A rising tide lifts all boats, or so they say. That’s the inherent promise of indexing for retirement. But an important corollary should be mentioned: A leaky boat sinks in any tide. Investment fund expenses will kill your retirement plan, no matter what kind of market is ahead. That’s the takeaway from the latest study of… Continue reading →

Professor Charles D. Ellis of the Rebalance Investment Committee on changing jobs and retirement risk. Continue reading →

What do Charles Schwab, Warren Buffett, Jim Cramer and John Bogle have in common? Shoe size, maybe? No, they all think that most Americans, up to 98% of us, should be using index funds to build a retirement nest egg. Schwab appears to be the most recent convert to the passive approach, telling reporters that… Continue reading →

Professor Charles D. Ellis of the Rebalance Investment Committee on the difficulty of trying to beat the stock market. More investing advice for a solid retirement. TRANSCRIPT If you go back 60 years ago, maybe even 50 years ago, active, aggressive, imaginative, go-for-it investing had a terrific opportunity because the competition wasn’t very tough. Over… Continue reading →

If given a choice, would you prefer to retire with 79% more money than the typical investor? Easy question, right? Many retirement savers are given exactly this choice, yet only a third end up enjoying the extra cash. What’s the difference? Prudent, high-quality advice that helped them avo​id the roller coaster of emot​ionally driven decisions. Aon Hewitt, the… Continue reading →

In defense circles, it’s known as “fighting the last war.” A country shaped by a protracted conventional conflict can be unprepared for guerrilla attacks. A nation used to commanding the high seas is unlikely to muster an effective standing army. Fighting the last war with your investments is a major tactical blunder. Sticking to a… Continue reading →

Jay Vivian, former managing director of the IBM Retirement Funds, explains target date funds. Continue reading →

Professor Charles D. Ellis of the Rebalance Investment Committee on the need to increase saving at any age in order to deflect the risk of real financial pain in retirement. Continue reading →

Did you know that if you start early and save diligently, you could easily finance the retirement of a total stranger? That’s right. A total stranger. If you pay the big fees charged by mutual funds and high-priced active money managers, those costs can total up to more than $400,000 over your working life, according… Continue reading →