4 Ways 'Free' ETF Trading Could Cost You
Financial companies are offering free ETF trading to clients, but if you're not careful, no-commission trading could cost you down the line.
Vanguard
Americans More Financially Savvy Post-Recession, Survey Shows
The frugality and investing discipline that the 2008 financial crisis imposed on Americans appear to have led to permanent changes in spending behavior, a new survey shows.
5 Offensive and Defensive Funds to Strengthen Your Portfolio
The recent rally in stocks has many investors excited again, but if you invest now, you have to protect yourself from the possibility that the bull market could reverse itself.
Target-Date Funds: Same Dates Can Earn Wildly Different Returns
The appeal of target-date funds is obvious. Decide when you'll need your money back, and the fund invests accordingly: aggressively at first, more conservatively as the "target" approaches. But it's not so simple: Different funds can give you dramatically different performance.
Donor-Advised Funds: A Timely, Tax-Wise Way to Give to Charity
Time is running out to make tax-deductible charitable contributions for 2012. If you'd like to donate at least $5,000 before the end of the year, you may want to consider doing it through a donor-advised fund, which provides special tax bonuses, flexibility and anonymity.
Main Street Investors Force Big Changes in Wall Street's Fees
Historically, the asset management industry has been merely an easy way for money managers to get rich at your expense. Even today, 401(k) fees alone rob us of $60 billion a year. But investors have caught on and are demanding lower fees -- and lately, they've started getting them.
6 Ways to Save More Before the Year Ends
Here are six ways to grow your retirement account in the remaining months of 2012.
Cramer Explains: The 3 Troubles With Target-Date Funds
Target-date funds are probably better than defaulting to a money market fund or throwing darts to pick your 401(k) options. But like any heavily hyped investment, these things are flawed. Extremely flawed. Let me count the ways:
Can You Trust Retirement Funds?
Target-date retirement funds are supposed to be safe and conservative, but the market meltdown revealed that some funds were less risk-averse than advertised. Have they cleaned up their act -- and can you trust them with your retirement?
29 Hot Mutual Funds to Replace Your Losers
If your end-of-year portfolio rebalancing has you looking for some better mutual funds to reallocate assets into, Standard and Poor's Equity Research wants to help: It has released its first-ever list of Mutual Fund Excellence Award winners -- consistent performers across a range of categories.
Vanguard Lowers Minimums, Cuts Fees for 2 Million Clients
Mutual fund powerhouse Vanguard reduced the cost of investing for 2 million of its clients on Wednesday by lowering the minimum investment requirements for its low-cost Admiral Shares.
The Best Brokers For Mobile Investors
What are the best brokerages for mobile investors? The industry advisory firm Corporate Insight surveyed the mobile trading features of 21 brokerages, looking at a variety of platforms and loads of other features. See what firms come out on top.
Hedge Your Risk With Mixed-Asset Mutual Funds
Stocks are underperforming so far in 2010, and Treasury bond yields are low, too. So how can you get good returns without excessive volatility? Standard & Poor's Equity Research suggests mixed-asset mutual funds, which capture the strengths of both stocks and bonds.
Could Fidelity Save Your 401(k) Retirement Plan?
Fidelity Investments says 401(k) loan and hardship withdrawals are rising. But instead of offering costly, actively managed funds, Fidelity could take the lead in reforming a system that primarily benefits mutual fund families and plan advisers.