Sometimes something that appears too good to be true really is. Professionals have long known the potential pitfalls of ETFs. Only recently have these facts become more widely known. Don’t be surprised if, like a tube of toothpaste, squeezing one problem away only creates a bulge in a different problem.
Posts From Christopher Carosa, CTFA
SEC’s Mary Shapiro: “When it comes to 12b-1 fees, there is a need for more fundamental change than mere disclosure reforms and a name change.” FiduciaryNews’ exploration of this hot potato reveals a surprising misconception.
A typical 401k plan fiduciary has no doubt read about this new product. Fiduciary News goes deeper to reveal answers to some of the more critical questions the astute fiduciary might have about BrightScope’s Personal Fee Report.
2009 exposed a much deeper problem with Target Date Funds. Pitched as the be-all-and-end-all to 401k investors, these funds fell flat on their collective face as 2008’s down market exposed them as more sizzle than steak. Washington might help, but a knee-jerk reaction to 2008 is not a good solution at all.
With the decline of Modern Portfolio Theory as the default operative model, sophisticated investors seek the Holy Grail – the theoretical basis for determining when active will beat passive and when passive will be active. Has it now been found?
Awful returns suggest investors should have shunned equities during the century’s first decade. Or do they? A closer examination reveals a surprising conclusion, one that might upset the fastest growing segment of the financial industry.
The SEC does the right thing, and some 401k fiduciaries may find they’ve been doing the wrong thing.
Readers Select Top Fiduciary Stories of 2009: #10 The Death of the 401k
The year started poorly for investors, financiers and capitalists. At the nadir of the markets in March of 2009, it appeared the world they had known had ended. But, then, something happened, reminding us all that yes, Annie, the sun will come up tomorrow.