In an article written earlier this year, we noted a recently-settled class-action lawsuit brought by the employees of Lockheed Martin against the company, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty within the firm’s 401(k) plan. That settlement was followed by a similar one this August, this one involving 190,000 employees and retirees…
Slaying the Student Loan Monster
As college tuition costs have marched ever higher over the last decade, student loan balances have risen along with them, to the point that they now represent a meaningful portion of many household balance sheets. The numbers are staggering: one in five households carry some student debt, a rate that…
(Asset) Location, Location, Location
When it comes to portfolio construction best practices, most of us are aware of the benefits of asset allocation and diversification. But with tax-deferred retirement accounts becoming an ever-larger part of the average investor’s investment portfolio, asset location has arguably become just as important as its much more famous allocation-focused…
Getting To Know Your 401(k)
In mid-December, defense contractor Lockheed Martin elected to settle an eight-year-old class-action lawsuit brought by more than 100,000 of its workers and retirees, alleging excessive fees inside the company’s 401(k) plan. While the suit was unusual in its size and scope, it was indicative of a recent trend toward greater…
Why Short-Term Interest Rates May Increase Faster Than Long-Term Rates
A unique dynamic has been occurring since the beginning of the year, as short-term rates have been slowly rising while long-term rates have gradually decreased. This dynamic is known as a flattening yield curve, and is generally interpreted as stemming from a decrease in long-run inflation expectations. In addition to…
Planning Across Generations
Successful financial planning is always a team effort—it requires open and honest communication and coordination between spouses, as well as with advisors. Financial issues are often sensitive subjects, and encouraging and facilitating difficult conversations is one of our most important roles as financial planners. But our experience has taught us…
