The Rob Berger Show

In this week's Five Question Friday, we look at several important retirement planning questions:0:00 - Intro0:45 - Should our asset allocation change if we have a much younger spouse?7:45 - Should a pension represent the bond portion of a portfolio?10:30 - What types of ETFs should go in taxable accounts versus retirement accounts?14:13 - Should we prefer Roth conversions over investing in a taxable account?17:31 - Should we prefer Roth conversions if we plan to use the money for long-term care?Boldin: https://go.robberger.com/new-retireme...Pralana: https://go.robberger.com/pralana/yt-fqfProjection Lab: https://go.robberger.com/projectionla...Open Social Security: https://opensocialsecurity.com/Join the Newsletter. It's Free:https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

I've been using Pralana Online over the past month. It's a retirement planning tool that, for a long time, was available as a spreadsheet. It's now available as an online app.In this video, I take a high-level look at Pralana and compare it to Boldin, formerly New Retirement.Pralana: https://go.robberger.com/pralana/yt-p...Boldin: https://go.robberger.com/new-retireme...Join the Newsletter. It's Free:https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

One of my favorite tools, Portfolio Visualizer, just launched a new design. In this video, I'll show you how to navigate the changes. Unfortunately, one change is to limit the amount of backtesting data you have access to in the free version. I'll show you a free alternative.Portfolio Visualizer: https://www.portfoliovisualizer.com/Test Folio: https://testfol.io/Join the Newsletter. It's Free:https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Welcome to the first episode of Five Question Friday (FQF). I'll answer five questions from past live shows that we didn't get to. Today, we're covering the following questions:1. Is the 6% Rule on Lump Sum vs Pension Reasonable?2. What will my stock/bond allocation be when I reach 65?3. How do you decide between a Roth Conversion and 0% Capital Gains Harvesting?4. What's the best credit card for travel?5. Should an early retiree pay off their low-rate mortgage?Kitces Article: https://www.kitces.com/blog/navigatin...CFPB Pension Article: https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/2...Fidelity Pension Article: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-cen...Travel Credit Cards: https://www.allcards.com/travel-rewar...Cash Back Credit Cards: https://www.allcards.com/best-cash-ba...Join the Newsletter. It's Free:https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Vanguard has reached a proposed settlement in the class action lawsuit related to the 2021 distribution of capital gains in its target date retirement funds. Here's how much each claimant may be entitled to receive. Proposed Vanguard Settlement: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gBIQ...Join the Newsletter. It's Free:https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

We can save for retirement through at least four different account types: (1) 401(k) and other workplace retirement accounts, (2) IRAs, (3) HSAs, and (4) taxable accounts. Some can also use a mega backdoor Roth 401(k). In this video, I walk through one optimal approach to prioritizing which accounts to contribute to first.Here's a related article that I wrote on the topic: https://robberger.com/the-optimal-ord...Join the Newsletter. It's Free:https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

A TIPS ladder is just one way to generate income during retirement. We'll look at two scenarios where a TIPS ladder may make sense, and then discuss the pros and cons.TIPS Ladder: https://www.tipsladder.com/Four Easy Steps to Build a TIPS Ladder: https://www.advisorperspectives.com/a...Schwab Annuity Pricing Tool: https://www.schwab.com/annuities/fixe...Join the Newsletter. It's Free:https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

When evaluating fees charged by investment advisors, should we look only at the actual dollars spent, or should we evaluate the long-term effect these fees have on our wealth? That's the question I address in this video.Kitces Article: https://www.kitces.com/blog/financial...My Response: https://robberger.com/how-should-we-e...Hourly and Flat Rate Advisors: https://robberger.com/low-cost-financ...Join the Newsletter. It's Free:https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Vanguard has announced that it is selling 280,000 small business retirement plans to Ascensus. The transaction covers individual 401(k) plans, sometimes called Solo 401(k)s, Multi-SEP IRAs, and Simple IRAs, but not individual SEP IRAs.Here's my take on what's going on, your options, and what this means for Vanguard.Press Release: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...Ascensus Fees: https://www.ascensus.com/solutions/re...Fidelity Solo 401(k): https://www.fidelity.com/retirement-i...Schwab Solo 401(k): https://www.schwab.com/small-business...Join the Newsletter. It's Free:https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In brief remarks, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell all but took an interest rate cut in the near term off the table. In doing so, he taught us a very important lesson about investing.Join the Newsletter. It's Free:https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...