For most of the past 50 years the simplest investment solution was often the best. A balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds, combined with a traditional pension, provided most investors with a comfortable retirement. Unfortunately, this approach is no longer likely to work. Retirement is longer, private company pensions are a thing of the past, and world economies look set for years of low growth. Investment advisors need a new plan and a new approach to help their clients organise their investments.

Asset allocation is the art of combining different investments to build a portfolio aligned with the investor's objectives and respectful of your limitations. More than picking the right stock or owning a particular bond, the allocation to these assets is the ultimate driver of investment returns. Despite the importance of asset allocation, there is little agreement on how to do it.

BlackRock's Russ Koesterich addresses this problem by providing a practical, step-by-step approach to building a portfolio consistent with the investor's investment goals. Starting with setting objectives, he covers all parts of the process, including assessing risk tolerance, defining a set of assets, generating return assumptions and combining the assets in a risk-controlled manner.