Breadth, Momentum, and Asset Allocation Around Retirement Lazy, low-cost, broadly diversified ETF investors are momentum investors in disguise. Cap-weighted ETFs (such as VTI or VOO) use a momentum factor. Since they are cap-weighted, the better a stock does, the […]
Guardrails vs Other Withdrawal Strategies I’ve spent some time looking at withdrawal strategies during the spend-down phase of retirement. The planning software allows me to model several versions, including Guardrails, Floor and Ceiling, and also let future spending be […]
Best Retirement Podcasts 2024 Which podcasts are the best retirement podcasts for 2024? I like retirement podcasts, which are information-rich and focus on the planning or financial aspects of retirement. Other podcasts that cover the purpose and emotions of retirement […]
Are Target Date Funds Useful In Retirement? Let’s discuss reasons not to use target-date funds during the retirement drawdown phase. A fund-of-fund (like a target-date fund) is simple, efficient, and easy to manage during accumulation. Remember, though, that everything […]
Demographics and the 2020s There seems to be a worker shortage in the US right now. The job (and stock) market is hot despite recent dire recession calls. Why? What about Covid’s effect on the retirement of the Baby […]
HSA and Medicare Penalty: the HSA Medicare 6-Month Rule What is the HSA and Medicare Penalty? Did you know that Medicare enrollment impacts your ability to make HSA contributions? That is, you cannot make any HSA contributions when you are […]
QHFD: Qualified HSA Funding Distribution QHFD (Qualified HSA Funding Distribution). What a fun term. If you are less than 59 years old and have an HSA, consider funding it with your IRA. Especially if an inherited IRA or there is basis […]
Modeling and Building a Roth Conversion Ladder in Early Retirement Folks get confused when talking about Roth Conversion Ladders, a series of partial Roth IRA conversions, and backdoor Roth IRAs. Here, we are discussing early retirement and trying to access […]
Portfolio Stress Testing A Portfolio Stress Test is an important consideration when considering the resiliency of your current assets in light of future potential risks. Future risks include known risks—market crashes, for one—and potential risks such as inflation and longevity. […]