Written by the Investor's Report Card team: plain-English guides to how money managers really perform, what fees cost you, and how to tell whether your account is keeping up with the market.
Most don't, especially over the long run. What the research shows, and why low-cost index funds are hard to beat.
Your statement shows what you own and what it's worth. It almost never shows whether your account kept up with the market.
One percent a year sounds small. Over 20 or 30 years it can take a sixth to a quarter of what your account would have grown to.
Funds that beat the market one year usually don't keep doing it. What S&P's Persistence Scorecard found.
Simple questions for your next review that get you a clear answer on performance, fees and how your advisor is paid.
Why your account can lose money while the fund you own shows a gain, and which number tells you how you really did.
How to judge a 401(k) or target-date fund fairly, where to find its fees, and what to compare it with.