Are There Better Options Than the Lockheed Martin Target Date Funds?
The default investment option for the Lockheed Martin Salaried Savings Plan (SSP) and the Capital Accumulation Plan (CAP) is the managed Target Date funds. A Target Date fund is designed to capture the entire investment market in a single fund. In addition, as you approach retirement, the Target Date fund becomes less and less risky. […]
Lockheed Martin MST Voluntary Layoff Program
Lockheed Martin MST recently announced the upcoming Voluntary Layoff Program with the goal of reducing the divisional workforce by 1,500 employees. If you are considering retirement and are eligible for the Voluntary Layoff Program, it may make sense to deeply consider the options. As with all retirement and transition decisions, there are two main components: […]
Rockbridge Understands You – Lockheed Martin
When evaluating a financial advisor, the most important factor is that they truly understand you as a person and your personal situation. At Rockbridge, we have a dedicated focus in working with clients that are employees of Lockheed Martin. Because of this, we already have an expertise in all employee benefits plans and how each […]
Market Commentary April 2016
Stock Markets After January’s rough start, stock markets bounced back nicely in March, bringing most numbers into the black for the quarter. Domestic Small Cap and International Developed Markets are the exception – down about 1.5% and 2%, respectively. Notice from the accompanying chart that it was Emerging Markets that led the way, earning nearly […]
Would You Rather Visit an Estate Attorney or a Dentist?
I will make the argument here: Most people would rather go to the dentist than get their estate documents (Living Will, Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy) in order. Why? The dentist appointment usually only lasts an hour and does not require any preparation or thought in advance. In contrast, the estate planning process […]
Tempted to Trust Your Gut? – Another Reason to Commit to a Disciplined Strategy
“The three worst words of stock market advice: Trust Your Gut.” That was the headline of a recent article by Jason Zweig in The Wall Street Journal, reporting on a new academic study. Dr. Robert Shiller of Yale, who won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2013, has been surveying investors about their expectations since […]
When Stock Pickers Stop Picking Stocks
Many investors pay high fees for actively managed funds. Traditionally with these funds, an investor pays the “manager” of the fund to select investments that they believe will outperform the market. This, in turn, should give the investor a higher return than the market produces. Although many expect a higher rate of return, evidence shows […]
Clearing Up Confusion About New Social Security Rules
As you may have heard, there have been some drastic changes to Social Security regarding the file-and-suspend and restricted application methods of filing. These changes were announced back in October 2015 when Congress passed their 2016 budget. (You can read more about the specifics of these changes in this article.) As expected, there has been […]
Tax Efficiency: Index Funds vs. Actively Managed Funds
Tax season is in full swing, which may bring up many questions and considerations about your investments. Am I saving in the most tax-efficient locations for my financial situation? Are my individual investments tax-efficient as well? A recent article by Vanguard discusses how broadly based index funds are more tax-efficient than actively managed funds. Rockbridge […]
Market Commentary January 2016
Stock Markets In 2015, domestic large cap stocks (S&P 500) and REITs were up while other markets were down – emerging markets were off big! The positive results in the S&P 500 were driven by just two stocks – Amazon and Google. Otherwise it would have looked like other market indices. These results, I think, […]