Efficient Frontier
This command allows you to develop an efficient frontier, showing those asset mixes that have the highest rate of return for a given level of risk (or the lowest risk for a given level of return). Asset mixes from this particular frontier can then be used in performing stochastic projections.
The basic premise of an efficient frontier is that it represents the set of asset mixes that optimize risk and return. Efficient asset mixes are those with the highest return for a given level of standard deviation (risk) and the lowest standard deviation for a given level of return. You may have ProVal determine the asset mixes on the efficient frontier or you may generate the asset mixes on the efficient frontier through an alternate approach (e.g., the Michaud Efficient Frontier).
Calculate asset mixes which optimize tells ProVal to determine the asset mixes and lets you choose which return (and associated standard deviation) for ProVal to use in the calculations. Either Asset return (either real or nominal) or Excess return = asset return – liability return may be selected. If you select Asset return, then only assets, not liabilities, form the basis for calculating the efficient frontier. If you select Excess return…, then the excess of the asset-only return over the calculated liability return is the basis for calculating the efficient frontier.
Thus, in this context, excess return is the excess of the asset return over the liability return (for details, see the Technical Reference Article on Efficient Frontier Excess Returns), and the liability return can be calculated based on whichever liability (PBO, ABO, current liability, solvency liability, etc.) seems most appropriate given the plan sponsor’s objectives.
Generally, excess return efficient frontiers produce better asset allocation options if:
the plan sponsor’s idea of risk is related to surplus, contributions, or expense, and
the associated liability moves with interest rates.
Select Enter asset mixes if you wish to generate the asset mixes through an alternative approach. The means and standard deviations of the asset classes and the correlations between asset classes are required input, as are the asset mixes. This information is used to graph the efficient frontier.
Select a topic to edit contains entries for each category of information (topic) found in Efficient Frontiers. Depending on whether you are optimizing asset or excess returns, or entering your own data regarding returns, the topics to edit will change. Click the name of the topic to edit its parameters.
Correlations (does not apply to the excess return efficient frontier)
Efficient Frontier Mixes (applies only when asset mixes are entered directly by the user)
If you let ProVal calculate the asset mixes (that is, you select the Calculate asset mixes which optimize option above), you may also limit the number of mixes to a subset of the efficient frontier, by checking the Limit number of mixes to box and entering, in the text field, the largest number of mixes you wish to use (e.g., 10, to use 10 mixes). Mixes with approximately equally spaced means will be chosen.
If you let ProVal calculate the efficient frontier (that is, you select the Calculate asset mixes which optimize option above), click the Run button to generate the efficient frontier asset mixes. If instead you input the efficient frontier (that is, you select the Enter asset mixes option above), the Efficient Frontier is considered already run, provided, of course, that all asset class information is complete and the mixes on the efficient frontier add up to one. In either case, the results can be accessed by clicking the View button.