Category Archives: Investment Fraud

Transparency Is the Best Disinfectant: Four Key Questions Every Investor and 401(k) Plan Participant Should Ask

Posted on September 24, 2017 by investsense

Sunlight is the best disinfectant. – Justice Louis Brandeis The ongoing attempts by the Department of Labor (DOL) and Congress to delay or completely reverse the DOL’s fiduciary rule sends a clear message to pension plan sponsors and plan participants … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Interests, Closet Index Funds, Common Sense, Consumer Protection, Consumer Rights, DOL fiduciary rule, ERISA, Fiduciary, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

3 Key (But Often Overlooked) Mutual Fund Return Statistics

Posted on March 4, 2017 by investsense

Anyone who knows me knows that the minute I see a “Top” or “Best” list with regards to financial advisers or investments, I immediately want to do a detailed forensic analysis to substantiate or disprove such claims. As a plaintiff’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Absolute Returns, Asset Protection, Closet Index Funds, Common Sense, Consumer Protection, ERISA, Fiduciary, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investor Protection, IRA, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Investor Self-Protection Guide 2019

Posted on February 18, 2017 by investsense

As a securities/ERISA attorney, Certified Financial Planner® professional and an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor®, I am interested in providing the public with quality financial advice and helping to address the ongoing problem of financial abuse and fraud. One of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Asset Protection, Closet Index Funds, Common Sense, Consumer Protection, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, IRA, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Variable Annuities, Variable Annuity Abuse, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Special Report: Empowering Teachers for Retirement Readiness

Posted on November 6, 2016 by investsense

Let’s get straight to the point – teachers at all levels have gotten, and continue to get, inequitable treatment when it comes to options to allow them to become “retirement ready.” My sister-in-law was an assistant principal in a local … Continue reading →

Posted in Asset Protection, ERISA, Fiduciary, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Variable Annuities, Variable Annuity Abuse, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Outing “closet index” funds

Posted on March 15, 2016 by investsense

Canada is finally investigating the issue of recommendations and sales of “closet index” funds. The same problem exists in the U.S., but don’t hold your breath expecting U.S. regulators to address the problem. A closet index fund is also referred to … Continue reading →

Posted in Asset Protection, ERISA, Fiduciary, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investor Protection, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Those “Great” Stable Value Funds Exposed

Posted on March 6, 2016 by investsense

So many 401(k) plans and plan participants have fallen in love with these products without truly understanding how they work, especially how they can benefit the companies offering them at the plan participant’s expense. This Morningstar article by Scott Simon … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Sense, ERISA, Fiduciary, Investment Advice, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Nuff Said

Posted on February 14, 2016 by investsense

While I enjoy writing and providing educational information to investors, sometimes you have to defer to others more eloquent than yourself. I openly admit to being a fan of Charles Ellis. As I have mentioned in this blog, I believe … Continue reading →

Posted in Asset Protection, Common Sense, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, IRA, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wealth Preservation – Avoiding Common Financial “Games”

Posted on September 13, 2015 by investsense

When people ask me what kind of law I practice, I tell them that I am a wealth preservation attorney. To me, wealth preservation consists of three separate areas of wealth management – accumulation, protection and preservation. Wealth preservation involves … Continue reading →

Posted in Asset Protection, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, IRA, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement Distribution Planning, Retirement Planning, Variable Annuities, Variable Annuity Abuse, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Conflicts of Interest and Full Disclosure

Posted on September 8, 2015 by investsense

Your account is a brokerage account and not an advisory account. Our interests may not always be the same as yours. Please ask us questions to make sure you understand your rights and our obligations to you, including the extent … Continue reading →

Posted in Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Often Overlooked Importance of Dividends

Posted on July 2, 2015 by investsense

I just finished reading an interesting article from Dreyfus regarding the historical impact of dividends on the stock market’s total return. The paper states that since 1926, dividends have accounted for approximately 50 percent of the stock market’s total return. … Continue reading →

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