The Rob Berger Show (Rob Berger)

VOO vs. VTI--S&P 500 Index versus Total Stock Market Index Fund. 

Morningstar Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRfRq...
3-Fund Portfolio: https://robberger.com/go/3-fund-portf...

A viewer recently asked me if he was able to retire in two years. He provided his investment balances, projected expenses, and pension income. In this video we'll evaluate his situation to determine if he can retire.

To determine if you can retire, it's important to evaluate both your expenses and income in retirement. This can be challenging for several reasons:

1. Expenses are at best an estimate
2. Medical expenses can be a wild card
3. One-time and periodic expenses can be difficult to calculate
4. Future income (social security, pensions) may not start for years
5. Estimate how much of your investments you can spend each year is at best a rough estimate.

To help, I walk through two free tools in the video:

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

You'll often hear the phrase VOO and chill or sometimes VTI and chill. VOO is the ticker to Vanguard's S&P 500 index ETF (VTI is Vanguards total U.S. market ETF). The idea is to invest all of your money in the S&P 500 (or perhaps the total U.S. market) and just relax.

After my video showing my 2021 portfolio tracked the performance of the S&P 500 (more or less), many asked why I bothered with multiple asset classes and individual stocks. Why not just VOO and chill?

This video explains why, and more importantly, walks through some concepts that might help you decide what's best for your portfolio.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

TIPS vs I Bonds--What's the Best Way to Hedge Against Inflation?

TIPS (Treasury Inflation Protected Securities) and I Bonds both protect investors against unexpected inflation. Both bonds are also issued by the U.S. Government and are exempt from state and local taxes. Bu that's about where the similarities end.

There are key differences between TIPS and I Bonds that investors should know. We look at 8 key differences, along with the pros and cons of adding each to your portfolio.

As a bonus, we look at how one of them can help you save for a child's education.

Resources:

https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/...

https://investor.vanguard.com/mutual-...

https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

————————————
Timestamps
————————————
0:00 - Welcome to the Financial Freedom Show!
0:30 - Roth Conversions
15:13 - Reverse mortgage
16:24 - Is there a minimum where Roth Conversion doesn't make sense?
18:04 - BUFOX
21:47 - 11 stocks
25:26 - Thoughts on investing for college/529 Ohio/VTEP
27:05 - Defined Benefit Pension Plan
31:29 - Is there a downside of leaving target date funds in my portfolio?
33:42 - Why can't we invest non earned income into a Roth IRA?
34:37 - Good Morning Washington
35:33 - 90/10 or 80/20 for investing kids savings
36:32 - Timing the market
38:04 - Roth Conversions make sense if the market takes a downturn
38:50 - VB & VBR
40:56 - Accessing Roth Conversion after 5 years
42:35 - Transitioning from predominantly index fund investing to disciplined individual value                  stock investing in Roth
44:46 - Schwab vs Vanguard for retirement accounts
48:19 - Married couple Roth conversion
48:56 - Fulfilling promises to viewers
51:05 - Cash reserves account
52:17 - Betterment
54:58 - Qualified donations
56:41 - Tips on spending money during the accumulation phase
57:57 - Good asset allocation in stocks
1:00:25 - Most advantageous method to determine the profit or loss for tax reporting in a                     taxable account
1:01:58 - Changing allocation since my account is no longer a Roth
1:

There are two different 5-year rules for Roth IRA accounts. One applies to Roth IRA accounts and determines, in part, whether the withdrawal of earnings is subject to income tax. The second applies to Roth IRA conversions and determines whether a withdrawal will trigger the 10% penalty tax.

In this video we walk through both 5-year rules. We'll cover what they are, how they work, and what it means for retirement savings.

These are complicated rules, so be sure to check out the resources below. And as always, consult a tax professional before making any decisions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

————————————
Video Resources
————————————
IRS Publications--
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590b
https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcarls...

The True Cost of Actively Managed Mutual Funds (according to Vanguard founder John Bogle)

Actively managed funds are expensive. And it's not just the expense ratio. From transaction costs to tax inefficiencies, and cash drag to load fees, the cost of actively managed funds all but guarantee they will underperform an index fund over the long-term.

In this video we take a look at a portfolio sent in by a viewer. The portfolio was recommended by PNC Bank. For just a $100,000 account, they recommend almost 20 funds, many with expense ratios over 1.00%. On top of that, PNC wanted to charge 1.24% to manage this mess.

Resources mentioned in the video

John Bogle's article: http://johncbogle.com/wordpress/wp-co...
Personal Capital: https://robberger.com/go/personal-cap...
Tools & Resources
Morningstar: https://robberger.com/go/morningstar/...

📚  My Book (of course): https://amzn.to/2MsRJ9B
📈  Personal Capital: https://robberger.com/go/personal-cap...
💰  M1 Finance $30 Bonus: https://robberger.com/go/m1finance-bo...
🏆  Best Investment Tracking Apps: https://bit.ly/3wSbKZa

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

————————————
Video Resources & Timestamps
————————————

0:00 - Welcome to the Financial Freedom Show!
3:50 - Very important question!
5:00 - Including a Bond Index Fund or Bond ETF as part of a retiree's portfolio
8:40 - Favorite local restaurant
9:07 - Talking Real Money Guys/Morningstar
9:57 - GNMA in a bond portfolio
13:07 - Approach to bridge to access retirement accounts
15:43 - Placing HSA dollars into investment vehicles rather than leaving in cash
18:36 - How would one hedge holding other currencies, including digital currency?
20:32 - How to hedge against the weakening U.S. dollar
21:27 - Do I still need a Bond fund?
29:14 - Set schedule for my live shows
30:01 - How high of percentage inequities is best
32:22 - If the market beats the percentage, why would we pay off our loan?
36:01 - Am I better off using a brokerage account?
37:35 - Assessing current equity valuations for excess care
39:57 - Would I sell VTIP for BND or divide the fund equally between both?
42:14 - Modifying a 3 fund portfolio to include more higher risk higher reward allocation
43:42 - How to transfer your portfolio to other brokerages without triggering taxes
46:18 - VIPSX vs VBTLX
50:44 - Index maximalist
54:30 - AUM (Assets Under Management)/Fiduciary
58:38 - SCHY
1:00:52 - Long Term Care Insurance
1:05:04 - Would complexities in a portfolio become moot with Fintech innovation like M1 finance slices
1:05:42 - Sub 3 withdrawal rate
1:08:12 - Should I have a taxable account wi

The 60/40 Portfolio--Good, Bad, or Ugly? Article with resources: https://robberger.com/60-40-portfolio/

The 60/40 portfolio has powered retirements for decades. With 60% stocks and 40% bonds, this balanced fund offers equity-fueled growth and fixed income stability.

Today, however, many are calling into question the sustainability of the 60/40 portfolio. Some even argue that it’s dead and that retirees need take on more risk if they want to avoid outliving their retirement savings.

In this video we’ll take a deep dive into the 60/40 portfolio and whether it’s still a viable approach to investing for retirees.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

I'm going to cover the three tier system for earning credit card rewards. This is the system I've used over the past couple of years to generate nearly $30,000 in credit card rewards. We save and invest all of our rewards in M1 Finance. This system, however, can be used whether you save and invest the rewards like we do, or spend the rewards on travel or other purchases.

The great thing about this system is that it's very simple, and it will help about 99% of the people maximize their credit card rewards without carrying a dozen or more credit cards.

Tier 1 Credit Cards

Wells Fargo Active Cash: https://www.allcards.com/go/wf-active...
Citi Double Cash: https://www.allcards.com/go/citi-doub...
Fidelity Visa: https://www.fidelity.com/cash-managem...
BofA Premium Rewards: https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit-...

Tier 2 Credit Cards

Amazon Prime Visa: https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Rewards...
Target RedCard: https://www.target.com/redcard/about
Walmart Card:

I was convinced I'd live Vanguard Digital Advisor. It seems to check all the boxes. It uses low cost index ETFs. The service itself has a very reasonable cost of about 15 basis points. And it rebalances your investments for you, as you would expect from a robo-advisor.

After using the service, however, I reached a very different conclusion. There were numerous technological issues and its user interface is poorly designed. More importantly, it offers very few features and imposes limitations that make no sense.

Frankly, it's nothing more than a dressed up target date retirement fund and twice as expensive.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

————————————
Video Resources
————————————
Vanguard Digital Advisor: https://investor.vanguard.com/advice/...
Betterment: https://robberger.com/go/betterment/y...
Vanguard Target Date Funds: https://investor.vanguard.com/investm...
Morningstar Robo-Advisor Report: https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/ass...

Disclosure: Both Vanguard Digital Advisor and Betterment are advertisers, but they had no input into this video or even knew that I made it. Vanguard Target Date Funds are not an advertiser.

Vanguard released a paper claiming that advisors following its Alpha Framework can add up to 3% to an investor's long-term returns. Many advisors use this paper to sell their very expensive (1% of AUM or more) services. But is it legit?

Here's the paper: https://www.vanguard.com/pdf/ISGQVAA.pdf

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Rick Ferri's Core-4 portfolios are built using low cost index ETFs and mutual funds. With just four funds in each portfolio, Rick has created 6 portfolios for just about any investor. One Core-4 portfolio is designed for those worried about inflation, while another for those seeking income. He also has his Classic Core-4, ideal for long-term retirement funds.

In this video we explore all 6 of Rick's Core-4 lineup, along with specific funds you can use to implement any one of them. They are ideal for those wanting a Lazy Portfolio.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Should you use some or all of your retirement savings to buy an income annuity? That's the question we look at in this video. Called a Single Premium Immediate Annuity, these annuities don't come with all of the fees and complexities of other annuity products. Yet it can still be difficult to decide if you need one, when you should buy it, and how much you should invest.

In this video I'll share annuity calculators, an annuity formula and a number of resources that can help you decide whether an income annuity is right for you in retirement.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Rebalancing an investment portfolio doesn't need to be difficult, and it can actually increase your returns over time. Specifically, one study shows that Opportunistic Rebalancing can improve your returns by as much as 0.50%.

In this video, we look at that study and walk through how Opportunistic Rebalancing works. I'll cover some things to consider as you construct your investment portfolio, and give you a free tool that makes rebalancing easier.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

A viewer emailed me the following question:

"Rob - I hope this finds you well. I'm a fellow large law firm attorney, and I find your approach relatable and sound. I have a question regarding early retirement. I'm contemplating retiring in my early 50s. Currently all my bonds are held in 401K/traditional IRA vehicles, which ideally I would like to not touch until much later in retirement (i.e., when RMDs kick in) to take advantage of the tax deferral benefits. Since my brokerage account is 100% in equities, this could leave me exposed in early retirement if the market tanks and I don't want to have to sell equities at a low price. Is the answer just to build up 5 to 7 years worth of expenses in cash and municipal bonds in my brokerage account or am I missing something obvious? Thank you!"

It's a great question. And I do think there is an easier approach. Simply sell the stock funds in the brokerage account each year as necessary for distributions. And then rebalance. If stocks are down, this will involve selling bond funds in retirement accounts and using the proceeds to invest in stock funds.

Rebalancing after taking annual distributions avoids the problem of selling stocks in a down market. And this is true even if the distributions are taken from stock funds.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Living off dividends in retirement seems safe. Because you never have to sell shares of stocks, ETFs or mutual funds, you can never run out of money. Yet it's not quite that simple.

In this video we'll look at four major problems with living off dividends. Then will discuss why focusing on Total Return is a much sounder approach to investing in retirement. 

Finally, we will look at some reasonably safe ways to increase your dividend yield if you must.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Jack Bogle: "Never" Rebalance Your Investment Portfolio (and how to do it if you must) Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Resources Mentioned in the Video:

Investment Tracking Spreadsheet: https://robberger.com/investment-trac...
Opportunistic Rebalancing paper: http://resource.fpanet.org/resource/0...
Jack Bogle interview: https://www.morningstar.com/articles/...

Jack Bogle, the founder of Vanguard, argued that one should not rebalance their investment portfolio. He believed that doing so lowered long-term results. In this video we'll understand why he believed rebalancing was unnecessary, along with good reasons to rebalance a portfolio. I'll also cover how I use what's called Opportunistic Rebalancing in my investment portfolio.

#rebalancing #investing #RobBerger

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Should a well diversified portfolio include international stock funds? That's the question I'm covering in this video. I'll first walk through several reasons an international stock fund is NOT necessary. Then I'll explain why I nevertheless invest in international stocks. Finally, I'll cover what I think is the most important factor as you decide what is best for your investment portfolio.

Video Outline

- U.S. vs. International
    - Performance (Portfolio Visualizer)
    - Current Valuations (VTI vs VXUS--Morningstar)
- Reasons NOT to own international stocks
    1. Warren Buffett & Jack Bogle
        - Warren Buffett Portfolio--https://robberger.com/warren-buffett-...
        - Bogle on Investing
            - https://www.morningstar.com/articles/...
            - https://jasonzweig.com/invest-globall...
    2. International stocks may have lower valuations for a reason
    3. The U.S. is the best place to invest
        -  entrepreneurial
        - Soundest institutions
        - Excellent governance
        - Well diversified economy
    4. U.S. companies do business around the world (so we already have int'l exposure)
        - About 50% of revenue and earnings come from abroad
    5. Diversification may not be that great
        - U.S. Small Cap Value may provide more diversification
            - https://www.morningstar.com/articles/...
    6. Many countries are unstable politically, economically or both
- Why I own international stocks

This video walks through how to set up a 3 Fund Portfolio in Vanguard. We then compare that to setting up the same portfolio in M1 Finance and Betterment.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

A Health Savings Account (HSA) offers better tax advantages than any other type of account. The catch is that the money must be used for Qualified Medical Expenses to avoid taxes (and a possible 10% penalty)

In this video I walk through 3 aspects of HSAs, 6 strategies on how to use an HSA, and how best to invest money in an HSA based on the strategy used.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

A Roth IRA is arguably the single best way to save for retirement. One question I receive frequently is how to invest in an IRA. And specifically, is a 3-fund portfolio a sound approach to investing in an IRA. The short answer is that it's an excellent approach for beginners just starting out.

There is one situation, however, where I would make an adjustment. If you also have traditional retirement accounts, I would use them for the bond allocation, reserving the Roth IRA for stock ETFs and mutual funds.

Investing for short term goals of 5 years or less can be tricky. Savings accounts pay about 0.50%, but stocks can lose money in the short term. Many saving for a down payment on a house face this problem.

In this video I'll cover an approach that can enable short-term savers to benefit from stock market returns without taking excessive risk of losing money over the next few years.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In this video we look at a portfolio of a viewer who is 10 years from retirement. Her advisor has her invested in a 50/50 portfolio. We'll look at the "Smart Sector" and Momentum ETFs she has, consider the impact of the 50 basis point fee, and examine whether a 50/50 portfolio makes sense.

I've received hundreds of emails from viewers asking me questions about their investments. They want to understand whether their investment portfolio is sound. While I'm not a financial advisor, I do believe do it yourself investors can evaluate their own portfolios with the help of some free tools.

In this video I walk through how I evaluate an investment portfolio. I could also be useful for those just starting to invest. I hope you find it helpful in your own investing journey.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

A viewer recently sent me a portfolio with nearly 20 ETFs and mutual funds. She didn't create it. An advisor from a major bank recommended it. Ridiculous.

The truth is that the number of mutual funds you own tells you nothing about how well diversified the portfolio is or what types of investments you have. A single mutual fund can give an investor exposure to U.S. stocks, bonds, international stocks, REITs, and even commodities. 

The fewer mutual funds you have, the easier it is to understand and manage your portfolio. This becomes really important when you go to rebalance your investments. It's also critical as you head into retirement and start making withdrawals from you investments each year.

In this video, I explain why for the vast majority of investors, all you need is 3 funds.

The 4% Rule of retirement spending is used to plan spending in retirement. The rule says you can spend 4% of your nest egg in the first year of retirement. In subsequent years you adjust the amount by the rate of and inflation. Following this approach gives you a ver good chance of not running out of money in retirement.

The 4% Rule, however, assumes no investment fees. Add even a small amount of fees and your spending in retirement must go down. Add 1% or more in fees, and retirement spending must go down a lot.

In this video, we look at just how investment fees lower how much you can spend in retirement. We look at fees ranging from 0.10% to 3%.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Robo-Advisors can be a low cost way to get help with your investments. There are several that I like and have used: https://robberger.com/best-robo-advis...

However, not all automated investing services are created equal. And some that are marketed as "free" actually have some hidden costs. In this video I take a look at SoFi Automated Investing and Schwab's Intelligent Portfolios to undercover the hidden costs in both services.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

A viewer asked whether he could retire at the age of 49 with a 100% portfolio of VTI (Vanguard's total U.S. Stock Index ETF) using the 4% Rule. I think there are at least 3 big concerns with this plan:
1. The 4% rule assumed a 30 year retirement;
2. It found that a 100% stock portfolio could fail a 30 year retirement in some markets
3. A 100% U.S. stock allocation makes a big bet on the U.S. over the next 4 or 5 decades.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm... Click "Show More" to see Ad Disclosure

Fidelity launched its ZERO index funds in 2018 to much fanfare. As their names suggest, these funds carry no expense ratios, a first in the industry.

As great as a “free” mutual fund may sound, however, many wonder whether there is a catch. Recently a viewer named Samir asked the following questions:

"Could you please share your thoughts on Fidelity ZERO funds vs their fee based funds?Fidelity ZERO International Index Fund (FZILX)Fidelity ZERO Total Market Index Fund (FZROX)Fidelity ZERO Large Cap Index Fund (FNILX)Fidelity ZERO Extended Market Index Fund (FZIPX)

Is FNILX + FZIPX = FZROX ?

ZERO funds have no fees, but other than cost, do you see any reason why one should invest in fee based instead of zero funds?

If you could please create video and share your thoughts, that would be very helpful."

Let’s dive into the details to get a better understanding of the Fidelity ZERO funds.

The Fidelity Contrafund (FCNTX) is a popular growth stock fund. In this video we take a deep dive on the fund to see if it's worth adding to our investment portfolio. In the process we'll look at growth vs value stock investing, active vs passive funds, and how to evaluate a fund's performance.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Defensive Investing--How to Prepare for a Market Crash (In Advance)

With stocks, bonds and real estate at all-time highs, it's just a matter of time before we see a market correction, or worse. It doesn't help that our government is borrowing trillions of dollars, funded by a Fed who is buying bonds.

The question for investors is whether we should make changes to our portfolio today in preparation for the coming crash. If we should make changes, what should they be and when should we make them? And then there's the question of when we reverse any changes we make.

In this video we look at a Morningstar study on the diversification benefits of various asset classes based on their performance in past market crashes.

Morningstar Study: https://www.morningstar.com/content/d...

#RobBerger #marketcrash #investing

Sallie Mae 2.20% No-Penalty CD: https://www.allcards.com/best-savings...
Personal Capital Tesla Promotion: https://robberger.com/go/personal-cap...

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Harold Evensky, the father of the Bucket Strategy.

Here are some resources from the show:
--Mr. Evensky's newsletter: https://evensky.com/resources/
--His most recent newsletter: https://files.myprimitive.cloud/uploa...
--His book (free on Kindle): https://www.amazon.com/Hello-Harold-V...

And some of his published papers:
--Modern Fool’s Gold: Alpha in Recessions: http://www.empirical.net/wp-content/u...
--The Efficacy of Publicly Available Retirement Planning Tools: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.c...
--The Benefits of a Cash Reserve Strategy in Retirement Distribution Planning:

Several viewers have recently asked me whether it makes sense to claim social security at 62 if you plan to invest the money. At first, it seems like a solid strategy. While your monthly benefit will be lower, you get years of investment returns you'd otherwise forfeit.

It turns out, however, that the issue is a bit more complex. First, depending on your investment returns, claiming social security at 62 may or may not turn out in your favor.

The arguably more important issue, however, is taxes. Claiming social security at 62 could affect everything from how much your social security benefits are taxed to IRMAA premiums or ACA credits. It could also affect a Roth conversion strategy.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Personal Capital (Investment Tracking, Retirement Planning): https://robberger.com/go/personal-cap...

Today we look at a portfolio constructed by an investment advisor. This is a person who has a fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest of their clients. The result? I high fee portfolio on top of the 1% advisor fee. As you'll see, this portfolio could easily cost an investor $500,000 or more in lost wealth.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

With inflation and interest rates on the rise, many have asked me about bond alternatives. While I haven't changed my investments, including the bonds funds I own, I do understand the concern over bond funds that have lost money this year.

So in this vide we will first looked at 4 alternatives to a traditional total U.S. bond fund.

Then we'll look at four bond alternatives.

And finally, we'll look at four investments many list as a bond alternative that really aren't a good alternative at all. In this section I should have included covered call ETFs. These are investments that can have a very high yield (8% or more). The problem is they can lose a lot of value, which takes away from the yield. And their risk as measured by standard deviation are often 3x that of a total U.S. bond fund.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Investors today are nervous about bonds because of the historically low yields. The fear is that as interest rates rise, the value of existing bonds will fall. In this video we'll walk through bond investing for beginners. I'll cover how bonds work, my approach to bonds, and some suggesting bond funds.

If you find this information useful, consider joining my weekly newsletter:

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Note: At 26:14 my reference to I bonds should have been TIPS.

I used Capitalize to Rollover a 401k to an IRA. It's totally free and very easy to use: https://robberger.com/go/capitalize/y...

Get a free estimate of term life insurance in 20 seconds with Haven Life Insurance: https://robberger.com/go/haven-life/y...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

As robo-advisors go, Betterment is one of the best in my opinion. It offers excellent features (e.g., automatic rebalancing, tax loss harvesting, excellent planning tools) at a reasonable price. But how does Betterment's Core Portfolio of 10 ETFs stack up to the simple, humble 3-fund portfolio?

We put both to the test in this video.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Investing for a child's education presents at least two challenges. First, we don't have a lot of time to save and invest. In most cases, we have 18 years, and in many cases, a lot less. Second, Once they graduate from high school, they need the money quickly over the next few years. In this way it's very different than retirement, where we plan to spend our nest egg over 30 years or more.

In this video, we are going to use Utah's excellent 529 plan as a framework on how to invest for a child's education. And a big thanks to a viewer named Dan who put together an awesome spreadsheet to help us.

Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Utah's 529 Plan: https://my529.org/

My Morningstar Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRfRq...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Get free help with your 401(k) Rollover to an IRA with Capitalize: https://robberger.com/go/capitalize/y...

When you leave a job, whether to retire, take another job, or leave the workplace for a time, an important question is what to do with your 401(k), 403(b) or other workplace retirement plan. In this video we walk through the three primary options:

1. Leave it with your former employer,
2. Transfer it to your new employer's 401(k), or
3. Roll it over to an IRA

We'll discuss the pros and cons of each option, along with some advanced strategies to consider.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

According to one study, cybercrime will cost the world $10.5 trillion a year by 2025. Today, every financial account from banks to credit cards to investments offer online access. For investors, the risk of loss from cybercrime ranks as the #1 concern.

Fortunately, there are steps we can all take to increase our online security. For very little money, we can significantly reduce the likelihood that a computer hacker will gain access to our financial accounts. Here are 10 steps you can take to help secure your online accounts.

NordVPN:  https://robberger.com/go/nordvpn/yt-70
LastPass: https://lastpass.com
Norton: https://www.nortonlifelock.com/us/en/

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

The rules of IRA contributions can be confusing. Get them wrong and you could make a costly mistake or lose out on a chance to save more for retirement. In this video we'll cover these 10 IRA contribution rules:

1. Contributions limits
2. Catch-up contribution limits
3. Income limitations on IRA contributions
4. Limits on deducting IRA contributions
5. Roth IRA contribution income limits
6. Age limits on IRA or Roth IRA contributions
7. Spousal IRA
8. Contributing to both a 401(k) AND an IRA
9. What if you contribute too much?
10. 2021 contribution deadline

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Compound interest has been called the 8th wonder of the world. Understanding how it works and harnessing its power is key to building wealth. In this video will walk through 7 simple calculations that show the true power of compounding. I'll also show how to get a simple, free compound interest calculator.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Retirement calculators can help us plan and prepare to retire. When we are years away, these online tools can help us determine how much we should be saving. As we approach our time to retire, they can help us understand how much we can spend each year and which accounts should fund that spending.

Not all retirement tools, however, reach the same result. They take different approaches to what is a complex series of calculations and assumptions. One study examined five popular retirement planning software packages and found stark differences in outcomes. As a result, it recommended that individuals use “multiple programs before implementing an action plan based on the results.”

To that end, here is a list of the best retirement calculators, planners and software tools.

Some financial advisors put clients in 10, 20 or even more ETFs and mutual funds. Some think they do this to make investing look complex and to justify their unreasonable fees. Regardless of the reason, it makes understanding the portfolio more difficult, and for no good reason.

In this video I walk through my 3-step process for simplifying any investment portfolio. We look at a viewer's 11-fund portfolio and how to simplify it down to 5 funds.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In most cases, distributions from a 401k, IRA or other retirement account before the account owner reaches the age of 59.5 are subject to a 10% penalty. There are, however, a number of exceptions. Some of the exceptions are unique to IRAs, while others are unique to 401k and other Workplace Retirement Plans.

Generally, I classify these exceptions into one of three types: hardship exceptions, invest in your future exceptions, and early retirement exceptions. Our focus in this video are 3 early retirement exceptions that can help you avoid the 10% penalty if you retire before turning 59.5 years of age.

Target date retirement funds make investing easy. With just one fund you get immediate diversification across U.S. stocks, international stocks and bonds. The best target date funds have low expense ratios and a sound asset allocation strategy.

In this vide we'll look at 3 of the best target date retirement funds. We'll also look at one to avoid and why. Finally, we'll take a look at what's called the glidepath and why target date retirement funds are often not ideal once you reach retirement.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Here are 3 of my favorite portfolio trackers, starting with Personal Capital--https://robberger.com/go/personal-cap...

A portfolio tracker helps to manage multiple investment accounts, including retirement and taxable accounts, as well as HSAs. The best portfolio trackers are free or low cost, offer an easy user interface, and provide useful information about your portfolio.

My favorite is Personal Capital. It's free, offers excellent tools to evaluate asset allocation, investment fees and retirement readiness. And its combination of charts and tables make understanding the data very easy. It tracks my dividends and interest. And while I don't own crypto, Personal Capital can track the value of digital tokens for those who own Bitcoin, Ether, and other coins.

There are other options, of course. In this video I cover 3 of the better investment trackers. In the article linked to below, I go over 8 options.

How long term capital gains are taxed is a source of confusion for many. Some of the questions I've heard--

Can long-term capital gains put me in a higher tax bracket for ordinary income?
Does my ordinary income affect my capital gains tax?
Is there really a 0% tax bracket for long term capital gains and how does it work.

To be clear, I am not a tax professional. I have spent a lot of time study this issue, particularly as I enter retirement with much lower ordinary income.

In this video we'll look at the mechanics of long term capital gains tax, including how to works with ordinary income and deductions. We'll also cover something called the bump zones, where ordinary income can push us into higher long term capital gains tax rates. 

We'll cover three tax planning strategies in retirement and how long term capital gains tax can help us pay less in taxes.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Today we take a detail look into a fairly new financial planning software called Projection Lab. As you'll see, the tool offers a lot of features and an excellent user interface for a reasonably price.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Many claim that the 60/40 portfolio is dead. They argue that because of interest rates, inflation, and bond returns this year, a retiree should no longer rely on a portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds.

Here's why I believe that the 60/40 portfolio is as valid today as it has ever been.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

We'll begin discussing Dave Ramsey's view of a safe withdrawal rate in retirement. Then I'll cover your questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In today's video we answer a viewer's question about retirement portfolios. Specifically, does it make sense to have a 100% bond portfolio in retirement?

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Today we'll start by comparing brokered CDs with Bank CDs. I'll then do a review of a viewer's portfolio. Then we'll turn to your questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Today we talk about two words that can help us accomplish the impossible. Then I answer your questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Living off dividends in retirement can be a very safe approach to retirement spending. But it has nothing to do with the dividend. Here's why.

In addition to what's in the video, living off of dividends may not keep up with inflation. That's particularly true with higher yielding investments.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

We'll begin by talking about a simple method to test various retirement scenarios. Then I'll answer your questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Today I'll discuss how I pick individual companies to invest in, and the downsides of stock ownership. Then I'll answer your questions.


Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

A total international fund will include some exposure to emerging markets. The question we cover in this video is whether we should seek additional exposure through an emerging market ETF or mutual fund.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In this video I update my credit card rewards strategy, including our current balance we've accumulated just from credit cards. I also walk through a simple 3-card strategy you can use to generate on average 3% or more in cash back.

We'll also look at how one can build wealth with credit card rewards or improve spending outcomes in retirement.
————————————
Credit Cards Mentioned in this Video
————————————
Citi Double Cash: https://bit.ly/3SDoOwe
Chase Freedom Unlimited: https://bit.ly/3f7nDHs
Amex Blue Cash Preferred: https://bit.ly/3gLDnk3
Wells Fargo Bilt Card: https://creditcards.wellsfargo.com/bi...
Chase Business Ink Premier: https://bit.ly/3gyY56r

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Must investors have multiple accounts. These may include 401(k) and 403(b) accounts, any number of IRAs, taxable accounts, and even HSAs. Multiple accounts raise an important question. Should you implement you replicate your asset allocation plan within each account or just make sure your portfolio as a whole matches your investment plan?

In this video will cover the following:
0:00 How to Invest With Multiple Accounts and Account Types
1:00 Simplicity
1:50 Investment Tracking Spreadsheet
2:30 Investment Options
3:15 Taxes--Asset Location
5:00 After-Tax Asset Allocation

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Here are 8 action items I review at the end of each year. They help me make sure I'm not missing anything for 2022, and they prepare me for 2023.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

We'll begin tonight discussing the upcoming battle over the debt ceiling, and how our nation's debt and interest payments may affect a retiree's future. Then I'll turn to your questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Warren Buffett just released his annual letter to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway. Here 7 powerful lessons every investor can learn from the Oracle of Omaha's letter.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

The Vanguard Dynamic Spending Rule is one of several retirement withdrawal strategies that use the guardrails concept. The idea, in theory, is to generate a spending plan that has some of the annual spending consistency of the 4% Rule, while at the same time remaining sensitive to market fluctuations.

I'll walk through how the rule works, its pros and cons, and a free tool that will enable you to test the Vanguard Dynamic Spending Rule for yourself.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

For those considering moving their TSP investments to an IRA, here are mutual funds and ETFs that mirror the C Fund, S Fund, I Fund and F Fund of the Thrift Savings Plan. We also look at the G Fund, which doesn't have an alternative.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

We'll start by discussing what's called the SEC Yield of a bond fund. Then we'll turn to your questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

The CBO released a report estimating that under current law, Social Security benefits will be cut by 23% in 2034. For those who can claim Social Security between then and now, the potential cut raises an important question. How should the potential cuts affect when you claim social security?

In this video we use the free tool Open Social Security to answer this question.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Tonight we'll start by discussing what makes up a comprehensive retirement withdrawal strategy. Then we'll discuss your questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Maxifi is retirement planning software designed by Boston University professor Larry Kotlikoff. I've spent several days trying out the software, and this video is my review of the tool.

There are several things I like about the tool. Data entry is easy. It doesn't require input of detailed investments or even a budget. Beyond housing, it asks for no spending details. Instead, it provides you with how much the tool calculates you can spend each year in retirement.

Its social security tool is also robust. For example, you can upload your earnings history from SSA, which the tool uses to calculate your best claiming strategy.

That said, Maxifi is not a tool I can recommend or plan to use. Its spending calculations do not account for the sequence of returns risk. It uses very conservative default settings, without explaining the consequences of these assumptions. And I found the tool overall not very transparent when it comes to understanding how the calculations were performed or how the various assumptions affect the results.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

A list of the best 0% APR and balance transfer credit cards: https://www.allcards.com/interest-fre...

In this video we'll walk through the strategy my wife and I used to get out of credit card debt many years ago. We used 0% balance transfer cards, which eliminated our interest payments and helped us get out of debt faster and for less money.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

I'll start by sharing some excellent books I'm reading right now. Then we'll turn to your questions.

The Power Broker: https://amzn.to/3IF9woO
Convict Conditioning: https://amzn.to/3XTEeiA
Psychology of Money: https://amzn.to/3kgBjTd
The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control: https://amzn.to/3Kvvko2
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking: https://amzn.to/3kgoCYE

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Avantis launched this year a global stock ETF called the Avantis All Equity Markets ETF. In one ETF it can cover the entire stock portion of a portfolio. In this video I'll discuss the pros and cons of this fund from my perspective.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

We'll start by discussing the relative safety of FDIC-insured bank accounts versus T-bills in light of the debt ceiling. Then I'll take your questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

You've found a bank with a great savings or CD rate, but it's in another state and you've never heard of it. Or perhaps you just want to know how safe your existing bank is.

In this video we'll cover four free tools you can use to confirm that a bank or credit union is federally insured (FDIC or NCUA) and whether it's financially stable.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

The banking crisis continues, with PacWest and other regional banks struggling in the stock market and to raise capital. The news prompted my mom to text me asking if she should be worried. In this video I answer her questions, covering the following topics.

1. How this banking crisis is different than 2008
2. Whether we should abandon small and regional banks and put all of our money in big banks
3. How to protect your cash wherever you bank
4. And a possible investment opportunity for those who believe in the future of regional banks.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

We'll start tonight with a discussion of how to manage uncertainty when it comes to retirement planning. Then I'll answer your questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

With the recent banking crisis, I've received a lot of emails asking me two related questions. First, what would happen to our investments at a broker if that broker failed. Second, what would happen to an ETF or mutual fund if the company behind the fund failed?

We cover both of these questions in today's video.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In this video I'll explain why bonds are a better, long-term investment than cash, particularly for those in retirement.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Saving for retirement can be a struggle in the best of circumstances. For those 50 or older who have saved little if anything, retirement can seem impossible. In this video I walk through seven concepts, strategies and tools to help those who have gotten a late start save for a comfortable retirement at a reasonable age.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Today we'll start by looking at my investment portfolio. Then I'll answer your questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In this video, I ask ChatGPT some questions about sophisticated investing and retirement topics. Here are a few examples:

What is the 3-fund portfolio?
Is the 4% Rule still valid?
What Fidelity funds can we use to build the 3-fund portfolio?

The responses ChatGPT returned were amazing. It's not perfect, but it's very good. And while artificial intelligence won't replace financial advisors any time soon, it definitely can be part of our own research into financial questions.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

We know that dollar cost averaging (DCA) underperforms lump sum investing (LSI) about two-thirds of the time. That's because stocks tend to go up more often than they go down. But does LSI beat DCA when stock market valuations are high compared to historical averages, as they are now? That's the question we cover  in this video.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

The debt ceiling crisis is taking us closer to the "X Date," the date the U.S. would start to default on its obligations. Many have asked me what would happen if the unthinkable occurred and the U.S. did in fact default. In this video I'll share four things:

1. A brief history of the debt ceiling
2. Ramifications of a debt ceiling crisis that gets resolved
3. Ramifications if the U.S. actually defaults
4. What, if anything, we should do to prepare

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

I seem to be fighting a never ending battle against "dividend investing." Don't get me wrong, dividends are an important part of the returns equity investors receive from stocks and stock funds. The problem comes when we misunderstand the nature of dividends and the role they should play in our portfolio.

One mistaken belief I see is that dividends are necessary for compounding, or that a higher dividend yield results in more compounding. Nothing could be further from the truth, as we discuss in this video.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Morningstar Investor replaces the old Morningstar Premium subscription service for retail investors. It brings a much needed facelift to Morningstar's portfolio tracker. While it offers features that may be valuable to some investors, it still has a long way to go before being the type of tool most investors will find useful for the money.

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Investment fees rob you of your wealth. High investment fees, such as the industry standard 1% of assets under management AUM, can literally cost you hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars over a lifetime.

But what about investment fees once you retire? It turns out that a 1% fee in retirement can significantly lower the chance of success of your retirement plan and reduce your spending by 10% or more. In this video we look at 3 tools you can use to understand the impact of investment fees on your retirement plan.
 
Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...