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For more than a decade following the Financial Crisis, one acronym embodied the investment landscape: TINA, “there is no alternative.” The logic behind TINA was that the Fed and most other developed nations’ central banks held interest rates near zero and even below zero in some cases. As a result, Treasury, corporate, municipal, and international […]
Real Investment Advice is the editorial home of RIA Advisors — a registered investment advisory firm managing client portfolios through every cycle since 1995. We publish what we actually do: the analysis driving real portfolio decisions for real money.
No consensus narratives. No paid placements. No catastrophist click bait. Just disciplined, evidence-driven commentary on markets, the economy, and the policy machinery that moves both — written by the portfolio managers who own the calls.
Daily Market Commentary
Monday’s Tweet of the Day in the Daily Commentary highlighted rising swap spreads and noted that Treasury issuance is not the problem many pundits make it out to be. Swap spreads are a great gauge for the health and liquidity of the US Treasury market, so it’s worth appreciating the Tweet below. A swap spread […]
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For more than a decade following the Financial Crisis, one acronym embodied the investment landscape: TINA, “there is no alternative.” The logic behind TINA was that the Fed and most other developed nations’ central banks held interest rates near zero and even below zero in some cases. As a result, Treasury, corporate, municipal, and international […]
Daily Market Commentary
Will 5.00% be the approximate ceiling for Treasury yields? Maybe, maybe not, but for bond investors, the risk-reward math is becoming very enticing even if yields rise further. Today’s yields provide a loss cushion that did not exist three years ago, and a return asymmetry heavily in investors’ favor. To appreciate this concept, consider that […]
Daily Market Commentary
McDonald’s (MCD) hit four-year lows last week, down 22% on the year and 31% from its March high, marking a seventh straight weekly loss, its worst streak since 2014. Many investors look at a stock like MCD as a verdict on the American consumer. While its sales can be telling, internal issues are driving the […]
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The questions investors ask most, answered by the RIA Advisors research team.
There is no magic number. The right figure depends on your spending, when you retire, your health care costs, taxes, and how long your money has to last. Rules of thumb like “save 10 times your salary” are a starting point, not a plan. The biggest risk is guessing and finding out you were wrong when there’s no time left to fix it.
Our advisors build a retirement income plan around your actual expenses, income sources and goals. If you don’t know your number, that’s the best reason to find out now.
The years just before and after retirement are when a portfolio is most exposed. A big market decline early in retirement, known as “sequence of returns risk,” can permanently shrink how long your savings last. Most investors discover their real risk tolerance only after a crash has already happened.
We help clients rebalance risk before retirement, not after a drawdown.
Bear markets are a normal part of investing. They are also where most long-term wealth is lost. Protection starts well before a decline, with risk management, rebalancing, and a clear plan for when to reduce exposure. Panic selling after the damage is done is what turns a temporary loss into a permanent one.
Our research team publishes its risk analysis every week in the Bull Bear Report. If your portfolio has no plan for the next downturn, it needs one.
The order you draw from your accounts matters as much as how much you take. Withdrawing from taxable, tax-deferred and Roth accounts in the wrong sequence can cost you a lot in taxes over a retirement. Fixed rules like the “4% rule” often break down when markets or inflation don’t cooperate.
We design withdrawal strategies that change with markets, taxes and your life.
Taxes are one of the few investing costs you can plan around. Roth conversions, tax-loss harvesting, choosing the right account for each asset, and the timing of withdrawals can each make a real difference over time. Most of these opportunities have deadlines, and many investors never use them.
Our advisors review your tax picture alongside your investments, and we work with your CPA when needed.
You can claim as early as 62, but your benefit grows about 8% for each year you wait past full retirement age, up to age 70. The right time depends on your health, marriage, other income and taxes. Once you’ve claimed, the choice is very hard to undo.
We model different claiming ages against your full retirement plan so you can decide with the numbers in front of you.
A fiduciary is legally required to act in your best interest. Not every financial professional has that duty. RIA Advisors is an independent registered investment advisor based in Houston. Our team manages portfolios and builds financial plans for individuals, families and retirees. Chief Investment Strategist Lance Roberts leads the research behind RealInvestmentAdvice.com.
If you’ve never had your plan reviewed by a fiduciary, start there.
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