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• The Art (and Benefit) of the ‘Steady Eddy’ Portfolio

  by Scott Burns Craig Israelsen, an associate professor at Brigham Young University, wants us to know that it pays to build “Steady Eddy” portfolios for retirement. Having lots of asset classes, he says, is a good start. His recent article “The Benefits... Posted Dec 14 2007, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 9 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing

• Spoiling a Good Thing

  On Wall Street, if a little of something is good, then a lot of it must be magnificent. How else to explain the proliferation of exchange-traded funds (ETFs)? From the launch of the first in 1993 (to duplicate the performance of the S&P 500 index... Posted Aug 17 2007, 03:30 PM by scottb with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing

• Buy Closed End Funds at a Discount

  Here’s an interesting factoid. Over the three years ending May 30, the average mutual fund that invested in domestic equities has provided an annual return of 13.30 percent. Rather nice. Until you compare it to another return. The average closed-end fund... Posted Jul 13 2007, 10:30 AM by admin with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Financial Planning, Income Investing, Index & ETF Investing

• The Perils of Hyperactive Investing

  OK. Listen up. It’s hot. It’s July. You’d rather be at the beach. But you’re probably worried about your investments because some hyperactive managers with seven-figure salaries at Bear Stearns have made a mess--- perhaps for all of us --- by buying massive... Posted Jul 06 2007, 10:30 AM by admin with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Income Investing, Index & ETF Investing

• Enhanced Index Funds: Interesting But Problematic

  Q: I've had my 401(k) account with Fidelity for years. I've had my money in its funds most of the time. I have recently compared many of its funds to others, including the index funds that make up many of your balanced, low-cost portfolios. I have found... Posted Jun 13 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Income Investing, Index & ETF Investing

• It's Expensive to Have The Investment Come to You

  Q: A friend gave me an article you had written about personal finance. You used a schoolteacher as an example, showing how we can make bad choices in our attempt to save money. I have been using a manager for about 10 years, but I now know he is probably... Posted May 30 2007, 10:15 PM by scottb with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Learning More about Exchange Traded Funds

  Q. I recently sold stocks in my SEP/IRA account with the intention of buying index or mutual funds. It appears that index funds are the better choice and that ETFs are probably the best value. One problem I am having is finding a source for ETFs, a place... Posted Mar 21 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• What Is My Pension Worth?

  Q. I'd like to know what my pension is worth. I will receive $2,300 a month, fixed. What would it cost in the marketplace today to buy that level of pension? ---B.T., by email. A. You can learn what it is worth to you by getting an estimate of what it... Posted Feb 07 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 8 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Waiting to buy

  Q: I'm a 64-year-old grandma who messed up bad. My money was in the Vanguard 500 index fund, but in August everything was going south. So I moved my money to a money market account. Now stocks are doing well again, and I have no idea how to get back into... Posted Jan 24 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Couch Potato Investing, Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• The worst form of investing except for all the others

  Q: Like you, I believe investing in index funds is a better way for individuals to invest. I was just about to start investing in index funds in my retirement accounts when I came across an old article by Gregg Wolper (Morningstar, 2/21/06) titled "The... Posted Jan 10 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 9 comment(s) Filed under: Financial Planning, Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Income Limits from Your Nest Egg

  Q. It is recommended that retirees withdraw no more than 4 percent a year from their retirement nest egg. Is this in addition to any income that is generated from their funds? Bonds and CDs pay more than 4 percent. And some higher-dividend stocks pay... Posted Jan 03 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 8 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Four Milestones for Successful Investing

  Allow me to introduce the yellow brick road of investing. Follow this road and you will be a happy investor. Ignore it at your peril. The yellow brick road has four major milestones. The first three are clearly visible. Anyone can get good investment... Posted Dec 09 2006, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 13 comment(s) Filed under: Couch Potato Investing, Financial Planning, Income Investing, Index & ETF Investing

• No-load Mutual Funds vs. Exchange-traded Funds

  Q: I read your column about ETFs. What I don't understand is what advantage ETFs have over regular no-load mutual funds. All of my investments are in no-load mutual funds, mostly index funds at Vanguard and Fidelity. Why should I pay a commission, even... Posted Nov 22 2006, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• The Looming Battle: Fundamental vs. Traditional Indexing

  Ideas have consequences. If the idea works, those who bet on it make money. If it doesn't work, they lose money. Today, the biggest idea battle in investments is between "fundamental indexing" and "market-capitalization indexing." In traditional market... Posted Nov 11 2006, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 10 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing

• Practical ETF Investing: The Online Calculator

  Does it make sense to become an ETF (exchange-traded-fund) investor? I think so. The smaller the commission cost of buying and selling--- measured as a percent of assets invested--- the more attractive ETF investing is. The surprise is that it makes sense... Posted Oct 28 2006, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 9 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing