Category Archives: pension plans

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

“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

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

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

1+1=33%, or the Myth of the 1% Annual Investment Fee

Posted on July 11, 2018 by investsense

This post is going to be short and sweet, as I keep getting calls and emails from people who wonder why their portfolios are not performing as well as they think they should. In most cases, their portfolios are the … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Asset Protection, Closet Index Funds, Fiduciary, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, IRA, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Uncategorized, Variable Annuities, Variable Annuity Abuse, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Active Management Value Ratio™ 3.0: Investment Returns and Wealth Preservation for Investors and Fiduciaries

Posted on January 17, 2018 by investsense

Studies 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 →

Posted in Closet Index Funds, Consumer Protection, DOL fiduciary rule, ERISA, Fiduciary, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement Plan Participants, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wealth Preservation and Retirement Accounts

Posted on July 14, 2017 by investsense

When I tell people that I am a wealth preservation attorney, they often respond by saying that they do not have enough money to need such services. Then I ask them whether they have a 401(k) account, an IRA or … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Interests, Closet Index Funds, Consumer Protection, Estate Planning, Integrated Estate Planning, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, IRA, pension plans, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment