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Many investors, especially those still reeling from the 2008 – 2011 stock market roller coaster ride, have developed a low tolerance for volatility. As a result they have moved a significant portion of their investments into bonds or other fixed yield vehicles.

Life is full of uncertainty and the best laid financial plans must account for the unexpected.

Until recently, many retirees have been able to rely upon the three-legged stool of retirement income sources: A defined benefit pension plan that guarantees a lifetime income, their own savings, and Social Security.

At its core, diversification is deliberate uncertainty recognizing that it is difficult to know with particular subset of an asset class, or sector is likely to outperform another. Broad diversification, done effectively, seeks to capture the returns of different types of investments over time but with less volatility at any one time.

Many people deal with credit card debt all of their lives with most of them giving little or no thought to what happens with their debt after they die. The fact that nearly 60% die without a will is a strong indication that they’ve given absolutely no thought to it.

Watching the roller coaster ride of the stock market can make many investors queasy.   Even though the stock market has, historically, always trended up, investors can’t help but feel uneasy as they watch the values of their portfolios rise and fall with the market.  That is, unless they also have a portion of their money in the bond market and in short term savings. 

ETFs and indexed mutual funds are emerging as the investment of choice for investors who are discovering the virtues of passive investing.  Not surprisingly, they have both seen an explosion of growth and are especially popular choices for retirement plans and investors with a long time horizon.  With all of the attention they are garnering comes the question as to which investment op

I found a great video this week that shows U.S. immigration over the past 200 years.  It is non-political and does a good job of showing the history.  You can see the video by clicking here. 

If you are interested in how the Job Market and Economy are doing right now, here is a great article from Brian Wesbury at First Trust.  You can access it by clicking here.