The Sapient Investor

What are ETFs and why they are so popular? In short, they provide very inexpensive exposure to virtually any asset class or niche and are extremely tax efficient.

Interest rates have moved up. A lot. But most banks and brokers are still paying very little for cash deposits. Here’s what you can do with your cash to earn a lot more without taking on much risk.

The interest rate environment has changed dramatically over the past year. I-bonds are not the slam-dunk compelling buy that they were in 2022. Short-term TIPS are now a better investment.

Inflation is still a major risk. Here are some investment ideas to hedge it.

Yes, the prices of stocks and bonds are down YTD in 2022. By a lot. However, yields are also up, by a lot, more than offsetting the drop in value. The net effect is that expected annual income is currently higher than it was at year-end 2021 for both stocks and bonds! You will have more income in retirement, not less.

The popularity of Medicare Advantage has grown so that now 50% of Medicare enrollees use it rather than traditional Medicare. Which one is right for you?

Investing is like a marathon. The key is not giving up.

We should not have been surprised by the past year’s rampant inflation in the wake of Covid-related blowout government spending and consequent increases in the money supply. Milton Friedman (1976 Economics Nobel Laureate) warned about this long ago.

Interest rates are up, and asset prices are down. However, the present value of your future retirement liabilities (spending needs) is also down, probably down more than the value of your retirement nest egg. This means that in nearly all cases, retirement investors have better coverage of future retirement liabilities than they did on January 1!

Short-term Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) are a safe-haven investment in this turbulent market. They have no credit risk, no inflation risk, and very little interest rate risk.