CommonSense InvestSense
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CommonSense InvestSense- Variable Annuities: Reading Between the Marketing Lines April 21, 2021Variable Annuities:Reading Between the Marketing Lines James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP®, AWMA®CEO/Managing MemberInvestSense, LLC “Variable annuities are one of the most overhyped, most oversold, and least understood investment products.” A popular investment industry saying is that “annuities are sold, not … Continue reading →investsense
- Cost-Efficiency and Common Sense: Simple Factors in Improving the Accumulation and Preservation of Wealth January 29, 2021Section 7 of the Uniform Prudent Investors Act (UPIA) states that “[w]asting beneficiaries’ money is imprudent.” While the UPIA is directed at trustees and the management of trust assets, common sense tells you that the warning is equally applicable to … Continue reading →investsense
- DIY Investor and Fiduciary Protection Strategies: 4Q 2020 401(k) Top 10 AMVR Analysis January 4, 2021For 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 →investsense
- “Humble Arithmetic,” Prudence, and Successful Investing – 2019 December 2, 2019Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. – Aldous Huxley In 2005, the late John Bogle, of Vanguard fame, spoke at the 60th anniversary conference of the Financial Analysts Journal. Mr. Bogle’s presentation, entitled “The Relentless Rules … Continue reading →investsense
- Full Disclosure: The Art of Reading and Interpreting Mutual Fund Ads November 26, 2019One 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 →investsense
- Investor, Protect Thyself: The InvestSense Investor Self-Defense Strategy October 15, 2019During 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 →investsense
- Investopedia Top 100 Most Influential Financial Advisor Honor August 15, 2019Honored 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 →investsense
- One Step to Building More Effective, and Safer, Investment Portfolios July 27, 2019What 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 →investsense
- CommonSense InvestSense About…Returns July 20, 2019As an attorney that specializes in wealth management/preservation and asset protection, I often see investors who have suffered unnecessary financial losses due to poorly designed and/or poorly managed investment portfolios. This is especially troubling, for as legendary investment expert Benjamin … Continue reading →investsense
- Sound Investment Advice from Jack Bogle…Again May 5, 2019Why write anything? Mr. Bogle says it all. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/vanguard-founder-jack-bogle-apos-194408395.htmlinvestsense
- Variable Annuities: Reading Between the Marketing Lines April 21, 2021
Tag Archives: financial planning
“Humble Arithmetic,” Prudence, and Successful Investing – 2019
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. – Aldous Huxley In 2005, the late John Bogle, of Vanguard fame, spoke at the 60th anniversary conference of the Financial Analysts Journal. Mr. Bogle’s presentation, entitled “The Relentless Rules … Continue reading
Posted in Investment Portfolios, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement Distribution Planning, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged Active Management Value Ratio, financial planning, investing, investment portfolios, investments, investor protection, InvestSense, portfolio construction, retirement distribution planning, wealth management, wealth preservation
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Investor, Protect Thyself: The InvestSense Investor Self-Defense Strategy
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 401k, 401k Investing, abusive practices, Active Management Value Ratio, Advice, asset protection, Closet Index Funds, Consumer Protection, estate planning, Fiduciary, financial planning, integrated estate planning, investing, investment advice, investment portfolios, investments, investor protection, Pensions, portfolio construction, retirement distribution planning, stockbrokers, wealth distribution, wealth management, wealth preservation
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CommonSense InvestSense About…Returns
As an attorney that specializes in wealth management/preservation and asset protection, I often see investors who have suffered unnecessary financial losses due to poorly designed and/or poorly managed investment portfolios. This is especially troubling, for as legendary investment expert Benjamin … Continue reading
Posted in Closet Index Funds, Consumer Protection, Investment Advice, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged Closet Index Funds, Consumer Protection, financial planning, investing, investment advice, investment losses, investment portfolios, investments, investor protection, portfolio construction, wealth management, wealth preservation
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REAL Wealth Management 2019 – Wealth Distributions and Transfers
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
REAL Wealth Management 2019 – Preservation
“Make as much money as you can and keep what you get. That’s the way to become rich.” – Scottish adage When I tell people that I am a wealth preservation attorney, I often get the obligatory inquisitive look, followed … Continue reading
Posted in Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Asset Protection, Estate Planning, Investment Advice, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement, Retirement Distribution Planning, Uncategorized, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation, Wealth Recovery
Tagged Consumer Protection, financial planning, investing, investment portfolios, investor protection, Pension Planning, retirement distribution planning, wealth management, wealth preservation
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REAL Wealth Management 2019 – Accumulation
As promised, over the next few 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 phase. … 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 401k, 401k Investing, 403(b), Absolute Returns, abusive practices, Active Management Value Ratio, Closet Index Funds, Consumer Protection, financial planning, investing, investment advice, investment advisors, investment scams, investments, investor protection, portfolio construction, variable annuities, variable annuity abuse, wealth management, wealth preservation
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REAL Wealth Management-2019
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 401k Investing, asset protection, financial planning, investing, investment portfolios, investments, Pension Planning, retirement distribution planning, retirement plan participants, retirement planning, wealth distribution, wealth management, wealth preservation
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Variable Annuities: Estate Planning Saboteurs
As a wealth preservation attorney, my practice involves various areas of the law including investment portfolio analysis, asset protection, risk management and estate planning. Three primary wealth saboteurs are investment portfolio mismanagement, tax erosion, and personal liability exposure. I recently … Continue reading
Posted in Estate Planning, Fiduciary, Integrated Estate Planning, Investment Advice, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Retirement Distribution Planning, Variable Annuities, Variable Annuity Abuse, Wealth Preservation
Tagged abusive practices, Consumer Protection, estate planning, financial planning, integrated estate planning, investing, investment advice, portfolio construction, stockbrokers, variable annuities, variable annuity abuse, wealth preservation
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Setting the Record Straight on Asset Allocation
One of the “dirty little secrets” of the investment industry is to deliberately misrepresent the findings of a study on the importance of asset allocation. The study, commonly referred to as the BHB study after the three gentleman who conducted … Continue reading
Posted in Absolute Returns, Asset Protection, Consumer Protection, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Standard, Investment Advice, Investment Advisors, Investment Fraud, Investment Portfolios, Investor Protection, Portfolio Construction, portfolio planning, Portfolio Planning, Retirement, Wealth Management, Wealth Preservation
Tagged 401k, 401k Investing, Absolute Returns, abusive practices, Consumer Protection, consumer right, financial planning, investing, investment advice, investment advisors, investment portfolios, investment scams, portfolio construction, stockbrokers, wealth management, wealth preservation
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1+1=33%, or the Myth of the 1% Annual Investment Fee
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 401k, 401k Investing, abusive practices, Active Management Value Ratio, asset protection, Closet Index Funds, Consumer Protection, Fiduciary, financial planning, investing, investment advice, investment advisors, investment losses, portfolio construction, retirement plan participants, variable annuities, variable annuity abuse, wealth management, wealth preservation
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