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, cautions retirement investors when it comes to investment advice. Continue reading →

Professor Burton Malkiel of the Rebalance Investment Committee explains how mutual funds use selective data to market their services. Continue reading →

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 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 →

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

Professor Burton Malkiel of the Rebalance Investment Committee explains how volatility in the markets can cause investors to make emotional decisions and why access to a financial advisor is crucial in tough markets. Continue reading →