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• It's Expensive to Have The Investment Come to You

  Q: A friend gave me an article you had written about personal finance. You used a schoolteacher as an example, showing how we can make bad choices in our attempt to save money. I have been using a manager for about 10 years, but I now know he is probably... Posted May 30 2007, 10:15 PM by scottb with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Learning More about Exchange Traded Funds

  Q. I recently sold stocks in my SEP/IRA account with the intention of buying index or mutual funds. It appears that index funds are the better choice and that ETFs are probably the best value. One problem I am having is finding a source for ETFs, a place... Posted Mar 21 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• What Is My Pension Worth?

  Q. I'd like to know what my pension is worth. I will receive $2,300 a month, fixed. What would it cost in the marketplace today to buy that level of pension? ---B.T., by email. A. You can learn what it is worth to you by getting an estimate of what it... Posted Feb 07 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 8 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Waiting to buy

  Q: I'm a 64-year-old grandma who messed up bad. My money was in the Vanguard 500 index fund, but in August everything was going south. So I moved my money to a money market account. Now stocks are doing well again, and I have no idea how to get back into... Posted Jan 24 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Couch Potato Investing, Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• The worst form of investing except for all the others

  Q: Like you, I believe investing in index funds is a better way for individuals to invest. I was just about to start investing in index funds in my retirement accounts when I came across an old article by Gregg Wolper (Morningstar, 2/21/06) titled "The... Posted Jan 10 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 9 comment(s) Filed under: Financial Planning, Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Income Limits from Your Nest Egg

  Q. It is recommended that retirees withdraw no more than 4 percent a year from their retirement nest egg. Is this in addition to any income that is generated from their funds? Bonds and CDs pay more than 4 percent. And some higher-dividend stocks pay... Posted Jan 03 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 8 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• No-load Mutual Funds vs. Exchange-traded Funds

  Q: I read your column about ETFs. What I don't understand is what advantage ETFs have over regular no-load mutual funds. All of my investments are in no-load mutual funds, mostly index funds at Vanguard and Fidelity. Why should I pay a commission, even... Posted Nov 22 2006, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• When You Have a Good Hand, Hold It

  Q. I have my 401(k) divided across four Fidelity funds: Value, Balanced, Diversified International and Contra. Its management fees range from .67 (Balanced) to .94 percent (Contra). Based upon the above choices and management fees, would you recommend... Posted Nov 17 2005, 10:07 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: I Bonds & Tips, Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Asset Allocation: Protection from Overvaluation

  Q. I've got a question for you and other indexing enthusiasts: When is an index grossly overvalued, how do you measure it, and would you sell or simply not buy more? I don't think any index strategy will work if one continuously ignores market valuation... Posted Aug 11 2005, 02:07 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Shake Hands, but Count Your Fingers

  The following note from J.T., a Dallas CPA, is a good indication that the financial services industry has a long, long way to go before it has earned our trust and respect: My 79-year -old mother was referred to an investment adviser (CPA/CFP) who made... Posted Jul 28 2005, 03:24 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• How About Passive Value Investing?

  Q. Jeremy Siegel argues in his new book, "The Future for Investors," that index funds like the S&P 500 or the Wilshire 5000 don't perform as well as stocks with low price-earnings ratios and high dividends. Could you suggest a replacement index fund for... Posted Jun 23 2005, 12:34 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Fund Index Change? Not to Worry.

  Q. Are you aware that Vanguard is changing the methodology for the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index? With the majority of my retirement money in this fund, I am very concerned. What is your interpretation of this? After trying to get more information... Posted May 26 2005, 03:30 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Index & ETF Investing, Q&A (from print)

• It Costs Money To Market Mutual Funds

  Q. In a recent column you discussed "screening" techniques when selecting mutual funds. One restriction you mentioned in your analysis was the exclusion of loaded funds. In the past my financial planner has almost exclusively recommended no-load funds... Posted Dec 04 2004, 10:02 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Home Ownership & Mortgages, Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Learning How Your Fund Is Doing

  Q. What can you tell me about Lehman Brothers First Trust Opportunity Fund (ticker: LBC)? My wife and I bought $60,000 worth in March of this year. This amount represents 25 percent of our investments. We purchased this stock at the suggestion of our... Posted Sep 23 2004, 02:25 PM by scottb with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• What About Commissions on Exchange Traded Funds?

  Q. Aren't you overlooking something when you advocate buying ETF's as opposed to regular mutual funds? When buying an ETF, you have to pay a commission on both the purchase and the sale. This can be expensive for an individual that wants to buy a small... Posted Aug 19 2004, 10:22 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)