Invested Poorly: Sad Tales of FInancial Fails

By listener request! In this bonus segment, host Jeff Harrell reveals his personal investment portfolio and shares insights on how he arrived at his current financial position.

The table supplement he references throughout this bonus segment lists his asset allocation of stocks, bonds, and cash equivalents, as well as the percentages he is targeting by asset class. He also gives detailed explanations for the ways in which real-life circumstances have influenced the composition of the specific investments in his portfolio.

By observing how Jeff has applied the investment strategies he highlights throughout his Invested Poorly podcast episodes, you should be able to develop a similar portfolio, tailored to your own circumstances.

Prepare to understand the investment approach taken by someone already living a financially independent lifestyle.

(Season 3 Bonus)

Resource Mentioned:

• My Investment Portfolio table (with Individual Stocks Portfolio table) - illustrates Jeff Harrell’s asset allocation of stocks, bonds, and cash equivalents, as well as the percentages he is targeting by asset class - see episode Show Notes on our website

Other Episodes Referenced:

• Index Funds Are the “Right” Way to Invest…Maybe?? (S3 E3)
• High-Yield Bonds…Junk or Treasure? (S3 E5)
• Asset Location Is All About…Taxes, Taxes, Taxes (S2 E5)

Podcast produced by Ted Cragg of QuickEditPodcasts.com
Music Credit:  Dream Cave / Adventure Awaits / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

S3 E11: Season 3 is a wrap! Host Jeff Harrell recaps the third season, summarizing all the investing and financial topics covered over the previous 10 episodes. These included discussions on stocks and bonds (individual and funds), legacy planning, financial advice, managing investor fears, and much more.

Reminder: As you progress down the road to financial independence (FI), when it comes to your investments always… “ignore the noise.”

Jeff also invites listeners to contribute their own ideas and says how to support the show for bringing about future podcast episodes and resources to help you reach your FI goals.

(Season 3 Episode 11)

Podcast produced by Ted Cragg of QuickEditPodcasts.com
Music Credit:  Dream Cave / Adventure Awaits / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

S3 E10: One trait that’s nearly universal among investors is fear. Given the inherent uncertainties in investment outcomes, investors frequently seek strategies that promise a higher degree of control over their portfolios. These strategies range from simple to complex trading methodologies, as well as various insurance-based investment products. Buyer beware!

Jeff Harrell has observed numerous attempts by investors to "protect" their investments using stop-loss orders, annuities, option trading, and more. Although such strategies appear advantageous in theory, their practical implementation often yields unexpected and disappointing results. As you will hear him reiterate, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Rather than attempting to eliminate fear, investors must learn to manage fear by accepting volatility— which will likely lead to superior long-term results.

(Season 3 Episode 10)

Other Episodes Referenced:

• Saver or Investor…Which One Are You? (S1 E3)
• I’ll Wait to Invest When the Stock Market Pulls Back…Why? (S1 E7)

Podcast produced by Ted Cragg of QuickEditPodcasts.com
Music Credit:  Dream Cave / Adventure Awaits / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

S3 E9: The financial services industry is highly predatory, with some advisors prioritizing their own biases or financial interests over those of their clients. This poses a challenge for you when looking for trustworthy advisors and expecting them to act in your best interest.

Given that most people require some level of guidance to manage their finances and investments effectively, it is important to consider the potential benefits associated with hiring, or not hiring, an investment professional. No advisor is perfect, so it is advisable to have a thorough understanding of your personal financial situation, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

With several real-life examples, and some humility, host Jeff Harrell illustrates how adopting a "trust but verify" approach should be the standard when selecting someone to assist with managing your money.

(Season 3 Episode 9)

Other Episode Referenced:

• You Know Enough About Investing to…Still Mess Everything Up (S3 E2)

Podcast produced by Ted Cragg of QuickEditPodcasts.com
Music Credit:  Dream Cave / Adventure Awaits / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

S3 E8: How can you know where you’re going, if you don’t know where you’re at? This principle is crucial for achieving FI, particularly when it comes to your spending.

If you’re on the path to financial independence, having a comprehensive understanding of your living expenses can reward you with a sense of comfort. This reassuring information is not only empowering but can also allow you to envision future possibilities.

Imagine having time and lifestyle freedom!?!

For individuals on the journey to FI, consistent tracking of expenditures must become an integral part of the daily routine. Fortunately for all of us, modern resources greatly facilitate the process of expense tracking, for those prepared to make a little effort.

Jeff Harrell shares his story and approach to monitoring his spending, along with practical guidance on how you can implement similar practices.

(Season 3 Episode 8)

Resources Mentioned in Episode:

• Monarch Money
• Copilot
• Empower Personal Dashboard

Other Episodes Referenced:

• Introduction - Invested Poorly: Sad Tales of FInancial Fails
• Neglecting Privacy and Security…A Recipe for Financial Disaster (S3 E7)

Podcast produced by Ted Cragg of QuickEditPodcasts.com
Music Credit:  Dream Cave / Adventure Awaits / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

S3 E7: Scamming people out of their money is a billion-dollar global industry. Ignoring this fact in hopes it will never impact you is not only naïve, but in many ways irresponsible. Putting basic safeguards in place before you are the target of a financial scam is not very difficult, but does require a time commitment.

Host Jeff Harrell is stepping a little outside his comfort zone to address a topic that may not seem directly investment-related, but is crucial to your financial well-being, He outlines a few of the fundamental ways to minimize your risk of becoming a victim, with details about freezing your credit, using a password manager (properly), monitoring your account activity, and much more. He also tells the tale of the most memorable identity fraud incident he witnessed.

Failure to take security measures now because of the necessary time commitment could lead to countless more hours of stress, frustration—and potentially financial loss—later. After listening, you can decide for yourself if you would rather be proactive and prevent someone violating your privacy, or reactive and clean up the mess after you’ve been scammed.

(Season 3 Episode 7)

Resources Mentioned in Episode:

• ChooseFI podcast episode, “Cyber Security Update: Social Engineering & Pig Butchering” 
• Credit Reporting Agencies (Credit Freeze page of their site): Equifax, Experian, Transunion
• Do Not Call Registry
• Data Removal Services: Deleteme, Incogni

Additional Resources:

• Charles Schwab article, “10 Tips for Keeping Your Accounts Secure”
• More Fraud Prevention articles from Schwab
• Scams – FTC Consumer Advice
• Have I Been Pwned?
• Are password managers safe in 2025?

Podcast produced by Ted Cragg of QuickEditPodcasts.com
Music Credit:  Dream Cave / Adventure Awaits / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

S3 E6: Everyone eventually faces their ultimate demise, and when this occurs, it triggers a distressing chain of events that families dread. Not only are family members in mourning after a death, but they must address financial and estate plan matters as well. This exacerbates an already stressful time, and occasionally causes familial discord.

If maintaining a positive family legacy is important to you, it’s essential to take the necessary steps now to ensure your loved ones are prepared to handle your passing. Like it or not, neglecting this preparation will imply to your family that it was not a priority.

While there is no universal blueprint for legacy planning, Jeff Harrell highlights a few estate planning missteps he’s seen repeatedly and a couple resources to help you avoid the same common oversights.

(Season 3 Episode 6)

Resources Mentioned in Episode: 

• EmergencyBinders.com
• Trust & Will

Podcast produced by Ted Cragg of QuickEditPodcasts.com
Music Credit:  Dream Cave / Adventure Awaits / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

S3 E5: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” aptly describes high-yield, or “junk,” bonds. Host Jeff Harrell offers insight into their characteristics and how they may be the most misunderstood asset class in the financial markets.

You’ll get recommendations on how to incorporate these securities into a diversified portfolio, with strategies that differ from typical advisor and investor approaches.

Understanding that high-yield bonds rely on mathematical calculations with predictable returns over time may lead you to consider them for your portfolio.

It is advisable to listen to this entire episode before investing in junk bonds, as risks associated with these investments must be fully understood before deciding to include them in your investment allocation.

(Season 3 Episode 5)

Resource Mentioned in Episode: 

• Kiplinger article by Jeff Harrell, “Searching for Yield? Making a Case for High-Yield Bonds”

Other Episodes Referenced:

• Investing in Bonds…Funds or Individual Securities? (S3 E4)
• Investment Phases…Accumulation to Transition to Drawdown (S3 E1)

Podcast produced by Ted Cragg of QuickEditPodcasts.com
Music Credit:  Dream Cave / Adventure Awaits / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

S3 E4: The debate around buying individual bonds versus bond mutual funds and ETFs is a polarizing one in the investment world. Proponents of individual bonds tout the benefit of a maturity date, which the other securities generally don’t offer. Jeff Harrell will give you all the information you need to decide for yourself if this benefit is worth the tradeoff.

Most investors are completely unaware of the advantages that bond funds have over individual bonds for the average retail investor. In just over 10 minutes, you’ll gain a wealth of knowledge as Jeff explains the role bonds play in a portfolio and how bond prices work, and shares his experience with the actual performance of individual bonds compared to bond mutual funds and ETFs.

This is another episode that will debunk common financial market assumptions that are all-too-often made without real-world empirical evidence.

(Season 3 Episode 4)

Other Episode Referenced:

• High-Yield Bonds…Junk or Treasure? (S3 E5)

Podcast produced by Ted Cragg of QuickEditPodcasts.com
Music Credit:  Dream Cave / Adventure Awaits / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

S3 E3: Index funds are perhaps the greatest invention in the history of financial markets, but there may be circumstances where an alternative strategy could be superior. If you’re interested in learning a little more about building a portfolio of individual stocks, this episode is a must-listen.

Host Jeff Harrell acknowledges there is nothing an investor can do to change the overwhelming odds against outperforming the market. But… he likes to play devil’s advocate! Coupling the benefits of index funds with strategic decisions that incorporate risk tolerance, taxes, and diversification could result in higher total returns over long periods of time.

Jeff tells the story about how he began using a sector neutral strategy and shares some details about his own security selection process, as well as his thoughts on bond indexes.

This episode is perfect for the investor who recognizes the benefits of index funds but wants to spice up their portfolio to keep things interesting.

(Season 3 Episode 3)

Other Episodes Referenced:

• Investing in Bonds…Funds or Individual Securities? (S3 E4)
• High-Yield Bonds…Junk or Treasure? (S3 E5)

Podcast produced by Ted Cragg of QuickEditPodcasts.com
Music Credit:  Dream Cave / Adventure Awaits / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com