Should You Invest in a Target Retirement Date Fund?

Target Date Funds were intended to be a “one-size fits all” retirement investment vehicle. Investors were encouraged to put most if not all of their retirement portfolio into a retirement date fund after selecting a target retirement date. Then, the theory went, they could sit back, relax, and watch as the fund grew over time while automatically adjusting the fund’s asset allocations as their target date approached. Read more

The Hard Truth About Stocks – a Follow-Up

Several weeks ago I announced the launch of my Failsafe Retirement blog and site. In that post, I cited an interview of Prof. Zvi Bodie that was published in the October issue of Money Magazine. The interview was captioned “You Can’t Handle the Truth About Stocks.” You may recall that Bodie believes that most investors take on too much risk by relying on the stock market to provide retirement income. Read more

Why Do You Invest?

Now that the markets are showing signs of life, the pundits and financial writers are pumping out investing articles of all kinds. Gold is prominently mentioned as are a wide variety of stocks, mutual funds, and exotic ETFs. More so than ever, when I read these articles I ask myself this question: Why should I invest in that? Or taken one step further, the question becomes: Why do I invest? Read more

Quarterly Financial Performance Update

Three quarters of 2009 are in the books. Time to update the Mr. and Mrs. ToughMoneyLove financial performance metrics. I actually review this information at least weekly but no need to bore you with updates that often.  Read more

Hedging Against the Declining Dollar

Last week I published a tip on how an investor can concurrently hedge against inflation and currency risks. Read more

Selecting an Ideal Beginner Investment

Today you are going to read my views on first investments for beginners. That topic seems strange for a baby boomer who is probably considering his gazillionth different investment option. On the other hand, the high school and college graduation seasons have just concluded, causing me to reminisce about my first ventures into the investment world as a younger person. Read more

Inflation and Currency Protection in Your Portfolio

This just a quick investment tip for you to consider over the weekend. It addresses two problems that will confront your money and your portfolio in the coming months:  inflation and devaluation of the dollar. Read more

Back to Basics and Mutual Fund Survivorship Bias

We have friends visiting this weekend – the “went to high school together – stood up at your wedding – still likes you after 44 years” kind of friends that everyone should be so lucky to have. So I am not spending a lot of time writing. (I’m sneaking this in during visitors’ nap time.)  It’s back to the basics of doing what is most important in life, and talking about money is getting outranked right now. Read more

Quarterly Investment and Net Worth Review

The first quarter of 2009 has ended. Thus, it’s time to formally re-visit a couple of performance metrics in the Mr. and Mrs. ToughMoneyLove financial empire. (OK – our financial realm is more like a hamlet than an empire but it’s still important to us.) Read more

How to Probe for Signs of a Market Bottom

We had a bounce yesterday.  Was it one of proverbial “dead cat bounces” that are all too common in bear markets?

The buzz from stock market analysts about finding or predicting a market bottom seems to be increasing.  Everyone wants to be told that this is it, things are as bad as they are going to get, that it’s time to make strategic buys back into the market.  Who or what is going to make this pronouncement?  President Obama?  Barney Frank?  Warren Buffet? Read more

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