Do you know — really know — what you pay for your retirement plan? If you do, consider yourself in the minority. A recent Rebalance poll found that more than half of Americans (57%) believe they pay “no fees” or “very low fees” for their 401(k) plan at work.  And nearly a quarter of respondents… Continue reading →

Like many of you, I am relieved and thrilled to see vaccines against Covid-19 rolling out across the country. It will take a few more months, but every day is a step closer to normal life for millions. It will take still more months, and for some folks years, to overcome the emotional and financial… Continue reading →

Ask anyone with a 401(k) plan at work what they pay in fees and the answers may surprise you: Most people think they pay nothing at all. Even those who know that’s impossible undershoot by a surprisingly large margin, guessing “about 1%” in fees. The full truth is usually a shock: Many 401(k) savers pay… Continue reading →

The Super Bowl is behind us. I’d bet not many people expected Tom Brady’s Bucs to deliver the thrashing they ultimately visited upon Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs. It was more than a little unnerving to watch a talented but terrified Mahomes flee Tampa’s ferocious defensive line as the game wound down. Rather, much of the… Continue reading →

One of the more successful tech startups on Wall Street these days is Robinhood, a phone app that allows inexperienced investors to jump into stock trading. The come-on is that the trades are free. Naturally, there is no free lunch in investing, aside from diversification, as investing legend Burt Malkiel explains. As the saying goes… Continue reading →

Most 401(k) plan sponsors are finishing out the year with an eye towards how they can drive improvements to their plans in 2021 and boost outcomes for plan participants. In that spirit, 401(k) Specialist Magazine has developed a list of three New Years Resolutions for 401(k) plan sponsors that includes the end of automatic cash-outs,… Continue reading →

One of the most challenging aspects of managing money in the past few years has been extraordinarily low yields from government bonds — bordering on zero and even negative when you consider inflation. Given that bonds make up a large percentage of traditional retirement investor portfolios, that lack of that steady income hurts.  At my… Continue reading →

Overspending can be as much a part of the holidays as latkes and caroling. While it’s easy to say “make a budget” there are ways to simplify the process and stay on track. First, go ahead and make that budget, but think beyond your immediate household. The budget should be as broad as possible to… Continue reading →

Okay, America, buckle up. You’re going to hear a lot of bad news over the next few months and a lot of good news… and that means stocks could be volatile. I say good news because things are looking up on a number of fronts. An initial report on a vaccine for COVID shows 90% effectiveness,… Continue reading →