The Rob Berger Show - podcast cover

The Rob Berger Show

Rob Berger•www.buzzsprout.com
Business
Investing
Education
Self-Improvement
News
Business News
Personal finance for smart people by the host of the Dough Roller Money Podcast. Rather than forcing you into a one-size-fits-all financial plan, we discuss the tools, resources, and strategies that will empower you to make the best money decisions for you and your family.
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Follow on
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
RSS
YouTube
Overcast
Pocket Casts
Episodes.fm
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

RBS 061: Case Study: How Investment Advisor Fees Can Cost us $500,000 (or more)

Personal Capital (Investment Tracking, Retirement Planning): https://robberger.com/go/personal-cap... Today we look at a portfolio constructed by an investment advisor. This is a person who has a fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest of their clients. The result? I high fee portfolio on top of the 1% advisor fee. As you'll see, this portfolio could easily cost an investor $500,000 or more in lost wealth. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm......

Aug 01, 2022•17 min•Ep. 61

RBS 060: Claim Social Security at 62 and Invest the Money--Good or Bad Idea?

Several viewers have recently asked me whether it makes sense to claim social security at 62 if you plan to invest the money. At first, it seems like a solid strategy. While your monthly benefit will be lower, you get years of investment returns you'd otherwise forfeit. It turns out, however, that the issue is a bit more complex. First, depending on your investment returns, claiming social security at 62 may or may not turn out in your favor. The arguably more important issue, however, is taxes....

Jul 29, 2022•11 min•Ep. 60

RBS 059: Conversation with the Father of the Bucket Strategy--Harold Evensky

Sallie Mae 2.20% No-Penalty CD: https://www.allcards.com/best-savings... Personal Capital Tesla Promotion: https://robberger.com/go/personal-cap... Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Harold Evensky, the father of the Bucket Strategy. Here are some resources from the show: --Mr. Evensky's newsletter: https://evensky.com/resources/ --His most recent newsletter: https://files.myprimitive.cloud/uploa... --His book (free on Kindle): https://www.amazon.com/Hello-Harold-V... And some of his pu...

Jul 27, 2022•53 min•Ep. 59

RBS 058: Defensive Investing--How to Prepare for a Market Crash (In Advance)

Defensive Investing--How to Prepare for a Market Crash (In Advance) With stocks, bonds and real estate at all-time highs, it's just a matter of time before we see a market correction, or worse. It doesn't help that our government is borrowing trillions of dollars, funded by a Fed who is buying bonds. The question for investors is whether we should make changes to our portfolio today in preparation for the coming crash. If we should make changes, what should they be and when should we make them? ...

Jul 25, 2022•32 min•Ep. 58

RBS 057: Fidelity Contrafund Review | Growth vs Value | Active vs Passive Investing

The Fidelity Contrafund (FCNTX) is a popular growth stock fund. In this video we take a deep dive on the fund to see if it's worth adding to our investment portfolio. In the process we'll look at growth vs value stock investing, active vs passive funds, and how to evaluate a fund's performance. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm......

Jul 22, 2022•24 min•Ep. 57

RBS 056: Fidelity ZERO Funds--Free, But Are They Worth the Cost?

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm... Click "Show More" to see Ad Disclosure Fidelity launched its ZERO index funds in 2018 to much fanfare. As their names suggest, these funds carry no expense ratios, a first in the industry. As great as a “free” mutual fund may sound, however, many wonder whether there is a catch. Recently a viewer named Samir asked the following questions: "Could you please share your thoughts on Fidelity ZERO funds vs their fee based funds?Fidelity ZE...

Jul 20, 2022•25 min•Ep. 56

RBS 055: Can You Retire Early With 100% VTI Using the 4% Rule

A viewer asked whether he could retire at the age of 49 with a 100% portfolio of VTI (Vanguard's total U.S. Stock Index ETF) using the 4% Rule. I think there are at least 3 big concerns with this plan: 1. The 4% rule assumed a 30 year retirement; 2. It found that a 100% stock portfolio could fail a 30 year retirement in some markets 3. A 100% U.S. stock allocation makes a big bet on the U.S. over the next 4 or 5 decades. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm......

Jul 11, 2022•8 min•Ep. 55

RBS 054: Free Robo Advisors

Robo-Advisors can be a low cost way to get help with your investments. There are several that I like and have used: https://robberger.com/best-robo-advis... However, not all automated investing services are created equal. And some that are marketed as "free" actually have some hidden costs. In this video I take a look at SoFi Automated Investing and Schwab's Intelligent Portfolios to undercover the hidden costs in both services. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm......

Jul 08, 2022•9 min•Ep. 54

RBS 051: How Many Mutual Funds Should You Own?

A viewer recently sent me a portfolio with nearly 20 ETFs and mutual funds. She didn't create it. An advisor from a major bank recommended it. Ridiculous. The truth is that the number of mutual funds you own tells you nothing about how well diversified the portfolio is or what types of investments you have. A single mutual fund can give an investor exposure to U.S. stocks, bonds, international stocks, REITs, and even commodities. The fewer mutual funds you have, the easier it is to understand an...

Jul 01, 2022•22 min•Ep. 51

RBS 049: How to Evaluate Your Investments | A Portfolio Checkup Using Free Online Tools

I've received hundreds of emails from viewers asking me questions about their investments. They want to understand whether their investment portfolio is sound. While I'm not a financial advisor, I do believe do it yourself investors can evaluate their own portfolios with the help of some free tools. In this video I walk through how I evaluate an investment portfolio. I could also be useful for those just starting to invest. I hope you find it helpful in your own investing journey. Join the newsl...

Jun 27, 2022•39 min•Ep. 49

RBS 048: How to Invest as You Near Retirement [Rate my Portfolio Series]

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm... In this video we look at a portfolio of a viewer who is 10 years from retirement. Her advisor has her invested in a 50/50 portfolio. We'll look at the "Smart Sector" and Momentum ETFs she has, consider the impact of the 50 basis point fee, and examine whether a 50/50 portfolio makes sense....

Jun 24, 2022•29 min•Ep. 48

RBS 047: How to Invest for Short-Term Goals

Investing for short term goals of 5 years or less can be tricky. Savings accounts pay about 0.50%, but stocks can lose money in the short term. Many saving for a down payment on a house face this problem. In this video I'll cover an approach that can enable short-term savers to benefit from stock market returns without taking excessive risk of losing money over the next few years.

Jun 22, 2022•12 min•Ep. 47

RBS 046: How to Invest in a Roth IRA--A Beginner's Guide

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm... A Roth IRA is arguably the single best way to save for retirement. One question I receive frequently is how to invest in an IRA. And specifically, is a 3-fund portfolio a sound approach to investing in an IRA. The short answer is that it's an excellent approach for beginners just starting out. There is one situation, however, where I would make an adjustment. If you also have traditional retirement accounts, I would use them for the b...

Jun 20, 2022•15 min•Ep. 46

RBS 052: How Investment Fees Lower Retirement Spending (and invalidate the 4% Rule)

The 4% Rule of retirement spending is used to plan spending in retirement. The rule says you can spend 4% of your nest egg in the first year of retirement. In subsequent years you adjust the amount by the rate of and inflation. Following this approach gives you a ver good chance of not running out of money in retirement. The 4% Rule, however, assumes no investment fees. Add even a small amount of fees and your spending in retirement must go down. Add 1% or more in fees, and retirement spending m...

Jun 06, 2022•11 min•Ep. 52

RBS 044: How to Invest in an HSA (Health Savings Account)

A Health Savings Account (HSA) offers better tax advantages than any other type of account. The catch is that the money must be used for Qualified Medical Expenses to avoid taxes (and a possible 10% penalty) In this video I walk through 3 aspects of HSAs, 6 strategies on how to use an HSA, and how best to invest money in an HSA based on the strategy used. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm......

May 23, 2022•13 min•Ep. 44

RBS 043: How to Set Up a 3 Fund Portfolio in Vanguard

This video walks through how to set up a 3 Fund Portfolio in Vanguard. We then compare that to setting up the same portfolio in M1 Finance and Betterment. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm......

May 20, 2022•13 min•Ep. 43

RBS 041: International Stocks -- The Pros and Cons of Investing in Foreign Companies

Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm... Should a well diversified portfolio include international stock funds? That's the question I'm covering in this video. I'll first walk through several reasons an international stock fund is NOT necessary. Then I'll explain why I nevertheless invest in international stocks. Finally, I'll cover what I think is the most important factor as you decide what is best for your investment portfolio. Video Outline - U.S. vs. International - Per...

May 16, 2022•22 min•Ep. 41

RBS 040: Jack Bogle _ _ Never _ Rebalance Your Investment Portfolio (and how to do it if you must)

Jack Bogle: "Never" Rebalance Your Investment Portfolio (and how to do it if you must) Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm... Resources Mentioned in the Video: Investment Tracking Spreadsheet: https://robberger.com/investment-trac... Opportunistic Rebalancing paper: http://resource.fpanet.org/resource/0... Jack Bogle interview: https://www.morningstar.com/articles/... Jack Bogle, the founder of Vanguard, argued that one should not rebalance their investment portfolio. He b...

May 13, 2022•21 min•Ep. 40

RBS 038: Living Off Dividends in Retirement -- Not so Fast

Living off dividends in retirement seems safe. Because you never have to sell shares of stocks, ETFs or mutual funds, you can never run out of money. Yet it's not quite that simple. In this video we'll look at four major problems with living off dividends. Then will discuss why focusing on Total Return is a much sounder approach to investing in retirement. Finally, we will look at some reasonably safe ways to increase your dividend yield if you must.

May 09, 2022•28 min•Ep. 38

RBS 037: Managing Withdrawals in Early Retirement

A viewer emailed me the following question: "Rob - I hope this finds you well. I'm a fellow large law firm attorney, and I find your approach relatable and sound. I have a question regarding early retirement. I'm contemplating retiring in my early 50s. Currently all my bonds are held in 401K/traditional IRA vehicles, which ideally I would like to not touch until much later in retirement (i.e., when RMDs kick in) to take advantage of the tax deferral benefits. Since my brokerage account is 100% i...

Apr 29, 2022•7 min•Ep. 37

RBS 035: Opportunistic Rebalancing -- How to Rebalance Your Investments Like the Pros

Rebalancing an investment portfolio doesn't need to be difficult, and it can actually increase your returns over time. Specifically, one study shows that Opportunistic Rebalancing can improve your returns by as much as 0.50%. In this video, we look at that study and walk through how Opportunistic Rebalancing works. I'll cover some things to consider as you construct your investment portfolio, and give you a free tool that makes rebalancing easier. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsl...

Apr 25, 2022•16 min•Ep. 35

RBS 035: Retirement Annuities -- Should You Buy an Income Annuity (SPIA) in Retirement

Should you use some or all of your retirement savings to buy an income annuity? That's the question we look at in this video. Called a Single Premium Immediate Annuity, these annuities don't come with all of the fees and complexities of other annuity products. Yet it can still be difficult to decide if you need one, when you should buy it, and how much you should invest. In this video I'll share annuity calculators, an annuity formula and a number of resources that can help you decide whether an...

Apr 22, 2022•37 min•Ep. 35

RBS 034: Rick Ferri Core-4 Lazy Portfolio Review

Rick Ferri's Core-4 portfolios are built using low cost index ETFs and mutual funds. With just four funds in each portfolio, Rick has created 6 portfolios for just about any investor. One Core-4 portfolio is designed for those worried about inflation, while another for those seeking income. He also has his Classic Core-4, ideal for long-term retirement funds. In this video we explore all 6 of Rick's Core-4 lineup, along with specific funds you can use to implement any one of them. They are ideal...

Apr 20, 2022•27 min•Ep. 34
← PrevNext →
Hosted on Buzzsprout
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android