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19 Oct '23Exploring Household Income – Financial Voyeurism Part 1
Continue readingTech employees are known for their high household income. Yet the cost of living in tech hubs like Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area often makes it seem less glamorous. To keep things in perspective, I eagerly await the Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) every three years. This report sheds light […]
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10 Feb '23Dividend Investing & Living off Dividend Income
Continue readingInvesting in stocks that pay dividends (dividend investing) can be a great way to earn passive income. With a well-diversified portfolio of dividend stocks, an investor can create a steady stream of income to support their retirement or add to current income. In this article, we will explore the concept of dividend investing, its benefits, […]
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01 Nov '217.1% interest, risk-free! But is it for real?
Continue readingWhen an investment advertises a high return, that seems too good to be real, it almost certainly is. In these “too good to be real” situations, you often take on a undisclosed high level of risk, or the quoted return is based on “return of capital”, not earnings. See Hazardous Advice – Reaching for Yield for […]
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01 May '21Savings Bonds – Inflation Hedge Series
Continue readingArguably, the simplest of all investments—U.S. Savings Bonds—may be the best current hedge against inflation available. As discussed in my prior post, Are TIPS a Good Investment, TIPS are nearly the perfect inflation hedge. Your return is fully protected from inflation since the bonds yield is adjusted based on actual inflation experienced. You receive a […]
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28 Sep '20Are TIPS a Good Investment – Inflation Hedge Series
Continue readingWith the Federal Reserve “printing” massive amounts of new money to fund Congress’s record-breaking deficit spending, I thought it would be a good time to review investments considered good hedges for inflation. Ideally a good inflation hedge would maintain (or increase) its real value during periods of high inflation. Today’s post will consider Treasury Inflation-Protected […]
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04 Oct '19Are Bonds Still A Good Bet?
Continue readingWith bond yields near generational lows, it raises the question: is it still worth owning bonds? Given the risk-return offered, are bonds still prudent for long-term investors within a broadly diversified portfolio? For most portfolios, bonds provide “ballast” helping to stabilize the generally more volatile returns from stocks. Historically, bond returns have been lower than […]
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11 Mar '18How Do You Stack Up?
Continue readingEmployees at technology companies—as a group—are highly compensated. Nonetheless, it may not feel like it, given the high cost of living in tech hubs like Seattle or the San Francisco Bay Area. To keep grounded in reality, I look forward every three years to the Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances for the latest […]
