Category Archives: Wealth Distribution

Is Your 401(k) Plan Truly Acting in the Best Interests of the Plan Participants?: Evaluating Your 401(k) Plan with the Active Management Value Ratio and Fiduciary Prudence Forensics

Posted on February 16, 2025 by investsense

James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP EmeritusTM, AWMA® Most pension plans use mutual funds as the primary investment options within their plan. The Restatement of Trusts (Restatement) states that fiduciaries should carefully compare the costs and risks associated with a … Continue reading →

Posted in 401k, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, annuities, Consumer Protection, cost efficient investing, cost-effficiency, defined contribution plans, ERISA, Fiduciary, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, Fiduciary Standard, Investment Advisors, Investment Portfolios, investments, Investor Protection, pension plans, plan sponsor, Retirement, Retirement Plan Participants, Retirement Planning, retirement readiness, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Distribution, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

“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

REAL Wealth Management 2021 – Wealth Distributions and Transfers

Posted on June 10, 2021 by investsense

Today, we address what I consider to be the third aspect of a genuine wealth management program – distributions and transfers of one’s assets.  Distribution encompasses both transfers made while one is living, inter vivos transfers, and transfers made after … Continue reading →

Posted in Estate Planning, Integrated Estate Planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Distribution, Wealth Management | 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

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 a 1999 speech, “Financial Self-Defense: Tips From and SEC Insider,” is … 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

Investopedia Top 100 Most Influential Financial Advisor Honor

Posted on August 15, 2019 by investsense

Honored to be named by Investopedia as one of the Top 100 Financial Advisors for 2019. Unlike a lot of other “top” lists, Investopedia bases its selection largely on criteria such as contributions to online media to educate investors on … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Consumer Protection, Consumer Rights, Fiduciary, Investor Protection, Life Advice, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement Distribution Planning, Retirement Planning, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Distribution, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New eBook Now Available

Posted on September 4, 2016 by investsense

My new eBook, “CommonSense InvestSense: New Strategies for Accumulating and Preserving Wealth,” is now available at amazon.com.

Posted in Common Sense, Investment Advisors, 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 Distribution, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Non-spousal Inherited IRA Traps

Posted on April 6, 2015 by investsense

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 , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wealth Preservation and Those Pesky 401(k)/403(b)/IRA Beneficiary Forms

Posted on March 9, 2014 by investsense

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment