Archive for April, 2012

What assets should be placed in which retirement accounts

In my previous post I discussed about how I would prioritize my retirement savings.  I suggested it would be prudent to invest in retirement accounts over time, with the goal of creating tax diversity. That is, by having funds in tax deferred, tax free, and taxable accounts.  In this post I’ll discuss what type of […]

Pay Down Debt or Increase Savings

A friend of mine who is early in his career recently told me that he had finally paid off his car. He wanted to know whether he should use his newly available cash flow to pay down other outstanding debt or use the funds to increase his retirement savings. This is a good question. In […]

Replenishing the First Bucket

In a recent post I discussed the importance of setting up a fixed income ladder as your first bucket of the Buckets Strategy.  As a follow up to that concept, I would like to introduce another skill that a retiree managing his own portfolio for income should know. That is when you should sell your […]

Should You Use a Financial Advisor

I am often asked if I use a financial advisor. Financial advisors can be very helpful. In this post I will give my thoughts on whether you should use a financial advisor.

Equity Allocation Revisited

I have written often in this blog how one of the most important investment decisions you must make is selecting your appropriate equity allocation for your retirement portfolio. In my discussions on this topic, I have referenced a simple equity allocation guideline, “100 minus your age,” people can use that I first explained in this […]