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29 Nov '23Retirement Plan Savings – Financial Voyeurism Part 5
Continue readingHow do your retirement plan savings stack up? Are you accumulating retirement assets faster than your peers? Every three years I look forward to the latest Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) to remind us how wealth is distributed in the United States. Also see the other postings in our Financial Voyeurism series: Part 1 […]
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22 Nov '23IBM 401(k) Plus Plan Changes!
Continue readingIBM 401(k) plan changes coming in 2024. The technological behemoth recently announced a significant change to its employee retirement benefits that has sent ripples through its workforce. Effective January 1, 2024, the company plans to bid farewell to its longstanding 5% matching contributions and 1% automatic contributions to employees’ 401(k) accounts. Instead, IBM will usher […]
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15 Nov '23Net Worth Growth – Financial Voyeurism Part 4
Continue readingWhat has the typical family net worth growth been over time in the United States? Are you accumulating assets faster or slower than your age group peers? And what has the impact of recent inflation been on household net worth? The Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) is conducted every three years. It […]
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08 Nov '23Household Net Worth – Financial Voyeurism Part 3
Continue readingFinancial curiosity often leads us to ponder how our finances compare to those of others. Are we accumulating assets faster or slower than our peers, and how does our household net worth measure up to the national average? In this third part of our series on financial voyeurism, we delve into the intricacies of net […]
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01 Nov '23Net Worth by Age in the U.S. – Financial Voyeurism Part 2
Continue readingThe household net worth in the United States varies significantly across different age groups. Understanding the average net worth of households at different stages of life is essential for financial planning; and makes for good financial rubbernecking. To gain insights into this complex topic, we turn to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), […]
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10 May '23Navigating the Debt Dilemma: An Investment Perspective
Continue readingThe ongoing congressional standoff over raising the debt ceiling serves as a reminder to review our investment approach. Especially in regard to holding Treasuries. With the federal government’s revenue falling short of its spending, it’s clear that our country’s finances need attention. Behind all the political grandstanding remains the core fact that Federal revenue is […]
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02 Feb '21Financial Rubbernecking – Part 3: Retirement Accounts
Continue readingHow do your retirement savings stack up? Are you accumulating retirement assets faster than your peers? This is the third posting in a series exploring these types of questions. (See Part 1 – Income; See Part 2- Net Worth) Every three years I look forward to the latest Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances […]
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12 Jan '21Financial Rubbernecking – Part 2: Net Worth
Continue readingHow do your finances stack up? How are doing compared to others? Are you accumulating assets faster or slower than your peers? How does your net worth measure up to the rest of the country? This is the second posting in a series exploring these questions. (See Part 1 – Income) Every three years I […]
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07 Dec '20Financial Rubbernecking – Part 1: Income
Continue readingTech employees – as a group – are highly-compensated. However, it may not feel that way given the high cost-of-living in many tech hubs like Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. To keep grounded, every three years I look forward to the latest Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) to remind us […]
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23 Mar '20Five Predictions For 2020
Continue reading2020 Predictions The Chinese stock market will outperform Berkshire Hathaway will cut several deals with distressed companies at bargain prices Top line shines, margins suffer for diversified retailers (grocery) The Fed will nationalize an additional $5+ trillion of the national debt Extraordinary government programs to bailout small businesses With large swaths of the global […]
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17 Mar '20Demand in the age of Coronavirus
Continue readingThe economic shock delivered by the COVID-19 pandemic has been swift and severe for capital markets. In only a few short weeks many market indices are down 30-40% from recent highs. These large declines in stock prices reflect Mr. Market factoring significantly lower corporate earnings in the future (and a large amount of uncertainty). So, […]
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04 Jan '20Decade in Review
Continue readingU.S. Large Stocks Dominate Investing this past decade has been defined by a long bull market rising from the ashes of the Great Financial Crisis of 2007-2008. The current bull market—defined as a generally increasing stock market without a 20% decline—is now almost 11 years old, the longest in U.S. history. Like other bull markets, […]
