Don’t fall into the trap that has grabbed a lot of your fellow workers: they have unrealistic expectations about investment returns and retirement assets and face disappointment in their golden years. A recent survey by Merrill Lynch uncovered some not so surprising mistakes workers are making in their retirement planning. Two of the top concerns of the 1,100 survey participants […]
Once upon a time there was a mutual fund named Fidelity Magellan that seemed to do no wrong. Under the leadership of its dynamic portfolio manager, Peter Lynch, the fund racked up an eye-popping average annual gain of 29% over 13 years. Investors took notice and poured billions of dollars into the fund, making it the largest stock mutual fund […]
The stock market has delivered an average annual return of 12.9% over the 20 years ended in March, and individual investors have had access to plenty of decent stock mutual funds that have come close to that return. Why, then, has the average investor realized vastly inferior returns over this period? A study performed last year by DALBAR, an independent […]
This article focuses on “20 of the most accomplished and sharply focused individuals under the age of 40 within the circulation area of the Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal.” Christopher M. Jones is recognized as one of these achievers. Read the Full Article
Despite all the attention being paid to the problems that may be caused by the imminent retirement of the Baby Boomers and the threat to Social Security, most Americans still aren’t saving enough money for retirement. A new study identifies groups that are most at risk for income shortfalls in retirement. Number one on the list is the low-income single […]
Many investors have a vague notion that “small” stocks and “value” stocks are something they should consider for their portfolios. Yet the average investor’s portfolio is often more “market-like,” that is, invested in big U.S. growth stocks. So where do value and small stocks fit in and why would an investor want them? The answer is very important for long-term […]
The real danger to our wealth is not inflation or risky stock markets or federal budget deficits. Instead, the simple mistakes most investors make hurt them far more than any outside market or economic forces. An investor with a diversified portfolio who is patient and waits out temporary slumps in the markets has a high chance of making his wealth […]
Let’s say you have made the breakthrough to indexed investing. You no longer believe that some swaggering Wall Street money manager can consistently beat the market for you. You no longer want to pay high fees to take that risk, and have decided on a more rational course. Great—you’ve come to the conclusion shared by a lot of other very […]
Even though the stock market has been “tanking lately,” local experts see no “reason for panic.” Christopher M. Jones is quoted extensively about the problem with “trying to predict the direction of the market.” Read the Full Article
Over 150 mutual funds that are closed to new investors continue to charge extra fees for marketing, says Standard & Poor’s, an independent investment research firm. The notorious fees, known as the 12b-1 fee after the securities law section that regulates them, are supposed to be used by mutual fund companies to market their funds to the public. However, funds […]
