Portfolio
Benchmark
A reference series or policy portfolio used to evaluate performance, risk, exposure, or opportunity cost.
- A good benchmark should match the decision context closely enough to make comparisons meaningful.
Related: alpha, beta, tracking error
Methods
Primary metric
The main measurement used to judge whether a result supports the research question.
- Secondary metrics can explain context, but they should not replace the primary metric after results are known.
Related: scorecard, benchmark, decision rule
Backtesting
Survivorship bias
A research error caused by testing only observations that survived to the current sample.
- Ignoring failed, delisted, or removed observations can make historical results look stronger than they were.
Related: universe selection, sample period, benchmark
Educational boundary
This content is for educational and technical research purposes only. It is not financial advice, investment advice, trading advice, tax advice, or legal advice. Backtests and examples may contain errors or omissions. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always test code in a safe environment before using it with real accounts or live trading systems.
InQuantWeTrust publishes educational content for quantitative research and analytical methods. It does not provide personalized advice, trade recommendations, managed services, or guaranteed outcomes.