The Independent Vanguard Adviser

Jeff DeMaso

Are You Farming Your Portfolio Correctly?

Losses can be profitable … if you know how to “harvest” those losses to maximum effect. Most investors don’t do so correctly, and Vanguard, among others, is pushing an automated strategy to correct for it. I think caution is warranted. What got me thinking about this was an article Vanguard

Money Life with Chuck Jaffe: A "Quick and Dirty" Look at Vanguard Funds

If you're looking for a 20-minute diversion this weekend, I recently had the pleasure of participating in the Money Life with Chuck Jaffe podcast. You can find my segment below. The full March 10 episode is available on the moneylifeshow.com website. We discussed my approach to investing and manager

Don’t Rush for the Exit

Hello, this is Jeff DeMaso with the IVA Weekly Brief for Wednesday, March 15. There are no changes recommended for any of our Portfolios. This week’s Weekly Brief runs longer than normal, but there is a lot to unpack given the recent bank failures and market volatility. Is My

Bond Funds Own Bonds

Have you ever wondered whether it's better to buy your own bonds or to invest in a bond mutual fund? Are you unsure whether you should be buying a taxable and a tax-free bond fund? This week, I'll help you answer those questions.

Fed’s Finger on the Button

Hello, this is Jeff DeMaso with the IVA Weekly Brief for Wednesday, March 8. There are no changes recommended for any of our Portfolios. Higher Rates = Lower Stock Prices Fed Chair Jerome Powell has been on Capitol Hill the past two days. Here’s what he had to say: The

Trade-Offs In Action

“Jeff, how do you balance the trade-offs when allocating to bonds in your own account and in the Model Portfolios?” I saw many versions of that question come in from subscribers after I shared the latest installment of the Bonds 101 series, Balancing Trade-Offs. So, before moving on to some

Europe In the Lead?

Hello, this is Jeff DeMaso with the IVA Weekly Brief for Wednesday, March 1st. There are no changes recommended for any of our Portfolios. To investors’ dismay, stocks and bonds fell together in February. While that seems like a repeat of 2022's market, I explained in the Monthly Recap I

2022's Doppelgänger | March 2023

February felt a lot like 2022 in the markets—that’s not welcome news for investors. Once again, traders are treating good news as bad news. Most of the economic data pointed toward growth, and inflation came in a little higher than expected—though it is still in line with

Balancing Trade-Offs

Investors typically think of bonds as the safe, sleepy part of their portfolio. And, for the most part, they’re exactly right—bonds can be pretty boring. Though that wasn’t the case in 2022. After enduring the worst calendar year in bonds in decades, well, no one is calling

Liquidity or Assets, Which Came First?

All things equal, does a lower share price for an ETF mean the ETF will attract more assets? Vanguard must hope so. The company recently announced that they’ll execute a 2-for-1 share split for six ETFs on March 14, 2023. The six ETFs track S&P’s mid-cap and