Welcome to another monthly dividend update.  I have posted a monthly dividend update report every month since August 2014. If my calculation is correct, this marks the 145th monthly dividend report. I publish these monthly … Read more

In this week’s stock market outlook, Joel Wenger examines the current market trend, price performance, and headline risks.

Good morning! And happy BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON for all those parents out there!! If you can believe it we’ve now got one in elementary school, one in middle school, and now one in high school Man I’m getting old… At any rate, who wants $1,000??? 😉 It’s been a while since we shared this 401(k) contest, but old timers will remember that over a half dozen BudgetsAreSexy readers have won it in years past, so maybe this time it’ll be YOU?? It’s hosted by Jackson, Grant Investment Advisors Inc. who hopes to energize 401(k) participants into learning more, and ultimately investing more. So you can be a 401(k) Millionaire one day like our friend, Fritz! All you have to do is answer a couple of questions (but take your time and really put some effort into it!), and you’ll be entered to win one of **THREE* $1,000 cash awards. That you do not have to invest into your 401(k) lol… Here’s the main thing to marinate on before you start filling it out: If you were to advise co-workers about why they should contribute to (and/or maximize) their 401(k)s, what would you say? What actions might you take to inspire non-participants to participate in their 401(k)s? Once you know what you want to say – and hopefully it’s super personal and/or creative and/or funny! – you can enter directly here: 401kchampion.com/2026-application Deadline to submit is *this Friday* August 28, 2026 by 11:59 P.M. EST, and you must be currently participating (whether employed or retired) in your employer’s 401(k) plan (not a 403(b) plan or other type of plan). You must also be 21 years old or over and a legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. GOOD LUCK!!! I want to continue our streak of having winners here, please! And good job on investing into your 401(k) which is a reward all of its own Your busy busy parental friend, [This post, A $1,000 Contest for Sharing Your Love of 401(k)s!, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

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Don’t miss an episode of our podcast, Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors. Available on all podcast players. Here’s the latest episode: Reader Doug wrote to me this week: Any thoughts on using one of the ‘Big Three’ as a financial advisor.  Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard have different programs at different price points (shown below).   For some background…it’s vital to remember that these companies swim in various lanes at the same time. They are custodians – places where you can open and keep accounts. They are fund managers – organizations that offer ETFs, mutual funds, etc. that you can pay to invest in. They also offer advisory services. These organizations can be great custodians and excellent fund managers, yet have different standards for their advisory services. I’ve got some thoughts for you, Doug. There’s a Spectrum I’m biased here. It’s important I disclose that. Though I’d like to think my bias is “pro-client.” Here are some great questions to help you discern between good, bad, and ugly advisors. And definitions about how fees are charged. I’d also recommend this podcast episode too: The broader point is that: Some advisors provide detailed planning. Others don’t. Some advisors sell commissioned products (insurance, annuities, etc) and others are fee-only. Some advisors charge high fees, others low fees. Some advisors intentionally work with 40, 60, 80 clients. Other advisors work with 200+. All else being equal, you’d probably prefer an advisor who provides detailed planning, is fee-only, spends plenty of time with you, and charges reasonable fees. So – is that what the “Big Three” provide? Service Tiers We should be looking at the “dedicated advisor tier” in the table below. The robo-only and hybrid tiers provide very little human expertise. They are essentially “investing-only” services. That’s fine – if that’s what you want. But if you are looking for true financial planning, we want to look at the “Dedicated Advisor” tier. Fees Vanguard is the clear winner here at 0.30%. Fidelity and Schwab charge fees much closer to what small, independent financial planners charge. Fidelity’s fees start very high. Well above 1.0% on the first $1M in a client’s portfolio. Schwab’s fees are more reasonable. Client Service and Planning Client service and in-depth planning are where the rubber meets the road. I’ve had a ~dozen prospective clients (and a handful of actual clients) talk to me after working with one of these Big Three. I also regularly read online communities – both of individual investors (customers of the Big Three) and of other financial advisors (including many who work for the Big Three). The commentary always sounds the same. Advisors at the Big Three are overworked. They have too many clients to serve each client well.

“Fries with dinner but no dessert counts as a win.” Who will build the first era-defining consumer AI company? Even the beloved AI tools we already rely on are only one model release away from obsolescence. The lasting advantage will come from products people emotionally trust, build habits around, and fold into their identities. Tomo extends beyond productivity into the higher-order value of wellbeing, and has the founder and product philosophy to define their category, […]

Every month since 2017, I have written an article that shows the growth of our passive income. Over the last couple of years, I’ve added some of my annual goals (New Year’s Resolutions). This is usually where I add some personal stuff. My wife was on work travel for two weeks, so my time was focused on being able to get the kids to camps, karate, etc. while managing the busiest month of dog boarding […]