Ron Surz is CEO of Target Date Solutions (TDS), co-host of the Baby Boomer Investing Show (BBIS), and author of the book "Baby Boomer Investing in the Perilous Decade of the 2020s." TDS licenses target-date fund usage of Ron’s patented Safe Landing Glide Path® (SLGP) that actually protects beneficiaries as they approach retirement. Individual investors can follow the SLGP at Age Sage, an educational interactive website. The BBIS educates baby boomers on the risks and rewards in contemporary investing, and Ron’s book is a tour of these shows. He can be reached at Ron@TargetDateSolutions.com.
An Exemplary Multiemployer 401(k) Plan
Ron Surz says “retire with dignity’ is the guiding mission of this union 401(k), a “poster child” for what he says a defined contribution plan should be
TDFs: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Action: Sponsors choose TDFs that are 90% risky at their target date; Words: Sponsors say they want TDFs to protect near retirement
Target Date Funds Do NOT Reduce Risk Through Time, Except a Few TDFs
The prospect that interest rates might actually increase exposes most TDFs to an interesting dilemma. Ron Surz explains…
3 Shocking Facts You Should Know About Target Date Funds
Despite their popularity, Ron Surz says target date funds have serious deficiencies, but a few problems are shockingly imprudent and unrecognized
Theory vs. Practice in Target Date Fund Glidepaths
Academics developed a theory of lifetime investment glidepaths. Target date funds say they use this theory, but it’s marketing malarkey. Who knew?
401(k) Fiduciaries Put Defaulted Participants at Great Risk when they Cross this Bright Red Warning Line
Ron Surz says 401(k) fiduciaries choose the risk for defaulted participants, and in doing so unwittingly step over a bright red line into excessive risk that jeopardizes lifetime savings of defaulted participants near retirement
The Secret Metamorphosis of Target Date Funds
Ron Surz says non-oligarchs are taking the lead in solving the “one-size-fits-all” problem in TDFs
Custom Target Date Funds Need Personalization
Ron Surz says the critical requirement for an effective customized solution is sound risk management along personalized glidepaths
A Modest Proposal for Just Two Target Date Fund Benchmarks
As in "safe" vs. "risky"—and Ron Surz recommends using them to focus exclusively on performance in the Risk Zone
Who Suffers the Most in an Investment Market Crash?
Ron Surz says the pain meter is highest in the retirement “Risk Zone” when both rich and poor suffer the most