Category Archives: Retirement

At What Cost?: Annuities, Cryptocurrency, and 401(k) Plans

Posted on November 4, 2022 by investsense

For many people, their 401(k) or 403(b) accounts are their primary retirement savings. So, it’s only natural that they want their 401(k) or 403(b) plan to offer investment options that are truly in their best interests and their beneficiaries’ best … Continue reading →

Posted in 401k, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Consumer Protection, cost efficient investing, cost-effficiency, Equity Indexed Annuities, ERISA, Estate Planning, Fiduciary, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, Fixed Indexed Annuities, investing, Investment Advice, Investment Fraud, investments, Investor Protection, pension plans, plan sponsor, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, retirement readiness, Uncategorized, Variable Annuities, Variable Annuity Abuse, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“The Lie of the Pie” – Mutual Fund Marketing “Trickeration”

Posted on August 21, 2022 by investsense

The financial services industry likes to use charts…a lot of charts. Attorneys do not like charts. Charts can be confusing and misleading, sometimes deliberately so. One judge told me that after I had argued the connection between charts and “weaseleze,” … Continue reading →

Posted in 401k, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Closet Index Funds, Consumer Rights, cost efficient investing, cost-effficiency, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, investments, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

REAL Wealth Management 2021 – Wrap-Up

Posted on June 11, 2021 by investsense

Over the past few days, I have written posts to discuss what I perceive to be the three true areas of comprehensive wealth management – accumulation, preservation/protection and distribution/transfer. While many financial professionals may claim to be wealth managers, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Asset Protection, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Retirement Distribution Planning, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

REAL Wealth Management 2021 – Preservation

Posted on June 9, 2021 by investsense

“Make as much money as you can and keep what you get. That’s the way to become rich.” – Scottish adage When I tell people that I am a wealth preservation attorney, I often get the obligatory inquisitive look, followed … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Asset Protection, Estate Planning, Investment Advice, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Retirement Distribution Planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation, Wealth Recovery | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

REAL Wealth Management-2021

Posted on June 6, 2021 by investsense

I originally ran this series back in 2013. The series has proven to be among the blog’s most popular posts. So we are going to update the original posts and re-run the entire series. Today we address the ongoing “wealth … Continue reading →

Posted in Investment Portfolios, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Retirement Distribution Planning, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Distribution, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation, Wealth Recovery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Full Disclosure: The Art of Reading and Interpreting Mutual Fund Ads

Posted on November 26, 2019 by investsense

One of the most frequent questions I receive is how to effectively read and interpret mutual fund advertisements. I receive this question not only from individual investors, but from professional investment fiduciaries, such as pension plan sponsors, and securities/ERISA attorneys. … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Asset Protection, Best Interest Proposal, Best Interests, Consumer Protection, ERISA, Fiduciary, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investor Protection, IRA, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Investor, Protect Thyself: The InvestSense Investor Self-Defense Strategy

Posted on October 15, 2019 by investsense

During his term as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).(1993-2001), Arthur Levitt focused more on investor protection than perhaps any other recent SEC Chairman. His advice from a1999 speech, “Financial Self-Defense: Tips From and SEC Insider,” is still … Continue reading →

Posted in Absolute Returns, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Closet Index Funds, Consumer Protection, Consumer Rights, ERISA, Estate Planning, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Standard, Integrated Estate Planning, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investor Protection, IRA, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Retirement Distribution Planning, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Distribution, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

One Step to Building More Effective, and Safer, Investment Portfolios

Posted on July 27, 2019 by investsense

What is the first factor an investor or investment fiduciary, such as a pension plan sponsor, should consider in evaluating an actively managed mutual? Most people’s answer would probably be a fund’s returns or the number of Morningstar “stars” given … Continue reading →

Posted in Closet Index Funds, ERISA, Fiduciary, pension plans, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are Your 401(k) Plan’s Mutual Funds Legally Prudent?

Posted on October 10, 2018 by investsense

“You get what you don’t pay for.” – John Bogle Full Disclosure and Total Transparency: I am an attorney. More specifically, I am a wealth preservation attorney and a plaintiff’s securities/ERISA attorney. I primarily offer forensic litigation and consulting services … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Closet Index Funds, Consumer Protection, Consumer Rights, ERISA, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Standard, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Setting the Record Straight on Asset Allocation

Posted on July 21, 2018 by investsense

One of the “dirty little secrets” of the investment industry is to deliberately misrepresent the findings of a study on the importance of asset allocation. The study, commonly referred to as the BHB study after the three gentleman who conducted … Continue reading →

Posted in Absolute Returns, Asset Protection, Consumer Protection, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Standard, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment