Individual responsibility for retirement planning continues to increase as social security benefits are declining and and fewer employers provide defined benefit pensions. Most employers now offer defined contribution plans where the employee has the option to defer a percentage of…

Economic Commentary: One of the most recent emerging trends that bears watching is the drop in the Manufacturing ISM reading, which fell below 50 in November. Any reading below 50 indicates the manufacturing sector is contracting. This contraction is due…

Economic Commentary: As feared, the first estimate of Q4 US GDP showed the economy slowed, registering a 0.7% growth rate from the 2.1% Q3 rate. This slowdown has primarily been due to lower manufacturing activity. The decline in manufacturing has…

One of the world’s wealthiest and most well-known investors, Warren Buffett, is often asked how the average person should invest. His most common advice is to invest in a low cost S&P 500 index fund because of its propensity to…