The Rob Berger Show

Vanguard recently launched an FDIC-insured account called the Vanguard Cash Plus Account. We'll review this new account, compare it to other FDIC-insured options, and compare it to money market accounts. Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

In a recent video answering a caller's question, Dave Ramsey described those promoting the 4% Rule as "stupid," "goobers," and "morons. He described the 4% Rule as stupid and said he's "perfectly comfortable" with an 8% withdrawal rate. In this video, I'll describe his rationale and why I'm "perfectly comfortable" telling him he&apos...

Is buy and hold investing dead? A recent WSJ article suggests that the set-it-and-forget-it style of investing can't survive the current economic trends. I walk through my thoughts on the article, along with an important memo by value investor Howard Marks. Join the Newsletter. It's Free: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Not long ago investors had to pay the U.S. government for the privilege of owning TIPS. The real yields, that is the yield after factoring in inflation, were negative. Last year, as a phoenix rising, real yields broke above 0%. Today the real yield on 10-year TIPS is about 2.50%. This offers some intriguing options for those in or near retirement. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS f...

A viewer emailed me asking how to buy gold. He knew I didn't personally invest in gold. But he asked how he might go about investing in gold. So in today's video we'll look at five important questions you must answer when buying gold: 1. Should you buy gold in a retirement or taxable account? 2. Does a gold IRA ever make sense? 3. Should you own physical gold or gold ETFs? 4. What t...

7 simple steps anybody can take to address the fear of retiring. Video's Sponsor is New Retirement: https://go.robberger.com/new-retireme... The Retirement Planning Tools I Use: 1. New Retirement (Retirement Planning): https://go.robberger.com/new-retireme... 2. Empower (Investment Tracking): https://go.robberger.com/empower/yt-f... 3. Tiller (Budgeting): https://go.robberger.com/tiller/yt-fe...

Investment fees rob you of your wealth. High investment fees, such as the industry standard 1% of assets under management AUM, can literally cost you hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars over a lifetime. But what about investment fees once you retire? It turns out that a 1% fee in retirement can significantly lower the chance of success of your retirement plan and reduce your spending...

Morningstar Investor replaces the old Morningstar Premium subscription service for retail investors. It brings a much needed facelift to Morningstar's portfolio tracker. While it offers features that may be valuable to some investors, it still has a long way to go before being the type of tool most investors will find useful for the money. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter...

I seem to be fighting a never ending battle against "dividend investing." Don't get me wrong, dividends are an important part of the returns equity investors receive from stocks and stock funds. The problem comes when we misunderstand the nature of dividends and the role they should play in our portfolio. One mistaken belief I see is that dividends are necessary for compounding, or...

The debt ceiling crisis is taking us closer to the "X Date," the date the U.S. would start to default on its obligations. Many have asked me what would happen if the unthinkable occurred and the U.S. did in fact default. In this video I'll share four things: 1. A brief history of the debt ceiling 2. Ramifications of a debt ceiling crisis that gets resolved 3. Ramifications if the U....

We know that dollar cost averaging (DCA) underperforms lump sum investing (LSI) about two-thirds of the time. That's because stocks tend to go up more often than they go down. But does LSI beat DCA when stock market valuations are high compared to historical averages, as they are now? That's the question we cover  in this video. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm....

In this video, I ask ChatGPT some questions about sophisticated investing and retirement topics. Here are a few examples: What is the 3-fund portfolio? Is the 4% Rule still valid? What Fidelity funds can we use to build the 3-fund portfolio? The responses ChatGPT returned were amazing. It's not perfect, but it's very good. And while artificial intelligence won't replace financial ad...

In this video I'll explain why bonds are a better, long-term investment than cash, particularly for those in retirement. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Today we'll start by looking at my investment portfolio. Then I'll answer your questions. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

Saving for retirement can be a struggle in the best of circumstances. For those 50 or older who have saved little if anything, retirement can seem impossible. In this video I walk through seven concepts, strategies and tools to help those who have gotten a late start save for a comfortable retirement at a reasonable age. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

We'll start tonight with a discussion of how to manage uncertainty when it comes to retirement planning. Then I'll answer your questions. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

With the recent banking crisis, I've received a lot of emails asking me two related questions. First, what would happen to our investments at a broker if that broker failed. Second, what would happen to an ETF or mutual fund if the company behind the fund failed? We cover both of these questions in today's video. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

We'll start by discussing the relative safety of FDIC-insured bank accounts versus T-bills in light of the debt ceiling. Then I'll take your questions. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

The banking crisis continues, with PacWest and other regional banks struggling in the stock market and to raise capital. The news prompted my mom to text me asking if she should be worried. In this video I answer her questions, covering the following topics. 1. How this banking crisis is different than 2008 2. Whether we should abandon small and regional banks and put all of our money in big banks...

I'll start by sharing some excellent books I'm reading right now. Then we'll turn to your questions. The Power Broker: https://amzn.to/3IF9woO Convict Conditioning: https://amzn.to/3XTEeiA Psychology of Money: https://amzn.to/3kgBjTd The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control: https://amzn.to/3Kvvko2 Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking: https://amzn.t...

You've found a bank with a great savings or CD rate, but it's in another state and you've never heard of it. Or perhaps you just want to know how safe your existing bank is. In this video we'll cover four free tools you can use to confirm that a bank or credit union is federally insured (FDIC or NCUA) and whether it's financially stable. Join the newsletter: https://robber...

Avantis launched this year a global stock ETF called the Avantis All Equity Markets ETF. In one ETF it can cover the entire stock portion of a portfolio. In this video I'll discuss the pros and cons of this fund from my perspective. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

A list of the best 0% APR and balance transfer credit cards: https://www.allcards.com/interest-fre... In this video we'll walk through the strategy my wife and I used to get out of credit card debt many years ago. We used 0% balance transfer cards, which eliminated our interest payments and helped us get out of debt faster and for less money. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newslet...

Maxifi is retirement planning software designed by Boston University professor Larry Kotlikoff. I've spent several days trying out the software, and this video is my review of the tool. There are several things I like about the tool. Data entry is easy. It doesn't require input of detailed investments or even a budget. Beyond housing, it asks for no spending details. Instead, it provides...

Tonight we'll start by discussing what makes up a comprehensive retirement withdrawal strategy. Then we'll discuss your questions. Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...