The Rob Berger Show

Latest Episodes:

RBS 022: When Can I Retire--How to Determine If You Can Retire Mar 23, 2022

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A viewer recently asked me if he was able to retire in two years. He provided his investment balances, projected expenses, and pension income. In this video we'll evaluate his situation to determine if he can retire.
To determine if you can retire, it's important to evaluate both your expenses and income in retirement. This can be challenging for several reasons:
1. Expenses are at best an estimate
2. Medical expenses can be a wild card
3. One-time and periodic expenses can be difficult to calculate
4. Future income (social security, pensions) may not start for years
5. Estimate how much of your investments you can spend each year is at best a rough estimate.
To help, I walk through two free tools in the video:
Join the newsletter: https://robberger.com/newsletter/?utm...

RBS 021: VOO vs VTI--S&P 500 Index Versus Total Stock Market Index Mar 18, 2022

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VOO vs. VTI--S&P 500 Index versus Total Stock Market Index Fund.
Morningstar Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRfRq...
3-Fund Portfolio: https://robberger.com/go/3-fund-portf...

RBS 020: Building Wealth in 2022--Live Q&A Jan 01, 2022

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RBS 019: The Dave Ramsey Portfolio vs Low Cost Index Funds Dec 23, 2021

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Dave Ramsey is perhaps best known for his baby steps and helping countless people get out of debt. Among low cost index fund investors, he's also known as recommending expensive mutual funds with front loaded sales charges. While fees are important, what matters even more is after-fee returns. And that raises an important question--
Does Dave Ramsey's approach to investing outperform a portfolio of low cost index funds?
In this episode, we'll look at American Funds, which appear to be Dave's fund family of choice. We'll compare their returns with low cost index funds over the past several decades to see which one comes out on top.

RBS 018: 7 Best IRA for New Investors Oct 12, 2021

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Opening an IRA account is an important step towards saving for retirement. The best IRA accounts have low fees, a wide array of investment options and tools that make investing easy.
My analysis stems from holding accounts at each of the brokers on the list, with the exception of Ally Invest. I’ve had a Rollover IRA, Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, SEP IRA or an Inherited IRA at Wealthfront, Vanguard, Fidelity and Merrill Edge. I’ve held taxable accounts at Betterment and M1 Finance.
Beyond my own experience, I focus on fees and functionality. Fees are always critical, and how each broker works is important. You want to match your own personal approach to investing with the right IRA account. I also considered each broker’s website and mobile app, as well as their investing tools.
Article: https://robberger.com/ira-accounts/

RBS 017: Christine Benz Interview--4% Rule & the Bucket Strategy for Retirement Oct 07, 2021

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In this interview with Christine Benz, Director of Personal Finance at Morningstar, we cover several timely topics including inflation, stimulus, the 4% rule and the bucket strategy of retirement spending.

RBS 016: Index Funds are for LOSERS (Seriously) Aug 23, 2021

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Index funds like an S&P 500 index fund will underperform other investments each and every year. It will underperform countless stocks and even other actively managed ETFs and mutual funds. To build wealth, you have to be willing to accept that other investors will outperform your portfolio each and every year. The good news is that you'll likely outperform them every decade.

RBS 015: How to Create a 3-Fund Portfolio Jun 09, 2021

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A three fund portfolio is a simple approach to investing that, as the name suggests, involves just three mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. In just three funds, an investor can build a diversified, low cost portfolio that's easy to manage.
Popularized by the Bogleheads, the three fund portfolio is one of several "Lazy Portfolios." You don't let the Simplicity fool you. A three fund portfolio has outperformed most comparable actively managed portfolios Over the past several decades. In this article, we'll look at what comprises a 3-fund portfolio, its diversification, its historical returns, and how to easily build a 3-fund portfolio. We'll also look at a few ways you can supercharge the returns with a significant increase to volatility by adding a few more funds to the mix.

RBS 014: How to Plan Your Retirement with this Cool Online Tool Aug 25, 2020

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We interview Steve Chen, founder of New Retirement. His company has developed a robust retirement planning tool that can help you model your finances in retirement.

RBS 013: The Cash Back Rewards Investing Strategy Update Jul 13, 2020

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An update on how I'm saving and investing all of the cash back rewards earned from credit cards. I'll show you my M1 Finance account, how I'm investing the rewards, and how those investments are performing.

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