Rich Habits Podcast – Q&A: When To Rebalance A Portfolio, Robert's Altcoins, & Weekly Dividends
Hosts: Austin Hankwitz & Robert Croak
Release date: November 20, 2025
Episode Overview
This Q&A episode is packed with listener-submitted questions, focusing on actionable personal finance, investing strategies, cryptocurrency, and portfolio management. Austin and Robert approach each query with their distinct perspectives—Robert as a seasoned entrepreneur and decamillionaire, Austin as a younger entrepreneur and investor—always focused on practical, step-by-step advice to help listeners build rich habits and take control of their financial futures.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. What Should I Do With Extra Money? (Xavier D. Question)
[03:28–07:59]
- Summary: Xavier has a high income, low expenses, and seeks advice on deploying significant surplus funds.
- Advice:
- Always ensure a 3–6 month emergency fund in a high-yield savings account.
- Use the “Match > Roth > Taxable” order:
- First, contribute to your 401(k) up to the company match (free money).
- Second, fund a Roth IRA to the maximum limit for tax-advantaged, long-term autonomy.
- Third, invest excess in a taxable brokerage (the “bridge account”) in low-cost index funds/ETFs for accessible, flexible capital before retirement age.
- Notable Quote:
“You have to make your money work as hard for you as you work to get it. Write it down, get a tattoo, put a post-it note next to your desk—whatever you need to do.” —Robert [05:53]
- Avoid leaving large sums idle in a savings account beyond your emergency fund.
2. When (and How) Should You Rebalance Your Portfolio?
[08:00–15:46]
- Listener ‘O’ asks: Should I rebalance/exit positions at set times or when big gains occur?
- Robert’s Approach:
- Rule of thumb:
- When a stock position gains 50%, sell 25% of it.
- If it gains another 50%, sell another 25%, and so on.
- Redeploy proceeds into underweighted sectors, new opportunities, or lower-risk assets.
- Rebalancing generally occurs once or twice a year (or after outsized returns).
- Avoid sitting on cash for long; “parked money is dead money.”
- Notable Quote:
“Money sitting, you know, parked money is dead money. You guys hear me say that all the time.” —Robert [11:08]
- Rule of thumb:
- Austin’s Take:
- Biannual reviews: Summertime (mid-year) and year-end.
- Review under/overperformance versus benchmark indices (e.g., S&P 500).
- Decide to keep or adjust based on conviction, sector trends, or underperformance.
- Emphasizes that no one can time the market; the focus should be on steady, unemotional investing.
- Notable Quote:
“If you are not going to retire at that exact moment in time, you can never get mad at yourself for not selling the top or trying to time these markets because no one can time the markets.” —Austin [13:55]
3. Robert’s Altcoins & The Future of Crypto
[15:46–24:12]
- Listener Laura C. asks: Which altcoins do you like, why, and what makes them special?
- Robert’s Picks:
- Coins like HBAR, XLM, XRP, ADA, and Quant are “ISO 2022” compliant—important for the coming global transition from SWIFT to blockchain-based international payment systems.
- US-based tokens stand to benefit from favorable regulations.
- Migration to ISO 2022 should complete soon, boosting the importance and (potentially) the value of these tokens.
- Notable Quote:
“These coins...are all ISO 2022 compliant coins that will have a purpose in this migration to how all of our central banking system money is handled in the future...” —Robert [16:52]
- Bitcoin & Crypto Allocation:
- Bitcoin should be 5–15% of a diversified portfolio.
- Both hosts have taken profits as Bitcoin staged huge returns (peaking at ~$126,000, now ~$95,000 at the time of recording).
- Warn of possible bear market if Bitcoin closes two weeks below its 50-week moving average.
- Notable Quote:
“My goal is to take a lot of [crypto gains] and use it for a down payment...I like to say turn magic Internet money into real things.” —Austin [24:12]
- Advice: Take profits if you’re up significantly, rebalance if overallocated, and don’t try to perfectly time the market—focus on participating in large moves and locking in gains.
4. Where To Get the Best AI Training?
[24:12–29:22]
- Listener Ann C. asks: What are reputable, useful sources to learn AI?
- Recommended Free Courses:
- “AI for Everyone” by Andrew Ng (Coursera) [4h]
- “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” by IBM (Coursera) [11h]
- elementsofai.com [>30h, very beginner-friendly]
- Google’s “Essential AI Skills for Everyone” [10h]
- OpenAI Academy [20h]
- All links provided in episode show notes.
- Importance:
- AI isn’t just a technical curiosity—it’s career insurance.
- Notable Quote:
“AI is not going to take your job. The person that's better at AI than you is going to take your job...everyone should prepare.” —Robert [27:30]
- Don’t get left behind—same warning given to CEOs at the start of the internet.
- Hosts’ Take:
- Both use AI daily in their businesses for efficiency and innovation.
5. Starting Out: $70K in Savings with a New Grad
[29:22–33:35]
- Listener JMac asks for advice for his son, a new grad with $70k:
- Step-by-Step:
- Build an “honest budget” of needs and wants to determine spending baseline.
- Set aside 3–6 months’ expenses for an emergency fund.
- Maximize a Roth IRA.
- Put surplus into a taxable brokerage (public.com suggested) and diversify, e.g., S&P 500, international ETFs, sector funds like VGT (tech), VXUS (international), or SPYI (income).
- Leave for 30 years and let compounding work.
- Robert’s Tip: Consider AI-focused international ETFs like AIQ as a growth diversifier.
- Notable Quote:
“More people need to share the wealth per se by letting people know how they can learn about all of these things that we cover...” —Robert [32:16]
6. Weekly Paying Dividend ETFs: Red Flag or Opportunity?
[33:35–38:04]
- Listener RS asks: What’s the deal with high-yield, weekly-paying covered call ETFs?
- Summary:
- Not all income is created equal: Many new weekly dividend ETFs (from Yieldmax/Roundhill) are simply repaying original capital or eroding NAV to generate “high” yield.
- Monthly covered call ETFs (like NEOS’s SPYI, QQQI) are preferred—their NAV is more stable, and total returns are competitive.
- To check if an ETF is worth it, research performance & NAV on Morningstar (look up total return and NAV trend).
- Notable Quote:
“They might just be paying you back your own original investment...I think that they are kind of gimmicky and they're taking on a lot of risk.” —Austin [35:40] “There is no world I’m going to own anything from a Yieldmax, that’s for sure...We like to keep it simple, help you guys build real wealth and not put you in harm’s way.” —Robert [37:02]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “You have to make your money work as hard for you as you work to get it.” – Robert [05:53]
- “If you are not going to retire at that exact moment in time, you can never get mad at yourself for not selling the top or trying to time these markets.” – Austin [13:55]
- “Money sitting...parked money is dead money.” – Robert [11:08]
- “AI is not going to take your job. The person that's better at AI than you is going to take your job.” – Robert [27:30]
- “Turn magic Internet money into real things.” – Austin [24:12]
- “There is no world I’m going to own anything from a Yieldmax...I just don’t think it’s a good strategy and they just don’t really work.” – Robert [37:02]
Timestamps of Important Segments
- [03:28] – Deploying extra cash: emergency fund, Roth, taxable investment strategy
- [08:44] – Portfolio rebalancing: how Robert and Austin do it
- [15:46] – Robert’s altcoin strategy & ISO 2022 blockchain coins explained
- [18:06] – Bitcoin at $95,000: profit-taking and market cycle warnings
- [24:12] – Recommended (free) online AI training resources
- [29:22] – Financial playbook for new grads with savings
- [33:35] – Are weekly-paying covered call ETFs a red flag?
Tone and Delivery
The hosts deliver direct, tactical advice with a casual-yet-authoritative tone, often using memorable phrases and practical analogies (“turn magic Internet money into real things”). Their interplay is friendly, with Robert often bringing a seasoned, risk-managed perspective and Austin representing an ambitious, growth-oriented viewpoint. They prioritize keeping things simple, avoiding gimmicks, and always focus on long-term, disciplined wealth-building habits.
In Summary
This episode of the Rich Habits Podcast offers accessible, real-world strategies for managing surplus income, rebalancing investments, understanding altcoins, analyzing high-yield ETFs, and upskilling with AI. Anyone—from a recent graduate to a high-earning expat—will find clear action steps and a healthy skepticism for market fads, supported by relatable stories and recurring reminders to keep investing simple, intentional, and informed.