EconompicData has a nice, relatively brief post about the relationship between US Treasury bonds, TIPS, and inflation. I would hold either Treasuries or TIPS (or both) because they have the highest credit quality available, and that is a big part … [Read the rest]
Why I Hold TIPS in My Portfolio (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities)
Posted on June 28, 2015 // 3 Comments
Last updated: June 28, 2015
Best Frugal Chef’s Knife – America’s Test Kitchen (For 20 Years In a Row!)
Posted on June 26, 2015 // 23 Comments
Update: ATK just sent me a new review that considered newer chef's knives that have come onto the market, and the same knife won again! They say it has now been on top for 20 straight years. You can see the methodology and full rankings here, but … [Read the rest]
Last updated: April 25, 2019
Early Retirement Portfolio Income Update, Mid 2015
Posted on June 24, 2015 // 9 Comments
The closer I get to the reality of living off of my portfolio, the more I like the idea of living off dividend and interest income. However, you can't just buy stocks with the highest dividend yields and junk bonds with the highest interest rates … [Read the rest]
Last updated: August 9, 2018
Early Retirement Portfolio Asset Allocation Update, Mid 2015
Posted on June 23, 2015 // 20 Comments
Here's a mid-year update on my investment portfolio holdings for 2015. This includes tax-deferred accounts like 401(k)s and taxable brokerage holdings, but excludes things like physical property and cash reserves (emergency fund). The purpose of … [Read the rest]
Last updated: June 23, 2015
The Most Important Factor To Maximize In Your Portfolio
Posted on June 23, 2015 // 3 Comments
When it comes to constructing an investment portfolio for yourself, there are many things you could tweak and maximize. Obviously, you can look back at historical data and maximum past annual returns while minimizing volatility. For some, this … [Read the rest]
Last updated: June 23, 2015
Liquidating My LendingClub Loans Using Folio Investing
Posted on June 22, 2015 // 8 Comments
I recently finished liquidating the remaining loans in my $5,000 LendingClub P2P portfolio, but due to a unfortunate crash I lost many of my notes and screenshots. I can still share the most important parts like my final results and selling … [Read the rest]
Last updated: June 22, 2015
Financial Freedom and The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman
Posted on June 18, 2015 // 8 Comments
In the rush of our everyday lives, it's easy to lose sight of the real reasons why we work and toil every day. Money is a tool, not the end. I've seen several versions of this parable in various books and blog posts (like here and here), but … [Read the rest]
Last updated: June 18, 2015
The True Value of a Real, Human Financial Advisor
Posted on June 17, 2015 // 12 Comments
The hot buzzword right now is "FinTech", where technology will help us manage our finances more and efficiently than before. But I've also been tracking the reasons why working with a human advisor can be worth the money and time spent. As I've … [Read the rest]
Last updated: April 25, 2019
Big Data Knows If You’re Comparison Shopping… Or Not
Posted on June 17, 2015 // 7 Comments
One of the few benefits of getting older is that my car insurance premiums are much lower today than in my 20s. But is that low rate caused by insurance companies knowing that I recently switched high-speed internet and refinanced my mortgage … [Read the rest]
Last updated: February 9, 2017
All-Clad VIP Factory Sales: Limited-Time Discounts on Lifetime Cookware
Posted on June 15, 2015 // 5 Comments
All-Clad cookware is known to be very high quality, but also quite expensive. If you cook often, then the prices aren't so bad when you consider that the stainless steel pans will essentially last forever (skip the non-stick stuff). Frugal home … [Read the rest]
Last updated: June 15, 2015
Your Financial Plan & The Importance of Getting Started
Posted on June 14, 2015 // 2 Comments
I'm currently reading The One-Page Financial Plan by Carl Richards, who also writes for the New York Times. Given the title, I thought it would be a quick read but it turns out to cover a variety of topics over its 200+ pages. So far, I like … [Read the rest]
Last updated: April 25, 2019
Dynamic Withdrawal Rates: Increase Spending Flexibility, Improve Portfolio Sustainability
Posted on June 11, 2015 // 10 Comments
The WSJ has a nice introduction to dynamic withdrawal methods and managing your portfolio in retirement. They outline a few of the more popular variations - Adjusted 4%, Floor-and-Ceiling, and Guardrail. I like learning about dynamic strategies … [Read the rest]
Last updated: June 11, 2015
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