Marotta’s 2023 Gone-Fishing Portfolio Calculator
with No Comments

This gone-fishing portfolio is our default portfolio which can be used at any custodian.

Marotta’s 2023 Vanguard Gone-Fishing Portfolio Calculator
with No Comments

We recommend this gone-fishing portfolio for investors with brand loyalty to Vanguard.

#TBT How Shrewd Investors Save on Taxes
with No Comments

This 2007 post teaches how to use both investment losses and investment gains to good tax advantage.

Four Fidelity ETFs Cheaper Than Vanguard (2022 Analysis)
with No Comments

In the past, we’ve shown some preference to Vanguard funds, but going forward we plan to show some preference to the cheaper Fidelity funds.

#TBT A Guide to the Bear Markets
with No Comments

This series on each Bear Market helps remind us that there is nothing to fear.

Are Store Credit Cards Worth The Risk?
with No Comments

In order for a store credit card to be worth consideration, it should offer cash back of somewhere near 5% and have no annual fee.

Radio: Projecting Your Own Longevity
with No Comments

On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, David John Marotta appeared on Radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show with Rob Schilling to talk about how long we should plan on living in retirement projections.

What is a ‘Related Person’? (SEC ADV Part 1, Item 9, Question F)
with No Comments

Item 9 Custody offers perhaps some of the most confusing and most often changed compliance questions.

Why the Verizon Visa Credit Card is My Primary Card
with No Comments

I have adopted this card as the primary one in my wallet for groceries and gas.

#TBT That Rebate Check Could Ruin Your Retirement
with No Comments

This 2008 article reminds us that anyone who spends more than 4% of their rebate will actually lose ground saving toward their retirement.

Using Franklin Funds in 2022 Saved Clients Over $360,000
with No Comments

Reducing expense ratios by a theoretical 0.42% is a significant result. It is good to know that what works in theory has also worked even better in practice.

#TBT A Wealth of Satisfaction
with No Comments

This 2011 article reminds us that there will never be another you in the history of the universe. Sometimes that is just the reminder we need.

#TBT Speed Is Not Critical When Investing
with No Comments

Using the analogy of a peach orchard farmer compared to a doomsday weather watcher, David Marotta reminds us in this 2004 article that “For the speculator, speed is everything. Not so, for the investor.”

Radio: Inflation in December 2022
with No Comments

On Tuesday, December 13, 2022, David John Marotta appeared on Radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show with Rob Schilling to talk about the causes of inflation.

Virtual Class: Success and Significance in Retirement (OLLI 2023)
with No Comments

The class will be held April 13 through May 4, 2023 each Thursday from noon to 1:00 PM on Zoom.

#TBT For Valentine’s Day, Work on a Budget Together
with No Comments

Financial planning can be romantic. As this 2011 article reminds us, “nothing is more romantic than planning how to realize your shared hopes and dreams for the future.”

#BestOf2022 How to Self-Insure for Long-Term Care Health Expenses
with No Comments

Saving for long-term care, if done early enough, is not too expensive and helps to protect yourself from this potential financial shock.

#TBT How to Double Your Retirement
with No Comments

Doubling your retirement is not a fast process. It is the slow and steady practices of daily financial diligence.

#TBT Recouping Losses Is Not As Hard As You Think
with No Comments

This 2016 post has been our most popular search result recently for good reason. After the 2020 COVID bear market, this article is a comforting bit of math.

#TBT Maintain Financial Balance When in Business
with No Comments

This 2004 post has ten timeless rules for small businesses to maintain their financial balance.

How Long Should I Plan On Living?
with No Comments

Which is worse: Being destitute while still alive or dying happy and provided for with a little extra?

Account Funding Priorities for 2023
with No Comments

A savings waterfall is a tool to help investors prioritize savings goals and allocate funds appropriately.

Nontaxable Social Security Thresholds Are Not Inflation-Adjusted
with No Comments

Social Security has a number of flaws, to which these static tax brackets can be added.

Pension Lump Sums Are Affected By Rising Interest Rates
with No Comments

If you have received a projection from your company which included a lump sum offer that you were interested in taking, you may want to analyze it again.

#TBT Don’t Eat Yourself Out of Financial Security
with No Comments

The worst financial problems stem from trying to live a champagne and caviar lifestyle on a beer and chips budget.

The Haunting of Bob Cratchit: A Book from David Marotta
with No Comments

Did you know David wrote a Christmas novel? This 2020 book by David John Marotta and Brendon Marotta makes you rethink what is happening in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Social Security Fact Report: Insolvent in 2035
with No Comments

Every day, we voters and the government have the chance to free our children from this burden.

Be the One Who Can Write That Check
with No Comments

It is perfectly fine for you to underspend your assets. You don’t need my permission, but you have my blessing anyway.

A Very Conservative Gone-Fishing Portfolio of Vanguard Mutual Funds
with No Comments

I share this story here in case others in a similar situation may benefit from seeing this example.

Your Social Security Benefit Lags Inflation
with No Comments

There are at least two reasons why your Social Security benefits are failing to keep up with inflation.

Lessons for 2022 from My 1983 First Mortgage at 11.5%
with No Comments

We haven’t seen high interest rates in many years, but high interest rates do not remove the potential benefits of having a mortgage.

#TBT How Does The Fed Control Interest Rates In A Free Market?
with No Comments

This 2014 article is a good reminder of how interest rates work in our country.

The Art and Science of a Bond Allocation (529 Plan Example)
with No Comments

Adding more Stability to an asset allocation isn’t an easy issue. It takes science to know how much bonds you need. It takes artistry to gradually adjust your asset allocation over time. 

More Self-Control Leads to Wiser Spending, Not Less Spending
with No Comments

In this article, I am defending the use of self-control in your financial habits.

#TBT Tax By Inflation
with No Comments

Inflation has at least four grievous effects on our economy. This 2014 article explains them.

#TBT Five Reasons to Have Some Cash Equivalents
with No Comments

Staying fully invested is an important part of your financial plan. Yet still, there are at least five reasons to hold cash.

#TBT Sage Advice After Stock Market Drop
with No Comments

Old financial news read with 20-20 hindsight helps remind us that this is what markets do.

Review: eBay Mastercard Credit Card
with No Comments

Although this card is an easy way to pay 3% less for an eBay purchase, I won’t be adding it to my wallet since that is its only use.

#TBT Be Wary Of Sponsored Content
with No Comments

As advertisers have found it harder and harder to reach consumers, they are continually seeking ways to gain your attention.

Are Recessions a Real Thing?
with No Comments

Regardless of which it is and whether we are in a recession, it is always a good time to have a balanced portfolio.

Radio: Dangers of Seeking Utopia
with No Comments

On Tuesday, April 12, 2022, David John Marotta appeared on Radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show with Rob Schilling to talk about dangers of seeking utopia and the sinfulness of humanity.

Avoid the Publishers Clearing House Scam
with No Comments

Protecting you from elder fraud is just one of the many services we can offer as a part of comprehensive financial planning.

#TBT The Value of Systematic Roth Conversions
with No Comments

In this video, David used examples from our tax planning service to demonstrate what a Roth conversion plan might look like and how systematic Roth conversions can create a higher after-tax net worth in the future.

Protect Yourself By Silencing Unknown Callers
with No Comments

This process works as the people in your contacts list are probably not scammers.

A Closer Look at Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF (FRDM)
with No Comments

FRDM is interesting, but using our country specific funds plus a low cost Vanguard Emerging Market fund allows us to emphasize freedom for as low a cost as possible.

Big Mac Index Shows Official CPI Under Reports Inflation (2022)
with No Comments

I decided to see if McDonald’s famous burger was still appreciating faster than the CPI. It has been.

#TBT What Are Normal Market Movements?
with No Comments

It is common for investors to be surprised by movements in their portfolios. This 2019 article reminds us though that even volatile movements can be quite normal.

#TBT Before You Get Out Of The Stock Market, Read This
with No Comments

When you get out of the markets, you have made a huge gamble with your retirement money, and now the stakes are high.

Current Inflation vs. Expected Inflation (June 2022)
with No Comments

Currently, 12-month inflation is 8.58% and the crowdsourced expected inflation is 2.88%. Here’s what to do.

#TBT The Lower The Market Falls The More Important It Is To Stay Invested
with No Comments

A recovery after a significant downturn in the markets is often marked by steep growth. If you sell and flatline, you will likely miss the market’s natural recovery and thus your own personal future recovery becomes very difficult.

1 2 3 4 5 40

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter!