Investing to Thrive

Traditional 401(k) vs. Roth 401(k): Running the Numbers

Posted by Julie Rains | Retirement

What type of retirement account is better? It depends. Here’s how I set up the analysis to make a Traditional 401(k) vs. Roth 401(k) decision.

Measuring Portfolio Performance vs. Benchmark Performance

Posted by Julie Rains | Investing

There are many ways to measure portfolio performance. Here is how to look at performance using benchmarks (indexes) and asset allocation.

What Financial Health Means to Me: Saving and Investing for Rainy Seasons

Posted by Julie Rains | Financial Foundations

When I was a kid, my mom told me to save for a “rainy day.” As an adult, I realized that saving for a rainy day was only partly right. Instead, I should save for rainy days and invest for rainy seasons. Here’s what saving for rainy days and seasons looks like.

Online Tools to Build Investment Portfolios

Posted by Julie Rains | Investing

Your brokerage firm may offer online tools that enable you to build diversified investment portfolios. Here’s how they work.

Investing Scenarios That Make Me Pause or Run

Posted by Julie Rains | Investing

Avoiding investment scams or bad scenarios can be as important as making good investment decisions. Here are common sales pitches that are misleading and outright lies.

Pricing Changes at Online Brokerages and Investment Advisors

Posted by Julie Rains | Investing

In the past few years, several brokerage firms have changed their pricing structure and fees. Here are notable updates to trading commissions and other fees.

Planning with a Mortgage Amortization Schedule

Posted by Julie Rains | Financial Foundations

A mortgage amortization schedule can be useful for: comparing my loan-balance calculations to the mortgage company’s records; identifying when mortgage insurance should no longer be required; analyzing the impact of extra payments; and more. Here’s a downloadable spreadsheet that you can use for planning purposes.