401k Plan Advisors

A Day Late and a Dollar Short

February 2, 2012 , 7:40 pm

For investors and their advisers trying to beat the market or find 'alpha' this provides additional proof that it is really mission impossible. Many advisors believe that they bring value to clients by making prediction, picking under priced stocks. This is totally false and will cause investors to lose money unnecessarily. They would be better … [Read More...]

Advisers often offer bad advice just to keep good clients happy: Matson

January 31, 2012 , 7:14 pm

Mark Matson shows how investors don't need to know everything about investing they only need to know the right things. Mr Matson talks the talk AND walks the walk. Investors will reach their long term financial goals by following a prudent investment process. My experience in watching a lot of advisers is they will do what the client tells … [Read More...]

Target Date Funds vs Managed Portfolios.

January 31, 2012 , 4:28 pm

Target date funds have become popular with 401(k) plans (defined contribution) because of their simplicity. Based on the participant’s age a projected retirement date is determined, for example a 37 year old will retire at 65 in 2040. Therefore this participant would choose the 2040 portfolio and as the participant ages the portfolio would … [Read More...]

Benchmarking: The Key to a 401k Plan Sponsor’s Fiduciary Compliance Review

January 30, 2012 , 4:43 pm

Without a benchmark analysis of their company sponsored retirment plan, plan sponsors will not be competitve for top talented employees. The trend is for employees to take a serious look at the quality of employee benefits offered by their prospective employer as well as its competitors. The retirement plan offered must provide the employee with … [Read More...]

Majority of Plan Participants Lost on Retirement Planning, Seek Direction From Employers

January 30, 2012 , 3:20 pm

The most efficient solution for plan participants is a professionally managed risk adjusted globally diversified portfolio. This portfolio is best when it is automatically assigned based on age. Each employee can then determine the correct level of risk for their particular circumstance and make a change to the appropriate portfolio.. The final … [Read More...]

Dirty Tricks Brokers Use to Get Your Business

January 25, 2012 , 8:49 pm

There really is no great secret on successful investing for long Image via Wikipediaterm goals. You do not have to know everything about investing to succeed, but you do need to know the right things. There is an academic method to developing a diversified portfolio, custom fit to each individuals situation. This goes against the Wall Street model … [Read More...]

Can You Beat The Market?….NO!!

January 25, 2012 , 4:42 pm

When dealing with investors I have heard a number of questions. The most frequently asked is; what will the market do next? Every one of them believes someone knows what will happen next. Investors are in constant search of the ‘expert’ that will give them the answers and ‘beat’ the market. Unfortunately, there are no answers to the … [Read More...]

Diversification Is Your Buddy

January 20, 2012 , 6:24 pm

Given the events of the past few weeks, many investors are considering moving their money out of the stock market. Since no one can predict the future, this is a huge mistake. You must decide if you are a gambler/speculator or an investor. Gamblers believe they can out guess the market and avoid all losses. The gamblers have … [Read More...]

Does Your Broker Treat Your 401(k) Plan Like an Employee Benefit or a Lead Generation Tool?

January 20, 2012 , 5:54 pm

There has been much discussion on the fiduciary standard for all financial services salespeople. There has been new regulations requiring those brokers or agents selling retirement plans to become fiduciaries to the plans. This is vital to the success of the 401(k) as the sole source of retirement for most Americans. Many retirement plans are … [Read More...]

The True Enemy of Every Investor.

January 20, 2012 , 5:00 pm

Successful investing is not, per se, a portfolio problem, but rather a people problem. No matter how well designed and engineered a portfolio is, it can easily be destroyed by imprudent investor behavior. Unfortunately, the true enemy of every investor lies within. The instincts, emotions, and even biochemical makeup of human … [Read More...]