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Health Care Inflation-What May Be Behind the Numbers?

Why has the cost of medical care in the United States been going up significantly faster than the overall inflation rate of goods and services? On a broad level, since 2000, the Medical Care component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been consistently increasing…

Investing with “Style”: Growth and Value Stocks

It is commonly stated that investing and asset allocation involve the choice between 3 asset classes: stocks, bonds and cash. However, it has long been believed that certain types of stocks behave differently from other types of stocks. This concept was first developed by Graham…

The DOL Fiduciary Rule Is Here Faster Than We Think

The Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) long-awaited Fiduciary Rule (Rule) was introduced on June 9, 2017. After fits and starts, its full implementation has been delayed until July 1, 2019. However, several key provisions have already kicked in and will apply in some form to all…

What is Bitcoin?

You may have seen or heard of the term “Bitcoin” in the financial news recently. Actually, Bitcoin has been around since 2009. On 12/11/17, Bitcoin futures began trading on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE). Bitcoin is estimated to have a current market capitalization of…

Wellness and Investing in Ourselves: How They Impact Our Human Capital

Recently, there has been significant growth and awareness of work well-being, or wellness programs. These programs include digital platforms and apps, on-site fitness centers, mindfulness/stress reduction tools, healthy snacks and standing desks. In addition to promoting healthfulness, how do wellness programs impact our human capital?…

Pensions, Retirement and Markets: 5 Questions for 2018

As we look ahead, here are 5 issues which are likely to impact the retirement and pension industry in 2018: Will tax reform impact savings and retirement? – It is still far from certain that comprehensive tax reform will be passed by Congress, given the…

Portfolio Rebalancing in the Recent Market Environment

Recent stock market highs have made it tempting for investors to let their portfolio “ride” the trend of these returns without adjusting their asset mix. How can investors keep their portfolio allocations from drifting too far from their desired target allocations and potentially increasing their…

When Black Swans Appear in Financial Markets

What are Black Swans? Black Swans can be viewed in several different ways. The black swan is a large aquatic bird found in estuaries and waterways of Australia. It was once believed that all swans were white. ”Black Swan” was a recent movie which featured…

Why is Tax Reform So Difficult?

Among the key initiatives scheduled to be taken up by Congress and the executive branch this year is Tax Reform. While most people have been in favor of making the US tax code “better”, it has been a very difficult task to accomplish. In fact,…

Pension Plans as Shareholders

While the primary objective of pension plans is to provide for retirement income, a sometimes overlooked role is as a shareholder voting proxies on its investment holdings. While public and private pension plans vote on a similar universe of holdings, there are significant differences in…

The Retirement Savings Deficit in America

Based upon numerous studies and recounting of personal experiences, the question is not: are people saving enough for retirement? But, how little are they saving, and how big is the deficit between what is being saved and what is required to maintain a reasonable standard…

US Tax Reform and Retirement Savings – Should the Two be Related

When considering a topic as broad and politically charged as Tax Reform, there are two major issues to consider when gauging its impact on retirement: structural changes in the tax code; and the impact of tax changes on the budget deficit-who will pay for the…