Blog
The Basics of 401k Retirement Planning
by Christie Whitney The history of the most common American retirement plan — the workplace 401(k) — is long, but the essential idea is simple. Save money today and lower your current income taxes. Take money out later, in retirement, and pay the… Continue reading
John Bogle’s Legacy Has Only Just Begun
by Scott Puritz I had the privilege of joining John Bogle, and other industry leaders, in the continued fight against unfair investment practices at the launch of the groundbreaking initiative ‘Campaign for Investors.’ I hope to honor Bogle’s legacy by continuing to advocate… Continue reading
Suze Orman Thinks You Need At Least $5 Million To Retire
by Mitch Tuchman As any Suze Orman fan will tell you, it’s well documented that the majority of Americans don’t save enough for retirement. I won’t repeat the litany of stats here. It’s depressing enough. But I will suggest that there is something… Continue reading
Financial Planning Is About Freedom From Worry
by Christie Whitney I once had a client who asked me, point-blank: “Do I have enough money that I can fly business class the rest of my life?” So, we had a few discussions and I drew up her financial plan. The answer… Continue reading
Have I Got a Fund For You! Why Brokers Push Some Investments
by Scott Puritz Buyer Beware! Efforts to make investing safer and more transparent for all Americans are being vigorously resisted by big Wall Street banks such as Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan and UBS. Unfortunately, these firms have anti-consumer business… Continue reading
4 Concrete Steps For Real Investment Peace of Mind
by Scott PuritzIt was Dr. Martin Luther King who said “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Weighty words indeed, but they feel apropos of the back-and-forth we see in Washington over a rule meant to… Continue reading
Parental Advice: Sharing Lessons about Money with the Next Generation
by Sally BrandonOne of my clients, who is an older man, recently told me about a conversation he had with his daughter, who had just gotten married. A wedding is a special time and certainly a threshold toward a new and different… Continue reading
Retirement Is Expensive. Here’s What To Do About It.
by Mitch TuchmanYou probably think of your own home as your largest expense in life. Perhaps your kids, if you think of them as expenses. A recent study, in fact, estimated that buying a house and raising a child cost about the… Continue reading
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do…With Your Financial Advisor
by Sally BrandonFiring a financial advisor can be uncomfortable, but certain circumstances make it necessary. Ending a relationship is never easy. You nurture it, get comfortable with it, and you learn what to expect. Sometimes you think about walking away because you’re… Continue reading
Heed Warren Buffett’s Warning: Bitcoin Is Pure FOMO
by Mitch TuchmanTo the surprise of nobody, billionaire investor Warren Buffett isn’t interested in Bitcoin, the electronic currency that has zoomed higher in value over the past few weeks. Bitcoin is a complex idea. Simply put, it’s a virtual currency that is… Continue reading
Five Common Mistakes People Make When Paying for College
by Christie WhitneyIn her recent Wall Street Journal column, Chana R. Schoenberger details the many pitfalls that families with college-bound children face, and the simple steps you can take to prevent and/or remedy these mistakes. Read the article, in full, below. As the school… Continue reading
John Bogle’s Advice On Stocks Proven Again — By Science
by Mitch TuchmanA new study of our innate human biases reinforces the value of diversification when it comes to stock investing. Short version: We just can’t help ourselves when we think we know something. Scientists call this confirmation bias, the unconscious way we… Continue reading
7 Things Most Millennials Don’t Know About Preparing For Retirement
by Sally BrandonRecently, Forbes published an eye-opening article about the challenges that millennials face when saving for retirement. For those in their 20’s or 30’s, retirement may seem a lifetime away; however, that time will approach faster than you can anticipate. Read on… Continue reading
Testosterone Messes With Your Investing Brain
by Mitch TuchmanA landmark 2001 study showed that women outclassed men as investors by nearly 1 percent per year. Now we are coming closer to understanding why: Testosterone interferes with the male investor’s brain. A new study from Caltech, Wharton, Western University… Continue reading
Don’t Fall Into the Market Timing Trap
by Scott PuritzOne of the more interesting reactions to the Rebalance approach is hearing the ideas people have of “passive” investing and “market” returns, especially investors who still believe in market timing. “Oh, I would never be a passive investor. There is… Continue reading
Are Fund Managers Doomed? Making the Case for Passive Investing’s Triumph
by Scott PuritzWhy use index funds? Warren Buffett and Rebalance Investment Committee members Charley Ellis and Burt Malkiel make a convincing argument in this piece for the Wall Street Journal. Continue reading
It’s Your Money, Take It With You, Dammit!
by Scott PuritzOne thing not to forget when you leave a job: your 401(k)! Scott Puritz spoke to Rodney Brooks at The Washington Post about the best practice of taking your retirement savings with you when you switch jobs. Continue reading