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
513 episodes
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...
Episode 500: A Non-Profit Portfolio, Some Retro Ranting on TIPS, Parsing Withdrawal Methods, And Portfolio Reviews As Of April 10, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Ronald, George, Jeff. We celebrate episode 500 by sharing a few “Easter egg” resources, then jump into listener questions that cut through common investing myths. We discuss a portfolio for a non-prof...
Episode 499: Thanking Our Generous Listeners, Converting An Inefficient Vanguard Thingamablob, Assisting College-Age Kids, And Smiling With Sara
In this episode we answer emails from Jose, Luc and Sara. We discuss using specific tax lots to reduce capital gains when reallocating, how the 0% long-term capital gains bracket works and why many land in the 15% bracket, where to hold g...
Episode 498: Maximizing Portfolio Use To Maximize Life, HSA Musings, Meta-Reflections, And Portfolio Reviews As Of April 3, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Frank, Stephen (from Cincy), Jeff, and Sally. We focus on a common retirement blind spot: once you are financially independent, portfolio tweaks matter less than the life choices you make with the tim...
Episode 497: Critiquing A Problematic Portfolio, A New Listener Tool, 401K Quandaries, And Mucho Mucho Gratitude
In this episode we answer emails from Dave, Marcus Vindictus, and Sharon. We take a hard look at what “diversified” really means in retirement and why correlations matter more than fund count. We also talk about simplifying messy accounts...
Episode 496: The Dangers Of Fixating On Tickers, Minimizing Taxes On Cash, Transitions, And Portfolio Reviews As Of March 27, 2026
In this episode we answer questions from Dustin, Optimus Bill and Scott. We discuss the common mistake of chasing tickers and low fees instead of building a portfolio around goals and carefully chosen asset classes, cowbell origins, what ...
Episode 495: EconoMe, Fairfax CASA, Speculations On Chaos, New 401k Regs, And More Cowbell
In this episode we answer emails from Andy, John, and Todd. We discuss what "holding dollars" means, the lure of speculation on recent events, the ongoing inadequacies of 401k and 403b plans and their incentives, and small cap value vs. s...
Episode 494: More Gooooold, Calculator Comparisons, Planning And Portfolios, And Looking For Those Elusive Risk Parity Style Advisors
In this episode we answer emails from Nicholas, Nathan and Lisa. We discuss how much gold is enough and how much is too much, why calculators disagree and the best ways to use them, and what “better” means when the future is uncerta...
Episode 493: Our Raison D'etre, Common Investor Fallacies, UK Investing Notes, Treasury Bond Correlations, And Portfolio Reviews As Of March 13, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Lee, Leo, Tony, and Samuel. We revel in Lee's generosity and discuss why we hold gold and treasuries, why recent performance should not drive allocation changes and common amateur investor fallacies, ...
Episode 492: An Expat Risk Parity Style Portfolio, Intermediate Accumulation For A Mortgage, And Assorted Asset Allocation Questions
In this episode we answer emails from TJ, John and Optimus Bill. We discuss TJ's modified Golden Ratio portfolio and backtests, maximizing withdrawals with flexibility, ZROZ vs. TLT simulated leverage, gambling problems, intermediate accu...
Episode 491: Celebrating Listener Generosity, Donor Advised Funds, Learning Some Accumulation Ropes, Risk Parity ETFs, And Portfolio Reviews As Of March 6, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Optimus Bill, Mark and Ryan. We discuss donor advised fund sponsor Daffy and a strips fund portfolio substitution, the challenges of figuring out accumulation without getting caught up in chasing shin...
Episode 490: Queen Mary Segment With Jillian Johnsrud, Big Law Life, Alternative Assets And Four Quadrant Portfolio Construction Principles, And A Partial Retirement Withdrawal Scenario
In this episode we answer emails from Connor, Zachary and Brian. We discuss fund selection, doing the Big Law dance, portfolio construction basics and analyzing alternatives, and a partial retirement drawdown scenario involving early with...
Episode 489: Cowbell Direct Indexing, More Fun With Leverage, An Early Retirement Extra Spending Model And Portfolio Reviews As Of February 27, 2026
In this episode we answer emails from Jeffrey, Bryan, and Erik. We discuss the trade-offs of direct indexing in small cap value, why modest leverage on a diversified mix can outperform stock-heavy portfolios with fewer drawdowns, and mode...
Episode 488: All Hail Queen Mary And Fairfax CASA, Gold vs Managed Futures, And A Short-Term Drawdown Portfolio
In this episode we respond to emails from Nick, Ginna, Ashley, Chris and Sara. In our Queen Mary segment where we are raising money for Fairfax CASA, we express our gratitude for the outpouring of listener support and tell Noah and Taylor...
Episode 487: It's Mary Time, Intermediate Accumulation, 529s To Roths, And Leeroy Jenkins Gambling Problems
In this episode we answer emails from Tim, Anderson, and Pete. We discuss using a Golden Butterfly portfolio for intermediate accumulation, converting 529s to Roths and excessively levered portfolios for small children. (I can't make this...