Chuck Jaffee, a forty-year veteran financial journalist who regularly writes for the Wall Street Journal and is also a nationally syndicated financial columnist, discusses how money and investors’ attitude towards investing has changed over the last few decades.
Tag: index funds
#374: Ask Paula: Watch Out! Here’s How Lowering Your Investment Tax Bill…Might Increase Your Risk
Jake wants investment cash flow until he’s eligible for his military pension in 10 years. Should he buy small multifamily properties right now, wait a few years and invest in syndications or should he invest in index funds through taxable accounts?
Andy in Palm Springs is shoveling money into a taxable brokerage account. He wants to use these investments to create another stream of income. But there’s a problem: his tax bill is going to be high. What should he do?
Anonymous is a U.S. citizen, lives in London, and can’t invest in index funds. Can he emulate the index fund experience by directly buying a huge number of individual stocks?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
#347: The Radical Invention of the Index Fund, with Robin Wigglesworth
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In today’s episode, we learn about the revolutionary ideas that paved the path to passive investing.
We learn about the radical invention of the index fund.
We discover the drama, the tenacity, the betrayal and redemption behind it.
And we discover the lessons that the history of the index fund holds.
Enjoy!
#350: Ask Paula: How Much Should We Spend on a Wedding?
Anonymous and her husband have set themselves on the path of saving for retirement. But an old mistake haunts them: a financial planner convinced them to buy a mix of whole and term life insurance, which costs them $700 per month. Do they need whole life insurance, and where else can they save their money?
Mike has $60,000 in cash earning one percent interest. He has plans to buy a home and get married in three to five years. Where else can he put his cash to earn a little more? Is the stock market too risky for such a short time horizon?
Anonymous and her future husband are wondering: what’s a realistic amount to spend on a wedding?
My friend and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer these questions on today’s episode. Enjoy!
Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we’ll answer them in a future episode.
#268: Ask Paula – Should I Invest or Pay Off My Mortgage Early?
Natasha has $3,300 per month to either invest or use toward an early mortgage payoff. Which option should she choose?
An anonymous caller and military member wants to know if she should move money from a USAA brokerage to Vanguard to pay less in fees. Her goal is to retire in 12 years with $3,000/month in passive income from rental properties, which will supplement her military pension. Should she only contribute to her TSP up to the match, and invest the rest in rentals?
Chaim and his wife live in the Middle East and have $30,000 in a U.S. bank account. However, they don’t plan to relocate. How can they best use this money?
June and her husband are in a sticky situation: they bought their dream house in Michigan last winter, ahead of plans to relocate there. June lives there with their kids, but her husband is unable to find a job despite the numerous contacts he has in the state. He currently works in a job that he dislikes in Southern California, living apart from his family. They’re currently a one-income family, though June has plans to open a firm in Michigan. What should they do?
Anonymous in Portland has three questions: is a 75/25 US stock/international stock split aggressive? Is an S&P 500 index a close enough equivalent to a total US stock index? Is Betterment worth it for automatic tax harvesting?
My friend and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer these questions. Enjoy!
#260: Ask Paula – Should I Fire My Financial Advisor During a Pandemic?
Katelyn wants to fire her financial advisor and move her investments from mutual funds into Vanguard index funds. Should she do this during the pandemic? Or should she wait?
Marisa asks: can you invest in a Roth IRA if your income is inconsistent and might exceed the cap?
Anonymous “Flo” had a Simple IRA at her old job that she can no longer contribute to. She also can’t contribute to a 401k until she’s been at her new job for a year. Where should she put her money in the meantime?
Mary received an $80,000 grant of RSUs from her employer when she started. These RSUs began to vest after one year, and the price per share has increased 44 percent. What should she do with the shares?
Anonymous “Olivia” is interested in a Roth conversion ladder, but wants to know: does the pro-rata rule apply here as it does with a backdoor Roth conversion?
My friend and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these questions in today’s episode. Enjoy!
#247: Ask Paula – Is the Stock Market Going to Crash in 2020? How Should I Invest in a Bear Market?
Caroline wants to buy her first home in Denver, CO. How can she calculate how much mortgage she can comfortably afford?
Anne plans to retire later this year on rental income (woohoo!). She’s saved up a hefty emergency fund for her properties, and she wants to know 1) if she should invest a portion of this in index funds, and 2) whether she should rebalance her portfolio to account for this huge cash allocation.
Anonymous Nurse has over $100,000 in debt, not including their mortgage. They want to invest in rental properties, but with so much debt, they’re thinking of selling their home or renting it out. Which option is best given their interest in real estate?
Joy wants to know if she should put $50,000 towards her primary residence mortgage, or use it as a downpayment on her first rental property. What are the pros and cons of each option?
Anonymous owns a cash-flow positive condo…on leased land. The land will revert back to the owners in 32 years. When is the best time to sell this property?
I answer these five questions in today’s episode. Enjoy!
#233: Ask Paula – How Can I Retire in 12 Years?
Deepak is considering downsizing his family’s home, but wants to know if the savings are worth the transaction costs he’ll have to pay.
Anonymous and her husband hold $900,000 worth of privately-owned company stock. How should they plan for handling this money?
Shelby is 25 years old and works for a company that awarded her restricted stock units. What should she do with these? Additionally, she traded in a 2013 Prius for a 2018 Subaru, for which she now owes $19,000. Should she sell it for a used vehicle or stick it out?
Katelyn is interested in learning more about annuities. What should she know in order to make an informed decision?
Max FI and his wife want to retire in 12 years. How should they invest to achieve this?
Anonymous’s former employer offered a Roth and Traditional 401k, and his new employer only offers a Traditional option. How should he rollover his former Roth 401k?
#229: Ask Paula – Help! My Mom or Dad Took Out a Credit Card in My Name. Am I On the Hook?
Helen discovered that her mother fraudulently opened credit card accounts in her name. Eek! How can she protect herself? What will happen to these accounts once her mother passes away?
Amelia and her husband cannot fire their financial advisor. How can they minimize the damage and maximize the benefit they receive from him in the meantime?
Anonymous asks if she should live off an inheritance and max out her 401k contributions during her first year of working full-time. She wants to reduce her taxable income. Is this a good idea?
A different anonymous caller read a USA Today article claiming that “index funds are in a bubble.” How true is this? How can index funds be in a bubble?
Shawn is self-employed. He invests in a Solo 401k that features both a Roth and Traditional component. How should he manage this account?
Another anonymous listener is thinking about downshifting to part-time work. He holds around $278,000 in home equity. How can he capitalize on this?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I answer these questions on today’s episode. Enjoy!
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#221: Ask Paula – How Much of My Company Stock Should I Buy?
Vanessa is curious about Fidelity and Vanguard. She asks: what are your thoughts on the no-fee Fidelity index funds? What are your opinions on Vanguard’s financial advisors?
Andy wants to know: should my wife and I continue maxing out our traditional 401k and backdoor Roth IRA, or should we start contributing to the Roth 401k my employer offers?
Kyle is wondering – how can he minimize his taxes when he earns $450,000/year?
Rob is self-employed and has been maxing out a Roth IRA, but recently discovered that he can open a self-employed IRA. Should he move his Roth IRA money over, or just open a new account and fund it from scratch?
Christina is torn. She and her husband have been saving to buy a house, but because they live in New York, their savings won’t go very far. Is it a good idea for them to continue renting, despite their dreams?
Mercedes is wondering how REITs compare to stocks and owning actual real estate. Additionally, she’d like to know more about Forex trading.
Craig has an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP). Since these tend to be risky, he’s wondering: is he better off moving the $25,000 that he puts towards the ESPP into mutual funds? Or is an ESPP a good way to diversify his funds?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I answer these questions in today’s episode. Enjoy!
