The Rob Berger Show
Episodes
261 episodes
RBS 261: Why VTI Will Own SpaceX Long Before the S&P 500 Does
After recording this video, the S&P Dow Jones decided not to change its rules related to Megacap companies. As a result, SpaceX must wait at least a year to join the S&P 500 index, and maybe longer thanks to profitability requirement: h...
RBS 260: How to Overcome the Fear of Retirement (FQF)
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RBS 259: We Saved Three Million. Our Advisor Said We Should Be Worried
In today's episode, we learn about one viewer's experience with an advisor and cover 9 topics to find out if the advice was good or bad.Resources From Video
RBS 258: Has AI Changed the Stock Market for Good? (FQF)
This week on Five Question Friday (FQF):Question 1: Has AI fundamentally changed the stock market, and does market history still matter?Question 2: If you retire a few years before claiming Social Security, how does the 4% rule ...
RBS 257: Are Bonds Dead in 2026?
Cash has outperformed bonds for more than a decade. This outperformance has caused many to wonder if they should give up on bonds and put all of their fixed income into cash.In this episode, we'll look back over the past 100 years to se...
RBS 256: 5 Ways to Optimize Your Retirement Plan (and Pay Less in Taxes)
Can a few straightforward tax moves actually improve your retirement plan? In this episode, I take one retirement plan and optimize it, then put the optimized plan next to the base plan so you can see exactly what changed and by how much.
RBS 255: Warning: Don't Fall For This 'Rob Berger' Scam
Scammers are sending emails pretending to be me.In this episode, I explain several fake Rob Berger email addresses listeners have reported, along with examples of the messages being sent. Some of them start with a friendly note about a ...
RBS 254: Is The Market Too Expensive To Invest?
Sam and his wife are two years from early retirement, sitting almost entirely in cash because they think the market is too overvalued to buy. Here's why waiting for the obvious crash is harder than it looks, and a no-forecasting plan to get fro...
RBS 253: Bonds vs. Bond Funds: Does Holding to Maturity Actually Protect You?
Are individual bonds safer than bond funds? After my last video on cash versus bonds, a lot of you pushed back with the same argument: with an individual bond or a bond ladder you can hold to maturity and get your money back, and a bond fund ca...
RBS 252: Fidelity vs. Vanguard: Which Is Better for Your Cash? (FQF)
This week on Five Question Friday (FQF):Question 1: Is Fidelity or Vanguard the better place to keep your cash? Question 2: Is a 1.25% AUM fee reasonable?Question 3: What's the best way to preserve capital once you're in...
RBS 251: Will AI Replace Me and My YouTube Channel? (FQF)
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RBS 250: Will the SpaceX IPO Crash the Stock Market? (FQF)
This week in Five Question Friday (FQF): mega IPOs, sequence of returns risk, RMDs from a bonds-only IRA, Roth conversions after 59 1/2, and VT versus VTI plus VXUS.Question 1: Will the giant IPOs coming in 2026 drain money from the mar...
RBS 249: Is Dave Ramsey Right About Beating the S&P 500?
In today's video we discuss if we should try to find investments that consistently beat the S&P 500.Resources From Video • You Can’t Win With Money Wh...
RBS 248: Is a Stock Market Crash Inevitable and How Should We Prepare? (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. Is the market inevitably going to crash, and how to mitigate2. When to take SS and investing the early payments3. Should we even bother tracking port...
RBS 247: 4 Golden Rules for Avoiding Financial Scams (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) episode, we cover these questions: 1. Four golden rules for avoiding financial scams2. Finding and canceling forgotten subscriptions3. Sharing passwords and 2FA with your spouse4. Findin...
RBS 246: I Tested ChatGPT for Finance Against My Budgeting App — Here's What I Found
In today's episode, we discuss the following:1. ChatGPT for Finances2. A free version3. Whether this is the end of budgeting appsResources From VideoChatGPT Prompt: Create a beautiful dashboard that shows me my spend...
RBS 245: How many years of "safe funds" should you hold beyond guaranteed income? (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. How many years of "safe funds" should you hold beyond guaranteed income?2. Reducing portfolio risk in retirement when returns aren't needed3. Budgeting ap...
RBS 244: How One Retiree Used the Bucket Strategy to Generate $241,098 in Extra Wealth
In today's video, we answer the following question: Can the bucket strategy help you generate income and grow your wealth in retirement, even as you're spending money to live on?Retirement Manifesto ArticlesFirst Article: https://ww...
RBS 243: The Floor & Enjoy Retirement Strategy (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. Floor & Enjoy Retirement Strategy2. Target Date Funds3. Paying Taxes on Roth Conversions4. Vanguard’s New BondBuilder ETFs5. Boldin vs. E...
RBS 242: The One-Page Financial Plan Every Spouse Needs (FQF)
In this Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. How to teach your significant other to manage the investments? (The Spouse Financial Survival Kit) 1. Start with a One-Pager ...
RBS 241: A Look Inside My Simplified Investment Portfolio
In this episode, I'll answer the following question from a viewer:"I would like to ask if you can do a video on the current specific funds you are invested in? You did a video a while back about your 6 funds, but now you mentioned in a ...
RBS 240: Where Is the Best Place to Park cash Today? (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. Where is the best place to park cash today?2. Should you invest or pay off student loans?3. Are Schwab’s Target Date Retirement Funds a solid option?4...
RBS 239: The Ultimate Retirement Checklist
In this episode, we cover my Ultimate Retirement Checklist:1. Healthcare2. Start learning about Medicare3. Understand IRMMA brackets4. Track Expenses5. Calculate Your Burn Rate6. Calculate Y...
RBS 238: How Do You Protect Your Portfolio as You Near Retirement? (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. How do you protect your portfolio as you near retirement?2. How does asset location work if you must draw from taxable accounts?3. Should you automat...
RBS 237: What Happens to Bond Funds When the Fed Cuts Rates? (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) video, we cover these questions: 1. What Happens To Bond Funds When the Fed Cuts Rates?2. Where to Invest If Stocks Are a No-go3. How are Mutual Fund Sales Taxed?4. Should Annuities Repl...