Risk Parity Radio
Risk Parity Radio is a podcast about investing located at www.riskparityradio.com. RPR explores risk-parity style portfolios comprised of uncorrelated or negatively correlated asset classes -- stocks, selected bonds, gold, managed futures, and other easily accessible fund options for the DIY investor. The goal is to construct portfolios that are robust and can be drawn down on in perpetuity, and to maximize projected Safe Withdrawal Rates regardless of projected overall returns.
Episodes
527 episodes
Episode 525: Guiding Young America's Teachers, Assessing Academic TIPS Ladder Nonsense, And Checking Out A Cat Bond ETF
In this episode we answer emails from Ethan, Joe, and Jim. We discuss a plan for young teachers to reach early financial independence with the right accounts and a little encouragement, the peculiar benefits of 457s and Roth contributions...
Episode 524: Celebrating Listener Retirements And Generosity, Fun With Claude, Jeremy Grantham Says Buy Gold And Long Bonds, And Portfolio Reviews As Of July 3, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Joe, Ashley, and Chris. First, we celebrate the early retirements and generosity of our listeners, spotlighting what retirement feels like when it is driven by joy and choice instead of fear. Then we ...
Episode 523: Funding A Family Gap Year Without Derailing FI, A Cowbell History, And Assorted AUM Advisor Follies And Conflicts
In this episode we answer emails from Sarah, Tyler and Luc. We Sarah's detailed plan to take a one to two year family gap year, travel, and unpack tax-smart ways to fund short-term spending, why we keep long-term money invested simply, mo...
Episode 522: Intermediate Accumulation Decisions, The Follies Of Errant Fund Substitutions And Holding Too Much Cash, And Portfolio Reviews As Of June 26, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Tim, Avid Listener, and Aaron. We discuss bond allocation in an intermediate accumulation Golden Butterfly style portfolios, the follies of fixating on fund or ticker symbol returns instead of the pur...
Episode 521: To Bridge Or Not To Bridge, The Follies Of Fund Picking, And Adjusting Risk Parity Styles Along The Efficient Frontier
In this episode we answer emails from Michael, Raphy, and Roman. We discuss using a short-term SPIA as a bridge before Social Security and why it probably doesn't matter one way or the other if you are even a little over-saved, and how mu...
Episode 520: Lies, D%&* Lies, And Insurance Marketing Of Perpetual Motion Machines, Tim And Gwen's Musical Tastes, And Portfolio Reviews As Of June 19, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Wilson, Tim, and John. We discuss why life insurance products are not magical perpetual motion machines that make your portfolios go faster, why insurance contracts cannot outperform the same underlyi...
Episode 519: Quitting The Job Without Quitting The Plan, Portfolio And Tax Consideration, And Gambling With Uncle Rico (ChatGPT)
In this episode we answer emails from Peter, Alejandro, and Anderson. We discuss retiring early and related family, work and community considerations, various portfolio and tax considerations and gambling problems, AI-driven portfolio twe...
Episode 518: Top Of The T-Shirt Campaign (Part Deux!) Kick-Off, Fun With Assorted Listener Allocations And Crystal Balls, And Portfolio Reviews As Of June 12, 2026
In this episode we first kick off the Top of the T-Shirt Campaign Part Deux (!) for the Father McKenna Center and explain why matching funds, donated resources, and volunteers make every dollar go further. Then we answer emails from Aaron, Host...
Episode 517: A FIRE Portfolio Reality Check, Diversification Perceptions And Misperceptions, And STRIPS
In episode we answer emails from Nick, Patrick and Aaron. We discuss matching goals with portfolios for an early FI person, review an Early Retirement Now blog post about diversification misperceptions, and discuss using STRIPS funds inst...
Episode 516: Using RPR To Build Friendships, Worldwide Gold Market Realities, And Portfolio Reviews As Of June 5, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Optimus Bill, Arun, and Aaron. We discuss why we do this show, how to build real friendships as an adult, and how to think clearly about investing without chasing fame or noise. Then we challenge the ...
Episode 515: Practical Continuity Considerations For Your Family And Why Popular Fear-Based Hoarding Plans Are Highly Undesirable
In this episode we answer emails from Mark and Eric. We discuss managing finances through aging, dementia, and what happens when the family’s primary money manager can’t manage anymore. Then we challenge popular fear-based retirement thin...
Episode 514: FI-lanthropy Friendly Portfolios, Solving A Transition Quandary, Golden Bow Ties, And Portfolio Reviews As Of May 29, 2026
In this jam-packed crushed-fresh stone-solid hour-busting episode we do a trifecta response to one most excellent email from Rebecca. We discuss portfolios for FI-lanthropy, options and resources for making a transition from a 100% stock ...
Episode 513: The Perils Of All-Bond Portfolios And Over-Simplification, Choose FI, Muddled Thinking About Index Funds, And Why You Don't Need To Overplan Decades In Advance
In this episode we answer question from Rob, Matthew, and Luke. We discuss the pitfalls of trying to rely on an all-bond portfolio in retirement and better options, the problems with over-valuing financial simplicity over good living, the...
Episode 512: Avoiding Level Two-Thinking Foibles And CAPE'd Crystal Balls, Basic Accumulation, Talking To Optimus Bill, And Portfolio Reviews As Of May 22, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from TJ, Jose and Optimus Bill. We discuss the foibles of trying to catch up via investment picking if you are behind on retirement, debunk CAPE-style and other crystal ball forecasts from "experts" that L...
Episode 511: Missives From Canada, Superman, Parsing Small Cap Funds, And More Fun With AI Creations
In this episode we answer emails from Luc, Deep, and Paul. We discuss the French Canadian "Sak kosh" portfolio, try to help out the elder Sonia sleep well at night, distinguishing small cap blend funds from small cap value funds, and shar...
Episode 510: Charitable Giving, Transitioning From A Single Stock Collection, Using Margin At Interactive Brokers, An Inflation Study, And Portfolio Reviews As Of May 15, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Geraldo, Rock, Ute. We discuss how to give well, shifting from big-name school donations to smaller charities with immediate impact, moving from individual stocks to a Golden Butterfly style portfolio...
Episode 509: Navigating Financial Advisor Business Models, Intermediate Portfolios, Monthly Withdrawal Mechanics, Bitcoin Follies, And Another Thank You From Fairfax CASA
In this episode we answer emails from Milo, Scott, and Joel. We discuss bad advisor incentives and how to classify them by their business models, identify the only business model you want to patronize, and then move on to Treasury STRIPS ...
Episode 508: Allocations To Help You Sleep Better At Night, The Three H's Of Retirement Spending, Bond Ladder Follies, And Portfolio Reviews As Of May 8, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Michael, Jim, and Optimus Bill. We start with a 67-year-old investor who is all-in on equities and cannot sleep, and how changing portfolio allocations can lead to better rest. We share a framework of...
Episode 507: Celebrating Your Generosity With Queen Mary, Estimating Health Care Insurance Costs, Index Funds, Assorted Milkshakes, and Surviving Stagflation
In this episode we answer emails from Zach, Brian, Holly and Optimus Bill. We discuss a way to estimate retirement health care costs using current data, clear up the “index fund” labelling problem and talk about why indexed dogs and cats ...
Episode 506: Somebody's Drinking Mommy's Milkshake, Tax Considerations In Retirement, Ditching The TSP, And Portfolio Reviews As Of May 1, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Kyle, Tim, and Tim. We discuss dealing with a recalcitrant parent who won’t talk about the straw in their milkshake, outline flexible retirement withdrawal planning with asset swaps, and explain...
Episode 505: Driving Ms. Mamie, The Why Of Risk Parity Radio And Becoming A 1%-er, And Some Portfolio And Calculation Musings
In this episode we answer emails from Thirsty Horse, Mark, and Mike. We discuss a wise friend and lessons on clarity, happiness, and preparing for the end, how we got involved with the Father McKenna Center and Fairfax CASA, and dig into ...
Episode 504: Fun With Bond Funds, Why Unnecessary Income Sucks, Social Security And Four Quadrant Musings, A CAGE Match, And Portfolio Reviews As Of April 24, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Jose, Optimus Bill, and Steve. We discuss bonds, retirement taxes, valuing Social Security and when to take it, how some use the four quadrant model for market timing, and the latest wave of complex E...
Episode 503: Our Inspiring And Generous Listeners, Tweaking The Golden Ratio, And A Few Fund Questions
In this episode we answer emails from Andrew, Geoff, and Frank. We discuss connecting risk parity investing to a bigger question: how to build a drawdown portfolio you can hold while using money to live a full life. Along the way we share...
Episode 502: Spending More And Living More In Retirement, More On The Four Quadrant Model, Celebrating Our Listeners And Friends, And Portfolio Reviews As Of April 17, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Matt, Michael, Stephen and Al. We discuss expanding the spending muscle in retirement, the generosity of our listeners, more on the Four Quadrant model and its permutations, and how we stay connected ...
Episode 501: Talking CASA, Dealing With Shiny Object ETFs, Musings About TDFs, And Transitions From Cash
In this episode we answer emails from Dustin, Optimus Bill, Vaibhav, and Morrie. We discuss how to vet a new "shiny object" ETF, why trying to "fix" target date funds is likely to be a fools' errand as their proper use is extremely limite...