AFter calculating the new savings bond rate, I noticed that from March 2012 to March 2013 the inflation rate per the Consumer Price Index was only 1.5% over the past year. Whenever you see the government announce a relatively low inflation numbers, … [Read the rest]
New inflation numbers for March 2013 were just announced, so it's time for the usual semi-annual update and rate predictions. New Inflation Rate September 2012 CPI-U was 231.407. March 2013 CPI-U was 232.773, for a semi-annual increase of … [Read the rest]
(This post is part of a new series taking a closer look at some popular portfolio holdings.) The Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund is one of the largest funds in the world, and definitely the largest index fund. For individual retail … [Read the rest]
Originally posted here on December 3rd, 2005: Thinking about goals and the future some more, I have this picture in my head of our dream future in 5-10 years: - I work at a job I enjoy for only 20 hours a week - My wife also works at a job she … [Read the rest]
Here is a check-in on the trailing 10-year total returns for the David Swensen model portfolio, courtesy of ETFPM.com. Last update was in 2011. As a reminder, here is the model portfolio asset allocation with representative ETFs: 30% Domestic … [Read the rest]
In many investing books such as David Swensen's Unconventional Success or Bill Schultheis' The Coffeehouse Investor, you may see model portfolios that include an allocation to smaller companies and/or real estate investment trusts (REITs). … [Read the rest]
Car pricing website Edmunds.com just finished up a year-long series called the Debt-Free Car project. Their goal was to explore an alternative to "Buy Here, Pay Here" car lots, which target lower-income folks with poor credit. These lots usually … [Read the rest]
Here’s the April 2013 update for my peer-to-peer lending portfolio, the last of three "real money" portfolios being tracked monthly as part of my Beat the Market Experiment. See also the $10,000 Benchmark and $10,000 Speculative portfolio … [Read the rest]
We paid off our mortgage. We contacted Provident Funding and requested the full amount due including any accrued interest, the money was sent via bank wire, and the loan is recorded as paid in full. As you might imagine, I spent many hours … [Read the rest]
Over the years, I've noticed that people tend to overestimate their own stock-picking prowess - myself included. Especially over longer periods of time, if you're not tracking things carefully you probably don't know how well you're doing on a … [Read the rest]
Here’s the April 2013 update for my speculative portfolio, the second of three portfolios being tracked monthly as part of my Beat the Market Experiment. Here's an update on the overall race; the bull stock market has pushed the passive benchmark … [Read the rest]
Here's the April 2013 update for my benchmark portfolio, the first of three portfolios started on November 1st, 2012 as part of my Beat the Market Experiment: $10,000 Passive Benchmark Portfolio that would serve as both a performance benchmark … [Read the rest]
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