Is Now a Good Time to Start Investing? (FQF)

Welcome to another edition of Five Question Friday (FQF). We actually have 6 questions today plus a free investment tracking tool:

1. Do I send Facebook friend requests to viewers?
2. Is this a good time to start investing?
3. Is rebalancing in volatile times just market timing?
4. If following the 4% rule, should the amount you pay in taxes be included?
5. Should an emergency fund be part of your asset allocation?
6. What is your opinion of using T-bills for cash instead of CDs or bonds?

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0:00 - Intro
1:15 - Do I send Facebook friend requests to viewers?
2:22 - Is this a good time to start investing?
5:35 - Is rebalancing in volatile times just market timing?
8:01 - If following the 4% rule, should the amount you pay in taxes be included?
13:58 - Should an emergency fund be part of your asset allocation?
15:07 - What is your opinion of using T-bills for cash instead of CDs or bonds?
16:44 - Investment Tracking Tool

*Financial tools I use:*

*I track all of my investments, performance, fees, and asset allocation with Empower. It's Free:*

*My retirement plan comes from New Retirement, the most robust retirement planner available at a reasonable cost:*

*I used Capitalize for my last 401(k) rollover. They did all of the work, and it's Free:*

*My Book (Retire Before Mom and Dad):*

#fqf #investing #robberger

ABOUT ME

While still working as a trial attorney in the securities field, I started writing about personal finance and investing In 2007. In 2013 I started the Doughroller Money Podcast, which has been downloaded millions of times. I've since sold my websites, bought them back, and started a new website and this YouTube channel.

LET'S CONNECT

DISCLAIMER: I am not a financial adviser. These videos are for educational purposes only. Investing of any kind involves risk. Your investment and other financial decisions are solely your responsibility. It is imperative that you conduct your own research and seek professional advice as necessary. I am merely sharing my opinions.

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Some of the links on this channel are affiliate links, meaning at no cost to you I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase and/or subscribe. However, I only recommend products or services that (1) I believe in and (2) would recommend to my own mom.

[archiemcdougald]

You don’t even need a long-term outlook to see this is one of the best times to get in. In less than six months, when Trump come to his senses, all of this will be behind us, and the people who buy the right stocks now now will be the ones smiling all the way to the bank. I made close to a million during the last small downturn two years back, and I’m doing everything I can to make the most of this one too.

[gringolandia]

Rob, thanks for turning on the Spanish audio option. This is helpful.

[LeeBoris]

I find a lot of these investment trackers people post online that are pretty are often frivolous, but have to say this one looks pretty good. Thanks for posting it.

[matthewowcarz]

Hey rob, that spreadsheet is pretty damn awesome. Please tell the fella that designed it that i said so thanks

[mkfourwinds]

I respect your advice. I’m glad I discovered your videos. Your advice is based on sanity not sensationalism. I find myself waiting for your new videos.

[Nexus]

Thanks, love watching your videos even though I'm just messing around with a taxable brokerage account with a "petty" 80K

[sharktoothdiver]

Rob, I've enjoyed a lot of your videos and I'm sure you probably said it before but I'd like to ask you a few simple "quick answer" questions that may help me narrow down some decisions, and I understand that you are not giving financial advice. I'm pretty good at all of the diversification that I have around my stock market choices and ETFs, but my weakness is fixed income/bonds and the like. So if it is correct that you're 25-30% in bonds (and I assume all fixed income is included in that), would you mind telling where you put the majority of your bond money and those investments that are income producing other than stock dividends? I'm just now retired, maybe a speck older than you, and I agree totally with the % allocation in the bond portion. I don't want 40%. I'm pretty sure that you're in BND and SGOV, but correct me if I'm wrong. Are you however in any more specific bond ETFs that may be shorter or mid time frame bond funds, or are you happy with just the total bond market and then short term SGOV investments? I'm more inclined to consider a few more to those two but not sure which bond ETFs. Any help would be really appreciated. A few possibilities in no particular order might be CGCP, AGGH, JAAA, SHY? Are any of these (or any others) better than or complimentary to what you have for your bond portion? Thanks a lot, subscribed and thumbs up!

[Mightyluna]

I so look forward to your FQF videos. Maybe you can address this on your next FQF. How to best get back in the equities market after selling. Say you have a nice chunk, should you jump right in or invest in small chunks? I am asking because after much thought and high/low emotions that mimicked the market highs/lows, and after telling myself that I would stay the course like I did in 2020/2022, I did something yesterday that I thought I'd never do. I sold about 90% of my equities ETF, effectively locking in a $39K loss, and moved the cash into 3 and 6-month T-bills and CDs. Didn't think I would ever do it, but I've never felt as unsettled about the markets as I have with this administration at the helm. I know that for long term growth I should be in equities but at the moment I'm in preservation mode and do feel at peace today. I hope you can address my question in your next FQF. Thanks for all you do to educate us Rob!

[RobMcCormick]

For Rob or long time viewers: what is the acronym 'FQF' in the video title? Curious minds would like to know ;-)

[DanBuchal]

Hey Rob... I see you found my new spreadsheet. I'm working on a 2.1.0 that is close to release 😉

[noreenn]

6 question Friday and a free spreadsheet, woot woot!

[keithfrasier]

Great video Rob. I also use SGOV and am very pleased with it. Thanks for all your hard work.

[EK-lpod]

Hi Rob, Would you mind going over the pros/cons of securities lending programs? Thank you!

[yustanley]

I’ve always been curious — are you a Boglehead?

Please advise on investment after age 65yrs. . Only thing I can think of is MMF or CD. Or invest in treasury or something that returns 5% to 6% if you are lucky. This would be equivalent 4% withdrawal rate.

Currently Bond and Stock are going down so that is loosing game if you in retirement.

Only thing is left is annuities that pay 5% or better such as MYGA. But that lock up money for 5 to 6 years.

[MStro]

Thoughts on if now is a good time to lump sum invest into QQQM?

[janethunt]

Thanks for being crystal clear and detailed in your answers.

[martycurtis]

Canadian here.

I went 25% cash two days before "Liberation Day" and I'm sure glad I did. Now I am buying the S&P 500 every chance I get (hoping there are many more down days ahead).

I don't use the 4% rule. I like Ben Mathew and the TPAW Planner. It's an alternative withdrawl strategy to the 4% method, a much better alternative imo, as it amortizes the funds of the account over the time frame the user chooses along with various other user defined inputs. When I want to make a withdrawl out of my account the planner calculates what I should withdraw based on the value of the portfolio at the time. It's slick.

[paulr]

If you go for the long term, it's allways a good time to invest

[Viabrown]

me and my husband just retired in January and we are planning on using the 4% rule which will include the taxes that we have to spend on the conversions that we make. I consider the 4% rule to qualify as anything we withdraw from our accounts. I do have bolden but can't seem to figure it out. It keeps telling me I have more income coming in than what we have so that's frustrating