In this episode of Friends Talk Financial Planning, John and Bridget discuss the new rates for I bonds that changed on November 1. They dive into the components of the I bond rates and explain how the fixed rate is currently at 1.3%. They also discuss the benefits of I bonds as part of your investment portfolio and how they can be used for emergency funds or retirement savings. John and Bridget also touch on the complexity of buying I bonds and how it requires engagement with

I Bonds New Fixed Rate is about double what it was before--up to .9% of your investment. In this video we talk through the strategies that are in play now because of this new, higher fixed rate. Just a couple of years ago, the 10 year Treasury was only paying about 1% interest. Today, if you buy a new I bond between May 1 & Oct 31, 2023 you’ll get a guaranteed minimum rate of 0.9% for the life of the bond (up to 30 years) PLUS you’ll get an inflation component as well. T

Reasons to Sell I Bonds: The new rate announced with Series I Bonds is 4.30%, which includes a .9% fixed rate. With the new interest rate announced that is lower than the interest rate has been recently on I Bonds, you may be asking yourself--when is it time to sell your I bond? Bridget Sullivan Mermel and John Scherer talk through how to approach the decision. There are more factors to consider than you may think! Savings Bond Series I Bonds have been great investments fo

Athlete Investment Advice | Sloan Stevens and Blake Griffith are two athletes who were profiled in a recent article. Both detailed their investment philosophy. In this episode Bridget Sullivan Mermel and John Scherer dissect the athlete's advice. Is it worth taking? We talk about being influenced by people, investing in the stocks of your favorite products, and fear of going broke. Here's a video we made about Socially Responsible Investing: https://youtu.be/bcZlJQm

Buying Series I Bonds before the rates drops make sense for many people. The rate changes on May 1 for new purchases, but in 2023, you need to get the I Bonds bought before April 27 to get the existing 6.46% annualized rate. Bridget Sullivan Mermel and John Scherer talk about why the interest rate on I bonds is expected to drop, and why there might be a silver lining. The variable rate is tied to inflation, which is not as high as it has been. But the fixed rate is importa

Kids benefit from Roth, just like grownups do. Children benefit from Roth can be great places to save money and it can be especially useful to start at early ages. In today’s episode learn how you can fund a Roth IRA for your children who are under age 18, what the rules and requirements are for kids to have Roth IRAs and what kind of access they will have to that money. We'll also compare Roth IRAs for kids to 529s and I Bonds. We'll also discuss how to use Roth IRAs to he

Annuity vs Bond Ladder. Since bonds and CDs are making money again, people are interested in bonds and CD ladders. We wanted to get more in depth on what the difference are between bond ladders and annuities. Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA and John Scherer CFP(R) talk about our definition of bond ladders and CD ladders--safe, guaranteed, reliable income by the US Government. The cash flow will show up for a period of time. Then we talk about what you do when you buy

Mutual Fund vs Exchange Traded Fund? There are basic differences you should know. We talk about why the two forms of investment have developed over time, when ETFs are better than mutual funds, when you must use mutual funds, and finally some new developments that you should know about exchange traded funds, especially if you're interested in socially responsible investing (SRI) or Environmental Social and Governance investing (ESG) John's firm website: https://www.trinfi

I Bonds News: I bonds are one of our favorite investments. But now, with the new rates as of November 1st being down over 3% compared to the past, is it too late to invest? Have you missed out? By the end of the episode, you’ll know what’s changed with I- Bonds, what has actually improved, and why it can still be a smart place to invest some of your money. Plus, at one point, Bridget has a brain-freeze and forgets the news! John gently tries to cover but ends up with a

Should I buy I bonds now? There's an incentive because interest on the series I bond changes November 1st. In this video we'll explain: * what you should know about the interest rate change, * why if you're procrastinating you should probably act now, * and see if our attempt at comparing I bonds to Old Fashions makes sense! We talk through the advantages to buying series I bonds when interest rates are going down. We also discuss if I bonds might be appropriate for y

We Love I Bonds. These are inflation-adjusted savings bonds that are issued by US Treasury Direct. Here are three reasons we love them: One. 9.62% interest for the next 6 months. Two. Guaranteed Three. Safe. In this video we’ll give you the details about I bonds—the interest, what to watch out for, and the drawbacks of investing in I bonds. We've been talking about I bonds for quite some time. Here are four videos we've made about them: John first described the basi

Figuring out if you want to buy I bonds now or wait until May can be confusing. With guaranteed interest rates on these savings bonds going from 7.12% to over 9.5% in May, we're getting the question--should I buy them now, or wait? Before getting carried away with I Bonds, remembering the basics is important. I Bonds stands for Inflation Bonds. They are savings bonds issued by the US Treasury. They're safe investments backed by the US Government. We've covered whether

Figuring out how to pick investments for your 401K can be confusing. We tell you how we chose mutual funds in our own 401ks, what our thinking is behind how we do it, and give you suggestions on how to make it easy on yourself. When looking at the list of mutual funds: Look for index funds. If you're investing yourself, target date funds can be attractive. In general, you want a well diversified portfolio with low expense ratios. If you're older and have other i

The Larry David commercial during the Superbowl plus other ads play on our FOMO (fear of missing out) on crypto. Do you need to be afraid? What if crypto does work out, a lot of people make tons of money on it and you’re slow to act. What then? Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP® CPA and John Scherer CFP® talk about how they tell clients to handle crypto. There can feel like a lot of pressure—everyone is doing it. I want to be smart! People seem to be making a lot of money. J

Too often, buying an annuity is a mistake. It doesn't have to be. Watching for 5 simple, easy to identify red flags can help you avoid a costly mistake. People buy annuities looking for a steady income stream and reduced risk. Unfortunately, too often, they get substandard products. Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA and John Scherer CFP(R) talk about how to sort it out. One of the big things is that—when you look at them, look at the number of moving parts. All annui

Millions of people around the world will watch the Super Bowl but few will think about lessons they can take from the game to apply to their money and financial planning. But if you think about it, the planning that the teams do for the Super Bowl can give some valuable lessons for handling your money and financial planning. Here's Bridget's firm website: www.sullivanmermel.com John's firm website: www.trinfin.com For advisors around the US: www.acplanners.org Tha

There is never a shortage of stock market predictions, but have any of those actually given insight into what is going to happen in any given investment market in the coming year? We take a look at how investment market predictions from the beginning of 2021 actually turned out in this episode of Friends Talk Financial Planning and also take a look at the reliability of market predictions over time. Here's Bridget's firm website: www.sullivanmermel.com John's firm webs

Invest, gamble, or speculate. John's going to Vegas. Is that to gamble? Invest? something in between? In this episode of Friends Talk Financial Planning, we talk about the key differences between gambling and speculating. These include evaluating: John evaluates: What are your odds? Who is the "house?" How random is the outcome? Bridget thinks more in terms of a continuum with investing on one end and gambling on the other. John may invest in an index fund, speculate

There is a lot of news about stock market predictions for 2022, find out our outlook for 2022 and learn market predictions are worth your attention on this episode of Friends Talk Financial Planning. Here's Bridget's firm website: www.sullivanmermel.com John's firm website: www.trinfin.com For advisors around the US: www.acplanners.org Thanks for watching and please subscribe! TRANSCRIPT: John: This is the time of the year when predictions come out for what's g

Socially Responsible Investing means lower returns to some people. It doesn't have to. In this video, we explain how to get market returns with ESG investing. When socially responsible investing (also often called Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) factor investing and sustainable investing) started, investment returns weren't as good as other mutual funds. That reputation for lower returns has stuck in the minds of many people. But it doesn't have to. In this