Jay Vivian, former managing director of the IBM Retirement Funds, explains why IBM moved to index investing over active management. Continue reading →

Jay Vivian, former managing director of the IBM Retirement Funds, explains the lessons of 2008 to retirement investors. Continue reading →

The debate about the value of active vs. passive management, whether investors should try to “beat the market” return or instead simply replicate it cheaply, can seem never-ending. I find the passive vs. active debate misleading. You could argue endlessly about how active funds underperform eventually, even if some outperform from time to time. There… Continue reading →

Jay Vivian, former managing director of the IBM Retirement Funds, explains the power of IRAs and tax-deferred investing. Continue reading →

Jay Vivian, former managing director of the IBM Retirement Funds, cautions retirement investors when it comes to investment advice. Continue reading →

Do you know someone who has been hit by lightning? Do you know anyone who knows anyone who has been hit by lightning? Exceedingly unlikely, right? But it turns out to be roughly the same chance as knowing someone — anyone — whose mutual fund consistently stays ahead of the pack. Put another way, your… Continue reading →

You want the best for your kids: The best education, the best experiences, great friends and a safe, secure upbringing. It’s why we work hard and make choices along the way, postponing spending on ourselves in favor of them. Often, that means putting aside money for their college fund. But putting a lot of money… Continue reading →

Jay Vivian, former managing director of the IBM Retirement Funds, on using index funds to lower retirement investment costs. Continue reading →

A great retirement portfolio owns precise measures of specific investment types, depending on your age and personal tolerance for the ups and downs of the market. But what if the mutual funds you buy don’t hold the investments you think they do? Known as “style drift” in the finance world, the more accurate word for it… Continue reading →