The Rob Berger Show
Personal finance for smart people by the host of the Dough Roller Money Podcast. Rather than forcing you into a one-size-fits-all financial plan, we discuss the tools, resources, and strategies that will empower you to make the best money decisions for you and your family.
Episodes
216 episodes
RBS 216: Is the 4% Rule Now The 5% Rule? (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday video we cover these questions:1. Why has Bill Bengen gone from 4% to 5%?2. Is it ok to put Social Security bridge money in a money market fund?3. How do Fidelity's Zero Funds compare to Vanguard ...
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Episode 216
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23:18
RBS 215: How To Invest In Your 20s (It's easier than you think)
I viewer named Eileen asked about how her children, who are in their twenties, should invest. Here's her question: Can you do a video on constructing a retirement account (Roth) for my 20 year old kids? They are contributing 15%. I am thinking ...
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Episode 215
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23:10
RBS 214: Does a Market Crash Change the 4% Rule? (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday we look at these 5 questions:1. Does a Market Crash Change How to Use the 4% Rule?2. How do bond ETFs generate returns?3. Are Timothy Funds a good option?4. Is Fidelity HSA a solid account?
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Episode 214
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24:01
RBS 213: I Attended a Free Dinner Investment Seminar--Here's what happened.
In this video, I share my experience attending a free dinner investment seminar. The seminar was allegedly to help investors handle volatility in the markets. Instead, it turned out to be a sales pitch for expensive, complex investing products ...
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Episode 213
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22:35
RBS 212: Should You Contribute to a 401k That Has No Employer Match? (FQF)
In this edition of Five Question Friday (FQF), we look at these five questions:1. My 401k is not employer matched, should I stop contributing to my employer 401k and open a Roth IRA instead?2. Where should we keep cash we'll need to...
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Episode 212
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22:32
RBS 211: When Should You Change Your Asset Allocation? (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF) we'll tackle the following questions:1. Is now a good time to change your asset allocation?2. Do target date funds force you to sell stocks in a down market?3. Does the IRS treat the withdra...
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Episode 211
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27:03
RBS 210: Where I'm Keeping My Cash: T-Bills, Money Market Funds, CDs or Savings Accounts?
In this video, I'll run down several high-yield options for your cash. I'll also discuss where we are keeping our cash today.Bank Bonuses: https://www.allcards.com/best-bank-bo...CD Rates: https://www.allcards.com/cd-rates/Savin...
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Episode 210
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9:58
RBS 209: The 5 Biggest Risks in Retirement According to Experts
The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College recently surveyed financial advisors, asking what the major risks were to their clients' retirement. In this video, we'll look at the top 5 risks financial advisors identified, and compare th...
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Episode 209
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11:04
RBS 208: Is It Safe To Link Financial Accounts To Budget Apps? (FQF)
Here are today's Five Question Friday (FQF):1. Are financial apps safe?2. Can you help me understand the risk of bonds?3. How are mutual fund dividends taxed?4. How should we think about annuities for retirement income?5...
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Episode 208
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27:15
RBS 207: Should We Do a Roth Conversion Now? (FQF)
Here are the five questions we'll cover in this week's edition of Five Question Friday:1. Is now a good time to do a Roth conversion? (John)2. Mutual Funds vs ETFs (Shane)3. Should we invest more in international stocks? (Phil)<...
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Episode 207
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34:07
RBS 206: Is Now a Good Time to Start Investing? (FQF)
Welcome to another edition of Five Question Friday (FQF). We actually have 6 questions today plus a free investment tracking tool:1. Do I send Facebook friend requests to viewers?2. Is this a good time to start investing?3. Is r...
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Episode 206
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18:54
RBS 205: A Smarter Way to Model TIPS Ladders in Retirement Planning Software
A viewer named John emailed me the following question: "I'm planning to build a 5yr TIPS ladder to provide some inflation protected income in the years before Medicare and SS. How do I model that "account" in Boldin??"It's a great...
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Episode 205
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17:10
RBS 204: Savings Account vs Bond Fund (FQF)
Here are the questions for this week's Five Question Friday (FQF):1. Are savings accounts better than bond funds?2. Can you please explain nominal and real returns?3. Does it matter if the market is up or down if you do a Roth c...
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Episode 204
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21:34
RBS 203: Traditional vs Roth 401k: The Optimal Strategy
Choosing between traditional and Roth 401k contributions is difficult. It forces us to make a guess about our taxes years or even decades from now. In this video, we'll discuss some of the factors that can affect this decision. And then, I'll s...
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Episode 203
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11:55
RBS 202: Could Fake Inflation Data Destroy the Value of TIPS? (FQF)
Welcome to another edition of Five Question Friday (FQF). Here are the five questions we'll cover:1. Will fake inflation data destroy TIPS?2. How should a pension affect your asset allocation?3. Do advisors really add 3% to your...
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Episode 202
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26:36
RBS 201: Here's When Social Security Runs Out of Money
According to the latest report from the Board of Trustees of Social Security, it will become insolvent in 2033. Without money in the trust fund to bolster tax receipts. The Social Security Administration will only be able to pay out 79 cents on...
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Episode 201
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17:07
RBS 200: 9 Retirement Planning Mistakes You May Be Making
Retirement planning requires that we make a lot of assumptions about the future. From all of these assumptions and other data, most software spits out a "Chance of Success." That number can make the future appear more certain than it is. In fac...
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Episode 200
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18:41
RBS 199: Should You Build a TIPS Ladder in Retirement? (FQF)
Welcome to Five Question Friday! Here are the questions we'll cover in today's video:1. Should You Build a TIPS Ladder in Retirement?2. Are Vanguard's LifeStrategy Funds a Reasonable Choice in Retirement?3. Is the 40/60 Portfoli...
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Episode 199
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28:15
RBS 198: 3 Financial Apps Worth Paying For in Retirement (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF), we tackle these five fantastic questions:1. What financial apps are worth paying for in or near retirement?2. How do you enter money market funds into your investment tracking spreadsheet?3...
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Episode 198
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27:33
RBS 197: 7 Golden Rules of Retirement Withdrawal Strategies
Retirement withdrawal strategies are about a lot more than just the 4% rule or safe withdrawal rates. To better understand how they work and how you can apply them to your retirement, this video walks through 7 rules I follow when it comes to s...
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Episode 197
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25:32
RBS 196: Are Dividends Guaranteed Income? (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF), we have five more great questions sent in by viewers:1. Should we think of dividends as guaranteed income?2. Should we invest in our HSA the same way we invest in our Roth IRA?3. How should...
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Episode 196
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23:15
RBS 195: How to Invest During Economic Chaos: Tariffs, DOGE & Deficit Concerns
In this video, I'll describe my approach to investing in uncertain times. To do so, I'll enlist the help of the D.C. subway system, Sir Isaac Newton, and the 1970s.The 60/40 Solution:
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Episode 195
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15:27
RBS 194: How to Hire A Financial Advisor (FQF)
In today's Five Question Friday (FQF), we cover the following:1. Some thoughts on how to hire a financial advisor2. Whether to consider Medicare premiums in your Roth conversion analysis3. How Social Security should affect our a...
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Episode 194
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26:30
RBS 193: My Portfolio Update And Changes to the Investment Tracking Spreadsheet (March 2025)
In this video, I'll share with you my current investment portfolio, including a big change I made in our traditional retirement accounts. I'll also share an update to my free investment tracking spreadsheet.
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Episode 193
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18:51
RBS 192: Should You Reduce Your Stock Exposure for Today's Market Valuations: 60/40 vs 40/60
With stock valuations near all-time highs in the U.S., many people are asking whether we should reduce or exposure to stocks. In fact, a recent Vanguard market outlook report concluded that a typical 60/40 retirement portfolio may be too rich, ...
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Episode 192
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17:16