Alan Brochstein, CFA has been contributing articles to Seeking Alpha since 2007. He has worked on the sell-side and the buy-side in fixed-income and on the buy-side in equities. Alan got his start as a financial professional in the securities industry in 1986 after earning a B.A. in Economics and in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences from Northwestern University. He was managing investments in institutional environments until he founded AB Analytical Services in 2007 to provide independent consulti ...

Core Insights - The article highlights Alan Brochstein's extensive experience in the investment industry, particularly his focus on the cannabis sector since 2014 [1] - It emphasizes the importance of ETFs in enabling diversified investment portfolios for both individual and institutional investors [1] - The article mentions the establishment of a 79-ETF Focus List by Alan, which includes a variety of ETFs, both popular and lesser-known [1] Group 1: Professional Background - Alan Brochstein has been contributing to Seeking Alpha since 2007 and has a background in both sell-side and buy-side roles in fixed-income and equities [1] - He founded AB Analytical Services in 2007 to provide independent consulting to registered investment advisors [1] - Alan has been a pioneer in the cannabis investment space, launching 420 Investor in 2013, a subscription service focused on cannabis stocks [1] Group 2: ETF Focus - Alan has been writing extensively about ETFs since 2025, aiming to help investors understand the ETF landscape [1] - The 79-ETF Focus List maintained by Alan includes a mix of large, popular ETFs and those that are less widely followed but noteworthy [1] - A model portfolio was created by Alan as of year-end 2025 to assist investors in navigating their ETF investments [1]