The Sapient Investor

The SEC’s recent approval of spot bitcoin ETFs is a game changer, making bitcoin investment convenient, cheap (about .25%/year), and secure in the custodial sense. It is still enormously volatile, however. It could still fizzle out, but increased institutional acceptance seems to indicate permanence is more likely. In the long run, it could become a reserve asset for central banks and a popular store of value for investors. Bitcoin’s market capitalization has grown to over 1% of the entire U.S. capital market. I recommend a 1% strategic allocation within a range of 0% to 2%.

Save $ thousands in taxes with optimal withdrawal strategies during retirement. “Filling up” lower tax brackets with partial Roth conversions is key.

The inflation-adjusted yield for I-bonds is well below the real yield for the five-year TIPS bond. If you purchased I-bonds in the past, it is time to consider selling them and switching to TIPS.

Besides tax minimization, direct indexing can facilitate factor tilting, including ESG factors and alpha factors.

Direct indexing has become a hot topic in investing. What is it and is it right for you?

What are ETFs and why they are so popular? In short, they provide very inexpensive exposure to virtually any asset class or niche and are extremely tax efficient.

Interest rates have moved up. A lot. But most banks and brokers are still paying very little for cash deposits. Here’s what you can do with your cash to earn a lot more without taking on much risk.

Inflation is still a major risk. Here are some investment ideas to hedge it.

Yes, the prices of stocks and bonds are down YTD in 2022. By a lot. However, yields are also up, by a lot, more than offsetting the drop in value. The net effect is that expected annual income is currently higher than it was at year-end 2021 for both stocks and bonds! You will have more income in retirement, not less.

The popularity of Medicare Advantage has grown so that now 50% of Medicare enrollees use it rather than traditional Medicare. Which one is right for you?