A site visitor once asked us "would you please give me some examples on what this service can provide for me to get an edge on the market? What are the top reasons why people subscribe and how do they use the information you supply to make money?"
We admired the directness of these questions, and sent an equally direct reply. We thought other potential subscribers would find it interesting.
"The short answer to your question is that people subscribe to Retired Investor because we "give them an edge" not in beating the market, but rather in achieving their long-term investment goals. Let us explain what we mean:
The first edge we provide is helping people to better understand just what those goals should be. For example, rather than simply beating a market index each year, we help subscribers develop a long-term return target for their portfolio, based on their current capital, income and savings targets, and the remaining number of years they expect to live.
The second edge we provide is helping investors think through their annuitization decision. Getting this right can avoid a lot of regret later on.
The third edge we provide subscribers is helping them to identify asset allocations that will maximize the probability of achieving their long-term return target while minimizing the risk they take. There are a number of sub-elements to this. These include (a) understanding the difference between an asset class and a tilt within it; (b) the pros and cons of different asset classes; (c) the strengths and weaknesses of different asset allocation methodologies; (d) how your housing decisions and labor income affect asset allocation; (e) the different approaches you can take to reviewing and rebalancing your portfolio, and (f) the tax consequences of holding different types of assets in taxable versus non-taxable accounts, and how careful attention to this issue can further add to returns over time.
The fourth edge is helping subscribers identify situations in which a short-term departure from an asset allocation policy is needed to limit risk. This is why we produce our monthly equity and bond market valuation updates, as well as our semi-annual economic reviews.
The fifth edge we provide subscribers is helping them to decide whether or not to take tilts (e.g., toward value or small cap stocks) within the broad asset classes used in our model portfolios.
The sixth edge we offer is helping readers make an informed decision when it comes to choosing between actively managed and index funds to implement our model portfolios' asset allocations.
The seventh edge is our regular reviews of new financial products and strategies. The investment world is constantly changing, and we help subscribers separate passing fads from changes that can have important long term effects.
In sum, for only US$59 we give our subscribers a lot to think about, and a very big edge when it comes to achieving their long-term financial goals. As we like to say, there is no better place to get a reasonably priced, impartial second opinion to help you invest more wisely after your retirement.
All of these "benefits" create value to our Subscribers. How Much Value Do You Create?
We hope you Subscribe today.