A lot of ink is being spilled over a close but clear vote among Britons to leave the European Union, known as Brexit. You’ve probably seen lengthy explainers on why the vote matters to investors and what you should do about it. Hogwash, plain and simple. Sure, it’s a big deal — if you’re British. It’s important,… Continue reading →

You might not know John Oliver. He’s British, first of all, and his comedy program “Last Week Tonight” airs on late-night cable. The segments on the show are long (22 minutes long!), very wonky and tend to tackle subjects most of us actively avoid — international affairs, payday lending, the downside of the U.S. energy boom, infrastructure spending.… Continue reading →

John Bogle, founder of passive investing giant Vanguard, believes that the animating force behind the stock market is to make money — just not for investors. In a recent interview and a separate letter to the editor, Bogle makes the case that virtually all stock trading benefits the handlers of that money and not retirement savers.… Continue reading →

Jim Cramer, the CNBC host known for his stock-trading “shock jock” TV personality, has some advice for young savers on how to grow wealthy. Thing is, his advice holds true for older savers and investors retirement, too. Here are three major takeaways from a recent segment: First, you need time. A lot of time. Investments double… Continue reading →

John Bogle, the longtime champion of low-cost investing and founder of the Vanguard Group, is not one to rest on his laurels. You would think that the recent Department of Labor “clients first” fiduciary standard ruling — earned after decades of fighting an investment industry focused on profits over people — would qualify as a big win. Don’t get me wrong, it… Continue reading →

The “tyranny of compounding costs” is hardly a headline anyone wants to read. Yet people truly need to understand what Vanguard Founder John Bogle means when he says that cost is the major driver in how long-term retirement investing turns out. Most people assume that picking the investments matters. And in a sense it does.… Continue reading →

If you’re like most investors, you likely believe that stockbrokers with checkered pasts get drummed out of the industry. Certainly, out-of-work stockbrokers would like you to believe that. But the data tells a different story: Of brokers fired for misconduct, 44% are back at work within a year. That’s the conclusion of researchers at the… Continue reading →

If you spend enough time watching cable TV or reading the investing advice online, it can seem that the key to making money in the stock market is to buy the right investment, ride it higher, then sell before everyone else bails out. Yet the science behind portfolio investing — yes, actual data, collected by actual… Continue reading →

It’s gospel in some circles that government is the problem, not the solution. Yet it is possible, even today, to find clear examples of political leadership coming together to get something right. That happened just this past month with the announcement by the Department of Labor of a rule that will make retirement investment safer and more transparent for millions… Continue reading →