Don’t Call Your Broker
The market has been experiencing gut-wrenching volatility recently. Monday, Aug. 24 was a particularly unsettling day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) lost 1,089 points before rallying to close down 588. This kind of roller coaster ride creates understandable anxiety...
$50,000 (or More) May Be Yours for the Asking
Investing is a unique business. After all, you wouldn’t think of buying any commercial item (like a car) without first negotiating for the lowest price. And few people would consider buying a product if they had no information about its...
The Secret to Investing in Volatile Times
The financial media loves volatile markets. When the market drops, investors understandably become anxious. They have questions like: What is causing the decline? How low will the market fall? Should I sit on the sidelines until things “settle down”? Are...
The Media (Not the Market) Has Fallen to New Lows
It has long been my view that much of the financial media serves as a shill for the securities industry. It stokes fear and anxiety in an effort to encourage investors to “do something” with their holdings. Activity means trading,...
The Meritless Assault on the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule
The assault on the fiduciary rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has intensified. Republicans from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce recently asked Labor Secretary Thomas Perez to “immediately withdraw” the rule. Why? Because they...
There’s Hope For 401(k) Participants
It has been my long-held view that most 401(k) plans are a national disgrace. Most 401(k) plans are flawed Part of the problem is that the underlying concept behind how many 401(k) plans are administered is fatally flawed. They assume...
DOL Opponents Are Motivated By Self-Interest
The securities industry is all atwitter at the prospect of having to put the interests of retirement plan participants above its own. It’s marshaling its massive resources to fight a rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that...
Congress Unites to Harm Investors
Who said Congress is dysfunctional? When necessary, its members can come together quite seamlessly. Recently, a group of elected officials, one that crossed party lines, launched an effort with apparently one goal in mind. If you think I am referring...
Fiduciary Rule: The Real Agenda
There’s a powerful agenda behind the opposition to the rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) requiring that advisors to retirement plans be fiduciaries: The securities industry wants to preserve its ability to give conflicted advice. There’s a...
The Battle Over the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule Gets Dirty
The battle over a rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor, which would require retirement plan advisors to be fiduciaries to plan participants, has descended to a new low. The securities industry lobby has been earning its keep, persuading...
