Retirement Caution

Here are some retirement ideas that need repetition because of the constant poor advice investors get from the financial media.

Much of that advice comes through public relations placements in the form of articles and information by financial advisers in the media. Or by advertisements.

Example: Articles you see or hear on retirement planning are primarily marketing tools, placed to influence would-be investors.

They attempt to satisfy normal fears investors may have of having insufficient funds for the education of children, of not having a comfortable retirement, or an attempt to overcome fear of outliving savings and investments.

But such fears are actually leading investors into a trap.

They are getting expensive advice for the most part. Most investors may never need extensive estate and tax planning, but only if the enormous size of their assets warrants it.

Otherwise, why pay 1½% or more for a financial adviser who will cost them as much as 20% or more of their annual investment income? That adds up to a huge chunk of total assets over the years.

Furthermore, investors need only the lowest cost indexed mutual funds or exchange traded funds (ETFs) in which to invest.

Retirement basics can be quite simple for the average investor who can avoid the adviser hoopla. ( See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments.)