In Part I of our three-part series on investing for retirement income in low-rate environments, we explained why we don’t advise bulking up on dividend-yielding stocks as a reliable way to generate retirement cash flow. Like the Three Little Pigs’ straw house, dividend-yielding stocks can disappoint you by exhibiting inherent risks just when you most […]
Retirement Income Strategies: Debunking High-Yield Bond Myths Read More »
Retirement planning often directs attention toward mid-career 401(k) participants and those nearing retirement — and understandably so, given their tighter timeline to secure post-retirement financial stability. But what about the youngest members of the workforce — the 18- to 20-year-olds, or those even younger? This demographic faces a potentially more challenging economic outlook than their
Proposed Legislation: Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act Read More »
If ever there were an appropriate analogy for how to invest for retirement, it would be the classic fable of The Three Little Pigs. As you may recall, those three little pigs tried three different structures to protect against the Big Bad Wolf. Similarly, there are at least three kinds of “building materials” that investors
Retirement Investing: Unmasking the Dividend Myth Read More »
DOL Releases New Fiduciary Advice Proposal On October 31, 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its “Proposed Retirement Security Rule: Definition of an Investment Advice Fiduciary,” along with proposed revisions to Prohibited Transaction Exemptions (PTEs) 2020-02, as well as other fiduciary-advice-related PTEs (i.e., 84-24, 75-1, 77-4, 80-83, 83-1, and 86-128). If finalized, a new
Q1 2024 Fiduciary Hot Topics Read More »
With U.S. credit card debt recently soaring to a record high of $1.08 trillion, retirement plan sponsors face a pivotal moment. This staggering amount, a $48 billion escalation since the second quarter and a $154 billion increase year-over-year is a cautionary signal for Americans’ financial stability. The compounding pressures of post-pandemic recovery and inflation have
When advising our clients, we tend to focus heavily on tax issues—including income, estate and generation-skipping taxes. While tax planning is a big part of estate planning, taxes aren’t necessarily the first question on a client’s mind when beginning the process. This is especially true for those who are starting an estate plan for the
Answering Your Nontax Estate Planning Questions Read More »
You’ve spent your life building equity in your home, making your car payments and building a profitable stock portfolio. But do you have a plan detailing what happens to all those assets after you die? Knowing the basics of estate planning is important for anyone with any kind of asset, no matter its worth. It
Understanding the Basics of Estate Planning Read More »
The active vs. passive¹ funds debate has been with us for some time. Generally, proponents of active management are looking to “beat the market.” For several years during our recent raging bull market, the average passively managed fund has outperformed the average actively managed fund. Morningstar contends that “passive investing is now the mainstream approach,”
Active vs. Passive Funds Read More »
Ah, we restless humans. Sometimes, it pays to strive for greener grass. But as an investor, second-guessing a stable strategy can leave you in the weeds. Trading in reaction to excitement or fear tricks you into buying high (chasing popular trends) and selling low (fleeing misfortunes), while potentially incurring unnecessary taxes and transaction costs along
Financial Quick Takes: Is Your Portfolio Underperforming … Compared to What? Read More »
Members of the House of Representatives recently raised concerns regarding the Department of Labor’s EBSA investigations into plan sponsors, citing them as lengthy and burdensome, and called for reform. In a Sept. 19 letter to Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, Rep. Virginia Foxx, chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and Rep.
Navigating the Complexity of EBSA Investigations Read More »