DIY Personal & Retirement Financial Planning

Do-It-Yourself financial and investment planning Excel spreadsheet software

investment asset

How unstable have stock market returns been over time?

Common stock equity market returns have varied widely in the past. The common stock equity risk premium has averaged about 4.1% from 1872 to 2000. The equity risk premium is the equity market return less the risk free rate of return. The risk free rate of return includes both the inflation rate and the risk […]

Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund – Select Shares (SWPPX) capture the Best +10 Fund Authority Score

Fund Authority Scores rate mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) on the most important economic factors that influence individual investors’ net long term diversified investment fund performance. The Skilled Investor developed the Fund Authority Score system to provide individual investors with concise, objective, and realistic summaries of mutual funds and ETFs for comparisons within […]

The Fund Authority Score – A Better Mutual Fund and ETF Rating System

Fund Authority Scores rate mutual funds and ETFs on the most important economic factors influencing long term diversified investment fund performance The Skilled Investor developed the Fund Authority Score system to provide individual investors with concise and objective mutual fund and ETF comparisons within investment asset classes. Financial Planning Software for Consumers Fund Authority Scores […]

American Funds – Washington Mutual Investors Fund – Class A Shares (AWSHX) acquire a +2 Fund Authority Score

Fund Authority Scores rate mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) on the most important economic factors that influence individual investors’ net long term diversified investment fund performance. The Skilled Investor developed the Fund Authority Score system to provide individual investors with concise and objective summaries of mutual funds and ETFs for comparisons within investment […]

American Funds – Income Fund of America – Class A Shares (AMECX) rate a +2 Fund Authority Score

Fund Authority Scores rate mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) on the most important economic factors that influence individual investors’ net long term diversified investment fund performance. The Skilled Investor developed the Fund Authority Score system to provide individual investors with concise and objective summaries of mutual funds and ETFs for comparisons within investment […]

Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund – Select Shares (SWPIX) achieve a +8 Fund Authority Score

Fund Authority Scores rate mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) on the most important economic factors that influence individual investors’ net long term diversified investment fund performance. The Skilled Investor developed the Fund Authority Score system to provide individual investors with concise, objective, and realistic summaries of mutual funds and ETFs for comparisons within […]

American Funds – The Investment Company of America – Class A Shares (AIVSX) net a +3 Fund Authority Score

Fund Authority Scores rate mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) on the most important economic factors that influence individual investors’ net long term diversified investment fund performance. The Skilled Investor developed the Fund Authority Score system to provide individual investors with concise and objective summaries of mutual funds and ETFs for comparisons within investment […]

Nationwide S&P 500 Index Fund – Class A Shares (GRMAX) fetch a +2 Fund Authority Score

Fund Authority Scores rate mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) on the most important economic factors that influence individual investors’ net long term diversified investment fund performance. The Skilled Investor developed the Fund Authority Score system to provide individual investors with concise and objective summaries of mutual funds and ETFs for comparisons within investment […]

American Funds – Capital Income Builder Fund – Class A Shares (CAIBX) attain a +4 Fund Authority Score

Fund Authority Scores rate mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) on the most important economic factors that influence individual investors’ net long term diversified investment fund performance. The Skilled Investor developed the Fund Authority Score system to provide individual investors with concise and objective summaries of mutual funds and ETFs for comparisons within investment […]

The Birth of Yet Another Darn Asset Class – Infrastructure

The Birth of Yet Another Darn “Asset Class” – “Infrastructure” Recently, The Skilled Investor published two articles: The first article discussed how the financial industry keeps manufacturing new asset classes for brokers and investment advisors to sell to individual investors. The Skilled Investor raised the question of whether these new asset classes are likely to […]

Commodity Futures in Your Investment Portfolio

Commodity futures in your investment portfolio – Is there really any future for individual investors? The Skilled Investor’s previous article, “Be wary of the new investment asset classes,” voiced skepticism about many supposedly new asset classes. This article delves into the financial science behind this skepticism, as it relates to one of these supposedly new […]

The Lifetime Value You Have Lost by Paying Investment Sales Loads

VeriPlan can estimate the lost lifetime value of investment sales loads that you have already paid in the past Your personal investment portfolio losses related to past investment sales load payments can and should be measured, when you evaluate the cost-efficiency of your investment strategy. However, you cannot recapture any of the lost returns (past […]

The Heavy Burden of Recurring Investment Expenses and Fees

The heavy burden of recurring investment fees (Part 1 of 2) Recurring investment costs can significantly impact the long-term value of your retained investment portfolio assets. Recurring fees, such as asset management fees, 12b-1 marketing fees, and advisory/asset custody fees are charged periodically, as a percent of your investment assets. The relative cost-efficiency of your […]

No Financial Planning Software or Calculator Can Predict the Future – Part 2

No financial planning software and no investment growth calculator can predict the future – Part 2 The future in not predictable, even with automated financial planning software. The future is fundamentally not predictable. The future of personal financial planning and investing is similarly unpredictable. The Skilled Investor’s approach with VeriPlan is different. As a lifetime […]

Insurable Risks Could Destroy Your Best Laid Financial Plans

Do not ignore insurable risks that could destroy your best laid financial plans A previous financial article, “The Solution – ONLY follow financial strategies that are scientific, passive, diversified, savings focused, risk controlled, low cost, and tax efficient,” suggested that investors are much better off with a well-considered financial plan. A stable set of financial […]

Build Investment Asset Buffers to Protect Yourself from Market Volatility

Build Investment Asset Buffers to Protect Yourself from Market Volatility You may be just as nervous as the next person is about investment risk. However, the coverage of your future expenses by your accumulated assets will determine whether you can actually manage, when risk really happens. Find Family Financial Planning Software A previous article, “The […]

Scroll to top