In this episode we answer emails from Mark, Casey, and Kyle. We discuss transitioning from a drecky complicated Personal Capital/Empower portfolio to a simple risk-parity style portfolio, the song "Anchorage", and Sam Kinison's take on an IUL policy. Links: Father McKenna Center Donation Page: Donate - Father McKenna Center Mark's Portfolio Analysis: Backtest Portfolio Asset Class Allocation (portfoliovisualizer.com) Testfol.io Analysis of Mark's Portfolio: testfol.io Larry Kennedy Album on Spot...
Jun 20, 2024•29 min•Season 4Ep. 346
In this episode we answer emails from David, Eric from Cincy, and Pete. We discuss Mike Green's recent commentary about index fund trends and whether its a problem, ROAD HOUSE, children, and Larry Swedroe's esoteric personal portfolio. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional links: Mike Green Interview: Michael Green: Market Efficiency Is Not The Question | Rational Reminder 302 (youtube.co...
Jun 09, 2024•34 min•Season 4Ep. 345
In this episode we answer emails from Dr. Anonymous, Lance, John and Eli. We discuss how to find a lawyer, extended term bond funds, gold ETFs and how ETFs are constructed. Links: Father McKenna Center Donation Page: Donate - Father McKenna Center John's Gold ETF link: 9 low cost physical Gold ETFs for portfolio parity - SmartMoneyToolbox ETF Article: Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF): What it is and How to Invest (investopedia.com) "Authorized Participant" Article: What Is an Authorized Participant? D...
Jun 06, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 344
In this episode we answer emails from Stuart, George and MyContactInfo. We discuss a follow-up on another listener's accumulation portfolio, the foibles of trying to predict future interest rates and common fallacious reasoning, levered inverse treasury bond funds and other funds that do well in rising interest rate environments, and a follow up on our target date fund rant episode (#333). Links: Portfolio Visualizer Analysis of UPRO and synthetic alternatives: Backtest Portfolio Asset Allocatio...
May 30, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 343
In this episode we answer emails from Jeff, James and Graham. We discuss standard deviations and other metrics and tools at Portfolio Charts, revisit Episode 194 regarding the "Cockroach" portfolio, timing the transfer of a 401k to and IRA for better management options and some reasons for holding on to traditional IRAs and not converting them. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional links:...
May 26, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 342
In this episode we talk about some recent unfavorable changes to Portfolio Visualizer, have a look at a new backtesting tool, and then get back at it with emails from James, Andrew, Phil and Frodo. We discuss how flexible withdrawal strategies improve safe withdrawal rates and how we use them as a fail-safe or backstop to our 3-1-1 plan, options for financing buying a house, a funny Avengers video and transitioning grandma's 19-fund portfolio to something simpler and better. Links: Rob Berger Vi...
May 23, 2024•35 min•Season 4Ep. 341
In this episode we answer emails from Scott, Midas, and Neil. We discuss national debt apocalypse theories, the misuse and cherry-picking involved in bad data analyses and umbrella insurance. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional links: Reinhardt & Rogoff Book: This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly by Carmen M. Reinhart | Goodreads Money For The Rest of Us Nationa...
May 12, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 340
In this episode we answer emails from Average Joe, Matt, Kimbrough and Jon. We discuss goooooold, Matt's proposed portfolio, preferred shares fund PFF and how often to look at your portfolio without going insane. But first we discuss a recent article from David Blanchett recognizing that a 5% withdrawal rate ought to be the standard for financial planners and a New York Times article about financial independence and the EconoMe conference. Links: David Blanchett 5% Rule Article: Is the 4% Rule T...
May 09, 2024•36 min•Season 4Ep. 339
In this episode we answer emails from Kimbrough from Anchorage and anonymous Visitors from British Columbia and Denver. We discuss fish hatching and slaughterhouses, long term treasury bond funds, the inherent problems and inefficiencies with many popular but inflexible withdrawal plans, and how we use our flexible 3-1-1 guidelines to match and maximize spending, fixing a cash hoarding problem and why you want a growth/value split in your stock allocations. Links: Security Analysis Podcast with ...
May 02, 2024•33 min•Season 4Ep. 338
In this episode we answer emails from Steve, Mark, and Judy. We take a frolic and detour into talking about going to law schools, talk about some Rob Berger videos and bucketeering, robo-advisor things and why they are not very helpful, and better choices. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional links: Father McKenna Center Spring 2024 Newsletter: Newsletter Spring 2024 - Father McKenna Cen...
Apr 28, 2024•48 min•Season 4Ep. 337
In this episode we answer emails from Zane, Slim Jim, and Jim Kirk. We discuss recent moves in world gold markets, good and bad mental models of collective action and critical events, including Mimetic Theory and fractal sand pile models, avoiding the physical metals racket, the data and evidence showing that retirees experience inflation at a much lower rate than the CPI (and most financial planners and DIYers get this completely wrong, resulting in bad planning), and the new global portfolio a...
Apr 25, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 336
In this episode we answer emails from Anderson, Brian and Drew. We entertain ourselves on 4/20 with Anderson's "Uncle Frank" Portfolio and learn something from it, discuss asset swapping for management of retirement accounts with a hat tip to Justin (Risk Parity Chronicles), and discuss the new Global Portfolio analysis and tools from Tyler at Portfolio Charts. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . ...
Apr 21, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 335
In this episode we answer emails from Kyle, Andrew, Sameer and James. We discuss some portfolio comparisons of levered 60/40 portfolios, interpreting and comparing safe withdrawal rates from various calculators and their practical application in consideration of variable expenses and needs (our 3-1-1 flexible withdrawal plan), the foolish consistencies of DIYer and financial planners who seem to enjoy discouraging retirement spending, and recent articles about Fidelity's spat with some ETF provi...
Apr 18, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 334
In this episode we answer an email from Ingrid. We discuss target date funds in depth and why they are not good choices for investors. We review their history and recent academic research that reveals the truth. You may not like it, but we hope you can handle it. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional link: Referenced Academic Paper Revealing The Awful Truth About Target Date Funds: The Un...
Apr 14, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 333
In this episode we answer emails from Ed, Anderson and Joe. We discuss assisting aging parents running out of money, Anderson's levered accumulation portfolio and locating the assets, and using the G Fund in a TSP as a short-term bond fund. Links: Portfolio Matrix Used to Analyze Anderson's Portfolio (insert allocations per podcast): Portfolio Matrix – Portfolio Charts Morningstar Article re G Fund: How Good Is the Federal Government’s G Fund? | Morningstar Support the show...
Apr 10, 2024•30 min•Season 4Ep. 332
In this episode we answer questions from Dale, Brad and Corey. We discuss a new paper about US dollar dominance and the common narrative fallacies associated with that issue, using the Rule of 55 for 401(k) withdrawals, the Nicest Guy of FI, and the basics of constructing portfolios with high historical safe withdrawal rates. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional links: Marketwatch Articl...
Apr 07, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 331
In this episode we answer emails from Jon, Eli, and George. We discuss using the tools at Portfolio Charts, methods of charitable giving to our favorite charity, extreme podcast listening, what to invest in if you are speculating on inflation next year and other gambling problems, and applying the math of Shannon's Demon to show us why we should not let the Simplicity Principle tail wag the Holy Grail principle diversification dog when constructing diversified portfolios. Links: Father McKenna C...
Apr 04, 2024•29 min•Season 4Ep. 330
In this episode we answer emails from Jetson and Jon (x2). We discuss good times to trade, transitioning to a risk parity style portfolio with sub-optimal components and related considerations, experimenting with and learnings from the tools at Portfolio Charts, including the Portfolio Matrix and Drawdown Analyzer, and Gooooold! And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional links: Father McKenna ...
Mar 31, 2024•51 min•Season 4Ep. 329
In this episode we answer emails from Mark, Justin, and Cy, and also update our answer to last episode's email from Sean. We talk about a different approach to Sean's situation, Mark's experiments with leveraged funds, rebalancing and assorted gambling problems, reporting on the sample portfolios at the website, the difficulties of trying to plan "how much" goes in retirement, Roth and ordinary accounts, and a full-on nostalgic Blazing Saddles experience. Links: Father McKenna Center Donation Pa...
Mar 28, 2024•35 min•Season 4Ep. 328
In this episode we answer emails from Andrew, Sean, and MyContactInfo. We discuss QDSIX and other AQR funds and their approaches, good and bad uses of bond ladders, and macro-issues pertaining to projected global population declines in the future. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional links: QDSIX fact page: AQR Diversifying Strategies Fund - QDSIX Ben Carlson Article on Bond Funds vs. Bo...
Mar 24, 2024•44 min•Season 4Ep. 327
In this episode we review why we are here and then answer emails from Paulo, Paul G, and Carlos. We discuss our recent trip to the EconoMe Conference, Paulo's portfolio ideas, the plague of being unable to spend money that afflicts most popular personal finance personalities, Mark's Money Mind (a new podcast), why the Simplicity Principle should not override the Holy Grail and other investing principles, and investing from emerging market countries. Links: Mark's Money Mind podcast (YouTube vers...
Mar 21, 2024•40 min•Season 4Ep. 326
In this episode we answer emails from Ed, Jesse and Kyle. We discuss TMF and leverage in bond funds (and gambling problems), my recent ranting in Episode 321 and Ray Dalio's limitations and foibles, and my musings on guinea pigs and our recent trip to Peru. It's action packed! And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . And add a note about the upcoming EconoMe Conference. Additional links: TMF web-page w...
Mar 10, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 325
In this episode we answer questions from Mark, Broken Jack and Gus. We discuss a specific withdrawal plan and why it does not need to be too complicate, the considerations and differences between complicated or risk-based problems and complex or uncertainty-based problems, ideas for people who have not saved enough by the time they get to their sixties and why to avoid "magic button" investment strategies like buy-write funds and deal with a correction about the ETF RSBT. Links: Immediate Annuit...
Mar 07, 2024•34 min•Season 4Ep. 324
In this episode we answer emails from Richard, Andrew and Drew. We discuss the now much-maligned Cederburg paper (again) and listen to Cliff Asness flog it, Jerry Parker's new managed futures ETF, TFPN and guidelines for making portfolio shifts. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . And add a note about the upcoming EconoMe Conference. Additional links: Cliff Asness Commentary About the Cederburg Pa...
Mar 03, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 323
In this episode we answer emails from Damon, Pete and Jeff. We discuss the benefits of aggregating assets and portfolios as a couple, basic tax location ideas, children with gambling problems and fun games to play with them, and resources for researching leveraged, diversified portfolios (e.g., "Return Stacking"). And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional links: Leveraged ETFs Article: Double...
Feb 25, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 322
In this episode, we reflect on a recent podcast from the Value Stock Geek and embark on a nice little rant about recent mailings I have received from the financial services industry. Link: Security Analysis Podcast from the Value Stock Geek: The Security Analysis Podcast | Value Stock Geek | Substack Support the show
Feb 22, 2024•28 min•Season 4Ep. 321
In this episode we answer emails from Lee, Phil and Carl. We discuss using Golden Butterfly and Golden Ratio portfolios for intermediate accumulations, the Cederburg Pickelhaube Portfolio (again), funds UUP and EUO as diversifiers, our open source business model and tax issues for US temporary residents. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional links: Portfolio Visualizer Backtester: Backtes...
Feb 18, 2024•40 min•Season 4Ep. 320
In this episode we answer emails from Robert, MyContactInfo, and Stuart. We discuss growing and transitioning a FIRE portfolio, the drawbacks of too much cash, the Cederburg paper (again) and his Pickelhaube Portfolio, and more fun with leveraged ETFs. Links: Sean Mullaney Podcast re 72(t): How to Access Your Retirement Accounts Before 59.5 | Sean Mullaney | Ep 475 | ChooseFI Ben Felix Article re the Cederburg paper: Understanding the role of bonds in retirement portfolios | Advisor.ca Early Ret...
Feb 15, 2024•35 min•Season 4Ep. 319
In this episode we answer emails from Anderson, Dennis and Brian. We discuss a proposed levered portfolio and leverage in general, revealed preferences applied to portfolio construction and matching construction to actual or stated goals and staying alive with Andean flute playing. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the seven sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio . Additional links: Ben Felix Video On Leverage: Investing With Leverage (Borrowing...
Feb 11, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 318
In this episode we answer emails from Blake, Brown and Christian. We discuss new research into the long-term performance of leveraged funds, other gambling problems and the tax reporting of gold ETFs. Links: Blake's Backtest: Unleveraged TQQQ (portfoliotree.com) Blake's Article: ⚠️ Leveraged ETFs ⚠️. Why They Sell Themselves Short | by ETF_Guy | Jan, 2024 | Medium Corey Hoffstein's Return Stacked ETFs: Home - Return Stacked ETF (returnstackedetfs.com) Ben Felix Video on Leverage: Investing With ...
Feb 08, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 317
