Divide and conquer is the new black. Unlike avocados, our country has no shortage of partisan chasms. Talking past each other without listening; dehumanizing our opponents; and subscribing to tribalism make up the smorgasbord of our primal passions. We are all guilty of this behavior; though some have guzzled more of the Kool-Aid than others. The…
Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked
Financial firms should have their own theme songs; not the pabulum spewed by corporate consultants, complete with obligatory and hokey multi-cultural pictures. They should keep it real and honestly choose lyrics that truly represent their corporate culture. Here is the perfect chorus for Wells Fargo: “Oh there ain’t no rest for the wicked Money doesn’t…
It’s Monday Again…..When Is My Retirement?
Good Morning! Here are our weekly top ten links for issues concerning 403(b)s, 401(k)s, retirement savings tips, pensions, and various variable annuity products. Enjoy! Avoiding the Stock Market May Cost Millennials $3.3 Million – nerdwallet How to Get Your Employer to Let You Retire Gradually – Wall Street Journal Judge Denies Windfall To Teachers Union…
Seven Alternative Facts about your Money
People love to use words and expressions to cloud their real intentions. Often these expressions can cloak lies and make you feel better about doing something that is just plain awful. George Orwell wrote about how governments can mask some pretty nasty stuff with word tricks. In our time, political speech and writing are largely…
Interview with a Financial Vampire
403(b) plans leak an astounding $10 billion annually in unnecessary investment costs; according to data analysis by human resources consultant, Aon Hewitt. A big reason for this financial atrocity is the hiring processes of many large insurers and brokers. I have noted before that certain companies place deceiving ads to lure young people…
It’s Monday Again…..When Is My Retirement?
Good Morning! Here are our weekly top ten links for issues concerning 403(b)s, 401(k)s, retirement savings tips, pensions, and various variable annuity products. Enjoy! What Every Woman Needs To Know About Social Security Benefits – Social Security Teacher What It Takes To Be A 401k ‘Super Saver’ – 401KSpecialist Promises By Congress To Protect Retirement-Savings…
Numbers Can Lie
Numbers can lie if you let them. Context needs to be part of any mathematical equation. “Narratives without statistics are blind, statistics without narratives are empty.” Steven Pinker, the author of The Better Angels of Our Nature, describes this paradox perfectly. Most people suffer from something called denominator bias. This means they focus on the…
We Are ALL Victims of Bad 403(b) Plans
EVERYONE is affected by a bad 403(b) plan. Taxpayers, students, and teachers all suffer the consequences of the misdeeds of price-gouging financial salespeople. The conventional wisdom is: “Why do I care about some teacher’s retirement plan?” Predictably, this is neither conventional nor wisdom; ignore this at your own peril. First, let’s take a look how this issue…
It’s Monday Again…….When Is My Retirement?
Good Morning! Here are our weekly top ten links for issues concerning 403(b), 401(k), retirement savings tips, pensions, and various variable annuity products. Enjoy! Excessive Fee Suit Filed Against Another Ivy League 403 (b) – NAPA Keeping It Simple Is Key Lesson For Encouraging Retirement Savings – Pensions&Investments Should I Keep My 401(k) With My…
The Investment Night is Dark and Full of Terrors
Winter is coming for the current eight-year bull market. Only a charlatan or a fool will confidently tell you the exact date of its imminent or much deferred arrival. There is no red clad sorceress like Melisandre out there to revive the dead or predict the outcome of great battles for retirement savers. In other words,…
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