We wrote that perhaps the primary advantage of investing in index funds and index ETFs is their low expenses. But there are some index funds that charge outrageously (in our opinion) high expense ratios. We don’t understand why any investor would ever invest in them. If it is because their financial advisor put them there, they need a different financial…
Why do you think it’s so hard for some people to save for retirement? There are many reasons. Some individuals are barely able to live on their after-tax income. They spend every dollar on food, shelter, transportation and other necessities. Given a choice, these individuals will almost by necessity delay saving for retirement, which may be 20, 30 or 40…
Financial liquidity describes the ability to buy or sell something quickly at a fair price. An illiquid asset cannot be so easily sold. For example, real estate is typically an illiquid asset. You may have to wait months to get the price you want. There are three components to the liquidity of securities in general, and stocks specifically: The first is the…
Asset allocation, at its most basic level, is deciding how to spread (allocate) the risk across your investment portfolio: stocks vs. less-risky instruments such as bonds and certificates of deposit (CDs). These decisions will be the primary determinant of your investment performance; i.e., your portfolio’s rate of return. Beyond this seemingly simple decision, you must consider how much to invest in domestic stocks, international…
FINANCIAL LITERACY AND THE TIME VALUE OF MONEY With interest rates near 14-year highs, we should revisit the phrase, “Time is Money.” You may have even used the phrase yourself. It has special meaning when applied to investing and financial planning. Lyle and I are happy to present our “Time Value of Money” lesson, taken directly from Your Total Wealth. …
The Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) : What is it, what does it do, and why should investors be grateful it exists? Chances are most investors have just a superficial understanding of this important government agency, But anyone working with a l #financailadvisor needs to know the answers to the questions. Lyle Sussman and I are happy to share a…
David Dubofsky, PhD, CFA and Lyle Sussman, PhD The increasing interest in decision making biases affecting the financial world can best be documented with this metric: A Google search of the phrase “Behavioral Finance” yields over 5 million hits. A cursory scan of a sample of those links highlights overconfidence as a significant bias affecting both investors and their advisors. Overconfidence…
Clients of Financial Advisors and Wealth Managers hear a lot today about the Federal Reserve. Unfortunately many of those clients, and people in general, may not know what it does and how it affects their daily personal finances. Here’s a sample of “Central Bank,” one of the key terms we explain in our book, “Your Total Wealth,” to help you…
Financial advisors know that their clients often make investment decisions that may not be purely rational. But because both are human, those advisors are subject to the same cognitive and psychological biases, and irrational decisions as their clients. However, because of their professional training and status, advisors may believe they are immune from irrational biases. This FPA Knowledge Circle Presentation…
Thanks again to Brian Adams for hosting a podcast in which we discussed the importance of combining Financial Literacy with Life Literacy—i.e., Total Wealth. To listen to our discussion, click on: If someone asks you what wealth means for you, what would your response be? The first thing people always associate this term with is money, however, wealth can also be translated into freedom, opportunities, and…