Disclosure is the name of the investment sales game, and Robert S. Whittle of Rockwall didn't make the grade when he offered promissory notes to investors. Whittle advertised notes that would pay 12% a year, with interest paid quarterly, and his advertising targeted senior citizens. But he failed to disclose a number of factors potential investors would have found valuable. READ MORE If you are automatically enrolled in your employer's 401(k) retirement plan , you're probably deferring 3% or 4% of your salary into the plan -- the "default rate" most companies establish when they enroll workers. But would you balk if an employer set the rate at 6%? Among people not already saving for retirement, a higher default rate wouldn't cause them to flee for the 401(k) exits. READ MORE Those three words (courtesy of Yale's David F. Swensen) pretty much nail it. But with fixed income playing such an important role in many investors' portfolios, it's worth the time to really understand the "inverse relationship between interest rates and bond prices" and all that other bond market lingo. A recent Investor Bulletin from the SEC can help. READ MORE A small part of the National Financial Capability Study is a five-question quiz designed to test financial knowledge -- including a question on bonds and interest rates. Five questions don't measure much of anything, but the broader value of the study is the quantification of American households' debt, emergency savings, plans for retirement, the impact of medical bills, and myraid other factors. READ MORE 
UNBIASED INVESTOR EDUCATION THAT SERVES NO AGENDA BUT YOURS The State Securities Board's Investor Education program offers free books and online presentations to help people at almost any stage of life or career learn the basics of savings and investing. Check out our programs for the general public, teachers, active members of the military and veterans, young people starting to manage their own finances, and more. |
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