified by research to enhance returns.
• Rebalance regularly: Sell what’s done well, buy what’s lagged.
• Tax loss harvest: Capture losses to offset gains.
• Let it compound: Give your investments time to grow.
• Keep investing: Stay committed over the long term.
• Ignore the noise: Focus on your strategy, not the headlines.

By sticking to these principles, you can build and preserve wealth without getting caught up in the complexities that others might push.

Keep it simple!

We are pleased to announce the addition of Jonesy Chauvot to our team. We have known Jonesy through her work at two of our favorite partner firms – Dimensional Fund Advisors and Focus Financial Partners. We are honored that she selected Hill Investment Group as the ideal team to join.

You may not see or hear directly from Jonesy in the next few years, but she’ll work backstage on your behalf in both our operations and support areas.

Fun fact: Jonesy was a Division 1 pole vaulter at the University of Texas. We aren’t sure how that will play into her work at Hill, but we hope she helps us reach new heights.