A biweekly newsletter from our Founder & Portfolio Manager, Ryan A. Hughes. Straight talk on markets, taxes, and money. Read by 2,700+ people who value clear thinking.
Key Takeaways: In early 2025, the S&P 500 fell nearly 19% from its February peak in a matter of weeks,1 then climbed back to a new high a few months later. Drops like that are normal, but they’re dangerous in a specific way for retirees: if you’re selling investments to pay your bills, a downturn...
You may have seen on CNBC or read in The Wall St. Journal that interest rates are rising. The 10-year Treasury spiked to 5.2% this week, the highest since 2007. Mortgage rates jumped to 7%, which may be the new normal. But what does this all mean? Why are interest rates going up? The answer...
Key Takeaways: If you’ve saved $3 million for retirement, congratulations, you’ve done something rare. According to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, the typical household nearing retirement has around $200,000 saved, and by the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s analysis of that data, fewer than 1 in 100 households have $3 million or more.1 You’re...
Key Takeaways: • Neither strategy is inherently better; fit depends on your plan. Both can support disciplined spending when built around your income, taxes, and risk capacity. • The two frameworks solve the same problem differently. Buckets separate money by when you’ll need it; total return manages one coordinated portfolio. • ...
You may have read some headlines or even heard people talk about higher Treasury rates lately. It’s worth paying attention to. U.S. Treasuries, and global bonds in general, have been giving investors reason to worry lately. So, what does this mean to the average consumer? How does this affect you? The Importance of Treasury Yields...
Key Takeaways: One of the most interesting things we’ve observed over the course of our careers is how people’s risk tolerances tend to change over time. This is especially true when the markets fall. When things are going well, most investors aren’t spending much time wondering whether today is the right day to invest. Then...
Key Takeaways: Most people really don’t enjoy the budgeting process. For some people, the word “budget” brings to mind spreadsheets, expense tracking, and saying no to everything you enjoy. But budgeting doesn’t have to mean obsessing over every dollar you spend. At its core, budgeting is simply about understanding your cash flow: how much money...
Key Takeaways: • Your retirement paycheck starts with what you plan to spend. Build the target from expected after-tax spending, not a percentage of your former salary. • The money comes from several places at once. Social Security, pensions, and cash reserves cover part of the need. Investment accounts fill the...
Key Takeaways: What Retirement Ready Means at Age 55 Reaching 55 with a healthy nest egg can have a strange feeling. You’ve done the work, the balance looks solid, and yet you still can’t answer the one question that matters: whether your next paycheck could be your last. Retiring at 55 can be a gift,...
Key Takeaways: For many professionals in tech, biotech, and other high-growth industries, company stock starts as a valuable part of compensation. It can eventually become one of the largest pieces of their net worth. That ownership may come through RSUs, Restricted Stock Awards (RSAs), or stock options. The challenge is that a benefit designed to...
Key Takeaways: Retirement planning isn’t a single decision you make once and forget about. It’s a string of decisions that starts the day you get your first paycheck and doesn’t end until you’re gone. How early you start saving, what you do with your 401(k) every time you change jobs, and how you manage your...
Key Takeaways: Calculating your retirement number sounds like a simple exercise, right up until you open three online calculators, get three different answers, and start to scratch your head. Those calculators disagree because they’re all guessing at your life. You’re not. When you build the number from a few pieces you know, and hold onto...
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