Dimensional is working with institutional clients to blend international developed and emerging market equities, which is expected to improve the efficiency of investing for defined benefit plans. The article quotes Steve Clark, head of Institutional, North America, at Dimensional. (Registration and/or subscription may be required.)

The 2012 performance of Dimensional's Large Cap Value Portfolio earned the firm earn first place in the US Equity category of Barron's annual fund family rankings.

Investments & Pensions Europe points to Dimensional as an example of an asset manager that successfully circumvents the drawbacks of limited capacity and expensive transactions in the small cap space. (Registration and/or subscription may be required.)

This month's category kings ranking by the Wall Street Journal features four Dimensional funds that ranked in the top ten based on year-to-date performance as of November 30, 2012. The DFA UK Small Company Portfolio (DFUKX) ranked first in the European Region Funds category. Dimensional's other ranking funds are the DFA Tax-Managed US Marketwide Value Portfolio (DTMMX), the DFA US Large Cap Value Portfolio (DFLVX), and the DFA US Small Cap Value Portfolio (DFSVX).

This Forbes article examines Eugene Fama's recent interview in the CFA Institute's Financial Analysts Journal. The Forbes article reflects on Fama's academic contributions and explores his views on inflation, active management, and the causes of the financial crisis.

Charles Boinske, president of Independence Advisors, LLC and a Dimensional advisor, was interviewed by FONDS Professionell, a German publication. Boinske discusses Dimensional, and the article also highlights Christoph Kanzler, regional director for Dimensional's Financial Advisor Services in Germany. The article is in German.

Ignites Asia reports on Dimensional's appointment of John Alkire as chief executive officer of Dimensional Japan Ltd. The article discusses John's appointment and background, and connects the announcement to Dimensional's broader Asian expansion.

In the December issue of Advisor's Edge Report, a Canadian publication, Brad Steiman, head of Canadian Financial Advisor Services, contributes an article on the issues associated with portfolio optimization. Steiman says that even under the best conditions, optimizers magnify errors.

The December issue of the Harvard Business Review examines the power of a company's history as a tool for shaping its future. To exemplify this phenomenon, the HBR invokes Dimensional's thirty-one-year history and David Booth's plans for the growth of the firm as he prepares to pass the torch to a new generation of managers.

Lord John Hutton of Furness contributed an article to the Financial Times about a recent white paper called "Reinvigorating Workplace Pensions," published by the Department for Work and Pensions. Lord Hutton says the white paper is a huge step in the right direction for private sector pension provision. It recognizes the shortcomings of some existing defined contribution arrangements and points out some alternatives, among them a managed DC solution.

Pensions & Investments published an article about the January effect on small cap stocks. The article discusses Dimensional's history of running small cap equity strategies and Steve Clark, vice president and head of Institutional, North America, explains Dimensional's view. "We don't really think there is a January effect," says Clark.

Jason Kephart of Investment News examines the popularity and benefits of tax-managed mutual funds given the likelihood of higher taxes in the near future. Jed Fogdall, co-head of portfolio management, is quoted on Dimensional's approach to tax-managed funds. (Registration and/or subscription may be required.)

The Retirement Income Industry Association (RIIA) announced that Peng Chen, CEO of Asia (ex-Japan), has been named academic director of the RIIA's Retirement Management Analyst (RMA) advanced education program. AdvisorOne reports that in this role, Peng Chen "will oversee and review the academic and scholarly direction of the evolving RMA curriculum, as well as edit and review submissions of annual updates to the RMA textbook and Retirement Income Body of Knowledge, which are the foundations of the RMA program of study."

Investor Place ranks the DFA Emerging Markets Small Cap I fund (DEMSX) among its top twenty best performing mutual funds since the 2008 election.

Money Magazine's 2013 Retirement Guide features a special on Dimensional and Managed DC. Author Carolyn Bigda quotes David Booth, co-CEO and founder of Dimensional, and Michael Lane, CEO of Dimensional Retirement, on Dimensional's approach to investing and unique income-goal retirement product.

Steve Clark, vice president and head of Institutional, North America, discusses Dimensional's systematic approach to small-capitalization investing in this Pensions & Investments article.

David Plecha, Dimensional's chief global fixed income manager, is featured in a Dow Jones Canada Tip Sheet article on the DFA Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund. The article mentions the investment philosophy and strategy behind the fund, its current track record, and the diversification benefits it provides to investors.

Canada's National Post featured David Plecha, Dimensional's chief global fixed income manager, in an article on fixed income investing. David explains Dimensional's investment philosophy, the importance of recognizing that yield curves don't move in parallel, and the benefits of targeting markets where it is worth taking additional term risk. The article references the DFA Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund.

This New York Times article mentions Dimensional's systematic approach to investing and quotes Gerard O'Reilly, head of research at Dimensional, on the overlap between value strategies and low-volatility strategies.

The October issue of Morningstar Advisor spotlights factor investing and features insights from Jed Fogdall and Joseph Chi, co-heads of portfolio management and vice presidents at Dimensional. Brennan names the DFA Global Equity DGEIX fund as "one of the most high-profile factor-investing-based mutual funds in the marketplace."

At the CFA Institute's 2012 Thailand Investment Conference, Peng Chen, Dimensional's CEO of Asia (ex-Japan), addressed key questions regarding the central tenets of modern portfolio theory that the global financial crisis has called into question.

Dimensional Fund Advisors organized the Redefined Benefits: Twenty-First Century Pensions Conference at the British Academy in London on October 23, 2012. The conference addressed issues and questions at the frontier of the UK policy debate over what a risk-sharing pension model should look like for the twenty-first century, given the country's transition from defined benefit to defined contribution arrangements. Pensions Insight reports on the conference.

An Institutional Investor publication, iiSearches, features an article highlighting Dimensional Managed DC. Rune Sanbeck, head of EMEA Institutional for Dimensional, describes the benefits of Managed DC to investors and how the focus on retirement income is the ideal solution for pension funds transitioning from defined benefit to defined contribution plans.

Steve Garth, portfolio manager and vice president of Dimensional Australia, reflects on what fixed interest is, the risks associated with it, and the various roles this asset class can play in a diversified portfolio. Garth also discusses the range of reasons investors keep part of their portfolio in fixed interest and points out that "the single best performing asset class in 2011 was fixed interest" in the September edition of Money Management, SMSF Professional.

Wade Pfau, PhD, CFA, examines how Dimensional's Managed DC product works as a retirement-saving vehicle and provides income solutions based on life-cycle finance theory, as developed by Robert Merton, Nobel laureate and resident scientist at Dimensional.

Dimensional Fund Advisors announced the appointment of Peng Chen as CEO of Asia (ex-Japan). Chen joined Dimensional from Morningstar, where he served as president of its global investment management division.

InvestmentNews details Dimensional's strategic process to partnering with financial advisors and highlights that "the care and attention that DFA puts into screening advisers is as much a part of its success as its investing strategy."

Dimensional conducted a comprehensive survey in February 2012 to determine the preparedness of 401(k) plan executives to implement new Department of Labor fee disclosure regulations. Pensions & Investments reported on the results of the survey which found that 42% of the executives surveyed said they are looking to lower investment management fees to participants in the next 12 months.

The Dallas Morning News featured an article on upcoming fee disclosure regulations put forth by the Department of Labor. Author Pamela Yip quotes Tim Kohn, head of Defined Contribution Services and vice president at Dimensional, on how to take advantage of new disclosure information.

Fortune names Dimensional Fund Advisors one "heavyweight 401(k) provider" that is well-prepared for upcoming Department of Labor fee disclosure requirements. David Booth, co-CEO and founder of Dimensional, says of new transparency for investors, "It's going to be one of our main engines of growth."

In a feature on Dimensional vice president Mark Gochnour and his parents, the New York Times highlights the importance of relying on sound investment principles during tough times in the market.

Steve Clark is replacing the retiring Dave Schneider as head of the North American Institutional group, effective March 15. Joseph Chi and Jed Fogdall, senior portfolio managers, will replace Clark as co-heads of Portfolio Management.

Dimensional Fund Advisors, with over $200 billion of assets under management, has hired Carlo Venes to expand its institutional business in Asia ex Japan.