Nevin's Data "Points"

My single memory of venturing out on Black Friday to shop came at the instigation of my “little” sister, who has long undertaken such forays. Nor was this to be a random shopping expedition — armed with circulars and coupons, she directed me and my two brothers with the fervor and furor of General Patton as to which stores we were to invade, the objective(s) of these intrusions, and in some cases, the line(s) in which we would take up residence while she pursued items she (apparently) did not trust to the pursuit of mere amateurs. Shopping for a new provider is not something one would normally compare with a Black Friday foray, but if you have a plan sponsor — or plan sponsor prospect — who’s thinking about shopping for a new provider, here’s a list they may find useful. Make a list — and yes, check it twice. In an area fraught with as much potential complexity as searching for a retirement plan provider, it’s easy to think you’ll learn what you need to look for by simply going...

A couple of weeks ago my better half told me that she thought it was time that we traded in two of our aging vehicles – one a car that is too small for our family, the other a van that now seems too big for all but cross-country trips – for something in the middle. I was amenable to the idea – until she mentioned that she didn’t think we needed to buy a new vehicle as a replacement. If you have ever in your life purchased a “pre-owned” anything, you’ll appreciate the dangers inherent in the principle of caveat emptor, literally “let the buyer beware.” That’s why, to this day, the notion of purchasing a used car practically causes me to break out in cold sweats. Not that lemons don’t roll off the new car lots every day – but there, at least, it seems that your odds are better – if not in terms of product, at least of obtaining satisfaction if something doesn’t work out. Buying a used car is, of course, as much art as science – particularly if you aren’t mechanically inclined. That’...