April Newsletter
Wait and See by Guy Baker
It does not take much financial insight to see the economy remains chaotic and it does not seem to be in a mood to change soon. All of last week's economic data was negative and consumers apparently are getting the message recovery will be a long, long, winding road. For example: . . . .
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The price of active investing:
Would you believe $100 billion?
American mutual fund investors are spending a lot of money in a vain quest to beat the market, says famed finance professor Kenneth R. French of Dartmouth.
French has made public preliminary results from his detailed study of the costs investors pay to own actively-managed funds whose goals are to beat the U.S. stock market.
The estimated annual cost so far is $100 billion, French says. And, to make it worse, . . . -READ More-
Do You Know Your Annuity?
Paul answers some common questions on annuities like: What are the different types of annuities that can be purchased? Are annuities a good deal?, What are the fees with annuities? Aren't they high? . . .
U.S. birth aided by inflationary notes
The Revolutionary War not only gave birth to the United States and made George Washington a hero, it inadvertently led to a historic financial innovation that is a mainstay of today’s financial markets.
The pros can’t predict markets, and you probably can’t either
The next time you make a prediction about the stock market or the economy, write it down. Check back a year or two later and see how it worked out: on average, you are bound to be disappointed. . . .
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You already know this: The rich do keep getting richer
As the gap between the super-rich and the rest of us continues to grow, the United States boasts a record number of millionaires, according to recent surveys.
One estimate by TNS, a global market research firm in New York, estimates that the population of millionaire households increased by 5% in 2006 to 9.3 million.
Other estimates say there are 7.5 million to 8 million millionaires. But that isn’t the real story: . . .
Lean savings, delayed retirement, & more
Despite trying to do better, the average American may not be saving enough for retirement and emergencies, a new national survey found.
The non-profit American Savings Education Council says 53% of American households save at least 5% of their income, while just 28% save the 10% minimum that is usually recommended by experts.
Higher income families with $75,000 or more did better at saving 5% of income than did ...