Despite renewed strength in – and interest in owning – gold, the author of today’s article believes that few people have a good understanding of why the precious metal behaves the way it does – and thus what role (if any) it has to play in an investment portfolio. As such, he proceeds to examine the case for and against…
Which is the better choice for retirees (or any other income investor): building a portfolio of individual dividend stocks or buying a dividend exchange-traded fund? The author of today’s article argues that, “while total return is certainly a very important consideration, there are a number of other factors that can swing the decision one way or the other” – and…
Forget bland and boring bond funds – the author of today’s article highlights three bond exchange-traded funds that he sees as “off-the-beaten-track [picks] with world-class qualities.” To learn about these three bonds ETFs – including a “fallen angels” play that owns “once highly touted corporate bonds [that have] slipped down the credit ladder – and how they can be best…
There are over 8,000 mutual funds and the average participant in a workplace retirement plan has 28 investment options to choose from. However, the author of today’s article advises that “you can create a smart, diversified portfolio with just a handful of mutual funds” – and she proceeds to highlight some model “lazy portfolios” to do just that. To learn…
While the primary casualty of the fiduciary rule – which began to take effect in June – is intended to be conflicts of interest on the part of financial advisers when it comes to their clients’ retirement accounts, today’s article identifies another potential casualty of the rule: the number of mutual funds offered by brokerage firms as they seek to…
With their (at least) 25 consecutive years of dividend hikes and steady-eddy nature, Dividend Aristocrats are appealing investments for retirees or any other income-focused investor. For those looking for an even greater income stream, the author of today’s article suggests an additional investment which – combined with a Dividend Aristocrat portfolio – “could be a profitable combination for income seekers.”…
Steady income, conservative growth and diversification are the key offerings of the three exchange-traded funds for retirement highlighted in today’s article. The first ETF is a defensive dividend play, the second offers the prospect of conservative growth through broad exposure to the tech and telecom industries, and the third – a real-estate investment trust ETF – offers diversification thanks to…
Your tax-advantaged retirement accounts are funds for retirement, so you should tap those funds once in retirement…right? The authors of today’s article argue that those accounts shouldn’t be relied on to fund the early part of retirement, but instead advocate a “two-phase retirement” where the first phase is funded by taxable funds and the second phase is funded by 401(k)/tax-advantaged…
Whether you are in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s and beyond, today’s article has some tailor-made investing guidance for you – including some specific funds for those in each decade of life to consider. In addition, the article examines whether – contrary to conventional wisdom – a 50-50 stock/bond split may be appropriate for retirees, as has been…
Exchange-traded funds are becoming an increasingly popular vehicle for accumulating assets for retirement. But what should be done with ETFs (which carry a certain degree of risk) as one moves into retirement (where risk aversion is the name of the game)? The author of today’s article notes that “your first instinct may be to edge away from volatility, but there’s…