Picking up Nickels

March 2026 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:08:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on March 10th, 2026:

Asset	Feb 2026	Mar 2026	Change

Checking	3,464	2,935	-529
Money Market	84,849	84,661	-188
Savings Bonds	264,317	265,049	732
Treasurys	136,000	136,000	0
CDs	74,301	74,495	194
Brokerage	552,095	526,618	-25,477
401k	608,646	602,033	-6,613
Roth IRA	412,276	409,623	-2,653
IRA	1,745,218	1,731,368	-13,850
529 Savings	168,258	167,925	-333

Total Assets	$4,049,424	$4,000,707	-$48,717
			-1.20%

The S&P 500 has pulled back a bit courtesy of our "Major Combat Operation" in Iran, falling 2.31% (-0.94% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

On the jobs front, the monthly unemployment number for February rose to 4.4%, with a disappointing 92,000 jobs lost. Oil prices are up to the $86 level (+32.5% from $65) after a weekend spike of $116, with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $3.09 (up from $2.59) at my last fill-up. I'm also wondering if my next heating oil delivery will cost $2 per gallon more ($3.65 -> $5.85) like it did after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

On the financial front, I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 3.813% -> 3.694%, 4 week 3.691% -> 3.686%, and 8 week 3.640% -> 3.701%. Mrs. Frugalson and I also maxed out our 2025 Roth IRA contributions since our tax returns are complete.

As for the non-financial, the three feet of snow we got during the Blizzard of 2026 has melted quite a bit over the past couple of weeks and I can start to see all of the downed trees and branches that I need to clean up. I'm going to try to enjoy the warming weather as I sadly recon with all of the needless chaos, death, and destruction unfold in the Middle East.

February 2026 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:15:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on February 10th, 2026:

Asset	Jan 2026	Feb 2026	Change

Checking	2,826	3,464	638
Money Market	89,652	84,849	-4,803
Savings Bonds	263,589	264,317	728
Treasurys	136,000	136,000	0
CDs	74,080	74,301	221
Brokerage	638,042	552,095	-85,947
401k	606,097	608,646	2,549
Roth IRA	404,645	412,276	7,631
IRA	1,724,620	1,745,218	20,598
529 Savings	167,174	168,258	1,084

Total Assets	$4,106,725	$4,049,424	-$57,301
			-1.40%

The S&P 500 is still near all-time highs despite the existential threat of China eliminating all ice hockey in Canada, falling 0.31% (+1.41% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

On the jobs front, the again-delayed unemployment rate for January fell to 4.3%, with a better than expected 130,000 new jobs created. Oil prices are up to the $65 level, with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.59 and a heating oil price of $3.05 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 3.906% -> 3.684%, 4 week 3.650% -> 3.691%, and 8 week 3.927% -> 3.671%.

As for the non-financial, we've been living with more than a foot of snow on the ground for the past 2+ weeks along with some brutal cold to keep it from melting. We're very excited around here to actually have high temperatures above freezing in the extended forecast and look forward to seeing something other than a blanket of snow when we look out the window.

January 2026 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 20:19:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on January 13th, 2026:

Asset	Dec 2025	Jan 2026	Change

Checking	2,778	2,826	48
Money Market	83,063	89,652	6,589
Savings Bonds	262,899	263,589	690
Treasurys	136,000	136,000	0
CDs	75,400	74,080	-1,320
Brokerage	676,668	638,042	-38,626
401k	594,674	606,097	11,423
Roth IRA	394,649	404,645	9,996
IRA	1,700,441	1,724,620	24,179
529 Savings	166,089	167,174	1,085

Total Assets	$4,092,661	$4,106,725	$14,064
			0.34%

The S&P 500 has continued to perform well despite the latest attempt to interfere with the Federal Reserve, rising 1.12% (+1.72% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

On the jobs front, the monthly employment report for December fell to 4.4%, with a less than expected 50,000 new jobs created. Oil prices are up to the $61 level with widespread protests in Iran and the USA "controlling" Venezuela, with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.49 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 3.953% -> 3.652%, 4 week 3.742% -> 3.650%, and 8 week 3.927% -> 3.640%. I also opened an Alliant 4.20% APY 17 month "elevated rate" CD and a Navy Federal 4.00% APY 13 month add-on CD as a hedge against future interest rate cuts.

As for the non-financial, we finally recovered from the Christmas holiday and just had a contractor complete a modest home improvement project. Our cash balance will take a small hit, but it a was much needed job and the house looks great.

December 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 19:03:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on December 10th, 2025:

Asset	Nov 2025	Dec 2025	Change

Checking	7,988	2,778	-5,210
Money Market	76,186	83,063	6,877
Savings Bonds	262,214	262,899	685
Treasurys	136,000	136,000	0
CDs	63,188	75,400	12,212
Brokerage	711,273	676,668	-34,605
401k	584,515	594,674	10,159
Roth IRA	390,656	394,649	3,993
IRA	1,692,658	1,700,441	7,783
529 Savings	172,578	166,089	-6,489

Total Assets	$4,097,256	$4,092,661	-$4,595
			-0.11%

The S&P 500 has been volatile, but is still up 0.79% (+17.09% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

On the jobs front, the monthly employment report for November has been delayed until next week. Oil prices have dropped to the $57 level, with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.81 and a heating oil price of $3.20 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.144% -> 3.813%, 4 week 3.940% -> 3.742%, and 8 week 4.150% -> 3.927%. I also completed a final Fidelity 529 to Vanguard Roth IRA rollover to max out the 2025 Roth IRA contributions for all of my children.

As for the non-financial, we had a nice family Thanksgiving and while the cold weather has come early we are looking forward to having a little time off to celebrate the Christmas holiday.

November 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:35:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on November 10th, 2025:

Asset	Oct 2025	Nov 2025	Change

Checking	1,970	7,988	6,018
Money Market	75,364	76,186	822
Savings Bonds	261,516	262,214	698
Treasurys	136,000	136,000	0
CDs	62,977	63,188	211
Brokerage	804,534	711,273	-93,261
401k	558,913	584,515	25,602
Roth IRA	376,944	390,656	13,712
IRA	1,675,263	1,692,658	17,395
529 Savings	171,535	172,578	1,043

Total Assets	$4,125,016	$4,097,256	-$27,760
			--0.67%

Today we celebrate Veterans Day, a salute to all who served our country and protected our freedom. Thank you.

The S&P 500 has continued to rise despite the ongoing government shutdown, rising 4.27% (+16.17% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

On the jobs front, the monthly unemployment rate wasn't released for the second month due to the government shutdown, while Goldman Sachs has a gloomy estimate of 50,000 lost jobs in October. Oil prices are up slightly to the $60 level, with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.75 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.268% -> 3.906%, 4 week 4.099% -> 3.940%, and 8 week 4.230% -> 4.150% -> 3.978%. I also completed a Fidelity 529 to Vanguard Roth IRA rollover to max out the 2025 Roth IRA contribution for one of my children, with another pending.

As for the non-financial, we made our annual contribution to the local food bank a bit earlier than usual this year. We've been fortunate to always have enough food to eat, but the number of people who've struggled due to a loss of SNAP benefits is eye opening.

October 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 18:56:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on October 10th, 2025:

Asset	Sep 2025	Oct 2025	Change

Checking	5,093	1,970	-3,123
Money Market	66,647	75,364	8,717
Savings Bonds	260,871	261,516	645
Treasurys	136,000	136,000	0
CDs	62,617	62,977	360
Brokerage	872,399	804,534	-67,865
401k	553,594	558,913	5,319
Roth IRA	376,345	376,944	599
IRA	1,672,864	1,675,263	2,399
529 Savings	177,975	171,535	-6,440

Total Assets	$4,184,405	$4,125,016	-$59,389
			-1.42%

The S&P 500 has become a bit volatile of late due to a flare-up in the trade war with China, rising 0.31% (+11.41% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for September wasn't released due to the government shutdown. Oil prices have continued to fall to the $58 level with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.79 and a heating oil price of $2.90 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.144% -> 3.953%, 4 week 4.129% -> 4.099%, and 8 week 4.230% -> 4.150%.

As for the non-financial, I don't have much going on and am getting over a surprisingly severe cold. Unfortunately I'll have to push back my flu and COVID shots back a bit, but at this point I'm just glad that they're still available.

September 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:24:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on September 10th, 2025:

Asset	Aug 2025	Sep 2025	Change

Checking	2,894	5,093	2,199
Money Market	67,320	66,647	-673
Savings Bonds	260,289	260,871	582
Treasurys	136,000	136,000	0
CDs	62,248	62,617	369
Brokerage	720,824	872,399	151,575
401k	534,222	553,594	19,372
Roth IRA	365,651	376,345	10,694
IRA	1,642,417	1,672,864	30,447
529 Savings	175,532	177,975	2,443

Total Assets	$3,967,397	$4,184,405	$217,008
			+5.47%

Today is the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our country. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the whole thing after all these years.

The S&P 500 has been on the upswing, rising 2.49% (+11.06% YTD) and hitting all-time highs since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for August rose to 4.3%, with a disappointing 22,000 new jobs created. Oil prices are down a bit to the $62 level with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.99 at my last fill-up. Market sentiment seems to point toward FOMC rate cuts with data supporting a softening job market, further complicated by the POTUS trying to remove a Fed Governor for "mortgage fraud".

On the financial front, my assets have once again hit another all-time high, surpassing the $4M milestone and the previous high from August 2025! A main driver of that was a huge gain in Oracle Corporation (ORCL) stock, who announced big cloud infrastructure-related revenues on the way on their quarterly earnings call. I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.356% -> 4.144%, 4 week 4.303% -> 4.354%, and 8 week 4.379% -> 4.230%. I also hedged against falling interest rates with Navy Federal EasyStart CDs that can be opened with a low minimum purchase ($50) while allowing you to add additional money at any time (3.95% APY 12 months, 3.75% APY 18 months, 3.55% APY 24 months) plus I have an Alliant 5.40% APY 17 month CD maturing shortly and will move the proceeds into an Alliant 4.10% APY 17 month "elevated rate" CD offer that I received via email

As for the non-financial, the school year has started, the temps are cooling off, and I'm excited to start my Fall lawncare feeding program. I enjoy the Fall weather quite a bit, but that also means that winter isn't far behind!

August 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on August 11th, 2025:

Asset	Jul 2025	Aug 2025	Change

Checking	231	2,894	2,663
Money Market	64,580	67,320	2,740
Savings Bonds	259,724	260,289	565
Treasurys	136,000	136,000	0
CDs	62,063	62,248	185
Brokerage	698,339	720,824	22,485
401k	530,369	534,222	3,853
Roth IRA	366,843	365,651	-1,192
IRA	1,643,312	1,642,417	-895
529 Savings	174,627	175,532	905

Total Assets	$3,936,088	$3,967,397	$31,309
			+0.80%

The S&P 500 has been treading water, rising 0.23% (+8.36% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

I continue to be confused about how the stock market is as strong as it is. The most recent red flag was having the POTUS fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) after a disappointing July jobs report. I'm certainly concerned that someone unqualified will be appointed to head the BLS because they will willingly report or spin the data to fit the rosy outlook the POTUS is looking for. And if our government is unable to accept economic bad news even if it's accurate, then how can anyone trust our official employment or inflation data?

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for July rose to 4.2%, with a disappointing 73,000 new jobs created along with May and June numbers being revised downward.. Oil prices have been somewhat flat at the $63 level with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.89 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have once again hit another all-time high, surpassing the previous high from July 2025! I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.325% -> 4.268%, 4 week 4.129% -> 4.303%, and 8 week 4.312% -> 4.379%.

As for the non-financial, we're trying to squeeze in a little more summer before the school year starts. We bought some new recreational kayaks that we're enjoying and we'll be squeezing in a relaxing weekend getaway while we still can. We're also about ready to agree to have some work done on the house, which will hopefully be done before the weather gets too cold.

July 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 19:47:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on July 23rd, 2025:

Asset	Jun 2025	Jul 2025	Change

Checking	1,208	231	-977
Money Market	60,596	64,580	3,984
Savings Bonds	259,204	259,724	520
Treasurys	128,000	136,000	8,000
CDs	62,639	62,063	-576
Brokerage	559,540	698,339	138,799
401k	499,797	530,369	30,572
Roth IRA	350,773	366,843	16,070
IRA	1,612,393	1,643,312	30,919
529 Savings	172,003	174,627	2,624

Total Assets	$3,706,153	$3,936,088	$229,935
			+6.20%

The S&P 500 has ignored the noise, rising 5.30% (+8.11% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

Somehow the stock market hasn't taken the threats by the POTUS seriously as the TACO Trade continues to rule the day. I don't see how we can keep kicking the can down the road, but I've been wrong for a few months already.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for June fell to 4.1%, with a stronger than expected 147,000 new jobs created. Oil prices have been steady at the $66 level with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.85 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have once again hit another all-time high, surpassing the previous high from June 2025! I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.309% -> 4.340%, 4 week 4.129% -> 4.303%, and new 8 week at 4.389%. I also had an Alliant 5.40% APY 17 month CD mature and used the proceeds to open an Alliant 4.30% APY 17 month CD.

As for the non-financial, we just returned from a nice family vacation in beautiful Vermont. It was a pretty hot week in the mountains, but we stayed in an area with good restaurants and plenty of things to keep us busy. It's pretty cool that the young Frugalsons still want to vacation with us even though they're grown-ups now. :)

June 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 18:38:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on June 10th, 2025:

Asset	May 2025	Jun 2025	Change

Checking	2,225	1,208	-1,017
Money Market	61,894	60,596	-1,298
Savings Bonds	258,669	259,204	535
Treasurys	120,000	128,000	8,000
CDs	62,422	62,639	217
Brokerage	512,593	559,540	46,947
401k	479,890	499,797	19,907
Roth IRA	339,325	350,773	11,448
IRA	1,594,599	1,612,393	17,794
529 Savings	170,465	172,003	1,538

Total Assets	$3,602,082	$3,706,153	$104,071
			+2.89 %

The S&P 500 is finally above water for 2025, rising 3.33% (+2.67% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

The stock market continues to recover in spite of the chaos of the current political climate, although none of this makes much sense to me considering that we seem to be heading toward a recession of our own creation.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for May remained steady at 4.2%, with a stronger than expected 139,000 new jobs created. Oil prices have climbed to the $66 level (from $62) with that $66 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.94 at my last fill-up. Is the energy market pricing in the prospect of a potential trade deal with China?

On the financial front, my assets have surprisingly hit another all-time high, surpassing the previous high from February 2025! I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.309% -> 4.356%, 4 week 4.293% -> 4.293%, and new 8 week at 4.312%.

As for the non-financial, the school year is almost over and I'm trying to focus on our summer family vacation as the USA seems more angry and divided than ever. "May you live in interesting times", indeed.

May 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Tue, 13 May 2025 17:41:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on May 12th, 2025:

Asset	Apr 2025	May 2025	Change

Checking	409	2,225	1,816
Money Market	80,182	61,894	-18,288
Savings Bonds	248,173	258,669	10,496
Treasurys	110,000	120,000	10,000
CDs	62,209	62,422	213
Brokerage	443,274	512,593	69,319
401k	427,644	479,890	52,246
Roth IRA	307,218	339,325	32,107
IRA	1,541,172	1,594,599	53,427
529 Savings	167,117	170,465	3,348

Total Assets	$3,387,398	$3,602,082	$214,684
			+6.34 %

The S&P 500 has rebounded strongly, rising 10.94% (-0.64% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

The stock market had a good day yesterday as the US and China agreed to a 90 day pause on 145% tariffs. Unfortunately, there are still high (30%) tariffs in place and what will happen after the pause is anyone's best guess. I also have no idea why the stock market has performed as well as it has considering the chaos that has been injected into the global economy and it seems that our best economic policy is simply undoing the trade war that we started against the rest of the world a few short months ago.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for April remained at 4.2%, with a strong 177,000 new jobs created. Oil prices are up a bit to the $62 level (from $60) with that $62 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.79 at my last fill-up.

As for the non-financial, I'm trying to keep things positive as my youngest is on the cusp of finishing grad school and starting life as an independent adult. Hopefully we can ride the momentum into a nice family vacation this summer as economic bad news seems to be piling up.

March CPI-U numbers released: April 2025 issue I Bonds compelling

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:33:00 +0000

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the March 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) inflation data last week, which rose by 0.22% last month.

As always, now (along with the release of the September CPI-U) is one of the best times to consider purchasing I Bonds. The reason for this is that we now know what the rate of return for April 2025 I Bonds will be for both the first and second six month periods, which is important since I Bonds must be held for 12 months before they can be redeemed.

Using the CPI-U data from September 2024 (315.301) and March 2025 (319.799) (courtesy of inflationdata.com), we can calculate the variable rate for the second 6 month period for April 2025 issue I Bonds.

That means these bonds would earn a composite rate of 3.11% (using 1.2% fixed & 0.95% variable) for the first 6 months and 4.08% (using 1.2% fixed & 1.43% variable) for the second 6 months. In the current interest rate environment, an April I Bond purchase isn't a bad choice when compared to something like the 52 Week T-Bills @ 3.989% APY that will be issued on 4/17/25

In my opinion, April 2025 I Bonds are a reasonable choice, particularly for the 1.2% fixed rate if you plan to hold them long term. Based on the spread between I Bonds and TIPS, David Enna of tipswatch.com projects that the new fixed rate will fall slightly to 1.10%, which would make a purchase before the end of the month a bit more attractive. FWIW, Mrs. Frugalson and I will be maxing out our 2025 limit before the end of April.

April 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 15:17:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on April 10th, 2025:

Asset	Mar 2025	Apr 2025	Change

Checking	3,639	409	-3,230
Money Market	83,610	80,182	-3,428
Savings Bonds	247,594	248,173	579
Treasurys	110,000	110,000	0
CDs	52,915	62,209	9,294
Brokerage	483,195	443,274	-39,921
401k	451,398	427,644	-23,754
Roth IRA	324,919	307,218	-17,701
IRA	1,570,089	1,541,172	-28,917
529 Savings	170,916	167,117	-3,799

Total Assets	$3,498,275	$3,387,398	-$110,877
			-3.17 %

The S&P 500 has continued to struggle, falling 6.17% (-10.43% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

April has been a rough month due to the ill-advised global trade war and economic crisis that the US has created. Even though the US blinked during tariff escalation, the chaos and uncertainty this has caused cannot be easily reversed. In a short amount of time we have squandered the strongest economy in the world and turned our country into a global pariah. How can a company plan when a shipping container of goods may be tariffed at one price today and another price tomorrow and what will it be in a week, a month, or 6 months? Why would people across the world want to invest in the US when we are an unreliable partner that would impulsively pull the rug out from under them? I think a recession is imminent and suspect we're in one already and just don't know it yet.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for March rose to 4.2%, with a strong 228,000 new jobs created. Since unemployment is a lagging indicator, I anticipate it continuing to rise throughout this year as conditions worsen. Oil prices have dropped to the $60 level (from $67) with that $60 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.95 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, I skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my 13 week T-Bills (4.335%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.309% while my 4 week T-Bills (4.308%) also matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.293%. In my IRA I bought 20 year T-Bonds at 4.632% and 7 year T-Notes at 4.233% with free cash and will likely participate in the 5 Year TIPS auction next week. I also had an Alliant 5.15% APY 23 month CD mature and moved the proceeds into my Navy Federal 4.75% APY 12 month add-on CD and also opened an Alliant 4.35% APY 17 month "elevated rate" CD offer that I received via email. Those CD rates are pretty attractive right now considering how Fidelity's brokered CD rates have quickly dropped during this crisis:

As for the non-financial, it feels like the world is on fire and I'm having a hard time watching the implosion of my country. I've can't believe I'm saying this, but I've never felt as hopeless about the future as I do now and I don't see that changing any time soon.

March 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:57:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on March 10th, 2025:

Asset	Feb 2025	Mar 2025	Change

Checking	3,013	3,639	626
Money Market	76,754	83,610	6,856
Savings Bonds	247,000	247,594	594
Treasurys	110,000	110,000	0
CDs	52,745	52,915	170
Brokerage	553,870	483,195	-70,675
401k	481,183	451,398	-29,785
Roth IRA	338,199	324,919	-13,280
IRA	1,601,799	1,570,089	-31,710
529 Savings	170,459	170,916	457

Total Assets	$3,635,022	$3,498,275	-$136,747
			-3.76 %

The S&P 500 has struggled of late, falling 7.48% (-4.54% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

A couple of weeks ago I did something that I never do. I have always been a "stay the course" guy through the dotcom bubble bursting, the Great Recession, and the start of the COVID pandemic and never made any changes to our investments during tough times. However, the chaos unfolding with our economy is my "it's different this time!" moment and I'm convinced that very bad things are coming. The United States is in the process of destroying our relationships with trade partners and allies through on again off again tariffs and threats while we have put the richest man in the world in charge of gutting our government. We're trying to deport millions of people from our workforce as we get ready to borrow more money we don't have for tax cuts and side with Russia against our European allies. After seeing the world order that has allowed our country to prosper for the past 75+ years starting to crumble I finally decided that I wasn't comfortable with the amount of risk I had been taking with our investments and cut our exposure to equities by 20% (from 70% -> 50%). That money is sitting in cash for now as I try to decide how to proceed. I just feel like I'm watching a car crash happen in slow motion and am powerless to do anything about it.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for February rose to 4.1%, with a solid 151,000 new jobs created. Oil prices have dropped to the $67 level (from $72) with that $67 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.85 and a heating oil price of $3.35 at my last fill-up.

As for the non-financial, we at least got our tax returns filed on time and owe a little on our Federal and state returns. I'm also bracing myself for potential job and scholarship losses in my family as government jobs and spending are cut, so it feels to me a lot like when I was stocking up on things before the COVID pandemic took off as others were drinking in crowded bars like everything was fine. I sure hope I'm wrong. :(

February 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:19:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on February 11th, 2025:

Asset	Jan 2025	Feb 2025	Change

Checking	2,191	3,013	822
Money Market	82,041	76,754	-5,287
Savings Bonds	246,386	247,000	614
Treasurys	110,000	110,000	0
CDs	52,557	52,745	188
Brokerage	501,867	553,870	52,003
401k	461,366	481,183	19,817
Roth IRA	315,382	338,199	22,817
IRA	1,542,484	1,601,799	59,315
529 Savings	167,353	170,459	3,106

Total Assets	$3,481,627	$3,635,022	$153,395
			4.41 %

The S&P 500 has recovered nicely, rising 4.14% (+3.18% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

I continue to be surprised at how resilient the stock market has been in 2025 considering the initial chaos of the new administration and the constant threat of trade wars. To make matters worse, the inflation data released this morning was unexpectedly high with the largest increase since September 2023.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for January fell to 4.0%, with a solid 143,000 new jobs created. Oil prices have dropped to the $72 level (from $78) with that $72 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.89 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have again hit an all-time high, surpassing the previous high from December 2024!. I did the usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account. I also took an S Corp distribution and my 13 week T-Bills (4.553%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.325% while my 4 week T-Bills (4.339%) also matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.323%. Mrs. Frugalson and I also made our full 2024 Roth IRA contributions since I finally had enough data to estimate our 2024 MAGI number.

As for the non-financial, we've gotten off to a lousy start in 2025 with cold weather, flu in the house and some deaths in the family. I also see financial dark clouds forming and hope that all of my friends and family are prepared to weather the storm.

January 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 20:35:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on January 10th, 2025:

Asset	Dec 2024	Jan 2025	Change

Checking	3,459	2,191	-1,268
Money Market	81,243	82,041	798
Savings Bonds	245,698	246,386	688
Treasurys	100,000	110,000	10,000
CDs	52,371	52,557	186
Brokerage	553,079	501,867	-51,212
401k	475,046	461,366	-13,680
Roth IRA	328,000	315,382	-12,618
IRA	1,598,480	1,542,484	-55,996
529 Savings	170,368	167,353	-3,015

Total Assets	$3,607,744	$3,481,627	-$126,117
			-3.50 %

The S&P 500 has pulled back in the new year, falling 3.44% (-0.93% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

Unfortunately, the devastating California wildfires are dominating the current news cycle. The loss of life and property damage has been terribly high and is getting worse every day. My thoughts are with everyone there and I hope the fires are brought under control soon so the long recovery can begin.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for December fell to 4.1%, with a blowout number of 256,000 new jobs created. That was not good news for the stock market as the resilient economy could lead to fewer interest rate cuts in 2025. It's also unclear what impact the proposed tariffs, trade wars, isolationism, mass deportations, debt-financed tax cuts, meddling with the Federal Reserve, etc. proposed by incoming Trump administration will have on inflation, interest rates, and the economy. Unfortunately, the economy is strong enough right now that things are more likely to get worse than get better. Also, oil prices have risen to the $78 level (from $69) with that $78 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.79 and a heating oil price of $3.10 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have dropped a bit since the last update. I did the usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account. I also took an S Corp distribution and my 13 week T-Bills (4.615%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.335%. I also started rolling 4 week T-Bills (4.339%) to try to get a bit more tax-equivalent yield on short-term cash than money market funds are currently offering.

As for the non-financial, we officially put the holidays behind us by taking down our Christmas decorations a few days ago and trying to start fresh with the new year. For better or worse, extended family drama and mistakes by my S-Corp payroll and 401k providers are definitely motivating me to put 2024 behind me. I'm also still trying to wrap my head around a young relative's foolish financial choices and know at some point their never-ending spending spree on new cars, vacations, and gadgets will end badly. Not my circus, not my monkeys, right?

December 2024 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 16:16:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on December 10th, 2024:

Asset	Nov 2024	Dec 2024	Change

Checking	2,079	3,459	1,380
Money Market	81,518	81,243	-275
Savings Bonds	245,007	245,698	691
Treasurys	100,000	100,000	0
CDs	52,191	52,371	180
Brokerage	574,081	553,079	-21,002
401k	466,238	475,046	8,808
Roth IRA	324,030	328,000	3,970
IRA	1,580,033	1,598,480	18,447
529 Savings	168,541	170,368	1,827

Total Assets	$3,593,718	$3,607,744	$14,026
			0.39 %

The S&P 500 continued to touch all-time highs, breaking the 6,000 barrier and rising 0.85% (+26.52% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for November rose slightly to 4.2%, with a surge of 227,000 new jobs created. Oil prices have been relatively flat at the $69 level (from $68) with that $69 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.83 and a heating oil price of $2.90 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have again hit an all-time high, surpassing the previous high from November 2024! I did the usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account. I also took an S Corp distribution and my 13 week T-Bills (5.103%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.511%. I also had 12 month T-Bills (5.214%) mature and used those funds to add another rung to my fixed income ladder with 5 Year T-Notes (4.197%). It's also noteworthy that my brokerage account balance dropped a bit after Oracle Corporation (ORCL) had a disappointing earnings release this week.

I'm also getting a bit stressed that Christmas is only a couple of weeks away and I still have so much to do. Let's just say that things are getting a bit stressful between medical appointments, things happening around the house, getting ready for the holidays and wrapping up EOY tasks for my business. I'll be glad when everything is done and life can get back to normalish.

November 2024 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:28:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on November 12th, 2024:

Asset	Oct 2024	Nov 2024	Change

Checking	2,871	2,079	-792
Money Market	78,536	81,518	2,982
Savings Bonds	244,314	245,007	693
Treasurys	100,000	100,000	0
CDs	52,005	52,191	186
Brokerage	538,638	574,081	35,443
401k	442,853	466,238	23,385
Roth IRA	321,722	324,030	2,308
IRA	1,552,757	1,580,033	27,276
529 Savings	169,363	168,541	-822

Total Assets	$3,503,059	$3,593,718	$90,659
			2.59 %

The S&P 500 continued a strong run, rising 3.53% (+25.45% YTD) as it hit all-time highs since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for October remained at 4.1%, with only 12,000 new jobs created as hurricanes and labor strikes provided a temporary drag on the job market. Oil prices fell to the $68 level (from $75) with that $68 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.94 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have again hit an all-time high, surpassing the previous high from October 2024! I did the usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account. I also took an S Corp distribution and my 13 week T-Bills (5.212%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.553%. There was also an unusual move for me, where I bought some 5 year TIPS in my IRA at the Treasury auction last month with a real yield to maturity of 1.670%.

And to wrap up, I am soooo glad that the 2024 presidential election is over. I certainly won't miss the attack ads and hope the worst of the political rhetoric is behind us. I wish the new President-elect the best of luck, but I'm certainly concerned that the economic proposals he ran on (tariffs, trade wars, protectionism) will impact the great run the economy has been on for the past two years (fingers crossed).

September 2024 CPI-U numbers released: Neutral on I Bonds Purchase

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 19:27:00 +0000

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the September 2024 Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) inflation data last week, which increased by 0.160% over the past month.

As always, now is one of the best times to consider purchasing I Bonds. The reason for this is that we now know what the rate of return for October 2024 I Bonds will be for both the first and second six month periods, which is important since I Bonds must be held for 12 months before they can be redeemed.

Using the CPI-U data from March 2024 (312.332) and September 2024 (315.301) (courtesy of inflationdata.com), we can calculate the variable rate for the second 6 month period for October 2024 issue I Bonds.

That means these bonds would earn the current rate of 4.28% (using 1.3% fixed & 1.48% variable) for the first 6 months and 3.21% (combined 1.3% fixed & 0.95% variable) for the second 6 months. In the current interest rate environment, an October I Bond purchase is a reasonable choice when compared to something like the 52 Week T-Bills @ 3.946% APY issued on 10/3/2024.

In my opinion, October 2024 I Bonds are a reasonable choice, particularly for the 1.3% fixed rate if you plan to hold them long term. Based on the spread between I Bonds and TIPS, David Enna of tipswatch.com projects that the new fixed rate will fall slightly to 1.20%, which would make a purchase before the end of the month even more attractive. I've already maxed out my 2024 I Bond limit, so I'll evaluate them again in April 2025 once the March 2025 CPI-U numbers are released.

October 2024 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:05:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on October 10th, 2024:

Asset	Sep 2024	Oct 2024	Change

Checking	1,848	2,871	1,023
Money Market	78,084	78,536	452
Savings Bonds	243,533	244,314	781
Treasurys	100,000	100,000	0
CDs	51,828	52,005	177
Brokerage	492,227	538,638	46,411
401k	416,376	442,853	26,477
Roth IRA	308,792	321,722	12,930
IRA	1,500,048	1,552,757	52,709
529 Savings	183,165	169,363	-13,802

Total Assets	$3,375,901	$3,503,059	$127,158
			3.77 %

Hurricane Milton has followed Hurricane Helene, causing widespread destruction and loss of life in the Southeast USA. My best to the residents and rescue personnel who are working through this as a long recovery and rebuilding process begins to take shape.

The S&P 500 had another strong month, rising 5.18% (+21.18% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for September fell to 4.1%, with a surprisingly strong 254,000 new jobs created. Oil prices rose to the $75 level (from $67) as tensions in the Middle East flared (again), with that $75 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.94 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have again hit an all-time high, surpassing the previous high from September 2024! I did the usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account. I also took an S Corp distribution and my 13 week T-Bills (5.383%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.615%. You can also see from my reduced 529 savings plan balance that I successfully completed a Fidelity 529 to Vanguard Roth IRA rollover for my children, maxing out their 2024 Roth IRA contributions.

Finally, the September 2024 CPI-U numbers came out yesterday, so we now know the full interest rate picture for October 2024 issue I Bonds over the next year. I'm hoping to make a follow-up post with more details next week.

How to Make a Fidelity 529 to Vanguard Roth IRA Rollover

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:40:00 +0000

Ever since the SECURE 2.0 Act was signed into law in December 2022, I have been keeping an eye on the provision allowing a tax-free rollover of unused 529 plan funds into a Roth IRA for the 529 plan beneficiary. We're done paying for the education of our children at this point, but ended up over-saving because of their decision to attend public universities that offered generous merit-based scholarships.

Ben Henry-Moreland of Kitces.com has a nice overview of the 529-to-Roth provision here, with these highlights:

The 529 plan must have been maintained for a period of at least 15 years before the date of the rollover

The amount of each rollover cannot exceed the aggregate amount of contributions (and earnings attributable thereto) made earlier than the 5-year period before the date of the rollover

The amount of each rollover also cannot exceed the IRA contribution limit for that year, minus any amounts that the taxpayer contributed directly to the IRA that year

The amount of each rollover cannot exceed the aggregate amount of contributions (and earnings attributable thereto) made earlier than the 5-year period before the date of the rollover

The maximum amount of funds that a 529 plan beneficiary can roll into a Roth IRA over their lifetime is $35,000

Unlike making a normal Roth IRA contribution, where the ability to contribute to a Roth phases out for individuals with higher incomes, there are no income-based phaseouts for a 529-to-Roth rollover

We met all of the above criteria and I checked in with my accountant about potential state tax implications, so I was ready to proceed with the rollover of funds from our Fidelity 529 plans to existing Vanguard Roth IRAs for my children.

This process is initiated with the institution where the 529 plan is held, so I scrolled down to the "To transfer from a Fidelity-managed 529 to an external Roth IRA" section on Fidelity's Making 529 withdrawals and contributions landing page. This states that the procedure to transfer a Fidelity 529 plan to an external Roth IRA is initiated by using this withdrawal form pdf and having a physical check mailed directly to Vanguard.

For the first page of the form, I entered my name, SSN, and phone number for line 1 and the child's name and SSN for line 2. For line 3, I entered the Fidelity 529 plan account number and checked the boxes including "529-to-Roth IRA transfer" and "Leave account open for future possible contributions":

For the second page of the form, I checked the "ONLY the following amount(s) from the following portfolio(s)" box and entered the 529 plan portfolio name and the contribution amount ($7,000 max for 2024) for line 4:

For the third page of the form, I checked the "Current Year Contribution" and "External Roth IRA" boxes. I had already contacted Vanguard support for the proper mailing address to have the check sent to, so I used that address and the Vanguard Roth IRA account number to complete line 5 on this page:

Finally, to complete the form, on the fifth page I entered my name and signed the form for line 6:

At this point it was time for my completed form to be sent to Fidelity. The form gives you a P.O. Box in Cincinnati, OH for mailing via USPS, but instead I uploaded my completed pdf to fidelity.com to the attention of "Account services" via their Secure Message Center (login required) to expedite the process.

October 2025 update: The updated Fidelity 529 withdrawal form now states you can submit files via https://www.fidelity.com/upload-529Withdrawal.

Once the Fidelity document upload was complete, it took 9 days for the money to appear in the Vanguard Roth IRAs:

Day 1: File upload to fidelity.com

Day 2: Received confirmation message of receipt of documents from Fidelity

Day 3: Received confirmation message from Fidelity that the check has been printed and will be mailed shortly

Day 9: Funds appeared in Vanguard Roth IRA

September 2024 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 19:23:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on September 12th, 2024:

Asset	Aug 2024	Sep 2024	Change

Checking	1,399	1,848	449
Money Market	74,346	78,084	3,738
Savings Bonds	242,768	243,533	765
Treasurys	100,000	100,000	0
CDs	51,495	51,828	333
Brokerage	441,526	492,227	50,701
401k	400,822	416,376	15,554
Roth IRA	300,729	308,792	8,063
IRA	1,466,791	1,500,048	33,257
529 Savings	180,297	183,165	2,868

Total Assets	$3,260,173	$3,375,901	$115,728
			3.55 %

The S&P 500 had a strong month, rising 2.83% (+15.21% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for August fell to 4.2%. A solid 142,000 new jobs were added, showing a stronger number after July's numbers were revised downward. Oil prices fell to the $67 level (from $79) from a weakening demand outlook, with that $67 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.99 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have again hit an all-time high, surpassing the previous high from July 2024! I did the usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account. I also took an S Corp distribution and my 13 week T-Bills (5.395%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 5.103%. I also opened some Navy Federal add-on CDs as an interest rate hedge and started the process to rollover excess Fidelity 529 plan money to existing Vanguard Roth IRAs for my children. Once that is completed I should probably dedicate a post to documenting the process since I had to reach out to Fidelity and Vanguard to get the details correct.

Another thing I recently learned was that as of January 2025, you will no longer be able to buy paper Series I savings bonds with your tax refund (hat tip to David Enna of tipswatch.com). After conversations with my CPA over the years I'm sure this wasn't a terribly popular program with most taxpayers, but it looks like I won't be making any more supersized January estimated tax payments to help bulk up my paper I Bond holdings. I should probably consider converting everything to electronic format at treasurydirect.gov to make future redemptions easier, but that might be a project for next year.

As for the non-financial, everyone is back to school and the bills are finally coming due for our family vacation last month. I'm also working to update the old water conditioning equipment we have for our home's well water, which testing has confirmed to contain PFAS "forever chemicals". It's kind of scary that everyone has probably been ingesting this stuff for years without knowing it.

Hedge Against Future Rate Cuts with Add-On CDs

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 20:03:00 +0000

I've been watching the rates on Fidelity brokered CDs drop as signs point to a September rate cut, so I decided it was time to use some add-on CDs as a hedging strategy against future rate cuts:

My thought is to lock in current rates with Navy Federal EasyStart Cds that can be opened with a low minimum purchase ($50) while allowing you to add additional money at any time. Current offerings are 4.75% APY for 12 months, 4.45% APY for 18 months, and 4.15% APY for 24 months, which are pretty competitive with the current Fidelity brokered CDs shown above:

My plan is to have these in my back pocket as a potential destination for future cash in the event CD rates fall back below 4% over the next couple of years. I certainly remember how attractive it was when Penfed offered 3.5% APY CDs in 2018 (Ha!), so it never fails to be prepared. With any luck I won't need them, but it's unclear how low rates could potentially get over the next year or two.

August 2024 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 20:00:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on August 12th, 2024:

Asset	Jul 2024	Aug 2024	Change

Checking	2,491	1,399	-1,092
Money Market	83,661	74,346	-9,315
Savings Bonds	241,966	242,768	802
Treasurys	90,000	100,000	10,000
CDs	51,313	51,495	182
Brokerage	469,988	441,526	-28,462
401k	415,863	400,822	-15,041
Roth IRA	311,207	300,729	-10,478
IRA	1,499,923	1,466,791	-33,132
529 Savings	179,011	180,297	1,286

Total Assets	$3,345,423	$3,260,173	-$85,250
			-2.55 %

The S&P 500 has been volatile of late, falling 5.14% (+12.05% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for July rose to 4.3%. A less-than-expected 114,000 new jobs were added, which (along with a Bank of Japan rate hike) helped fuel a stock market decline over fears of an economic slowdown. Similarly, Home Depot reported that people were spending less on home improvement projects, a potential sign of a slowing housing market. Oil prices fell to the $79 level (from $82), with that $79 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $3.19 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, I did the usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account. I also took an S Corp distribution and my 13 week T-Bills (5.395%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 5.212%. That lower T-Bill yield seems to be consistent across maturities, with even the yield on a 3 year T-Note dropping from the 4.399% I received at the auction last month to 3.810% a week ago.

As for the non-financial, we recently returned from a really enjoyable family vacation in Canada. The weather, scenery, culture, and food were amazing and there were so many other tourists enjoying themselves that it's hard to imagine the economy is slowing down. It was wonderful that our children were able to join us on our trip, they're adults now and I'm not sure how often they'll be able to do so in the years to come.

July 2024 Financial Asset Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Frugal Frugalson) — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 14:58:00 +0000

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on July 10th, 2024:

Asset	Jun 2024	Jul 2024	Change

Checking	1,299	2,491	1,192
Money Market	75,979	83,661	7,682
Savings Bonds	241,199	241,966	767
Treasurys	90,000	90,000	0
CDs	51,138	51,313	175
Brokerage	426,353	469,988	43,635
401k	393,495	415,863	22,368
Roth IRA	301,344	311,207	9,863
IRA	1,458,881	1,499,923	41,042
529 Savings	176,539	179,011	2,472

Total Assets	$3,216,227	$3,345,423	$129,196
			4.02 %

The S&P 500 has reached the 5,600 level for the first time, rising 5.09% (+18.12% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for June rose to 4.1%. A steady 206,000 new jobs were added, showing a solid, but cooling labor market. Oil prices rose to the $82 level (from $77). The $82 price translates to a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $3.37 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have again hit an all-time high, surpassing the previous high from June 2024! I did the usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account. My 13 week T-Bills (5.404%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 5.383%. I also took a distribution from my S Corp and added a 2027 rung to my Treasury/CD ladder with 3 year T-Notes at 4.399% since rate cuts could be coming before the end of the year.

As for the non-financial, we enjoyed a nice 4th of July holiday and are currently dealing with the dog days of summer. The hot & humid weather has made keeping on top of lawn & garden work a bit challenging, but Mrs. Frugalson and I are looking forward to a short getaway in July before we wrangle the entire family for a longer vacation in August.