When it comes to investing, there are many things we cannot control. For example, we cannot control, let alone predict, investment returns. On the other hand, there are things we can and should control, such as the costs of our investments. The popularity of index-based mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has risen dramatically over…
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There’s been quite a buzz in the media and in Washington since Michael Lewis appeared on “60 Minutes” a number of weeks ago asserting that the stock market is rigged. The topic was high frequency trading (HFT), and for those that missed the broadcast (or the subsequent media frenzy), it’s a combination of high speed…
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This is a follow-up to my post last October entitled “Should You Increase Equity Allocation in Retirement?” (https://www.cognizantwealth.com/2013/10/24/should-you-increase-equity-allocation-in-retirement/). At that time I cited research by Pfau & Kitces suggesting that retirees begin their retirement with their investment portfolio allocated very conservatively, and then gradually increase the allocation to stocks as they age. In this post…
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Robert Isbitts of Sungarden Investment Research is sounding alarm bells regarding the following numerical coincidence he discovered: From September 1, 1995 until the peak of the tech-bubble on August 18, 2000, the S&P 500 return (excluding dividends) was 165%. From March 6, 2009 (the Great Recession bottom) through February 26, 2014 (around now), the return…
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The San Jose Mercury News reported today that Michael Brendan Ferguson of Foster City was arrested for fleecing over 100 investors out of millions via a Ponzi scheme involving ATM machines. One victim told the newspaper that she had lost her entire life savings (over $750,000) in the scam. While Ponzi schemes are nothing new…
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Annuities have been getting some bad press in the financial planning community. Financial planners tend to denigrate them due to their cost – “They have way too many fees, many of them hidden” – or due to the fact that they are not hedged against inflation, effectively reducing their usefulness at exactly the time (later…
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