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In this Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. How to teach your significant other to manage the investments? (The Spouse Financial Survival Kit)    1. Start with a One-Pager       a. Accounts       b. Key Professionals       c. Withdrawal Order       d. Financial Overview Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W...    2. Financial Love Letter https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q...   3. Review the documents once a year 2. When to Take RMDs?     1. Timing doesn’t change amount (the amount is based on balance at end of last year)     2. RMDs must come before Roth conversions         a. https://obliviousinvestor.com/rmd-tim...    3. Take QCDs first if you plan to have them count toward RMDs    4. If needed for spending, take as needed (monthly or quarterly)    5. If not, wait until later in the year 3. How can I see the stocks owned by a target date retirement fund?     Morningstar Investor: https://go.robberger.com/morningstar/ 4. How do you keep track of HSA expenses? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/... 5. Why haven’t I done a Roth conversion yet? Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In this episode, I'll answer the following question from a viewer: "I would like to ask if you can do a video on the current specific funds you are invested in? You did a video a while back about your 6 funds, but now you mentioned in a recent video that you simplified and are down to 3 or 4 funds. I was thinking of mirroring your 6 fund plan but now I see you have simplified, which is why I am asking if you can do a new video going over your new 4 fund plan." Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. Where is the best place to park cash today? 2. Should you invest or pay off student loans? 3. Are Schwab’s Target Date Retirement Funds a solid option? 4. When should you start spending your IRA money? 5. Should a TIPS ladder be part of a retirement portfolio? Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In this episode,  we cover my Ultimate Retirement Checklist: 1. Healthcare 2. Start learning about Medicare 3. Understand IRMMA brackets 4. Track Expenses 5. Calculate Your Burn Rate 6. Calculate Your Guaranteed Income Ratio 7. Plan for large expenses 8. Plan when to take Social Security 9. Cash 10. Create a Tax-Efficient Withdrawal Strategy 11. Understand how investment withdrawals are taxed 12. Consider Roth conversions 13. Plan how to spend down your HSA 14. Simplify Accounts 15. Simplify Investments 16. Consider your asset allocation 17. End of Life Documents 18. Consider how to use your home equity 19. Consider using retirement planning tools 20. Protect your online accounts (financial, email, social) Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions:  1. How do you protect your portfolio as you near retirement? 2. How does asset location work if you must draw from taxable accounts? 3. Should you automatically reinvest dividends? 4. How can I diversify away from the S&P 500? 5. What is the safe withdrawal rate for a 20 year retirement? Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. What Happens To Bond Funds When the Fed Cuts Rates? 2. Where to Invest If Stocks Are a No-go 3. How are Mutual Fund Sales Taxed? 4. Should Annuities Replace Bonds? 5. Brokerage Account vs Roth IRA Resources Snowball-Analytics: https://go.robberger.com/snowball-ana... 10 Year Treasury & Fed Fund Rate: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/T1... VTINX: https://investor.vanguard.com/investm... FTBFX: https://fundresearch.fidelity.com/mut... Vanguard LifeStrategy Funds: https://investor.vanguard.com/investm... Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In this 2025 Year-End Investment Portfolio Review we cover the following topics: 1. Asset Allocation     a. Diversification / changes     b. Rebalancing 2. Simplification 3. Beneficiaries 4. Performance 5. Tax Loss or Gain Harvesting 6. Fees     a. Fund fees     b. Advisor fees 7. Evaluate Your Performance     a. Did you buy/sell anything     b. What worried you during the year Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we look at these five topics: 1. 10% yield on bonds 2. Where to hold bonds 3. Co-signing a mortgage 4. Paying taxes on a Roth conversion 5. Asset allocation of real estate investments Bonus: Cost of long-term care calculator Resources: https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we look at these five questions: 1. Have we been lied to about our Social Security break-even age? 2. Is it ok to restart the 4% rule if the market goes up in early retirement? 3. I am nervous about the run up in AI stocks . . . Could it be a good idea to consider diversifying from VTI to an “equal-weighted index fund like Invesco S&P Equal Weight ETF or others like it? 4. I’m 64 and I would like to begin annual Roth conversions from my traditional IRA’s.  Can you review the rules surrounding these conversions in one’s retirement years?  I would like to know how soon I can withdraw converted funds and their associated earnings penalty free and tax free. 5. You’ve mentioned in the past that you transitioned from a six-fund portfolio to a simpler three-fund setup. I’m curious — was that change mainly about reducing complexity and streamlining your investments, or did it reflect a stage of investment maturity and confidence in a more minimalist approach? Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. How to invest $15 million? 2. For the 4% withdrawal rate devised by Bill Bengen, what measure of inflation did he use?  Are there other measures that you think might be more appropriate? 3. If you have a retirement portfolio with a 6% yield does the 4% rule apply? 4. Is a 7-year MYGA a better deal than a 7-year Treasury? 5. If the yield from a High Yield Savings account is paying out 3.8 to 4.0%, why would it ever be a good investment to buy bonds or bond ETFs with their recent volatility? Bonus Question: Can you explain more about your choice to practice Bikram Yoga over other types of Yoga? Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover this questions: 1. Can you recommend a detailed tax estimator? 2. How to plan Roth conversions without a fancy retirement planner? 3. Should you pay off a mortgage early or invest the money? 4. Are identity theft protection services worth the cost? 5. How does reinvesting vs spending dividends affect return assumptions for retirement planning?     Resources 2025 Tax Calculator: https://www.efile.com/tax-return-calc... *Note*: eFile is still updating some aspects of the calculator for 2025 tax laws. Boldin: https://go.robberger.com/boldin/yt-fqf Vanguard Roth Conversion Calculator: https://advisors.vanguard.com/tax-cen... Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Get free guidance on Medicare from Chapter, a company I've partnered with, by calling 410-220-5494. If you call Chapter, please let me know about your experience. It's Not That Complicated https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hqs4v7wLCjhh5ohWVVSNTs2HsGz9nufD/view Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In this episode, we'll walk through resources you can use to get free help with Medicare. The Resources are broken into three categories: 1. Free online educational content 2. Free Medicare guidance from SHIP 3. Free Medicare guidance from insurance brokers Resources Medicare: https://www.medicare.gov/ CMS: https://www.cms.gov/ KFF: https://www.kff.org/topic/medicare/ SHIP: https://www.shiphelp.org/ JAMA Study on SHIP: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama... Chapter: 410-220-5494 Federal Lawsuit: https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/139... Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm... Get free guidance on Medicare from Chapter, a company I've partnered with, by calling 410-220-5494. If you call Chapter, please let me know about your experience.

In this episode, we'll walk through 7 things you must know about Medicare's annual open enrollment period. Resources It's Not That Complicated (pdf): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hqs4... Medicare & You 2026 (pdf): https://www.medicare.gov/publications... 2025 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-she... Medicare Part A Costs: https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs... Medigap Plans: https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-... KFF Medigap Article: https://www.kff.org/medicare/key-fact... Can I Change Medigap Plans? https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-... Compare Medicare Plans: https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare... Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm... Get free guidance on Medicare from Chapter, a company I've partnered with, by calling 410-220-5494. If you call Chapter, please let me know about your experience.

In this episode, we'll walk through the key differences and pros and cons of Original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage plans. Resources It's Not That Complicated (pdf): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hqs4... Medicare & You 2026 (pdf): https://www.medicare.gov/publications... 2025 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-she... Medicare Part A Costs: https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs... Medigap Plans: https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-... KFF Medigap Article: https://www.kff.org/medicare/key-fact... Compare Medicare Plans: https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare... Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm... Get free guidance on Medicare from Chapter, a company I've partnered with, by calling 410-220-5494. If you call Chapter, please let me know about your experience.