Several years ago, I stumbled upon a quote from Dave Ramsey about credit card rewards. I’ll never forget those 11 words. : “No one ever says they got rich off of credit card points.” As I read his words, I knew immediately that he was wrong. One could build wealth through credit card rewards. In this sense, credit card rewards aren’t special. Savin…

In this episode, we'll look at three of the largest investing platforms, Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab. I'll share 7 things based on using these platforms for 20+ years.Oleh Rob Berger

Robinhood is promoting up to a 3% match on IRA contributions, and for a limited time, a 3% match on IRA transfers. A viewer asked me if I thought this was a good deal. In this video I'll share my thoughts on the program, some of the things to look out for, and why I ultimately decided not to transfer my IRAs to Robinhood. Join the Newsletter. It's …

Retirement isn't always a sunny walk in the park. While I have no regrets that I retired in my 50s, it hasn't been without its challenges. Here are 7 lessons learned after four years of retirement. Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...Oleh Rob Berger

In this video we'll look at a portfolio a viewer sent in to me. It's from their investment advisor, and we will be asking 5 key questions about the portfolio that I would ask if an advisor put me in the same portfolio. 1. What's the target asset allocation? 2. Have you made any changes to the target asset allocation? 3. How do you pick the funds to…

Vanguard recently launched an FDIC-insured account called the Vanguard Cash Plus Account. We'll review this new account, compare it to other FDIC-insured options, and compare it to money market accounts. Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...Oleh Rob Berger

In a recent video answering a caller's question, Dave Ramsey described those promoting the 4% Rule as "stupid," "goobers," and "morons. He described the 4% Rule as stupid and said he's "perfectly comfortable" with an 8% withdrawal rate. In this video, I'll describe his rationale and why I'm "perfectly comfortable" telling him he's wrong. New Retire…

Is buy and hold investing dead? A recent WSJ article suggests that the set-it-and-forget-it style of investing can't survive the current economic trends. I walk through my thoughts on the article, along with an important memo by value investor Howard Marks. Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...…

Not long ago investors had to pay the U.S. government for the privilege of owning TIPS. The real yields, that is the yield after factoring in inflation, were negative. Last year, as a phoenix rising, real yields broke above 0%. Today the real yield on 10-year TIPS is about 2.50%. This offers some intriguing options for those in or near retirement. …

A viewer emailed me asking how to buy gold. He knew I didn't personally invest in gold. But he asked how he might go about investing in gold. So in today's video we'll look at five important questions you must answer when buying gold: 1. Should you buy gold in a retirement or taxable account? 2. Does a gold IRA ever make sense? 3. Should you own ph…

7 simple steps anybody can take to address the fear of retiring. Video's Sponsor is New Retirement: https://go.robberger.com/new-retireme... The Retirement Planning Tools I Use: 1. New Retirement (Retirement Planning): https://go.robberger.com/new-retireme... 2. Empower (Investment Tracking): https://go.robberger.com/empower/yt-f... 3. Tiller (Budg…

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 succes…

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…

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…

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 …

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:…

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 inte…

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...Oleh Rob Berger

Today we'll start by looking at my investment portfolio. Then I'll answer your questions. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...Oleh Rob Berger

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:…

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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://robber…

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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 re…

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 o…

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 n…

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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 …

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 n…

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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 t…

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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 …

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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 v…

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. ————…

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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/?u…

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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...Oleh Rob Berger

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...…

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...Oleh Rob Berger

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...Oleh Rob Berger