Here’s our almost-the-end-of August Roundup of worthwhile reads on investing, the economy, and more. We hope you find them helpful.
What is the Fed’s new policy framework, and why does it matter? (Reuters via Fidelity). The Federal Reserve’s new approach likely means super-low interest rates are here for a good while longer.
Prime money funds aren’t worth the risk, Vanguard says. It’s changing its lineup. (Barron’s via MarketWatch). Say goodbye to Vanguard Prime, one of the industry’s best-known money-market funds. (More details from Vanguard.)
The dollar has weakened. Here’s why that actually entrenches its role as the world’s reserve currency (MarketWatch). Read this one after you read our September cover article.
U.S. debt is now larger than the economy. Does it matter? (The Fiscal Times). Excellent question — but does anyone know the answer?
Medicare open enrollment is coming up. Three steps to save money this fall (CNBC). This article suggests you "resist the temptation to automatically reenroll in the plan you have."
And from the pundits and bloggers...
The timing mistake: Thoughts & pushback (Barry Ritholtz, The Big Picture). Most people are not built for market timing.
On the other hand (Jonathan Clements, Creative Planning). "The point of investing isn’t to pick the next big winner. The point is to achieve crucial goals."
Risk and return in the stock market are not evenly distributed (Ben Carlson, A Wealth of Common Sense). The S&P 500 has seen positive returns in 16 out of the past 18 calendar years. But even in the good years, the journey has been rough at times.
This eye-opening experience has me rethinking how Social Security figures into my retirement planning (Chris Mamula, MarketWatch). This writer says he "underestimated how valuable Social Security benefits could be." That’s probably common.
How are Social Security survivor benefits calculated? (Mike Piper, Open Social Security). It’s complicated.
If you have a comment about any of these pieces, don’t be bashful: Join the Discussion below!
