Welcome to a new week and a new theme here on the One Minute Retirement Tip! 

I’m closing out the year with a sprinkling of several different topics from the most downloaded episodes of 2020.

I’ll be back with new episodes on January 4th, and in the meantime I have a new resource for you that's jam--packed with value - the retirement success forecaster. 

Go to https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/retirementsuccess/ - there you’ll be able to download the free retirement success forecaster to gauge your retirement readiness. Once you answer a few questions you’ll receive your free personalized results. 

To get your free retirement success forecaster go to: truenorthra.com/retirementsuccess. 

And now here is today’s best of 2020 episode...

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>>> Subscribe on Amazon Alexa: https://amzn.to/2xRKrCs

>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

----------

Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast

Welcome to a new week and a new theme here on the One Minute Retirement Tip! 

I’m closing out the year with a sprinkling of several different topics from the most downloaded episodes of 2020.

I’ll be back with new episodes on January 4th, and in the meantime I have a new resource for you that's jam--packed with value - the retirement success forecaster. 

Go to https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/retirementsuccess/ - there you’ll be able to download the free retirement success forecaster to gauge your retirement readiness. Once you answer a few questions you’ll receive your free personalized results. 

To get your free retirement success forecaster go to: truenorthra.com/retirementsuccess. 

And now here is today’s best of 2020 episode...

----------

>>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2DI2LSP

>>> Subscribe on Amazon Alexa: https://amzn.to/2xRKrCs

>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

----------

Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast

Welcome to a new week and a new theme here on the One Minute Retirement Tip! 

I’m closing out the year with a sprinkling of several different topics from the most downloaded episodes of 2020.

I’ll be back with new episodes on January 4th, and in the meantime I have a new resource for you that's jam--packed with value - the retirement success forecaster. 

Go to https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/retirementsuccess/ - there you’ll be able to download the free retirement success forecaster to gauge your retirement readiness. Once you answer a few questions you’ll receive your free personalized results. 

To get your free retirement success forecaster go to: truenorthra.com/retirementsuccess. 

And now here is today’s best of 2020 episode...

----------

>>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2DI2LSP

>>> Subscribe on Amazon Alexa: https://amzn.to/2xRKrCs

>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

----------

Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast

It’s Sunday, which means...It’s recap time! This week’s theme was 5 types of bonds to own now. 

Here’s what we covered in each episode this week:

• Building Your Bond Ladder
• Consider Foreign Bonds To Diversify & Increase Income
• TIPS: A Bond Investor’s BFF
• Don’t Overlook These Short Term Bond Funds
• How To Get A Higher Interest Rate On Your Savings

My hope is that you come away from this week with some hope that you can still invest prudently and earn income on your bond investments in a very low interest rate environment. 

Tomorrow, we are starting a brand new theme: The Best of 2020. We’ll revisit the most downloaded episodes of the year and touch on lots of different topics as we close out what’s been a year unlike any other!

And if you haven’t already, be sure to check out my YouTube channel - True North Retirement, where I cover a wide variety of retirement planning topics  - there’s over 120 videos on the channel, and every Monday at 9am Pacific, I’m posting a live stream podcast bonus episode where I go in depth and talk about the topic for the week. 

That’s it for this week! Thanks for listening and I hope you have a blessed Sunday! 

My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the “One Minute Retirement Tip”.

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>>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2DI2LSP

>>> Subscribe on Amazon Alexa: https://amzn.to/2xRKrCs

>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

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Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast

This week, I’m talking about 5 types of bonds to own now. 

Today, I want to turn to a very important question that I get asked all the time, and it goes something like this: “Ashley, I’m saving up for a house remodel, to buy a new car, for my daughter’s wedding - whatever this big expense is - and I have my money in a savings account that’s earning me $12 of interest a year. What can I invest in that will earn me a better return? 

When you have money set aside for a specific goal, it’s important that you invest this wisely and base your investment choices on how long from now you’ll need the funds. 

And that’s why I still like short term CDs and why I would still buy them for clients who have specific time-based short-term savings goals. If you’ll need funds for a specific purchase within the next 6 months to 2 years, it’s not wise to risk losing those funds, but you’re leaving money on the table if you just leave the money in cash. With a CD that matches the timing of when you’ll need funds, you’ll at least earn a little bit of interest without risking losing your investment.

That’s it for today. Thanks for listening. My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the One Minute Retirement Tip.

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>>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2DI2LSP

>>> Subscribe on Amazon Alexa: https://amzn.to/2xRKrCs

>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

----------

Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast

This week, I’m talking about 5 types of bonds to own now. 

Today, I’m talking about short term bonds and why I like them even when the yields on bonds - especially shorter term bonds are so low. And let me just clarify that by short-term I mean 1-5 years. 

The primary reason I like short-term bonds right now, even if you’re earning less than 1% yield on these bonds is because they provide stability, albeit with less income, and they’re not going to get clobbered when interest rates start heading higher again. 

Longer-term bonds - bonds that don’t mature for 10, 20, or 30 years may be more appealing right now, because you can get a better yield, but longer-dated bonds get hit much harder when rates turn around and head higher. 

So I think there needs to be other ways to find income and you’ll need to find income in other places. First of all, you can find a lot of high quality stocks right now that are paying dividends in the 3% range. Investing in more dividend paying stocks will help bridge that gap if you’re already retired and you need portfolio income. 

But if you’re nearing retirement, which most of you listening are - invest in the bonds for the stability they provide - they’re going to earn more than cash, but stay disciplined and don’t get desperate for yield by looking for it in all the wrong places - high yield, high risk, or longer-term bonds.

Not sure how much you should have in bonds at your age? Email me and I will send you our age-based asset allocation cheat sheet. It’s a guide to what your stock and bond mix should be for your age, and it’s the foundation that we use when building portfolios for all of our clients. 

Just shoot me an email - [email protected]. That’s [email protected] and I’ll send you your free age-based asset allocation cheat sheet, to help you determine the right mix of bonds for your portfolio. 

That’s it for today. Thanks for listening. My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the One Minute Retirement Tip.

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>>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2DI2LSP

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>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

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Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast

This week, I’m talking about 5 types of bonds to own now. 

Today, I’m talking about a type of bond that has been irrelevant for the last decade, but could become the best bond investment decision you make if we have higher inflation in the future. And if you listened to last week’s podcast episodes, you know what I think. In short, I think higher inflation is coming. 

When inflation goes higher, the income you’re getting from your bond is fixed, so that bond income you’re getting buys you less and less as inflation goes higher and higher. And that’s why bonds aren’t great investments in an inflationary environment. Bond prices also drop when there’s high inflation, making your bond’s value lower as well. 

So what is a bond investor to do - well first of all, stay away from long-term bonds when inflation and interest rates are going higher, because the bonds that don’t mature for 10, 20, or 30 years are the ones that get creamed when interest rates and inflation are heading higher. 

But you don’t have to abandon bonds altogether when higher inflation arrives because you can own TIPS. TIPS stands for Treasury inflation-protected securities. These are bonds issued by the US govt and are indexed to inflation. 

When you own TIPS bonds, the price of the bond adjusts for inflation. So if inflation is going up, the price on your TIPS bond is also going up as well. The income payments you receive also adjust with every payment based on inflation, so you benefit from both a higher value on TIPS bond and higher income while you own the bond. 

Owning TIPS isn’t very compelling when inflation is low, since the interest rate you earn will be lower than comparable bonds, but if and when inflation returns in a meaningful way, TIPS can be a bond investor’s best friend. 

That’s it for today. Thanks for listening. My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the One Minute Retirement Tip.

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>>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2DI2LSP

>>> Subscribe on Amazon Alexa: https://amzn.to/2xRKrCs

>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

----------

Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast

This week, I’m talking about 5 types of bonds to own now. 

Earlier this week I mentioned that govt issued bonds in Germany are yielding negative .6% at the moment. So if you think rates in the US are low, go over to Deutschland where you’ll get less money back when the bond matures than what you originally purchased the bond for.

But there are places outside the United States and Germany where rates are better, and that’s what I’m talking about today. 

The interest rate environment varies from country to country, and the exchange rate varies from country to country as well, which means there are always opportunities for bond investors if you’re willing to invest outside of the United States. 

So if you’re desperate for more yield, consider investing in foreign bonds where yields are usually higher than here in the US. You have to be very careful about this though. In my opinion, the most prudent way to invest in foreign bonds is through mutual funds and ETFs. You’ll want the diversification that these funds can provide to minimize your risk, and you’ll definitely want to dig a little deeper and make sure that the quality of the bonds are solid.

I’d stick with bonds from the developed world for safety as well. There are plenty of options and right now you can find foreign bonds that will pay you a higher income than what you can get by investing in US bonds exclusively. 

That’s it for today. Thanks for listening. My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the One Minute Retirement Tip.

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>>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2DI2LSP

>>> Subscribe on Amazon Alexa: https://amzn.to/2xRKrCs

>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

----------

Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast

This week, I’m talking about 5 types of bonds to own now. 

Today, I’m talking about building a bond ladder, which is my favorite way to own bonds. It works when rates are going up, down, and sideways, and it helps keep your income from bonds more predictable. Here’s how it works:  I want you to picture a ladder. Each step or rung on the ladder represents one year. The ladder might have 5 rungs or 10 rungs, or somewhere in between. 

So if I build a 5 year bond ladder for a client, I buy bonds of ideally equal dollar amounts that mature next year, the year after that, and so on for 5 years. 

Here’s why I love bond ladders...Bond ladders provide predictable income, because one year of bonds will mature each year, but the other 4 bonds stay invested, so the income tends to be very stable. Bond ladders are generally more liquid too because of their shorter-term nature, and they work great in a rising interest rate environment, because you get to gradually re-invest your bonds at higher rates each year as your bonds mature and cash out, rather than being locked-in for years to come. 

It’s a strategy we’ve used successfully with our clients for decades. I like buying corporate bonds because the yields are higher. You can do this through buying individual corporate bonds or by buying bond ETFs with specific year maturities. I prefer the ETFs because the yields are about the same as individual corporate bonds, but it’s much more diversified. 

That’s it for today. But before you go, you probably know someone who is close to retirement and could benefit from listening to this podcast. If so, please share this podcast with them - just send them a quick text with a screenshot or a link and encourage them to check it out by adding it to their flash briefing in Alexa or subscribing wherever they listen to podcasts! 

Thanks for listening. My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the One Minute Retirement Tip.

----------

>>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2DI2LSP

>>> Subscribe on Amazon Alexa: https://amzn.to/2xRKrCs

>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

----------

Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast

Welcome to a new week and a new theme here on the One Minute Retirement Tip! 

This week’s theme is 5 types of bonds to own now. With interest rates so low, you might be frustrated with the low yields and low income you can get these days from bonds. 

Right now, you can get about .28% on a 6 month CD, .84% on a 10year treasury, below 2% on most corporate bonds and even the 30 year treasury is yielding just shy of 1.6%. 

To say rates are low is an understatement. And it’s even worse in other parts of the world - in Germany the 10-year government issued bond is yielding negative! You give them your money to hang on to and rather than them paying you interest, you pay them for the privilege of holding it for you. Makes your head spin, doesn’t it?

But don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater!

Because there are still opportunities that exist for owning bonds today. So this week, I’ll talk about 5 types of bonds that I’ve been buying for my clients to help provide income and stability to their portfolio in order to help you make better decisions when buying bonds in your own portfolio. 

That’s it for today, but before you go...If you haven’t already left a review for the One Minute Retirement Tip, please consider leaving an honest review in Amazon or Apple Podcasts. I read them all, so feel free to leave any feedback or topic suggestions there too. 

Thanks for listening. My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the One Minute Retirement Tip. 

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>>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2DI2LSP

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>>> Check out our blog: https://truenorthretirementadvisors.com/blog/

----------

Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, finances, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance, wealth management, money tips, fee only financial advisor, financial planner, financial podcast, retirement podcast, financial independence podcast