CommonSense InvestSense
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CommonSense InvestSense- 1+1=34: A Step-by-Step Guide to Wealth Management and Preservation Using the Active Management Value Ratio November 7, 2022In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Jason Zweig discussed the lack of transparency with regard to financial advisers.1 While I agree with his assessment, I believe that he may have actually underestimated the damage resulting from such lack of … Continue reading →investsense
- At What Cost?: Annuities, Cryptocurrency, and 401(k) Plans November 4, 2022For many people, their 401or 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 interest. … Continue reading →investsense
- “CommonSense InvestSense”- Simplifying Prudent Investing with the Active Management Value Ratio™ August 24, 2022Numerous studies have concluded that when it comes to investing, American are functionally financially illiterate. Despite these findings, ERISA, the primary legislation regulating American pension plans does not require that plan participants be provided with any sort of investment education. … Continue reading →investsense
- “At What Cost” – Annuities and Cryptocurrency vs. Wealth Preservation and Investor Protection August 21, 2022Annuity peddlers would have the public believe that all God’s children need an annuity. Plan sponsors are now confronted with the potential issues of including annuities and crypto currencies within a 401(k) plan. I believe that both assets are inappropriate … Continue reading →investsense
- “The Lie of the Pie” – Mutual Fund Marketing “Trickeration” August 21, 2022The 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 →investsense
- Upon Further Review-Rethinking the Investment Decision-Making Process April 26, 2022In college, my minor was psychology. My thesis was on heuristics, cognitive biases, and the decision-making process. I have always been fascinated by the way the mind works. Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman’s best seller, “Thinking Fast and Slow,” offers a … Continue reading →investsense
- The Active Management Value Ratio™ 3.0: Investment Returns and Wealth Preservation for Investors and Fiduciaries April 9, 2022Studies have consistently shown that people are more likely to understand and retain information that is conveyed visually rather than verbally or in print. I regularly receive requests for copies of the Powerpoint slides. So for those of you that … Continue reading →investsense
- 1Q 2022 AMVR “Cheat Sheets” April 3, 2022On the 5-year cheat sheet, only one fund, Dodge & Cox Stock (DODGX), posted positive incremental returns on both nominal and risk-adjusted returns. While DODGX passed the AMVR screen on nominal returns, the fund failed to pass the AMVR screen … Continue reading →investsense
- 4Q 2021 AMVR “Cheat Sheet” January 12, 2022At the end of each calendar quarter, InvestSense publishes the 5 and 10-year Active Management Value Ratio (AMVR) scores of the non-index funds in “Pensions & Investments” annual survey of the most used mutual funds in U.S. defined contribution plans. … Continue reading →investsense
- The Dangers of “Black Box” Financial Planning/Plans November 18, 2021Financial planning, when done properly, can be a valuable process to consumers. So say yes to the process of financial planning. However, when it comes to financial plans, avoid the inherent issues of “black box” financial planning and “canned” financial … Continue reading →investsense
- 1+1=34: A Step-by-Step Guide to Wealth Management and Preservation Using the Active Management Value Ratio November 7, 2022
Category Archives: Asset Protection
Interpreting “Marketing” Returns From “Real” Investment Returns
I am often asked how to make sense out of the return data that is online. For instance, morningstar.com posts various return data. Some of their return data is adjusted for any front-end load that a fund charges. Morningstar’s return … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Protection, Common Sense, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged 401k Investing, Active Management Value Ratio, Advice, financial planning, investing, investment advice, investment advisors, investment portfolios, investments, investor protection, InvestSense, IRAs, portfolio construction, wealth management, wealth preservation
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Non-spousal Inherited IRA Traps
When people ask me what I do for living, I tell them that I am a wealth preservation counsel. Then they usually say, “oh, you are an estate planner.” No, a wealth preservation counsel. Wealth preservation is more than just … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Protection, Integrated Estate Planning, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Portfolios, IRA, portfolio planning, Retirement Distribution Planning, Retirement Plan Participants, Wealth Distribution, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged asset protection, financial planning, integrated estate planning, investment advice, IRAs, retirement distribution planning, retirement planning, wealth management, wealth preservation
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Does Your Financial Advisor Owe You Money?
Happy New Year! As I mentioned in my last post, I write for four blogs, including two in connection with my association with the Paladin Registry, a pro-investor organization that provides advice to help investors protect themselves against investment scams … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Protection, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged 401k, 401k Investing, abusive practices, asset protection, black box investment fraud, Fiduciary, financial interests, investing, investment advice, investment advisors, investment portfolios, investment scams, investments, investor protection, Pension Planning, portfolio construction, retirement plan participants, retirement planning, stockbrokers, wealth management, wealth preservation
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Does Your 401k Owe You Money?
In addition to this blog, I also write for the Paladin Registry. I just posted a new article on excessive fees within 401k plans. The article is available at http://iwd.paladinregistry.com/products/401k-plan-owe-money/
Posted in Asset Protection, ERISA, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, IRA, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged 401k, 401k Investing, abusive practices, asset protection, black box investment fraud, financial interests, financial planning, investing, investment advice, investment advisors, investment portfolios, investment scams, investments, investor protection, portfolio construction, retirement plan participants, retirement planning, stockbrokers, wealth management, wealth preservation
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Wealth Preservation and Those Pesky 401(k)/403(b)/IRA Beneficiary Forms
Everybody hates paperwork. So when employees and investors are asked to fill out all the paperwork associated with 401(k) plans and individual retirement plans (IRAs), most people just enter something without giving it much thought. When I was a compliance … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Protection, Common Sense, ERISA, Investment Advice, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, IRA, Life Advice, pension plans, Retirement, Retirement Distribution Planning, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Wealth Distribution, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged 401k, 401k Investing, Advice, asset protection, Fiduciary, financial interests, financial planning, investing, investment advice, investment portfolios, investor protection, IRAs, Pension Planning, Pensions, retirement distribution planning, retirement plan participants, retirement planning, wealth distribution, wealth management, wealth preservation
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Avoiding Costly “Closet” Index Funds
I am a member of the Paladin Registry, a select group of attorneys and investment advisers dedicated to educate investors so that they can better protect themselves against investment fraud and other questionable activity by the investment industry. You can … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Protection, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged 401k, 401k Investing, abusive practices, Active Management Value Ratio, asset protection, black box investment fraud, Fiduciary, financial interests, financial planning, investment advice, investment advisors, investment losses, investment portfolios, investment scams, investments, investor protection, InvestSense, portfolio construction, retirement plan participants, retirement planning, stockbrokers, wealth management, wealth preservation
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“Hidden” Assets – Potential Liability Implication of the LaRue Decision for Attorneys, Fiduciaries and Their Clients
During a recent deposition of an executor, I asked the executor, a bank trust officer, whether the bank had evaluated the defined contribution plan in which the deceased had participated. The trust officer replied that the funds in deceased’s account … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Protection, ERISA, pension plans, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged asset protection, divorce, Fiduciary, financial interests, investment losses, investor protection, InvestSense, Pensions, retirement plan participants, retirement planning, wealth distribution, wealth management, wealth preservation, wealth recovery
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Pimento Cheese Sandwiches and Investor Protection
Yesterday I was in North Georgia in connection with a possible case. I took the opportunity to have lunch with a high school classmate who now lives in the area. Both the company and the food were excellent, but both … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Protection, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, IRA, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Retirement Distribution Planning, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Variable Annuities, Variable Annuity Abuse, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged 401k Investing, abusive practices, investing, investment advice, investment advisors, investment portfolios, investment scams, investor protection, IRAs, Pensions, portfolio construction, retirement plan participants, retirement planning, variable annuities, variable annuity abuse, wealth management, wealth preservation
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Financial Planning vs. Financial Plans
Many financial planners charge $5,000 or more to develop a retirement plan, or a five-year plan, for you and your family. You will receive a nice, thick brochure with numbers in it. Separate each page carefully. You now have a … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Protection, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Retirement Distribution Planning, Retirement Planning, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged 401k, 401k Investing, asset protection, black box investment fraud, financial interests, financial planning, investing, investment advice, investment losses, investment portfolios, investment scams, investor protection, InvestSense, portfolio construction, retirement planning, stockbrokers, wealth management, wealth preservation
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The Active Management Value Ratio 2.0 Worksheet
I have had a lot of people ask me if could provide a simple worksheet that would allow them to quickly calculate the AMVR. Ask and ye shall receive. I have also provided an example of a completed worksheet. All … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Protection, Investment Advice, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Preservation
Tagged 401k, 401k Investing, Active Management Value Ratio, Advice, asset protection, financial planning, investing, investment advice, investment portfolios, investments, InvestSense, IRAs, Pension Planning, portfolio construction, retirement plan participants, retirement planning, wealth management, wealth preservation
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CommonSense InvestSense 