Review | Try it Free | Video
Review | Try it Free | Video
Why are My IRA Returns Disappointing?
A friend of mine was trying to figure out why his financial advisor was underperforming the market so badly. Over the past 5 years (November 15th, 2019, to November 15th, 2024), his portfolio was up just 4.8% annually vs. 13.8% for the S&P 500. He’s not the kind of person who checks his portfolio every…
Lunch Money Review: Automated Budgeting Fast and Simple
I’ve discovered an excellent product to help make data-driven decisions with our money. The software is called Lunch Money — an independent, female founder-led budgeting tool that makes the budgeting process simple, fast, and automated. Many of you will ignore this post, thinking you’re too wealthy or sophisticated to budget anymore — or you don’t think…
The Four Cornerstones of a DIY Retirement
So much has changed in the world of personal finance and investing over the past 30 years. ETFs and index funds have replaced individual stock portfolios and managed mutual funds. Investing moved online, then to mobile. Online brokers eliminated commissions and now encourage fractional share purchases for as little as $0.01. Tax laws and planning…
DIY Retirement Portfolio Rebalancing: When, How, Tools
Thanks to everyone who responded to the recent book giveaway. Your encouragement and kind words were uplifting. The responses gave me lots of topics to focus on in 2025. I received 104 responses. Congrats to the winners. Also, a few weeks back, I asked for your help in getting me over the 1,000 subscriber mark…
The Purpose Code: A Free Book Giveaway
Jordan Grumet (aka DocG) is a long-time thought leader in the financial independence and retire early (FIRE) community. His podcast, The Earn & Invest Podcast, is nearing its 600th episode. He’s interviewed just about every blogger, author, and intellectual authority in the personal finance and retirement space (check out my interview, #580). An article I…
Sure Dividend Review 2025: Is it Worth the Cost?
Curious readers can download the Dividend Kings spreadsheet for free. Dividend Kings are 50+ stocks that have paid and increased their dividends for 50+ consecutive years. Sure Dividend is an investing website and paid newsletter service focusing on dividend stocks and income investing. When the Sure Dividend blog started in 2014, it built a significant audience…
RBD’s Best of 2024
Today’s article is a recap of the year’s most popular articles and videos. Many, you may have missed it. Look for new articles, videos, book giveaways, and podcast appearances in 2025. Happy Holidays! Craig How I’m Simplifying my Portfolio for Retirement Early in the year, TD Bank interviewed me about how I’m simplifying my portfolio…
Is a Roth Conversion Right for You? Consider These 6 Factors
The Roth conversion is a popular year-end tax maneuver for DIY retirement planners. It works just as well at the start of the year, but more people are interested in December. The move involves transferring retirement assets from a traditional IRA, 401(k), or other pre-tax account into a Roth IRA. Conversions incur a tax consequence…
Early Retirement is the Wrong Goal
A more in-depth talking head version of this article is available on YouTube (view below). I chased early retirement for almost two decades. My early retirement goal made me a disciplined saver and investor, but I wholeheartedly believe early retirement is the wrong goal. This is humbling to write. In this article, I’ll provide three…
Individual Stocks vs. Index Funds – Why I Own Both
Though opinions vary on individual stocks vs. index funds, my own investments reflect a blend of both, from dividend and growth stocks to index funds, ETFs, and managed mutual funds. My uncle gave me one share of Chevron for my 20th birthday in 1995, and I built an individual stock portfolio from there. A retirement…
