Deep in my accumulation stage, I drastically underestimated how much retirees hate spending down their nest eggs. I have since struggled to convince my parents to spend their money, while also working longer than I planned (albeit not crazy hours) … [Read the rest]
Retirees Spend Down Their Assets Much Less Than You Probably Think
MMB Portfolio Dividend & Interest Income Update – April 2024 (Q1)
Here’s my quarterly income update as a companion post to my April 2024 asset allocation & performance update. I prefer to track the income produced as an alternative metric to performance. The total income goes up much more gradually and … [Read the rest]
MMB Portfolio Asset Allocation & Performance Update – April 2024 (Q1)
Here's my 2024 Q1 update for our primary investment holdings (numbers taken after market close 3/29), including all of our combined 401k/403b/IRAs and taxable brokerage accounts but excluding our house and side portfolio of self-directed investments. … [Read the rest]
Finally Converted my Vanguard Mutual Fund Admiral Shares to ETF Equivalents in 2024
I recently decided to convert my Vanguard mutual fund shares into each of their respective ETF equivalents. These were all held inside a Vanguard.com brokerage account. I remember first considering this mutual fund to ETF option way back in 2010 … [Read the rest]
Typical Target Date Fund Glide Path vs. Simple Fixed Asset Allocation?
John Rekenthaler questions the industry-standard Target Date Fund glide path in the Morningstar article Should Target-Date Funds Allot More to Equities?. He runs tests comparing the traditional target date glide path alongside two … [Read the rest]
Cummins & Atmus Filtration Odd Lot Tender Opportunity (Final Result: $4,819 Profit)
Final update 3/19/24: Cummins has released the final results of this exchange offer. See original post below for past details, although the opportunity has passed. The final proration factor was ~6.99%. However, those with "odd lots" of 99 shares … [Read the rest]
Axos Bank Cashback Checking $300 Bonus w/ Direct Deposit
Updated with new offer. Axos Bank has a $300 bonus with relatively straightforward requirements using promo code FREEDOM300. You must open a new Cashback Checking account by 7/31/2024 and fund within 30 days of account opening. Set up direct … [Read the rest]
First Tech Credit Union: $300 Rewards Checking Account Bonus
Updated with new bonus details. First Tech Federal Credit Union has a new $300 checking bonus. This new promo is set to run through 6/30/24, but is specifically for their new Reward Checking account that pays up to 5.00% APY (on up to $15,000 … [Read the rest]
Social Security Optimizer by T. Rowe Price: New Free Retirement Income Tool
T. Rowe Price (TRP) announced a new free tool called Social Security Optimizer to help decide when to start claiming Social Security benefits. You enter information like age, marital status, life expectancy, spousal information, and "Monthly … [Read the rest]
CFP Course Notes #2: Common Examples of Negligence by Financial Advisors
In keeping with my goal of finishing one course per month from the University of Georgia Self-Paced CFP education program, I wrapped up the first course "Fundamentals of Financial Planning" in February (barely). Here were the topics covered … [Read the rest]
Wyndham Rewards Earner Cards: Up to 100,000 Bonus Points
Updated with limited-time offers. The Wyndham Rewards Earner credit cards currently all have increased bonuses of 75,000 to 100,000 points. They are supposed to be the best ever for this hotel-chain co-branded card, with points redeemable towards … [Read the rest]
Point.me x American Express Membership Rewards: Free Award Flight Search Tool
American Express has partnered with the Point.me award travel tool to provide free flight searches for the airline loyalty programs that work with American Express Membership Rewards points. The special site is AmEx.Point.me, where you must log … [Read the rest]