"We are on the precipice of the greatest retirement crisis in the history of the world. We are witnessing millions of elderly Americans, the Baby Boomers and others slipping into poverty. Too frail to work, too broke to retire will be the 'new normal' for many elderly Americans."

"The 401(k) plans that have become the primary source of retirement income for 60 million Americans were never designed to be retirement plans."

"The ugly truth, is that the 401(k) is a LOUSY PRODUCT, a FINANCIAL FLOP, a ROTTEN REPOSITORY for our retirement reserves. In what must seem like a cruel joke to many, the accounts proved the most dangerous for those closest to retirement."

The Rule of 72

Simply take the number of 72 and divide it by the expected rate of return to determine the number of years it takes money to double in value.

How does this relate to Risk?

Just as interest is compounded over time, so are losses. See how a 5% loss in year 2 reduces the projected principal by 11.4% after 10 years.

Actual vs Average

We can all look to see what AVERAGE rate of return we've had over a period of time. But do you understand how this differs from ACTUAL rate of return?

These numbers can be drastically different and can effect your portfolio balance significantly.

Zero is Hero

Can you afford to ride this roller coaster?

$100,000 hypothetically invested in an indexed account in 1999 outperformed the S&P 500 index through 2014.

Did You Know?

In an up and down market, fees can consume the majority of your portfolio leaving your retirement in shambles.

Even the department of labor weighs in on the subject. On their website, they warn investors that a 1% difference in investment fees can mean 28% less money at retirement.

USA TODAY Says...

"It's a crime that they are extracting somewhere around 3.5% to 4.8%, which is the lion's share of what the market returns on investments," says John Sullivan, a registered investment advisor. "Workers end up giving away half of their retirement savings."

-USA TODAY -8.25.09 Christine Dugas

Fees Kill Performance Over Time

See how $10,000 invested in 1970 with fees of just 1.5% results in a 24% account reduction in 20 years (1989) and a 45% account reduction over 44 years (2013).