Investor Education

Procrastination could make your road to retirement more challenging (180 KB, PDF)
A review of the effect of procrastination on the accumulation of assets for retirement, graphically demonstrating that starting early can have a dramatic impact on both how much you need to contribute and how much you can accumulate over the long term

Small investments may stack up over time (147 KB, PDF)
A chart showing the potential accumulation from investing just $200 per month over time

Stocks, Bonds, Treasury Bills and Inflation 1926 – 2010 (278 KB, PDF)
A review of the returns of U.S. small stocks, the S&P 500, U.S. long-term government bonds, U.S. 30-day T-bills and U.S. inflation

Time – not timing – is a key determinant to investment success (141 KB, PDF)
One of the dangers of trying to time the market is the possibility of missing out on key events, such as market upswings and recoveries. This piece shows the effects of missing the best five, ten, twenty and thirty market trading days in the past fifteen years

Why diversify? Because focusing on a single type of investment may lead to high volatility (279 KB, PDF)
Perhaps nothing better illustrates the need for an asset allocation plan than this chart. It shows how various style classes performed on a year-by-year basis from 1991 to 2010

Will you have enough money to live comfortably through retirement? (132 KB, PDF)
This chart shows the portions of your pre–retirement income that a recent study estimates will be provided by social security and what portion it estimates that you will need from savings and pensions

Tax-Equivalent Yields for Affluent Investors (261 KB, PDF)
Even with current tax rates, the tax advantage of municipal bonds has benefited affluent investors. This piece tracks the history of marginal tax rates and municipal and treasury yields.

Fair Value Pricing (190 KB, PDF)
An overview of why it’s important to determine real share value and the importance of accurately valuing securities that trade on foreign exchanges.

Is Your Fund Doing What It Is Supposed to Do? (157 KB, PDF)
An educational brochure explaining the Information Ratio and why it matters in evaluating investments.