What makes an investment fund cheap to own? Low fund fees, of course. But investors completely misunderstand what “low” means, charges Vanguard Group founder John Bogle. The problem comes with using percentages, specifically percentage expense ratios, to gauge the value of a fund relative to its cost of doing business. Consider something you buy every week,… Continue reading →

Elizabeth Warren, the hard-charging Senator from Massachusetts, has new questions for financial advisors who sell annuity products to folks nearing retirement age: If an annuity company gives advisors rewards and incentives such as resort vacations, iPads and jewelry, isn’t that a huge conflict of interest? Warren recently made headlines in an important Senate Committee hearing at… Continue reading →

You might be surprised to see occasional headlines bemoaning the poor performance of hedge funds compared to the market indexes. Not Warren Buffett. Hedge fund managers serve two masters: their clients and themselves. That sounds like a solid alignment of interests, but it’s not, the billionaire investor says. That’s because hedge fund chiefs get paid win… Continue reading →

Saving has a reputation for not being much fun. It smacks of deprivation and penny-pinching, of spending your vacation at the Jersey Shore instead of the French Riviera. About half of Americans say they have only enough cash on hand to live for six months, reports Bankrate.com, and 25% can only pay their bills for… Continue reading →

It’s that time of the trading year when nobody seems to know what to make of the numbers. Stocks are down, bonds feel high, the economy sends mixed signals. Desperate for direction — any direction — investors attempt to guess the next move of the Federal Reserve (raise rates at last? stick to nearly zero?)… Continue reading →

Managing Director Scott Puritz shares how Rebalance builds trust with clients.  More on how Rebalance provides clients with peace of mind. transcript We build trust with our clients first and foremost by listening to them and fully understanding what’s going on in their lives and what they need from their retirement investing. Second, every one… Continue reading →

Mitch Tuchman, Managing Director, describes the initial interview that every client has when they first sit down with their financial advisor.  More on the Rebalance approach to retirement investing. transcript In our initial interview with a client, we’re trying to figure out a few things. What is the end result? In other words, what does retirement… Continue reading →

There’s an old Arab saying: “If a camel gets his nose in the tent, his body will soon follow.” It’s a great, funny metaphor. You can picture the curious nose of the camel poking in, then the neck and, before long, all the rest of it. In English we would say “Give them an inch and… Continue reading →

The following opinion editorial, originally published in The Baltimore Sun, was co-authored by Rebalance Managing Director Scott Puritz and a key member of the firm’s Investment Committee, financial luminary Charley Ellis. The editorial examines a proposed U.S. Department of Labor rule designed to make retirement investing safer. You can hardly blame an industry for defending… Continue reading →