FREE NEWSLETTER
Billy’s Certificate - 1937
1 reply
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 6/24/2026
FIRST: D.J. on 6/25 | RECENT: D.J. on 6/25/2026 at 12:14 AM
How to Use AI With Your Portfolio
13 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 6/9/2026
FIRST: Dan Smith on 6/9 | RECENT: Gary Klotz on 6/10
Investing Fundamentals: A Simple Guide for Beginners
31 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 4/24/2026
FIRST: R Quinn on 4/24 | RECENT: W.D. Housley on 5/6
Financial Tension
10 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 4/17/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 4/18 | RECENT: W.D. Housley on 4/21
Time to Be Fearful
23 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 3/27/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 3/27 | RECENT: W.D. Housley on 3/29
What, Me Worry?
19 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 3/12/2026
FIRST: David Lancaster on 3/12 | RECENT: David Lancaster on 3/18
It’s Never Too Late
18 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 2/26/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 2/27 | RECENT: Jennifer Larson on 3/6
How Far Back Would a 40% Drop Take Us?
21 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 2/20/2026
FIRST: David Lancaster on 2/20 | RECENT: Bill C on 2/26
Should You Stop Contributing To Your IRA?
19 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 2/9/2026
FIRST: Randy Dobkin on 2/9 | RECENT: David Firth on 2/17
Sleeves or Buckets?
5 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 2/3/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 2/4 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 2/4
Average vs. Humble Average
26 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 12/28/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 12/28/2025 | RECENT: William Dorner on 1/4
You DRIP?
21 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 12/8/2025
FIRST: Chris Rush on 12/8/2025 | RECENT: R Quinn on 12/10/2025
Thanksgiving: The Keeping Story
22 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 11/26/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 11/26/2025 | RECENT: Mike Wyant on 11/28/2025
THE REAL RETURN ON DELAYING SOCIAL SECURITY
53 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 11/12/2025
FIRST: Mark Bergman on 11/12/2025 | RECENT: Mark Ukleja on 11/23/2025
Which Brokerage Works Best for U.S. Expats?
11 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 11/18/2025
FIRST: Linda Grady on 11/19/2025 | RECENT: OldITGuy on 11/23/2025
Does My Sister Need a Financial Advisor?
30 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 11/4/2025
FIRST: DAN SMITH on 11/4/2025 | RECENT: Jane on 11/15/2025
The Conversation: Contrarian Meets Momentum
9 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 11/7/2025
FIRST: David Lancaster on 11/8/2025 | RECENT: Fund Daddy on 11/8/2025
Contrarian Thinking About Roth Conversions
31 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 10/15/2025
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 10/16/2025 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 10/19/2025
Your Portfolio, Your Business
12 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 10/2/2025
FIRST: DAN SMITH on 10/2/2025 | RECENT: W.D. Housley on 10/5/2025
Our Special Relationship
10 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 9/18/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 9/18/2025 | RECENT: MikeinLA on 9/27/2025
Laughter, the Best Medicine
4 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 9/8/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 9/9/2025 | RECENT: Cheryl Low on 9/9/2025
Smarter Giving in Retirement and the Medicare Gotcha
6 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 9/7/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 9/7/2025 | RECENT: Suzee on 9/8/2025
Paper Certificates to Real-Time
7 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 8/23/2025
FIRST: Patrick Brennan on 8/23/2025 | RECENT: W.D. Housley on 8/24/2025
Outliving Your Money? Let’s Do the Math on Annuities
62 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 8/13/2025
FIRST: Jonathan Clements on 8/13/2025 | RECENT: rgscl on 8/17/2025
The Silent Compounding Cost of a 1% Fee
60 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 5/13/2025
FIRST: Jack Hannam on 5/13/2025 | RECENT: Bogdan Sheremeta on 8/13/2025
When an Index Fund Is Not an Index Fund
7 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 7/27/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 7/28/2025 | RECENT: David Powell on 8/4/2025
Dividend Days
70 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 6/28/2025
FIRST: David Powell on 6/28/2025 | RECENT: Mark Eckman on 7/6/2025
“A Complex Portfolio, a Modest Account”
12 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 6/13/2025
FIRST: normr60189 on 6/13/2025 | RECENT: W.D. Housley on 6/13/2025
The Victim Might Be You
21 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 5/21/2025
FIRST: Jeff Bond on 5/21/2025 | RECENT: R Quinn on 5/24/2025
Safety Net or Gambling Chip? Wrestling with Wealth and Wisdom”
7 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 4/7/2025
FIRST: William Perry on 4/7/2025 | RECENT: Rob Jennings on 4/12/2025
What Kind of Loss Is This?
15 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 4/4/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 4/4/2025 | RECENT: Mike Wyant on 4/6/2025
Luck or Providence?
5 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 3/6/2025
FIRST: baldscreen on 3/6/2025 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 3/19/2025
My Favorite Websites
16 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 3/13/2025
FIRST: David Lancaster on 3/13/2025 | RECENT: Steve Spinella on 3/18/2025
Resolutions:
11 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 12/28/2024
FIRST: Jeff Bond on 12/29/2024 | RECENT: Tim Mueller on 1/4/2025
No tax on your Social Security?
43 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 11/23/2024
FIRST: mytimetotravel on 11/23/2024 | RECENT: R Quinn on 11/26/2024
Everything About Retirement on a 3x5 card
10 replies
AUTHOR: W.D. Housley on 8/14/2024
FIRST: Jonathan Clements on 8/14/2024 | RECENT: Cheryl Low on 8/20/2024
Comments
My percentages: 33% Cash (online money market) 38% Growth – VOO, VTI, VUG 28% Income – SCHD, VNQ, VDE, VYM 2% Risk Plus – MRNA, USAR But here’s the reality: eight tickers across two sleeves don’t represent eight different bets. VOO, VTI, and VUG all hold the same mega-cap names — Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon — as their top positions. VTI is just VOO plus some small/mid-caps, and VUG is a growth-tilted slice of largely that same large-cap universe. So 38% “Growth” is really one concentrated US large-cap bet, counted three times. The Income sleeve has some real diversification — VNQ (REITs) is genuinely different — but SCHD and VYM overlap heavily in the same dividend-paying large caps, and VDE’s energy names show up in SCHD too. And those same large caps already appear in VOO/VTI from the Growth sleeve. So there’s overlap within sleeves and across them. Net result: my 8-ticker, 4-sleeve portfolio is really “US large-cap” + “REITs” + “energy tilt” + cash. Three asset classes, not eight bets. And here’s your reality, Larry: your 70/10/10/10 has the same issue, just more elegantly disguised. VT (Total World) is a market-cap-weighted blend that already includes value and growth stocks globally — it’s the whole pie. VTV and VUG are just slices of that same pie, split by factor. So your “three equity funds” are really one global equity position with a slight value/growth tilt layered on top. The lesson for both of us: counting tickers isn’t counting diversification. What matters is the underlying holdings, asset classes, and correlations — not how many fund names appear on the statement. A portfolio with 10 funds that all hold the same top-5 positions isn’t more diversified than one with 2 — it’s just more paperwork. I will be making changes
Post: What’s in your portfolio ?
Link to comment from June 13, 2026
As are mine 😏 but still I was able to catch something by using AI. - Cheers
Post: How to Use AI With Your Portfolio
Link to comment from June 10, 2026
Of course, but AI is getting better and better all the time. Right now it may be in grade school. But it seems that High School and College are around the corner. Question did these writers evaluate AI too soon?
Post: How to Use AI With Your Portfolio
Link to comment from June 9, 2026
Yes I believe it can be a goodbsecond set of eyes
Post: How to Use AI With Your Portfolio
Link to comment from June 9, 2026
Not knowing the acronym myself, I first thought YMMV meant “Your Mongoose May Vanish.” It’s no big deal, but aren’t the The Humble Dollar comment guidelines supposed to discourage acronyms for exactly this reason?
Post: Direct Indexing Anyone?
Link to comment from May 11, 2026
Nick, Young or old there are many people who don’t have a clue. I’m helping a neighbor who is 67, and newly retired. He was on auto pilot with his company plan and his government pension. He is one of the fortunate few who will be OK.
Post: Investing Fundamentals: A Simple Guide for Beginners
Link to comment from May 6, 2026
William, Thanks.
Post: Investing Fundamentals: A Simple Guide for Beginners
Link to comment from May 4, 2026
I had never checked my combined expense ratio before. It came out to just 0.073%. The portfolio is mostly low-cost Vanguard ETFs. At age 59.5, I pulled everything out of my company 401(k). The broker and plan administrator combined charged about 0.85%, and on top of that, some of the underlying funds added another 0.75% — meaning the all-in cost on certain holdings was well over 1.5%. Switching was one of the best financial decisions I’ve made.
Post: Investing Fundamentals: A Simple Guide for Beginners
Link to comment from May 2, 2026
Interesting thought - i need to think more on this.
Post: Investing Fundamentals: A Simple Guide for Beginners
Link to comment from April 27, 2026
Have them look up how much they will likely receive from just Social Security and ask them if they can live on that amount of income. That should scare them straight.
Post: Investing Fundamentals: A Simple Guide for Beginners
Link to comment from April 27, 2026