Personal Finance

RBD’s Best of 2024

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…

Managing Mom and Dad’s Money

Managing Mom and Dad’s Money

My Dad retired in 2002 with a 403(b) and lifelong teacher’s pension. Unsure of his retirement savings, some fellow retired teachers recommended a financial advisor who “specialized in retired teachers”. So he converted the 403(b) to an IRA, transferred his and my Mom’s IRAs to the advisor, and trusted him to manage their money for…

Financial Independence Number: Definition and How to Customize

Financial Independence Number: Definition and How to Customize

The financial independence number is a benchmark to determine retirement preparedness. It’s also known as the FI number.  Financial independence is achieved by: building enough passive income to cover annual expenses, or amassing a lump sum of enough savings and investments to cover living expenses through withdrawals, or a combination of #1 and #2. The financial independence…

ProjectionLab Review: Powerful DIY Financial Planning (+ Video)

ProjectionLab Review: Powerful DIY Financial Planning (+ Video)

ProjectionLab is a powerful financial planning tool that empowers do-it-yourselfers to set and track financial goals and forecast how their wealth will change over a lifetime.   We can use it to experiment with various scenarios and assumptions to help us determine if we have enough to retire or achieve other financial milestones.  This retirement planning calculator is far…

The Pros and Cons of DIY Investing

The Pros and Cons of DIY Investing

I’ve been a self-directed investor for almost thirty years. Self-managing my investments has saved me tens of thousands in fees, though I’ve been susceptible to my own investment biases and mistakes. Overall, I believe the tradeoff favors do-it-yourself (DIY) investing.   This article explores the pros and cons of DIY investing compared to hiring a financial…