One of the questions we often get from our clients is, “Should we take the lump-sum option or the annual payments when receiving distributions from our company pension plan?” Just like deciding whether to “buy or rent”, there are several factors in play in determining the best course of action. Let’s first go over these [...]

While diversification is a crucial way to spread risk across multiple investments, over-diversification1 occurs when a portfolio owns too many investments. In this instance, there can be some potential "hidden" costs, including reduced return potential without a material reduction in risk.2 If we think of diversification as the cost investors incur to reduce the risk [...]

As we reviewed in the two previous posts, diversification is an effective way to reduce risk. If you own too many investments, however, there can be hidden costs without a material reduction in the risk of loss. These costs may include: Reduced returns which can increase the risk of not reaching your financial goals Unnecessary [...]

Assuming you invest in individual stocks and/or mutual funds, what is one of the first questions you should ask if you want higher investment returns? The answer is, “Do I own too many investments?” This is an essential question because of the potential hidden costs of owning too many investments, also known as over-diversification. While [...]