If you’re in your 30s and you decide you’re not going to be in the stock market, how does that influence your savings? According to Mark Miller, author of The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security, this is really going to hurt your chances of achieving a secure retirement down the road.
A reminder that the bond market, thought by many as a safe haven during volatile markets, carries plenty of its own risks.
Studies have shown that investors who use a financial advisor experience better long-term portfolio performance because they are more likely to adhere to their strategy and thus reach defined investment goals.
Fees are one thing that you definitely can and should control in your investment portfolios. 401(k) plans are notorious for making it difficult to figure out how much you’re paying in fees. BrightScope offers a free tool that shines a light on this dark area. Try it out and be a better informed investor.
Bull market? bear market? How about a WOLF? A wolf market is characterized by a tight trading range, increase volatility, high stock correlations and quick reversals. We’ve been in a wolf market since April or earlier.
Real-Estate Investing: the best and worst markets for single-family real-estate investment properties.
It’s interesting to think about how your net worth changes over your life time. This chart does a great job illustrating the typical trajectory
“So many people get scared when everyone says the sky is falling. They get out of equities and into bonds when it’s exactly the wrong time to do it. When everything is sky high and everyone is optimistic, they then plow back into equities. Their emotions do the wrong thing. “
— Dr. Burton Malkiel (author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street)
MUST-READ article on the “hidden costs of mutual funds”. Study shows the average annual trading costs (commissions, spreads, market impact and opportunity costs) of mutual funds to be about 1.44% IN ADDITION to the publicly disclosed expense ratio, which averages another 1.3.% per year. That means the average fund costs 2.75% per year!
