Investing Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Retirement Researcher

Two Philosophies of Retirement Income Planning

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP® | April 14, 2016 |

Within the world of retirement income planning, the siloed nature of financial services between investments and insurance leads to two opposing philosophies about how to build a retirement plan.

Which Is Better for Retirement Income: Insurance or Investments?

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP® | April 12, 2016 |

Retirement planning experts have long debated the question: Which is better for retirement income: insurance or investments? Wade Pfau weighs in.

Prophets & Losses: Predicting the Market is a Losing Proposition

By Bob French, CFA | January 15, 2016 |

WHAT IS OCCAM’S RAZOR? Occam’s Razor is a principle attributed to William Occam, a 14th century philosopher. He stressed that explanations must not be multiplied beyond what is necessary. Thus, Occam’s Razor is a term used to “shave off” or dismiss superfluous…

Retirement Income Strategies with Annuities

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP® | August 12, 2015 |

Income annuities come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It can be overwhelming to know which one makes the most sense for your situation. In this column, I explore how income annuities work and what options are available.

The Value of Financial Advice

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP® | July 21, 2015 |

I am often asked whether it is worth the cost to hire a financial advisor. After all, they charge you money to make you money. People say they can listen to the news and know where and how to invest, so, “Wouldn’t I be better off just keeping that fee for myself?” That is an excellent question with an answer that depends on many factors.

Is a High CAPE Cause for Alarm? Part 2: Valuation-Based Asset Allocation

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP® | July 9, 2015 |

Discussion around PE10 focuses primarily on how to adjust expectations about future stock market returns based on its value. A more controversial topic is whether it is beneficial to adjust strategic asset allocation in response to where PE10 is currently situated.

Is a High CAPE Cause for Alarm? Part 1: CAPE’s Relationship to Stock Returns

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP® | July 8, 2015 |

Market predictors have taken many forms over the years, but no formula or person has ever gotten it completely right. The market is unpredictable. That’s just the way it is. But that hasn’t stopped people from trying, and it doesn’t necessarily mean we should ignore them all.

Rob Arnott’s Problem with Target-Date Funds (and Why I Disagree)

By Wade Pfau, Ph.D., CFA, RICP® | May 14, 2015 |

Human capital theory says young people’s wealth is mostly in the form of future earnings, giving them the liberty to invest their relatively smaller portfolios more aggressively. This capacity tends to diminish with age. It is here that target-date funds find their basis, and it is also where Rob Arnott and I disagree about the value of such funds