Brad here. Today's post was written by Michael Geraci, a supervisor on our Retirement Consulting Investment Services team. Take it away, Michael. 

Evaluating your 401(k) plan can be a brutal and daunting process. It may leave you with many questions about the investments available to you and how to best manage your account. It may even deter some from participating in the plan altogether. Fortunately, there are ways to help simplify the process. The first step? Understanding one of the most commonly used investment options within 401(k) plans: the target-date fund, or TDF.

Brad here. Today's post features an interesting discussion on how to measure portfolio performance. It was written by Brian Glazer, a senior investment consultant on our Investment Consulting Services team. Take it away, Brian.

Yesterday, we saw the largest stock market drop of the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down more than 800 points (over 3 percent), an even bigger decline than we saw earlier this month. Plus, we are on track for the worst week of the year. It is a tough time for markets, and investors are worried. But should they be?

Brad here. Today's post on playing the long game of investing (and golf) comes to you from Mick Comiskey, an investment risk analyst on our Investment Management and Research team. Take it away, Mick. 

In many aspects of life, if your expectations exceed the range of possibilities, you will be disappointed. This axiom is devastatingly true when it comes to investing—and infuriatingly true in the game of golf. The extended bull market in the U.S. has led to a widening gap between investor and advisor market expectations. A similar gap exists between the weekend golfer playing friends for lunch and the PGA Tour pro playing for a casual million dollars.

Brad here. Today's look at inflation and your portfolio is brought to you by Rob Swanke, a fixed income analyst on our Investment Management and Research team. Take it away, Rob.

Brad here. Today’s post is brought to you by Andrew Kitchings, a portfolio manager on our Investment Management and Research team. Over to you, Andrew.

Much of the media coverage surrounding markets relates to emotions. When the market rises, we read about the excitement. When the market declines, we hear how investors are worried. This commentary can be very evocative, but it is not very useful. What does it even mean when the market is “scared”?

Brad here. Today’s post comes from Chris Stuart, a senior investment research analyst on our Investment Management and Research team. Over to you, Chris.

Brad here. Today, we have a detailed look at what an inverted yield curve might mean for bonds from one of our great investment analysts, Nicholas Follett. Enjoy!

The past week has been a tough one for stock investors. The S&P peaked on July 26, and it has dropped every day since then for a total decline of almost 6 percent (as of the close of August 3). This is a large and fast drop that has understandably rattled investors, who wonder why the sudden pullback—and whether it will continue.

In July, U.S. markets were up overall, between 1 percent and 2 percent, and bonds also had gains as interest rates declined. Although international markets were down slightly, by about 1 percent or so, they remained above their long-term trend lines. From a financial perspective, July wasn’t a great month, but it was a pretty good one for investors.