I-Bond Decision Time

Long time readers know that Mr. ToughMoneyLove is a fan of inflation-protected government bonds, namely TIPS (Treasury Inflation Protected Securities) and Series Savings Bonds, a/k/a I Bonds. Now is a good time to consider your options for investing in some I-Bonds. Read more

First Quarter Financial Performance

I try to take a more detailed look at our overall financial picture and investment performance at the end of each quarter. Read more

Avoid the Bond Fund Trap

Investment professionals often preach to the masses (that’s us) that two of the biggest killers of investment returns are fear and greed. (That would be our fear and greed. Investment professional tend to overlook the impact of their own greed.) I’m familiar with these very human frailties. I’ve struggled with my own fear of loss as in impediment to making rational and timely financial decisions.  Read more

Should You Invest in a Target Retirement Date Fund?

Target Date Funds were intended to be a “one-size fits all” retirement investment vehicle. Investors were encouraged to put most if not all of their retirement portfolio into a retirement date fund after selecting a target retirement date. Then, the theory went, they could sit back, relax, and watch as the fund grew over time while automatically adjusting the fund’s asset allocations as their target date approached. Read more

The Hard Truth About Stocks – a Follow-Up

Several weeks ago I announced the launch of my Failsafe Retirement blog and site. In that post, I cited an interview of Prof. Zvi Bodie that was published in the October issue of Money Magazine. The interview was captioned “You Can’t Handle the Truth About Stocks.” You may recall that Bodie believes that most investors take on too much risk by relying on the stock market to provide retirement income. Read more

Why Do You Invest?

Now that the markets are showing signs of life, the pundits and financial writers are pumping out investing articles of all kinds. Gold is prominently mentioned as are a wide variety of stocks, mutual funds, and exotic ETFs. More so than ever, when I read these articles I ask myself this question: Why should I invest in that? Or taken one step further, the question becomes: Why do I invest? Read more

Quarterly Financial Performance Update

Three quarters of 2009 are in the books. Time to update the Mr. and Mrs. ToughMoneyLove financial performance metrics. I actually review this information at least weekly but no need to bore you with updates that often.  Read more

Copying the Smart Guys in Personal Finance

Have you often wondered how the big mouth at the office or your goofy brother-in-law does so well in the stock market? Do you know a smart investor that you would like to learn from – in the privacy of your own computer?

Enter Covestor, a new site I discovered that encourages copycat investing. Read more

Quarterly Net Worth and Investment Review

Now that our vacation is over and I am again immersed in the harsh realities of our financial lives, it’s time for a brief look back at what happened in the second quarter of 2009. Read more

Hedging Against the Declining Dollar

Last week I published a tip on how an investor can concurrently hedge against inflation and currency risks. Read more

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