The greatest marketing machine in the world is Wall Street. The problem is most of the products hyped by the street do a great job of creating wealth for the salesperson, but do little to help most Americans achieve financial success. I offer a process, not a product, and investment advice grounded in the following principles:

• No one can predict the future – Investment portfolios should be designed to capture the market’s return. Trying to beat the market is very expensive, carries more risk, and in most cases is not successful.

• Cost matters – The internal cost of your investments is a direct drag on performance. Low cost investments should be used whenever possible.

• Diversification – For long term investors, every portfolio, whether large or small, should have exposure to many different asset classes. This reduces volatility and enhances long term returns.