Investing all at once beats trickling money into the market two-thirds of the time, says a report from Vanguard. But let’s not throw dollar-cost averaging under the bus just yet. What’s piece of mind worth?
Markets
Who’s Better for Markets: Romney or Obama?
There’s a growing bit of conventional wisdom that says that if Mitt Romney is elected, the stock market will soar, and if President Obama gets another term, we’ll enter a bear market. Romney said as much himself to a group of …
Is the U.S. Waging a War on Savers?
Government policies that discourage saving are one of the chief reasons that so many Americans fail to put money away regularly.
Why Risk is Back in Fashion
Fed Chief Ben Bernanke’s strategy for making risk fashionable is gaining traction. Affluent investors are jumping off the sidelines and home prices are getting a lift. We’re not out of the woods by a long shot. But do you really …
Are Dividend Stocks the Next Bubble?
Dividend stocks are leading the market and some pundits believe the rally is a bubble about to end badly. But they may be underestimating the flood of income-starved retiree money heading this direction in a record low-yield environment.
Millionaires Can Afford to Play It Safe — For The Rest of Us, It’s A Risky Strategy
Domestic stocks are the No. 1 place that millionaires have been putting their money in the past year, according to a Fidelity survey, which runs directly counter to the behavior of the average investor.
Aiming High, Pension Funds Bet Wrong
Like retirees who make the mistake of reaching for yield, pension fund managers have been shifting into hedge funds and private equity — and losing.
Another Green Shoot: Millionaire Households Rising
Millionaire households in the U.S. are rising again, largely because the mass affluent stayed the course with their stocks during the downturn and are reaping the benefits of the market’s recovery. But frugality also played a big role.
Bonds Are on a Roll — Is it Time to Give Up on Stocks?
A well-known academic argues against stocks, even for the long run. But it feels a bit like arguing that Warren Buffett doesn’t know what he’s doing. Whose side would you take?
With a Pension Shortfall, Companies Want to Kick in Even Less
Just a decade ago pension plans were flush. Today there is a $400 billion shortfall and companies want to do what? That’s right — cut their pension contributions.
Retirement Buster: It’s Your House, Not Your Portfolio
Retirement portfolios held up surprisingly well through the Great Recession. But housing declines made for the worst period in several generations for pre-retirees, a study finds.
Housing Recovery at Last? Evidence Mounts
While experts continue to warn that housing has not yet hit bottom, a slew of indicators suggest otherwise. The latest is a stellar quarterly earnings report from Home Depot, which is benefitting from hopeful owners sprucing up …