Ordinary retirement investors earn a return that pales in comparison to the stock market itself — more than 45% off the benchmark. Why is that, and can you do anything about it? We’re talking about trillions of hard-earned dollars, money that should be growing on behalf of millions of Americans and just isn’t. The results… Continue reading →

The media storm over Michael Lewis and his new book about high-frequency trading is fascinating to watch — and of remarkably little consequence. Serious retirement savers are not affected by flash trading and, quite possibly, benefit from its existence. Lewis is a great writer. I suppose his publisher welcomes the attention the book has gotten… Continue reading →

Professor Charles D. Ellis of the Rebalance Investment Committee on the most useful service a financial advisor can provide — a sounding board and trusted feedback so that your investments fit your goals. Continue reading →

Anyone who goes to business school learns a basic rule of decision-making: Understand your opportunity cost. It’s a hard lesson. Opportunity cost means fully calculating the return on two or more options, then choosing the best path forward. Here’s a quick case study: A manager believes that locating a plant in South Carolina is likely… Continue reading →

Professor Charles D. Ellis of the Rebalance Investment Committee breaks down the thinking behind a simple stock-to-bond asset allocation and how to adjust those ratios for your personal investment time horizon. Continue reading →

If you follow the financial media day-to-day, you get caught up in a narrative that is as appealing as it is wrongheaded. It goes something like this: You must know what’s going on, because you must take action immediately. It’s wrongheaded because almost nobody should be trying so hard to outmaneuver the market. Even the… Continue reading →

If you’ve been paying attention to the financial news these days, it’s been hard to avoid dire headlines from abroad. Argentina is sliding toward a currency collapse. Turkey is in political turmoil. Venezuela is slipping fast. As a retirement investor, such news might give you pause. After all, it’s likely that you own at least… Continue reading →

Professor Burton Malkiel of the Rebalance Investment Committee breaks down the conflicts of interest financial advisors face and explains how stock brokers might not be on your side. Continue reading →

The new Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street is riding high. It has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. And, crucially, the movie has made money, an estimated $76 million over its production budget of $100 million. Billed as a black comedy, Wolf tells the story of a “pump and dump”… Continue reading →