Merry Christmas and Thank You

I want to wish all of you who celebrate a Merry Christmas and to everyone a happy and prosperous 2013.  I also want to thank all of you for your readership and support.

Since moving The Chicago Financial Planner to Word Press from Blogger in June, my readership has steadily increased and again I want to thank you for that.  Here are my top 5 most read blog posts since the conversion:

How much is Financial Advice Worth? was born out of a discussion with a financial advisor colleague about a new 401(k) advice service we were trying to launch for 401(k) participants.  I asked “So how much is competent, unbiased financial advice worth?  Part of the answer lies in the benefit that you expect to receive from spending the money.”

401(k) Fee Disclosure and the American Funds was written on the heels of the initial fee disclosures for 401(k) participants mandated by new regulations this year.  I used the multiple retirement plan share classes offered by the American Funds to illustrate the need for plan participants to understand these fee disclosures and the details of the funds offered in their plan’s lineup.

Why Financial Planning is Important-An Illustration is based upon and excellent infographic offered by NAPFA a professional organization of fee-only financial advisors of which I am a member.  The infographic does a great job of diagramming the need for financial planning and how the process works.  The statistics are sobering and illustrate the need for many Americans to seek the help of a qualified financial planner.

Target Date Funds-A Look Under the Hood looks at the composition of the “Big 3” Target Date Fund families:  Vanguard, Fidelity, and T. Rowe Price.  Together these three families control about 80% of the assets invested in Target Date Funds.  Target Date Funds are a staple in 401(k) and similar retirement plans.  They are frequently used as the default option for participants who don’t specify an investment choice.  However, like any investment, it is important that you understand how these funds will be investing your money and if their approach is right for you.

Can I Retire?  is the question that I am most often asked by perspective clients.  Can I Retire?  This is not a simple question to answer.  Moreover it’s not just about being able to retire, but rather can you retire “in style?”

Again I want to thank you my readers for your support and for your readership.  My question to you is how can I be of help?  What questions are on your mind?  Please use the contact form to let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

Also please feel free to let me know what you like or don’t like about The Chicago Financial Planner.  Your thoughts are important to me.

We will continue to evolve the blog into 2013 and look for ways to offer you more information about financial planning, investments, retirement plans, and related topics.

I hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday season.

Photo credit:  Wikipedia