Investing

All too often we make investing far more complicated than it really is. I was guilty of this when I first started investing back in 1993. Like the search for the Holy Grail, I was convinced that there was a perfect asset allocation plan. And I searched for it. I spent hours upon hours trying…

I recently read an article by John Bogle. The article, The Arithmetic of “All-In” Investment Expenses, is a very detailed piece about investing costs over and above what’s reflected in the expense ratio of a fund or ETF. There are four “hidden” mutual fund fees that aren’t captured in the expense ratio. That may come…

I’ve recently received a couple of emails from readers about Health Savings Accounts. One comes from Robert, who writes: And a podcast listener named Patrick wrote in to say: These emails spurred this podcast and blog post. We’ll cover three questions: What is an HSA (Health Savings Account)? How can you use an HSA to…

This is the eighteenth day of our 31-Day Money Challenge. Over 31 days we’ll publish 31 podcasts, each designed to help you move closer to financial freedom. Yesterday I interviewed author Larry Swedroe about his book, Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett. In today’s podcast, we cover how to build an asset allocation plan….

Is there a formula for creating a perfect portfolio? In this podcast episode, we answer a few listener questions and discuss what’s important for building a sound asset allocation plan. Year end is a perfect time to give your retirement and other investments an annual tune-up. Each year at this time I evaluate my 401(k),…

There are a lot of tools out there to track your investments. One of my favorites is Empower. It offers a free online financial dashboard that automatically tracks your investments and your spending. Today I have another option for you–a free spreadsheet that tracks your investments and tells you when it’s time to rebalance your…

An increasing number of businesses and individuals now rely on automated software and intelligent machines to help them in their work. This is because AI and ML-based software can make the decision-making process much easier, faster, and more efficient. You may not realize it, but intelligent machines are all around us helping us in our…

Dave Ramsey may have helped you climb out of debt, but should you now follow his investing advice? His views on investing have come under fire lately. From his claim that stocks return 12% annually to his love of growth mutual funds, professional advisors have not been shy about their criticism. (Save Like Dave Ramsey….

Evaluating your investment portfolio is a critical task for DIY investors. That’s particularly true if you have an investment advisor manage your money and are now considering taking over the reins. That’s exactly the situation of a reader named Dave who emailed me recently. He’s five to 10 years away from retirement. His investments are…