Podcast
Risk Parity Radio
Hosted by Frank Vasquez · EN
Risk Parity Radio is a podcast about investing located at www.riskparityradio.com. RPR explores risk-parity style portfolios comprised of uncorrelated or negatively correlated asset classes -- stocks, selected bonds, gold, managed futures, and other easily accessible fund options for the DIY investor. The goal is to construct portfolios that are robust and can be drawn down on in perpetuity, and to maximize projected Safe Withdrawal Rates regardless of projected overall returns.
41episodes
Episodes
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Episode 508: Allocations To Help You Sleep Better At Night, The Three H's Of Retirement Spending, Bond Ladder Follies, And Portfolio Reviews As Of May 8, 2026
4d ago00:47:53Tap to summarizeIn this episode we answer emails from Michael, Jim, and Optimus Bill. We start with a 67-year-old investor who is all-in on equities and cannot sleep, and how changing portfolio allocations can lead to better rest. We share a framework of "the three H's" for determining whether you are Hustling, Hoarding, or Harvesting your way through retirement, and how that may impact your well-being over time. We also dig into why people chase bond ladders and bucketeering.And THEN we our go through our weekly and monthly portfolio reviews of the eight sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio.Additional Links:Testfolio Analysis with Sleep-Better-At-Night Metrics: Portfolio Backtester for ETFs and Asset Allocation | testfolioOptimus Bill's Bond Ladder Extravaganza Article: Building a Bond Ladder with Individual Bonds and ETFsBen Carlson's Explanation As To Why Bond Ladders and Bond Funds are Functionally the Same: Owning Individual Bonds vs. Owning a Bond Fund - A Wealth of Common SenseBreathless Unedited AI-Bot Summary:Your portfolio should not be a nightly stress test. We start with a listener who is 67, 100% in equity funds, and staring down retirement in the next one to three years while worrying about an extended downturn. From there we get practical about “sleep-at-night” portfolio design, comparing volatility, maximum drawdown, and even the Ulcer Index across common setups like an S&P 500 heavy approach, a Bogleheads-style three-fund portfolio, a classic 60 40 mix, and a risk parity style Golden Ratio portfolio.Then we zoom out to the bigger question of what money is actually for. I share a simple framework I call the three H’s: hustling, hoarding, and harvesting. We talk through how each approach affects real life outcomes like relationships, experiences, buying back your time, and giving, and why a portfolio that supports harvesting can matter more than a portfolio that simply wins a return contest.We also tackle a timely question about bond ladder ETFs and why so many ladder, bucket, and time-segmentation products keep popping up. The blunt take: a lot of it solves a fear problem more than a finance problem, and the difference between ladders and bond funds is often smaller than people think. We close with our weekly review of the eight sample portfolios, covering stocks, treasury bonds, gold, commodities, managed futures, and more.If this helped you think more clearly about retirement investing and diversified asset allocation, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more DIY investors can find it.Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 507: Celebrating Your Generosity With Queen Mary, Estimating Health Care Insurance Costs, Index Funds, Assorted Milkshakes, and Surviving Stagflation
1w ago00:46:37Tap to summarizeIn this episode we answer emails from Zach, Brian, Holly and Optimus Bill. We discuss a way to estimate retirement health care costs using current data, clear up the “index fund” labelling problem and talk about why indexed dogs and cats won't start living together, have fun with milkshakes, and map out what tends to help a portfolio survive stagflation. But first we celebrate a huge community win for Fairfax CASA with Queen Mary.Links:J.P Morgan Inflation Study: JP_Morgan_White_Paper_Three_Retirement_Spending_Surprises.pdf - Google DriveBen Felix Interview on Bigger Pockets Money: Is Small Cap Value Worth It? Ben Felix Explains the Truth About AVUV & Factor InvestingHolly's Milkshake Link: I can’t believe he didn’t notice 💀 #shortsBreathless Unedited AI-Bot Summary:One spreadsheet can calm a lot of retirement anxiety, especially when the scariest expense is the one you cannot “average” from your current budget: health care. We start with a listener question about forecasting medical costs and how to decide whether an HSA can realistically cover them. Instead of relying on hype filled calculators, we talk through an actuarial style method using real ACA marketplace premiums by age in today’s dollars, then turning that stream into a flat, term premium like estimate you can inflation adjust and stress test.We also tackle a worry we hear everywhere: if everyone is buying index funds, do they stop working? The answer depends on what you mean by “index fund.” We unpack the messy language around mutual funds vs ETFs, cap weighted vs other index designs, and why a better mental model is rules based “algorithmic” investing versus human stock picking. From there, we discuss why diversification often means holding more than just large cap weighted exposure, and why factor investing and small cap value tilts keep coming up in serious portfolio design.Then we wade into the market regime that makes risk parity listeners sweat: stagflation. We explain why managed futures often does the heavy lifting when inflation and rates trend, how commodities fit, why gold can help over long arcs but disappoint on the clock, and why concentrated sector bets in energy or utilities are not automatically the solution. We also share a realistic take on margin loans as a cash flow tool, including why broker interest rates matter if you ever use that lever.If you got value from this one, subscribe, share it with a DIY investor friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 506: Somebody's Drinking Mommy's Milkshake, Tax Considerations In Retirement, Ditching The TSP, And Portfolio Reviews As Of May 1, 2026
2w ago00:42:23Tap to summarizeIn this episode we answer emails from Kyle, Tim, and Tim. We discuss dealing with a recalcitrant parent who won’t talk about the straw in their milkshake, outline flexible retirement withdrawal planning with asset swaps, and explain how to escape TSP limitations.And THEN we our go through our weekly and monthly portfolio reviews of the eight sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio.Additional Links:Fairfax CASA Donation Page: Donate - Fairfax CASAFinancial Personality Traits Research Presentation: Big Five Unified Financial Profiles Presentation.pdf - Google DriveTax Book: Amazon.com: Tax Planning To and Through Early Retirement: 9798999841599: Garrett, Cody, Mullaney, Sean: BooksAdmiral Ackbar's Tax Book Summary: Admiral Ackbar's Guide to Tax Planning in Retirement Slides.pdf - Google DriveKitces Article: Tax-Efficient Retirement Portfolio Spending StrategiesAsset Swap Video from Risk Parity Chronicles: How to Do an Asset SwapOptimus Bill on Bigger Pockets Money: The Decumulation Strategy After Hitting Financial Independence | Bill YountOptimus Bill on the Morningstar Long View Podcast: The Long View: Bill Yount: How Late Starters Can Find Financial IndependenceBreathless AI-Bot Summary:Someone you love is doing “fine” on paper, yet you can’t shake the feeling they’re getting quietly drained by bad financial products or high advisory fees. That tension is where we start: the hard part often isn’t investment math, it’s the relationship dynamics that make a parent shut down the moment money comes up.We read an email from a listener trying to help his retired mom who prefers to delegate and doesn’t want to learn finance. We talk through why children often can’t be “a prophet in their own land,” how to lower the temperature, and why it can be smarter to focus on replacing a poor-fit advisor instead of trying to force a DIY investing conversion. If your goal is preserving peace while improving outcomes, this is a realistic playbook.Next we get into retirement withdrawal strategy and tax planning. The usual media advice about which account to tap first falls apart once you factor in lifetime tax minimization, Roth conversion windows, Social Security timing, ACA subsidy cliffs, and IRMAA. We also explain the idea of an asset swap so you can reduce an inflated holding (like gold in a Roth IRA) while keeping your overall asset allocation and diversification intact.Finally, we answer a newly retired federal employee wrestling with Thrift Savings Plan limits, the case for a TSP rollover to an IRA, how to think about 72T SEPP planning account-by-account, and how to rebalance when not every asset is available in every account. We close with our weekly risk parity style portfolio review and the May distribution rundown across the sample portfolios.Subscribe, share the show with a DIY investor friend, and leave a review on your podcast app so more people can find it. What’s the toughest money conversation you’ve had with family?Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 505: Driving Ms. Mamie, The Why Of Risk Parity Radio And Becoming A 1%-er, And Some Portfolio And Calculation Musings
2w ago00:54:42Tap to summarizeIn this episode we answer emails from Thirsty Horse, Mark, and Mike. We discuss a wise friend and lessons on clarity, happiness, and preparing for the end, how we got involved with the Father McKenna Center and Fairfax CASA, and dig into the real work behind CASA and foster care. Then we pivot back to practical investing and tax planning without shortcuts. Links:Fairfax CASA Donation Page: Donate - Fairfax CASAChoose FI Episode on The Five Regrets of the Dying (and Mamie): Top Five Regrets of the Dying | Book Club | Ep 574Breathless Unedited AI-Bot Summary:You can have a rock-solid retirement portfolio and still miss the whole point. We start with a final push for Mary’s Fairfax CASA fundraiser, then share why a Court Appointed Special Advocate matters for kids in the foster care system and what real advocacy looks like when courts, schools, and social services move slowly. Mary also tells a case outcome that sticks with you: a child moving from neglect and instability to a stable home after a parent does the hard work over years.From there, we answer a listener who asks the question behind so many “financial independence” plans: how do you decide what level of time, emotional commitment, and responsibility you can take on? Frank revisits the story of Mamie McCoy and the urgency that comes with a finite life, then we get concrete about the skills that make a strong CASA and the traits that help foster parents provide stability, empathy, and advocacy for children affected by trauma.We also handle classic Risk Parity Radio topics for the DIY investor: sustainable withdrawal rates, asset allocation, and diversification. We talk through an equity-heavy portfolio that adds long-term Treasuries like VGLT for recession insurance, plus our simple “give away 1% of your portfolio each year” goal for intentional generosity. Finally, we take on portfolio automation, rebalancing, and a big tax-planning mistake: discounting traditional IRA balances by a made-up percentage instead of modeling taxes properly and considering Social Security timing.If you get value from the show, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a rating and review. What’s one cause you’d actually show up for with your time?Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 504: Fun With Bond Funds, Why Unnecessary Income Sucks, Social Security And Four Quadrant Musings, A CAGE Match, And Portfolio Reviews As Of April 24, 2026
3w ago01:05:43Tap to summarizeIn this episode we answer emails from Jose, Optimus Bill, and Steve. We discuss bonds, retirement taxes, valuing Social Security and when to take it, how some use the four quadrant model for market timing, and the latest wave of complex ETFs. Along the way, we make the case that liquidity is the real goal of retirement planning, not income that may raise your tax bills.And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the eight sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio.Additional Links:Fairfax CASA Donation Page: Donate - Fairfax CASAThe CAGE ETF Information Page: CAGE - Calamos Autocallable Growth ETF | Calamos InvestmentsETF Slop Video: The Rise of ETF SlopBreathless Unedited AI-Bot Summary:Retirement plans fall apart when we confuse comfort words with real outcomes. “Income” sounds safe, but it often creates taxes you do not need, while the thing that actually keeps retirees calm is liquidity: the ability to raise cash on your schedule without wrecking your portfolio allocation. We lean hard into that distinction, using real listener questions to show how risk parity investing and sensible asset allocation can support spending without turning your life into a tax-driven paycheck factory.We start with a practical bond question that every DIY investor runs into: how should you split Treasury exposure between intermediate-term treasuries (VGIT) and long-term treasuries (VGLT)? We explain what treasuries are supposed to do in a risk parity portfolio (recession insurance), why the “right” answer depends more on your total Treasury percentage than on a perfect formula, and how to sanity-check your choices with backtesting tools. Then we tackle municipal bond funds in a brokerage account, the hidden traps of retirement income marketing, and why liquidity restrictions deserve a black mark in retirement planning.Next, we take on Social Security claiming strategy without the usual internet optimization spiral. We break the decision into real-world categories, talk longevity and household planning, and share a more grounded way to think about valuation by comparing the benefit to annuity pricing rather than break-even charts. We also revisit the four quadrant model and why it can quietly turn into market timing, plus a skeptical look at new options-based leverage products like CAGE and how it differs from leveraged ETFs like UPRO.We wrap with our weekly portfolio reviews across the eight sample portfolios, including updates on stocks, gold, treasuries, managed futures, and commodities. If this helped, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a rating or review so more investors can find it.Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 503: Our Inspiring And Generous Listeners, Tweaking The Golden Ratio, And A Few Fund Questions
3w ago00:40:06Tap to summarizeIn this episode we answer emails from Andrew, Geoff, and Frank. We discuss connecting risk parity investing to a bigger question: how to build a drawdown portfolio you can hold while using money to live a full life. Along the way we share a Fairfax CASA story, dig into narrative psychology, and answer practical fund questions on modifying the sample Golden Ratio portfolio, large cap stock funds, managed futures, and what beta does and does not tell you. Links:Fairfax CASA Donation Page: Donate - Fairfax CASAAndrew's Book: Here I Walk: A Thousand Miles on Foot to Rome with Martin Luther: Wilson, Andrew L., Wilson, Sarah: 9781587433054: Amazon.com: BooksTestfolio Comparison of Sample Golden Ratio vs. FAV Mods vs. 60/40 vs. Three Fund Portfolio: Portfolio Backtester for ETFs and Asset Allocation | testfolioTestfolio Comparison of Sample Golden Ratio vs. FAV Mods vs. 60/40 vs. Three Fund Portfolio (5% Withdrawals): Portfolio Backtester for ETFs and Asset Allocation | testfolioRPR Episode 436 Summary Video: RPR Episode 436 Illustrated: The Two Halves of Your Financial LifeBreathless AI-Bot Summary:The best portfolio on paper can still fail in real life if you can’t stick with it when markets get weird. We take a listener-driven mailbag and use it to get practical about risk parity investing, retirement drawdown strategy, and the Golden Ratio portfolio idea as a set of principles rather than a rigid recipe you must copy.We also pause the market talk to highlight Fairfax CASA and share a powerful story about Christopher, a kid who endured years in the foster system before finally finding permanence through consistent advocacy and support. It’s a reminder that “long-term” is not an abstract concept, it’s something people live through, and steady commitment changes outcomes.From there we jump into what listeners are wrestling with right now: customizing a drawdown portfolio so you’ll actually hold it. We talk about why personalizing an allocation can increase adherence, when cash is just drag, how international stocks and small cap value (including AVUV-style “best in class” options) can fit, and how to evaluate managed futures funds like DBMF versus alternatives such as CTA. We also answer the beta question directly: there’s no ideal beta target here, because safe withdrawal rates are far more connected to maximum drawdowns and how long a portfolio stays underwater.If you get value from the show, subscribe, share it with a friend planning retirement, and leave a review on your favorite podcast app.Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 502: Spending More And Living More In Retirement, More On The Four Quadrant Model, Celebrating Our Listeners And Friends, And Portfolio Reviews As Of April 17, 2026
4w ago00:53:27Tap to summarizeIn this episode we answer emails from Matt, Michael, Stephen and Al. We discuss expanding the spending muscle in retirement, the generosity of our listeners, more on the Four Quadrant model and its permutations, and how we stay connected to listeners without inhabiting the conference circuit. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the eight sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio.Additional Links:Fairfax CASA Donation Page: Donate - Fairfax CASACool Number Nerd Video: Fibonacci Numbers hidden in the Mandelbrot Set - NumberphileMiB Podcast Episode: Masters in Business: Jean-Philippe Bouchaud - BloombergThe Dude's Link re Quadrants and Assets: Structural Diversification for All Seasons - ReSolve Asset Management (investresolve.com)Hedgeye Asset Chart: Hedgeye Four Quadrant Model Best and Worst Assets.pdf - Google DriveBloomberg Inflation Presentation: Bloomberg Investing in Inflationary Regimes Presentation.pdf - Google DriveListener Essay on Four Quadrant Model: 15 Uncorrelated Assets | SSiSClaudia Moise Paper with US Treasuries Correlation Data: Flights to Safety, Volatility Risk, and Monetary Policy by Claudia E. Moise :: SSRNBreathless Unedited AI-Bot Summary:Hoarding can look a lot like “being responsible,” especially right before retirement when every headline makes the future feel fragile. We take a listener’s detailed numbers and use them to talk about a problem we see all the time: spending that never catches up with the life you actually want. If your future expenses are likely to decline in real terms, your personal inflation rate may be lower than CPI, and a fixed rule can quietly push you into over-saving instead of living. We share a simple, practical idea for breaking that pattern: create a visible spending bucket, spend intentionally, then review what brought real value and what didn’t. Then we shift into a deep question from a data-driven listener who tried to test Bridgewater’s four quadrant model using growth and inflation data. We explain why these relationships are probabilistic, why short time frames can look like a noisy blob, and where to look for research that connects macro regimes to asset returns. Along the way we revisit the roles different diversifiers can play in a risk parity portfolio: Treasury bonds as recession insurance, managed futures and commodities for ugly inflation shocks, and gold as a strange but useful diversifier when the world gets weird. We wrap with our weekly portfolio review and a quick read on what’s been working lately across stocks, small cap value, bonds, gold, REITs, commodities and managed futures, including results from our sample portfolios and a few leveraged experiments. If you like practical asset allocation, retirement withdrawal strategy, and plainspoken investing conversations with some humor mixed in, hit play, then subscribe, share the show, and leave a review so more do-it-yourself investors can find it.Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 501: Talking CASA, Dealing With Shiny Object ETFs, Musings About TDFs, And Transitions From Cash
4w ago00:39:50Tap to summarizeIn this episode we answer emails from Dustin, Optimus Bill, Vaibhav, and Morrie. We discuss how to vet a new "shiny object" ETF, why trying to "fix" target date funds is likely to be a fools' errand as their proper use is extremely limited, and transitioning into a retirement drawdown portfolio without obsessing over recent market highs. In our Queen Mary segment, we also provide a Fairfax CASA fundraiser update and explain how your donations support foster care advocacy.Links:Fairfax CASA Donation Page: Donate - Fairfax CASAMorningstar Analysis of LCOW: LCOW – Portfolio – Pacer S&P 500 Qul FCF Aristocrats ETF | MorningstarBreathless AI-Bot Summary:A slick email promises “Quality” and “Aristocrats,” a backtest says it beat the market, and suddenly you are wondering if your portfolio is missing a magic ingredient. We slow that moment down and show you how to think like a process-driven investor instead of a headline-driven one. Starting with a listener question about a brand-new ETF, we walk through a simple evaluation method using Morningstar: check the expense ratio, identify the fund category, inspect the holdings, and compare it to cheaper index funds. The punchline is not about one ticker symbol, it is about learning to spot shiny-object marketing before it steals your time and returns.From there we tackle a bigger theme: why so much financial media is engineered to keep “Level 2” investors chasing opinions and hopping from strategy to strategy. We talk about data mining, why a 10 to 15 year backtest can be deeply misleading, and what you should demand before believing any performance story. If you care about long-term portfolio design, the right order is asset allocation first, fund selection second, with low costs as a default unless something is truly different.We also answer questions on target date funds, accumulation versus decumulation, and how real retirement planning gets messy across pre-tax, Roth, HSA, and taxable accounts. Finally, we address a common retirement fear: investing when “the market is high.” We explain why diversification changes that question, how different assets can carry the load at different times, and how to schedule a transition plan if moving all at once feels hard.Subscribe for more no-nonsense portfolio talk, share this with a friend who keeps getting pitched “new” ETFs, and leave a review if the framework helps. If you can, donate to Fairfax CASA and help provide a steady advocate for children in foster care.Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 500: A Non-Profit Portfolio, Some Retro Ranting on TIPS, Parsing Withdrawal Methods, And Portfolio Reviews As Of April 10, 2026
Apr 1200:49:28Tap to summarizeIn this episode we answer emails from Ronald, George, Jeff. We celebrate episode 500 by sharing a few “Easter egg” resources, then jump into listener questions that cut through common investing myths. We discuss a portfolio for a non-profit, rant about TIPS with a Wall Street Journal article to back us up, and talk about various choices in withdrawal methods. And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the eight sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio.Links:Fairfax CASA Donation Page: Donate - Fairfax CASARant Anthology Slides: Risk Parity Radio Rants Anthology.pdf - Google DriveFour Quadrant Video: The Four Quadrant Model and the True Meaning of Diversification.mp4 - Google DriveWSJ Article on TIPS: TIPS_ Inflation-Protected Bonds Dont Help You When Inflation Is High - WSJ Copy.pdf - Google DriveBernstein TIPS Article: Riskless at Age 104 - Articles - Advisor Perspectives ("A bond fund manager recently related to me his difficulty in figuring out the role of TIPS in his portfolios. After fumbling for a reply, I realized that he was right: like Social Security, they don’t occupy a formal slot in most folks’ asset allocation. . . . TIPS should be kept mentally separate from the policy asset allocation as well.")Morningstar Article: Morningstar State_of_Retirement_Income_2025.pdf - Google DriveEconoMe 2026 Presentation: F. Vasquez EconoMe 2026 Final Slides.pdf - Google DriveTestfolio Golden Ratio w/CPI-based withdrawals: Portfolio Backtester for ETFs and Asset Allocation | testfolioTestfolio Golden Ratio w/percentage-based withdrawals: Portfolio Backtester for ETFs and Asset Allocation | testfolioBreathless AI-Bot Summary:Episode 500 lands with a simple promise: fewer stories, more data, and portfolio choices that hold up when markets stop cooperating. We share a couple of nostalgic “Easter egg” extras from our back catalog, then dive into listener mail that hits the heart of modern portfolio construction for both individuals and institutions.First, we tackle a nonprofit investing question about moving from capital preservation to growth using a heavily value tilted stock mix. We break down what that allocation is really buying (small cap value, mid cap value, and a value lean in large caps), why it can shine over very long horizons, and why the same strategy can still test patience for a decade or more. If you’ve ever wondered how to balance expected return against real world tracking error, this section is for you.Then we hit the big rant: Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) are not the inflation shield they’re marketed to be. We walk through the Wall Street Journal’s findings, the 2022 case study, and the bigger point that TIPS are still bonds with rate risk. We also talk about what has tended to help more in inflationary regimes, including commodities, value oriented equities, and managed futures, plus when a TIPS ladder might be a reasonable side tool.[Truncated due to character limits.]Support the show
Transcribe →Episode 499: Thanking Our Generous Listeners, Converting An Inefficient Vanguard Thingamablob, Assisting College-Age Kids, And Smiling With Sara
Apr 800:49:59Tap to summarizeIn this episode we answer emails from Jose, Luc and Sara. We discuss using specific tax lots to reduce capital gains when reallocating, how the 0% long-term capital gains bracket works and why many land in the 15% bracket, where to hold gold like GLDM across IRAs and taxable accounts, turning off dividend reinvestment to simplify moves and build retirement cash, replacing total bond and international bond funds with Treasury funds like VGIT and VGLT,, why diversification and value exposure can improve safe withdrawal rate odds, supporting and encouraging college-age kids with clear expectations, and tools to model short retirements and scenarios.We also celebrate a major fundraising milestone for Fairfax CASA and share a real story of how advocacy changes outcomes for teens in our Queen Mary segment.Links:Fairfax CASA Donation Page: Donate - Fairfax CASAChris Corinthian EconoMe Presentation: Chris Corinthian: How to Pay for College Without Student LoansJose's Portfolio Link: Portfolio Backtester for ETFs and Asset Allocation | testfolioInvestopedia Capital Gains Taxes Article: Capital Gains Tax: What It Is, How It Works, and Current RatesSara's Portfolio Analyses (from prior episode): testfol.io/?s=htNZVoZOZn4Portfolio Charts Withdrawal Rates Calculator: Withdrawal Rates – Portfolio ChartsPortfolio Visualizer Financial Goals Tool: Financial GoalsBreathless Unedited AI-Bot Summary:$24,000 raised by listeners, plus a pledged $20,000 match, is the kind of number that stops you in your tracks and then makes you proud to be part of a community. We kick off with a Fairfax CASA update for Child Abuse Prevention Month and a powerful success story about three teen sisters, a young uncle who stepped up, and the CASA volunteer who became the one trusted voice the girls could confide in when everything felt chaotic.Then we shift into what Risk Parity Radio does best: answering detailed listener emails with practical, step-by-step personal finance guidance. We dig into how to transition a Vanguard-style portfolio toward a risk parity retirement portfolio without detonating a capital gains tax bill, including how to sell specific tax lots, what the 0% long-term capital gains bracket really requires, and when “good enough” beats waiting for perfect. We also cover gold allocation in decumulation (including where GLDM can sit across IRAs and taxable accounts), why turning off dividend reinvestment can make withdrawals and rebalancing cleaner, and why Treasury bond funds like VGIT and VGLT can diversify equity risk better than credit-heavy bond mixes.We also take a thoughtful detour into family finance: how much to help your kids with college while still protecting their drive and independence, how to have “the talk” about expectations, and ways to cut education costs without cutting opportunity. Finally, we revisit a short-term retirement runway plan and talk scenario testing, safe withdrawal rates, and modeling tools like Portfolio Charts, TestFol.io, and Portfolio Visualizer so you can stress-test risk, time horizon, and side income realistically.If you found this helpful, subscribe, share the episode with a DIY investor friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Support the show
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