Tag Archives: costs

Joe Davis and Andy Clarke collaborated on this post, the result of a conversation about research that Vanguards Investment Strategy Group has conducted on the adoption and economic impact of “great ideas.”

Last Christmas, I bought my son a pair of noise-canceling headphones. Now, even as I raise my voice to a shout, he can’t hear me above whatever is rattling around inside his head.

In short, he’s on his way to …

I just finished watching a new documentary on 401(k) plans. It was intended to be an exposé of sorts. The program combined criticisms of the U.S. retirement system and financial services industry with sinister music for added drama. After I …

One of the most intriguing retirement studies issued in 2012 was by economists James Poterba of MIT, Steven Venti of Dartmouth, and David Wise of Harvard.* Their study looked at wealth holdings among Americans in their late 60s. And one …

Over the weekend, my husband and I signed a contract to buy a new house. After months of indecision—and driving our realtor crazy—we finally committed. (Now, if we could just decide on the color of the knobs for the bathroom …

One of the vexing questions in the investment world is why many investors are inattentive to fees. While Vanguard has helped create a class of investors that’s fee-conscious and fee-aware, the fact remains that many individual investors remain in high-cost …

On December 16, 2008, the Federal Reserve cut its target for the shortest-term interest rate to nearly 0%. The Fed’s bold policy action was one of many aggressive steps taken to stabilize global financial markets and a U.S. economy that …

A while back, I wrote about how people often miss the impact of investment costs on wealth accumulation. Today, I want to make sure readers know that it’s as critical for retirees (people spending money) to think about how costs …

Two years ago, my husband and I bought a TV. He wanted the super-duper one. I wanted a good deal. We went with the good deal.

Fast-forward two years, and the TV we got only turns on and off when …

We humans are funny animals.

At times, I’ll scour the internet trying to find the cheapest airline flight, perhaps saving $100 or $200, and feeling quite pleased with myself for doing so.

On some other purchases, I confess, I do …