Questions and Answers about Required Minimum Distributions (RMD)

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that all people who have some form of retirement savings (except for Roth retirement accounts) take an annual Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) starting in the year that you reach age 70 ½. The RMD is just that: a Required Minimum Distribution, not the maximum distribution. The IRS believes that at that age and beyond …

Investing is Not the Same Thing as Saving

A mistake far too many people make is to invest money they should be saving and save money that they should be investing. In our continuation of the discussion of Snider Advisors’ Guiding Principles, we will examine the principle that investing is not the same thing as saving. While saving and investing are certainly interrelated, they are also independent processes …

Part 1: Control Your 401(k) Destiny

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” -Benjamin Franklin Have you ever asked yourself who is in control of your 401(k) savings plan(s)?  Like many plan participants, you may think you’re in control. But the truth of the matter is that while you get to choose how to invest your retirement savings in an employer-sponsored plan, that’s about the extent of your …

5 Steps to Derail your Retirement

Many of us look forward to a retirement full of travel and relaxation. But having a successful retirement requires a lot of early planning. You can’t just expect for all the pieces to fall into the right place if you aren’t taking proactive measures to improve your financial situation. Here are a few common planning errors that can drastically reduce your chances of retiring comfortably.

Don’t Brag Yet

by Jesse Anderson, CFA® Last weekend a long-time friend said to me: “I cashed out my entire 401(k) before the tech bubble, and Thank God!, because I would have lost everything.” My friend is so proud of his decision that he’s still bragging about it over 10 years later.  I did not have the heart to tell him that his …

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Once again, DALBAR has released its annual Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior. The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of average investors to that of relevant benchmarks. In the image below, you will see that in the 20 year period ending in 2012, the return of the S&P 500 was 8.21%. You’ll also note that the return of the average investor was only 4.25%

Accepting Uncertainty – 3 Reasons Cash Harms Your Financial Future

“Part of being a good investor is accepting uncertainty.” – Kurt Shrout, Minimizing Cash is King

With markets reaching all-time highs, I’ve seen many articles discussing the role of cash in a portfolio. I believe one of the biggest reasons investors have moved a considerable portion of their portfolios to cash is certainty. In making this decision, some investors may not fully consider these different

5 Lesser-Known Snider Method Facts

I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that if you’ve followed Snider Advisors for any length of time, you’ve probably figured out that the primary objective of the Snider Investment Method is cash flow. You’ve probably also gathered that we believe behavior modification is a key component of successful investing. But I bet there are a few things you may not know about the Snider Method that you should.

Snider 101: What You’re Missing

Our free Snider 101 information sessions are designed to give you a high level overview of Snider Advisors and the Snider Investment Method. The next one is scheduled for next Thursday, April 18th. Click here to register.

Thinking of buying an annuity? Think again.

With recent market volatility and the next crisis du jour seemingly looming ahead, insurance companies are ramping up advertising, and capitalizing on the fears of investors. The laundry list of guarantees and flashy marketing materials can certainly appeal to investors who fear recent market turbulence – but what’s the catch? Let’s take a look at what investors must know when considering the purchase of an annuity.