Ron Hansen has been helping investors since 1975, when information was remote, transactions cost $40 apiece minimum and few Americans saved for retirement. At the end of 2019, Ron is himself retiring. He’s ending a career transformed beyond recognition by computer technology, government policies and industry evolution. […]

By Joel Dresang
Sometimes my understanding of how the world works is corrupted by my past experience. By several measures, the U.S. is now in a manufacturing recession, but apparently, it’s not as bad as I would have thought. […]

Especially amid market volatility, investors need to weigh the potential risks they take on as they consider reaching for higher returns. Paige Radke explains in a MONEY TALK VIDEO from the 2019 Investment Outlook Seminar. […]

By Joel Dresang
The point of talking about the long term is to prompt us to plan, allocate and adjust so that we don’t outlive our resources. Whether we want to consume as much as we can while we’re able or to leave a legacy to our heirs, we don’t want to run out of money before we run out of time. Of course, how much time we have is both unknown and peculiar. […]

As growth stocks have outperformed value stocks in recent years Kyle Tetting looks ahead—and farther back—to explain the role of value in investment portfolios. Kyle’s presentation at the 2019 Investment Outlook Seminar was produced as a MONEY TALK VIDEO. […]

By Joel Dresang
Although the Business Roundtable’s about-face seems remarkable, it is part of a trend suggesting that businesses—and their shareholders—can benefit from being more mindful of a broader array of stakeholders. In turn, it’s possible for investors to uphold their values without abandoning the value of their portfolios. […]

Active management offers flexibility not allowed in less-expensive index-tracking passive funds. The latitude that active managers have for managing risk as well as for adjusting to market fluctuations and changes in the business cycle make such funds a valuable component in a balanced investment portfolio. […]

The U.S. economy is in uncharted waters. It has been expanding for more than 10 years—an unprecedented streak, based on National Bureau of Economic Research calculations dating back to 1854. As with bull markets for stocks, economic expansions don’t die of old age, but some people just get anxious when they think there’s been too much of a good thing. […]

By Joel Dresang
On the day devoted to celebrating America, I noticed how small the world is. My discovery was meaningful in light of ongoing financial developments. The week we returned from vacation, Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell—head of the monetary system for the United States—told Congress that he is concerned about the global economy and trade uncertainty and their impact on the U.S. economy. […]

By Kyle Tetting
We knew recovery from a financial crisis would be slow, but the more deliberate pace has allowed for protracted growth without the economic overheating that accompanies many expansions. […]

By Joel Dresang
Vacations seem a bigger deal now, with bigger bills. They can upset the spending plans of retirees. They can divert workers’ earnings from retirement savings. They can contribute to family debts. […]

By Joel Dresang
Only about 1 in 15 Americans has an online Social Security account and checks their benefits estimates once a year. I happen to be one of those few. Not only do I plan on Social Security being there for my wife and me when we retire, but I’m getting an idea of how much to expect and how that fits in with the rest of our plans. […]