Who am I and how I got here?
My name is Plamen Todorov. I come from my beloved country of Bulgaria but feel equally home in Germany, where I have been living for almost 14 years. I have a 3-year old son who I love more than anything in the world, and a wonderful wife who inspires and supports me every day. I have an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich and a Masters in Finance degree from London Business School. I am a CFA® Charterholder since 2018.
Why fixed income and why systematic investing?
This website is the intersection between the gigantic world of fixed income investing and the equally vast space of systematic/rules-based portfolio management. The question is – why fixed income and why systematic investing?
The fixed income part is explained by my professional experience. For almost eight years I worked for PIMCO – the largest active fixed income manager in the world – which taught me a lot about the intricacies of global fixed income markets. Having spent my entire career in the fixed income space, I have come to genuinely appreciate the mental challenge that this huge, complex, and multidimensional asset class presents.
As for the systematic investing part – in 2016, I came across Robert Carver‘s “Systematic Trading” book, which ignited my interest in systematic/quantitative-driven strategies. Shortly thereafter, I began experimenting with the research and programming of my own equity and trend-following systems some of which I eventually adopted in my own portfolio. In 2019, I enrolled in a part-time Masters in Finance program at London Business School with the aim to expand and enhance my quantitative skills. That culminated with Prof. Scott Richardson‘s (LBS Professor and AQR Capital Management Principal) class on Systematic Investing, which opened my eyes to the world of systematic fixed income investing.
So the reason is just a blend of professional experience and interests?
No, there is also another, more philosophical reason.
It’s hardly news to anyone that our life is getting rapidly digitalized and I believe this is also true for the investments world. For decades, fixed income lagged equities in terms of data availability, which hindered the research and development of systematic/quantitative fixed income investment products. This has changed in recent years, opening up a wealth of possibilities for researchers to apply the scientific method on fixed income strategies. This approach truly resonates with me because I believe that the combination of systematic, statistically driven techniques, human creativity and sound macroeconomic understanding has the potential to create valuable new investment strategies that suit well and diversify traditional fixed income portfolios.
Why I built this website?
“The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know” – a well known quote from Dr. Peter Attia, a Canadian-American physician whose work I passionately follow – pretty much describes the reason this website exists.
The aim of this website is to be a platform on which I share knowledge, ideas, and research results, while collecting feedback, engaging in dialogue, and connecting with like-minded professionals from around the world. Those of you who know the Feynman Learning Technique would certainly understand why I also view this website as an amazing learning tool.
What topics I am going to cover and how often is a blog post to be expected?
I am going to cover everything – from exciting research papers and interesting articles in the media to my own research results.
Don’t expect regular publishing. I have family and work commitments so I don’t intend to, say, post every week or so. If a topic I am working on takes longer to cover, so be it. One thing I fully commit to is publishing pieces that are as well researched and written as possible, so when you come across them, they are truly worth your time.
With all this in mind, enjoy exploring my content, share your feedback, and feel free to connect!
