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What Should I Do With My Bond Funds?

April 10, 2013 – 10:58 pm | 6 Comments
What Should I Do With My Bond Funds?

Bonds are an essential part of any diversified portfolio.  Although we generally don’t expect the same high returns with bonds as we do with stocks, there is much less risk.  Bond funds can be a …

An Argument for the Social Security Program to Continue

February 3, 2013 – 10:09 pm | 4 Comments
An Argument for the Social Security Program to Continue

There are very few programs in the US which are understood less than the Social Security program.  You’ll hear a lot of mis-information about Social Security.  “You’ll never get what you put into it!”  “I’ll …

Reader Question on Investing for Beginners: Betterment.com Review

January 30, 2013 – 5:30 pm | 20 Comments
Reader Question on Investing for Beginners: Betterment.com Review

Today, we have a reader question about the site Betterment.com.  If you have a question for me, feel free to send me an e-mail.
Reader TA writes in:
I’m wondering if you’ve heard anything about the Betterment.com …

My New HSA Strategy – Rollovers and Trustee Transfers

January 22, 2013 – 7:29 pm | 14 Comments
My New HSA Strategy – Rollovers and Trustee Transfers

Since my company was acquired by an even larger one last year, 2013 will be our first full year under the new administration.  That means a whole lot of changes to our benefits and one …

Be Wary of Frontloading Your 401(k) Contribution and Losing Company Match

January 13, 2013 – 5:10 pm | 12 Comments
Be Wary of Frontloading Your 401(k) Contribution and Losing Company Match

January is a great time to re-assess your retirement accounts.  It’s important to review your 401k contribution and at least consider re-balancing your accounts at the beginning of every year.  You’ve probably made a couple New …

Why The Average Investor Should Choose Index Funds Over Picking Individual Stocks

November 7, 2012 – 5:23 pm | 14 Comments
Why The Average Investor Should Choose Index Funds Over Picking Individual Stocks

When it comes to picking stocks for a portfolio, the average investor is at a big disadvantage.  Now I’m not talking about investing in mutual funds, which can have big ol’ expense ratios baked into …

September CPI up 0.6%: I Bonds Rate Announced

October 17, 2012 – 11:41 pm | 25 Comments
September CPI up 0.6%: I Bonds Rate Announced

Tuesday was a big day at the bureau of labor statistics; they released the news that we’ve all been waiting for.  The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers(CPI-U) increased 0.6 %!  Ok I have …

Reader Question: Investing in Real Estate Without a Down Payment, What is an REIT?

October 10, 2012 – 11:12 pm | 6 Comments
Reader Question: Investing in Real Estate Without a Down Payment, What is an REIT?

Here’s a question from a reader named Bilbo Baggins, not sure if this his real name or not
“I’m fully convinced its a great time to buy property. However, I am not ready to …

Investing in I Bonds: An Intro to I Bonds for Young Investors

September 27, 2012 – 12:10 pm | 38 Comments
Investing in I Bonds: An Intro to I Bonds for Young Investors

For an update on I bonds rates as of(10/18/12), please see: November 2012 I bonds rates are announced: 1.76%.  
Believe it or not, the money in your savings and checking accounts is actually losing money. …

Part 3: How To Rebalance Your Retirement Accounts

September 16, 2012 – 11:40 am | 4 Comments
Part 3: How To Rebalance Your Retirement Accounts

[This is the third article in a three part series about re-balancing, the first article covered why to rebalance and the second covered when to rebalance your retirement accounts]
Even though asset allocation will determine over …

Part 2: When to Rebalance Your Retirement Accounts

September 11, 2012 – 9:55 pm | 8 Comments
Part 2: When to Rebalance Your Retirement Accounts

[This is the second article in a three part series about re-balancing, the first article covered why to rebalance and the last article will cover how to rebalance your retirement accounts]
A year in the life …

Part 1: Why Rebalance Your Retirement Accounts

September 9, 2012 – 5:07 pm | 12 Comments
Part 1: Why Rebalance Your Retirement Accounts

[This is the first article in a three part series about re-balancing, the next two articles will cover when to rebalance and how to rebalance your retirement accounts]
A crucial part to a successful investment portfolio …

Asset Allocation Guide: Why to Invest in International Index Funds

August 30, 2012 – 9:43 pm | 8 Comments
Asset Allocation Guide: Why to Invest in International Index Funds

If you followed the market from 2000-2009, you’ll know that US stocks got hammered.  Investing in international stocks wouldn’t have saved you from a period like that, but it could have helped.  International stocks provide …

Why Borrowing From Your 401k is a Bad Idea

August 15, 2012 – 11:16 pm | 8 Comments
Why Borrowing From Your 401k is a Bad Idea

A reader writes in:  ”Can you talk about when to take a loan from your 401k?  I took one a while back and I think it would be a good topic for discussion.”
There aren’t many …