Articles
Looking for something?

Ratcheting Up Retirement Spending
In 2015, Michael Kitces proposed a ratcheting rule for retirement spending that shared the basic framework of constant inflation-adjusted spending while still allowing spending to increase if the portfolio performs well in retirement. As with many of these rules, the ratcheting rule could be implemented in numerous ways.

A Simple Way To Keep Your Portfolio In Line
Investing isn’t simply picking the best funds or building your perfect portfolio. Keeping your portfolio in line over the long term is just as important (if not more so).

When Tax-Loss Harvesting Makes Sense (And When It Doesn’t)
Tax-loss harvesting, when done right, is the equivalent of turning your financial lemons into lemonade, by converting your market losses into tax savings. Successful tax-loss harvesting lowers your taxes without substantially impacting your long-term investment outcomes.

Floor And Ceiling Retirement Spending, With A Twist
In a 2013 article, a Vanguard research team headed by Colleen Jaconetti developed an alternative form of the floor-and-ceiling spending rule that relies on percentages rather than hard dollar amounts.

A Terrible Way To Protect A Retiree From Inflation
People seem to think commodities (especially gold) are suitable guards against inflation. I want to explain why that’s not true, and tell you about some of the much better tools available.
I want to explain why that’s not true – at least over any useful time frame – and then tell you about some of the much better tools available.

The Art of Asset Location
You’ve probably heard a realtor tell you that the 3 most important factors in a property’s value are location, location, and location. There’s a similar rule for investments: asset location. Where your assets are located within your portfolio matters.

What Is The ‘Floor & Ceiling’ Retirement Spending Strategy?
In a 2001 article, William Bengen offered a new balance between the constant amount and fixed percentage strategies with his “floor and ceiling” spending approach.

How Can You Protect Your Retirement Portfolio During the Election?
The presidential elections usually offer some very stark choices, so often people are concerned about how the election results will effect the economy. Let’s take a deep breath and try to take an objective look at how the election could affect your portfolio.

Finding the Right Balance Between Inflation Risk and Investment Risk
When we talk about retirement risks, people often tend to fixate on their investments. Yes,

Seeking A Fixed Percentage Approach To Retirement Spending
The fixed percentage withdrawal strategy is the polar opposite of constant inflation-adjusted spending. Subsequent strategies we consider will strive to strike a balance between these two. This fixed percentage strategy calls for retirees to spend a constant percentage of the remaining portfolio balance in each year of retirement.

Are Structured CDs Too Good To Be True?
Most people know what Certificates of Deposit (CDs) are. You buy one for a number

US Markets Are Outperforming Global Markets, What Should You Do?
To say international stocks haven’t been doing great relative to US stocks is a massive understatement. What does that mean for your portfolio?
Most of the investment advice you get is (or should be) conditional. Advisors tend to steer clear of definitive, blanket statements, but this is one that I’m pretty comfortable making if you have stocks in your portfolio, you should probably own both domestic and international st