Anecdotal Evidence: A.I. Is Coming
New reports from PwC, DST kasina, and Deloitte all herald a world of 'Robotics Process Automation' that will probably feature many more chatbots and many fewer phone reps or...
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‘A Dangerous Time in History’
The current investment narrative is based on the assumption that Trump will be a reflationary president, says our guest columnist, the chief investment strategist at Pension Partners LLC. He...
Will Trump Derail the Fed’s Game Plan?
'If the Fed can engineer a record-breaking length period of expansion, why in the world would anyone want to tinker with the process?' writes the blogger at NumberNomics.com, a...
A Safe Harbor is in Jeopardy
We shouldn’t deprive workers of 'bread' on the chance that brokers will be able to sell 'cake' to their employers.
How Ticos Turn DC Savings to Income
Retirees can take a monthly income equal to 1/12 of the earnings on their DC savings, or they can take a “scheduled withdrawal” where their accumulation is divided by...
Allianz Life issues no-commission fixed indexed annuity with income riders
Retirement Foundation ADV offers two income options. One starts with a higher age-dependent payout percentage that is fixed for the life of the contract. The other has a lower...
Federal Judge Upholds Obama Fiduciary Rule
Ignoring a Trump administration request to delay her ruling, Chief Judge Barbara Lynn of the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, rejected industry arguments that the Obama Department of...
Fed No Longer Controls Rates
'We believe the probability of the Fed raising rates three times in 2017 is less than what the market has begun to price in post the Donald Trump election,'...
President Trump and the DOL Fiduciary Rule
If the DOL rule is removed or neutered, then financial services firms may have more autonomy in choosing how to use the savings that digital automation brings: To raise...
The Illusions Driving Up US Asset Prices
'The Dow is up only 19% in real (inflation-adjusted) terms since 2000. A 19% increase in 17 years is underwhelming, and the national home price index that Karl Case...
Rx for Retirement: A Low Dose of Equities
'For retirement investors attempting to minimize downside risk while sustaining future withdrawals, appropriate equity allocations range between five and 25%,' write Keith C. Brown (inset) and W. V. Harlow...
Who Will Sell Transamerica’s New No-Commission VA?
“The sales outlook for 2017 is too soon to tell, given . We are confident that there is a market need for this structure in...
Anecdotal Evidence: The 10% Solution
The smartest companies contribute 10% of pay to each employee's retirement account--not as a bonus but as a carve-out of compensation. This policy is the most effective way to...
The View from Costa Rica
By visiting Costa Rica and interviewing retirement experts there, I hope to gather a few facts that might help me and RIJ readers understand our domestic retirement financing...
‘Yours Sincerely, Wasting Away’
Ultimately, I'm fatalistic about the high cost of getting old. No matter how expensive health care gets, the elderly and their families will pay no more than they are...
Trump’s Tax Plan and the Dollar
'Trump’s proposed tax plan—particularly the border-adjustment tax—would most likely not have a positive impact on the US trade balance,' write these Ivy League economists. 'Worse, it could be very...
In November, money shifted from bonds to (passive) equities: Morningstar
For the first time in 2016, active intermediate-term bond funds saw monthly outflows, which totaled $4.0 billion in November. However, the category is in the black for the year...
Xmas Cheer: The Debt Is Not Our Biggest Problem
Why do so many pundits and politicians, including the future director of the Office of Management and Budget, beat the debt drum so loudly and so often? It’s one...
Will your grandkids shop for annuities on Amazon?
'Should decide to make a large scale entrance into the insurance marketplace, this could further disrupt the current U.S. life insurance distribution model,' A.M. Best...
Calculating After-Tax Social Security Benefits
A handy crib sheet recently published by Vanguard shows the formulae for calculating the portion of an individual's or couple's Social Security benefits that will be subject to ordinary...
