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  • The Great American Bank Robbery «-- Click to Read

    March 19, 2010

    By Scott Burns

    The largest bank robbery in history is in process, but no police cars have been dispatched to the scene of the crime.

    That’s because no bank is being robbed. Instead, the banks are robbing their depositors. While all depositors are victims, some people are suffering greater losses than others. I call them “the Solvent Seniors.”

    ... More…


  • A Low-Cost Roth Is Better than a High-Cost 401(k) «-- Click to Read

    March 17, 2010

    By Scott Burns

    Q. I'm 45, single, with no kids, and have a 401(k) at work. I also have a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA. Both of the IRAs are with Fidelity. I have moved most of my IRA money into low-cost Fidelity index funds. Recently, I took the time to investigate how much my 401(k) funds cost me. I was shocked. Even choosing the least expensive funds in my plan, the costs are much higher than in my two IRAs. ... More…


  • A Convenient Fiction «-- Click to Read

    March 12, 2010

    By Scott Burns

    Suppose we stopped pretending the corpse is breathing.

    Suppose we laughed at our leaders for suggesting the U.S. banking system is alive and recovering?

    Suppose we recognized that putting makeup on a corpse doesn’t bring it back to life?

    ... More…


  • Will the PBGC Cover My Pension? «-- Click to Read

    March 10, 2010

    By Scott Burns

    Q. I am 67 years old. I will be retiring in three months after working at the same company for over 40 years. I have the option of taking my pension as a lump sum payment or annual payments for life. I prefer the annual payments, but there is this nagging concern about what happens if my retirement plan is terminated for whatever reason. I know that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. was created to ... More…


  • For Most, It Was a “Lost Decade” «-- Click to Read

    March 05, 2010

    By Scott Burns

    Many now call the last 10 years a “Lost Decade.” The immediate reference is to 10 years of going nowhere, or worse, in the stock market.

    Fortunately, the stock market isn’t a good barometer of wealth for most people. That reality led me to wonder: Is it possible the decade wasn’t so bad? Maybe the pain was just being felt by the truly wealthy? ... More…



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