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A 10-Year Inflation-Protected Bond Hit Its Best Real Yield Since 2008

A 10-Year Inflation-Protected Bond Hit Its Best Real Yield Since 2008

A September Treasury auction priced a 10-year inflation-protected bond at a 2.653% real yield. Here is what that number means, and what it does not.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
US Fund Fees Fell Again in 2025. So Why Do New Funds Cost More?

US Fund Fees Fell Again in 2025. So Why Do New Funds Cost More?

Morningstar's 2026 fee study found US fund investors paid an average 0.32% in 2025. Yet new funds are pricey, and most new ETFs were active.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
Buffer Funds Promise Retirees a Safety Net. The Data Finds Holes

Buffer Funds Promise Retirees a Safety Net. The Data Finds Holes

Four researchers tested hundreds of buffer funds against the index each one tracks. On average, the safety net cost more than it saved.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
Wall Street Wants Private Equity Inside Your 401(k) Retirement Plan

Wall Street Wants Private Equity Inside Your 401(k) Retirement Plan

Private equity, private credit and crypto are heading into US retirement accounts. Here is what every saver should weigh before that door opens.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
The Case for Rising Stock Exposure as You Move Through Retirement

The Case for Rising Stock Exposure as You Move Through Retirement

Conventional wisdom says cut stocks as you age. Peer-reviewed research suggests raising equity exposure may hold up better against a rough start.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
Vanguard Expects Foreign Stocks to Beat the US Over the Next Decade

Vanguard Expects Foreign Stocks to Beat the US Over the Next Decade

Vanguard's 2026 outlook projects stronger returns abroad than at home. Here's why your retirement portfolio may be quietly overweight one country.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
The Fed Bet That Flipped in Two Weeks: A Lesson for Retirees

The Fed Bet That Flipped in Two Weeks: A Lesson for Retirees

In late July markets called a September rate hike the likeliest outcome. By mid-August the odds had swung back to a hold. Forecasts spoil fast.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
Nearly 8 in 10 Active US Stock Funds Lost to the Index in 2025

Nearly 8 in 10 Active US Stock Funds Lost to the Index in 2025

The year-end SPIVA scorecard found 79% of active large-cap funds trailed the S&P 500, its fourth-worst year in 25 years of keeping count.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
Gold Just Had Its Best Run in Decades. Should Retirees Care?

Gold Just Had Its Best Run in Decades. Should Retirees Care?

Gold hit a record above $5,500 an ounce this year, then slipped. For retirees the real question is not whether to chase it, but what it does.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
Why "Fixed Income" No Longer Quite Means Safe for Today's Retirees

Why "Fixed Income" No Longer Quite Means Safe for Today's Retirees

The word "fixed" sounds like a promise and "income" like a wage. After inflation and the shock of 2022, neither is quite what many retirees assume.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
Your Bad Market Timing Costs You 15% of Your Returns. Or Does It?

Your Bad Market Timing Costs You 15% of Your Returns. Or Does It?

A widely cited Morningstar study says investor timing costs 15% of returns. A new rebuttal says the real cost is closer to nothing.

Investing and TradingInvesting and Trading
Your S&P 500 Fund Is Really a Bet on Seven Stocks. Here's Why

Your S&P 500 Fund Is Really a Bet on Seven Stocks. Here's Why

Seven companies now make up about a third of the S&P 500 – so is your "diversified" index fund as spread out as you think it is?