Is An Investment Advisor Worth the Cost? Vanguard recently published a research paper that provides specific evidence that an investment advisor can be worth the cost.  By how much?  Vanguard says “the potential value added” is “about 3%.” But the details are important.  Not all advisors adopt the added-value strategy advocated by Vanguard: diversify across …Read More

Kitchen Trick:  Whipped Cream that Lasts Whipped cream is the perfect topping for many desserts. But timing is the problem. If you’re having dinner guests, you can’t really make it in advance. Or if you’re bringing dessert, you have to plan for equipment. And on a warm day, whipped cream droops. Trick: whipped cream stabilizer. …Read More

What’s the Difference Between 401(k)s? One company’s 401(k) is not the same as another’s.  The differences can mean a lot to the employee. AOL chief Tim Armstrong had to backtrack on changes he announced to the company’s 401(k) plan when he blamed  critically ill babies for high expenses that necessitated cost-cutting.  Really?  Setting aside his …Read More

Fundamentals:  Net Worth — the Big Picture This article is part of a series on the fundamental aspects of financial planning. If you pay attention to money, you are probably keenly aware of what you earn and how your investments are doing. You might also be aware of what you spend. Your earnings and spending …Read More

Ask Better Questions In the chapter called “Clarity” in his book, To Sell is Human, Daniel H. Pink urges us to:  “Ask Better Questions.” The book’s basic premise is that most of us are in the business of some form of selling:  our ideas, our capabilities, our products and services — both up and down the …Read More