Category Archives: Investment Advisors

Battle of the Best Interests: Why the Financial Services Industry Opposes a True Fiduciary Standard and Genuine Investor Protection

Posted on June 12, 2023 by investsense

By James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP Board Emeritus™, AWMA® Quick Answer – Because mutual fund companies, insurance companies, and broker-dealers that peddle the actively managed mutual funds and annuities they offer cannot meet such a standard. Ask yourself, why … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, annuities, Asset Protection, Best Interests, Consumer Protection, cost efficient investing, cost-effficiency, Equity Indexed Annuities, Estate Planning, Fixed Indexed Annuities, investing, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, investments, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Distribution, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1+1=34: A Step-by-Step Guide to Wealth Management and Preservation Using the Active Management Value Ratio

Posted on November 6, 2022 by investsense

In 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 →

Posted in 401k, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Best Interests, Consumer Protection, cost efficient investing, cost-effficiency, ERISA, Fiduciary, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, Fiduciary Standard, investing, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, investments, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“CommonSense InvestSense”- Simplifying Prudent Investing with the Active Management Value Ratio™

Posted on August 23, 2022 by investsense

Numerous 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 →

Posted in Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Consumer Protection, cost efficient investing, cost-effficiency, financial planning, investing, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, investments, Investor Protection, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Distribution, 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

Upon Further Review-Rethinking the Investment Decision-Making Process

Posted on April 26, 2022 by investsense

In 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 →

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

REAL Wealth Management 2021 – Accumulation

Posted on June 8, 2021 by investsense

As promised, over the next few days I will discuss what I believe are the three aspects of real wealth management – accumulation, protection/preservation and distribution.  Most of the posts and white papers on wealth management deal with the accumulation … Continue reading →

Posted in Absolute Returns, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Closet Index Funds, Consumer Protection, Equity Indexed Annuities, Fixed Indexed Annuities, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, portfolio planning, Uncategorized, Variable Annuities, Variable Annuity Abuse, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DIY Investor and Fiduciary Protection Strategies: 4Q 2020 401(k) Top 10 AMVR Analysis

Posted on January 4, 2021 by investsense

For the first new blog post since our blog and domain name were recovered, I figured it was only appropriate to re-christen the blog with our popular quarterly “cheat sheet” of the top non-index mutual funds in U.S. 401(k) plans. … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, cost-effficiency, Fiduciary, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, Retirement Plan Participants, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | 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

The “Secret” Morningstar

Posted on January 13, 2019 by investsense

I love Morningstar. It is my primary research source. I enjoy the posts of their columnists. But unlike most investors who use Morningstar, I basically ignore their legendary “star” system. Morningstar itself has told investors that their star system is … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Asset Protection, Closet Index Funds, Common Sense, Consumer Protection, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Standard, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment