In the last several years the Department of Labor has taken steps to put policies and procedures in place that are focused on protecting clients and retirement plan participants by requiring advisors to be more transparent in every aspect of their relationship with their clients. Requiring advisors to work in the best interest of their clients is a mandate in the industry that we applaud and welcome. Following are some… Read More

Investment choices lie at the heart of a company sponsored retirement plan, and having access to excellent choices gives the participants in the plan an investing advantage. Master’s internal Investment Review Committee (IRC) follows a structured process when evaluating and selecting investment options for a plan. Our investment analysis begins with an investment company’s plan platform. Many platforms create a “pay-to-play” arrangement where the employer is required to include a… Read More

Employers who have established a retirement plan for their employees have taken an important first step in investing in their employees’ futures. Plan participant education is an essential aspect of the 401(k), and our approach to participant education is holistic and intentional. Employees who choose to participate in the plan attend a series of individual meetings specifically designed to address key issues that help them gauge their retirement readiness. Each… Read More

Over the last few decades we have seen a massive shift in the retirement landscape. In the past the typical employee got a job at a stable company, stayed there for a few decades and retired with a pension that was guaranteed for life. Although a few of these situations still exist, in today’s ‘normal’ employees move freely from one employer to another and shoulder the bulk of the responsibility… Read More

Earlier this month, the US stock market established new all-time highs, as measured by the Dow, S&P 500, and the NASDAQ. While we all have enjoyed the strong investment returns, it would be wise to take a step back and look at the facts. The markets have been, and always will be, cyclical in nature. The current “bull market” is now more than 8 years old. It’s been almost 9… Read More

Where is your focus? Are you preoccupied with the daily swings in the financial markets? Do your emotions rise and fall with the economic prediction of today’s financial “expert”? Do you worry about when to get in and when to get out of the market? With the constant bombardment of the financial media, is it even possible to live a life that is not obsessed with money and trying to… Read More

I’m guessing you have heard of the old adage “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” In financial planning this saying is a word picture we use to illustrate diversification or asset allocation. This adage is usually connected to the idea that it is wise to spread our money between different types investments. The theory is that if some portion of the investment markets are performing poorly, there are… Read More

In the third blog of our Income Architecture Blog Series, we are discussing a calculation we recently integrated into our planning process called the Income-to-Asset Ratio. One question that many clients have when they are planning for retirement income is, “Can my investments support my income need throughout retirement?” Our Income-to-Asset Ratio can assist in answering that question and can help us build a framework for your Retirement Income Plan…. Read More