S May 22, 2013
Q.I have two questions about bond investments. First, with individual bonds, would a personbe better off keeping the bonds to maturity when rates went up and receiving the full value at maturity? Or should he sell and reinvest in higher interest rate bonds? Second, does this work with bond funds? Do fund managers hold bonds to maturity, or do they generally sell and reinvest when interest rates are going up? —J.T., Austin, Texas read more…
A May 20, 2013
A friend of mine lived in Tokyo for many years. He demonstrated Japanese culture for his many visitors by dropping his wallet on a pedestrian clogged street. Then he walked briskly away from it, much to the amazement of his visiting friends. In each case (and yes, I do think he was lucky) a breathless man or woman caught up to him, wallet in hand.
Japan has one of the world’s lowest crime rates. So while many Americans brave Mexican and Ecuadorean retiree destinations, it’s worth considering where the Japanese flee for a setting sunset of their own. One such place is Malaysia. read more…
S May 17, 2013
“We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
That famous Benjamin Franklin quote came to mind as I read a paper by three researchers who’ve made important contributions to the study of retirement finance — James M. Poterba at M.I.T., Steven F. Venti at Dartmouth, and David A. Wise at Harvard. read more…