2. In our workshop you will learn how to utilize ten simple, lazy, low-maintenance investment portfolios that utilize index funds. Many investors are a bit wary of the concept of investing in the entire stock market average as represented by an unmanaged index stock mutual fund. However, some of the most sophisticated investors in the U.S., the administrators of institutional pension funds, invest billions of dollars in index funds because of their long term returns and low cost. They are the people who have the responsibility to do the right thing for many thousands of employees who are counting on their pension fund when they retire. There are a number of approaches you can take . In our workshop we will look at and discuss 10 simple, lazy-low-maintenance portfolios. What is the aim of this approach? It is to produce a portfolio of low-cost mutual funds investing in asset classes that are likely to outperform the S&P 500 Index and many, if not most actively managed mutual funds. In addition, we will examine and discuss such questions as ---- What is your greatest fear about retirement? ---How long will you live – how long should you plan for? ---How much money you will need to live on in retirement? --- Where will the money come from? --What is your personal tolerance for risk? Are you a conservative, moderate, aggressive investor? How should that influence how you allocate your assets? You will also participate in a risk assessment test that can help you to determine your tolerance for risk in investing. What kinds of assets will give you the returns you will need to achieve your goals---How do you combine those assets in the right proportions into a portfolio that is tailored specifically for you?- How can you learn to recognize and control the expenses of investing --- How do you develop a distribution plan that will give you the income you need in retirement along with the peace of mind of knowing you won’t run out of money? How can you benefit from our workshop? What we have learned from years of helping people, is that retirement planning - saving - investing is not easy and achieving retirement security requires time, adequate contributions to your plan and your active involvement. We know that you want an approach that is understandable, helpful and believable. We provide un-biased, independent, straight-forward, easy-to-understand and candid information - education that can help you do a better job. Interested in this workshop? Talk to the people in your benefits – compensation – HR office – your retirement plan administrator about this workshop and how it can help you and your fellow employees. Ask them to get in touch with us so that we can bring this informative program to your work place. We think you, the average investor, can gain a great deal from participating in this workshop. Email: [email_address] , phone: 607-255-4405 Index Fund Performance How has the investor in the average mutual fund performed in comparison with an index fund? Burton Malkiel, Professor of Economics at Princeton University, in his book, A Random Walk Down Wall Street , details the results “ In decade after decade, two-thirds to three-quarters of professionally managed funds are beaten by funds that simply buy and hold a broad-based stock-market index.” “ When you buy an actively managed fund, you can never be sure how well it will do relative to its peers. When you buy an index fund, you can be reasonably certain that it will track the index and that it is likely to beat the average manager handily.” Your Workshop Instructor Robert R. Julian, president of Retirement Planning Consultants, is an adjunct instructor at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. He has also served as Director of Media Services and Director of Management Training Programs at the School. He has taught graduate courses in the area of Organizational Communications. He also conducts workshops and seminars for the university on such topics as planning for retirement, conflict resolution, negotiation, communication. He is the author of RETIREMENT PLANNING HANDBOOK 1st and 2 nd edition, 1998. 2 The average investor earned less than the rate of inflation. The Dalbar study found that investors hold mutual funds for an average of 4.2 years, buying at the highs and selling at the lows. This results in the average investor greatly underperforming the market.