I Bonds and TIPS
A normal bond fund does nothing when inflation spikes: the coupon is fixed and inflation eats it. I Bonds and TIPS exist to solve exactly that problem.
Tag: investing
All the articles with the tag "investing".
Betterment vs Wealthfront vs DIY
Betterment and Wealthfront charge about 0.25% to automate a portfolio you could build yourself for less. The real dollar cost, and who it is worth paying for.
Rebalancing: When and How
Rebalancing is risk control, not a return booster. How drift actually happens, the calendar-plus-band approach, and how to do it without a big tax bill.
Mortgage Payoff vs Investing
Extra principal or invest the difference? Compare your mortgage rate to your after-tax return first, then let liquidity, taxes, and psychology break the tie.
Where to Park Cash
Cash sitting in a big-bank checking account earning near nothing is the most common, most fixable money leak for high earners. Here's where it should go.
Rent vs Buy: The Actual Math
Renting isn't throwing money away. Most of an early mortgage payment is interest, which is money you never get back either. Here is the real rent-vs-buy math.
A Roth IRA for Your Kid
Your teenager's summer lawn-mowing money can fund a Roth IRA that compounds for 50 years. Here's how custodial Roth IRAs actually work, funding trick included.
The 0% Capital Gains Bracket
The 0% long-term capital gains bracket lets early retirees harvest gains tax-free. Here's how it works, who qualifies, and the ACA subsidy tension you need to know.
Lump Sum vs Dollar-Cost Averaging
Lump sum beats DCA two-thirds of the time. But DCA beats doing nothing. Here's the math, the Vanguard data, and when each one actually makes sense.
Bonds: When to Actually Add Them
A 28-year-old accumulator probably needs 0% bonds. That changes as you approach your FIRE number. Here's exactly when and how to make the shift.
Do You Need International Stocks?
VXUS vs. VTI-only: the oldest Boglehead argument. Here's what the data says, where Bogle and Vanguard disagreed, and a concrete allocation range to pick from.
Financial Order of Operations
Where your next dollar should go, in exact priority order. A deterministic flowchart for engineers who want the math to make the decision, not vibes.