Late Bloomer Wealth

Late Bloomer Wealth

Dedicated to Helping K12 Teachers with their 403(b) & 457(b) plans.

Passive Investment Strategy

Taxes, Life without Dan, 1st Quarter 2016 Performance

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What does grief, taxes, and the first quarter portfolio report have in common? Plenty. I discuss my challenge to do my taxes because Dan did our taxes, and to report how I am doing with life without Dan, and my portfolio first quarter report. I feel good that I completed my taxes with Turbo Tax–Dan would be proud.
I also am happy to report that my portfolio has regained all of the Year-to-Date loses and is up $30,000 YTD. Of course, this makes me feel good and helps with my grief of losing Dan five months ago. But what makes me the happiest is helping others through volunteer work and this blog. When I read what my friend Karen and her sister Therese did about with their finances, and the resulting contentment, security and peace of mind that they feel now, made me the happiest of all.

How did a 37% stock/63% bond Portfolio Perform During January’s Crash, Volatility and Rebound?

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In this post, I share in detail my Morningstar printouts at each of the four weeks in January 2016. You can see first-hand how volatile even my conservative portfolio can get. The news reported, ad nauseum, that the stock market was volatile, wondering if this was a start of a major and long lasting crash. Oil prices sank to ten-year lows, China’s economy stalled and everyone watched what the Federal Reserve was going to do next with interests rates. When oil prices rebounded from $28 per barrel, and Japan’s central bank lowered their interest rates with some folks saying that our Federal Reserve might ease our rate increases from 2 times this year instead of 4, by the end of January all the major stock and bond markets came roaring back. This recovery made a $50,000 loss in mid-January into a $20,000 loss by the end of January.

What Does Objective Financial Advice Look Like?

Leave a Comment / Beginning Investing, Consumer Finance, Do it yourself investors (DIY), Fee Only Fiduciary Financial Advisors, Fiduciary Standard, Financial Education/Literacy, Laymen to Laymen Financial Information, Passive Investment Strategy, Personal Finance, PreK-12 Educators / By

For a decade, I have listened to Paul Merriman’s podcasts. His list of financial topics spans every conceivable idea and common sense investing strategy. His understanding of the investing process and constructing a simple or complex portfolio is top notch. In this post, I recommend that you listen to one of his podcasts. Here’s why. …

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Financial Book Review

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White Coat Investor by James Dahle, MD Reviewed by Steve Have you ever vacillated about reading a book because you weren’t the author’s targeted audience? Dr. Dahle’s fine book’s is aimed towards MDs and other ultra-high earning professionals (Attorneys, Dentists, CPAs, and Engineers). Still, there are four reasons I read this book, gave it five …

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Portfolio Performance Report

Leave a Comment / Beginning Investing, LAUSD Employees, Passive Investment Strategy, Personal Finance, PreK-12 Educators, Retirement Planning / By

Happy Belated 4th of July! How did your retirement investment portfolio perform at the half-way mark of 2015? After years of 24/7 chatter about interest rates, the Federal Reserve Board announced that it will raise interest rates by the end of the year. They haven’t yet, but the mere prospect of higher interest rates hit our bond …

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Top Personal Finance Blogs by Young and Highly Successful Do-It-Yourselfers

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A Review for the Millennial Generation who Seek Financial Freedom: Mr. Money Mustache and White Coat Investor Have you ever thought of managing your own money without an expensive financial adviser? Or just needed somebody you can trust not to rip you off with commissions, and high advisory fees? If you have followed our blog here, that’s precisely what …

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Part 3: Investing Basics

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Part III: The Stock/Bond Allocation Split and Rebalancing Since 2008, a retired friend has put 100% of his money in cash. He recently asked if it’s time to get back into the stock market. You already recognize our friend’s major mistake–100% into anything is not diversification. Still, we can tell a lot about our friend’s …

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A Do-It-Yourself Investor’s Powerful Insight

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Dan and I joined this local professional organization. The Desert Business Association (DBA) serves 300 members who are mostly LGBT locally-owned businesses. Our book designer, Mark, and a fiduciary financial adviser, Bob, told us about the DBA mixers hosted by different members at their place of business. This gives members and chance to talk about …

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