September 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on September 10th, 2025:

Asset	Aug 2025	Sep 2025	Change
Checking	2,894	5,093	2,199
Money Market	67,320	66,647	-673
Savings Bonds	260,289	260,871	582
Treasurys	136,000	136,000	0
CDs	62,248	62,617	369
Brokerage	720,824	872,399	151,575
401k	534,222	553,594	19,372
Roth IRA	365,651	376,345	10,694
IRA	1,642,417	1,672,864	30,447
529 Savings	175,532	177,975	2,443
Total Assets	$3,967,397	$4,184,405	$217,008
			+5.47%

Today is the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our country. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the whole thing after all these years.

The S&P 500 has been on the upswing, rising 2.49% (+11.06% YTD) and hitting all-time highs since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for August rose to 4.3%, with a disappointing 22,000 new jobs created. Oil prices are down a bit to the $62 level with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.99 at my last fill-up. Market sentiment seems to point toward FOMC rate cuts with data supporting a softening job market, further complicated by the POTUS trying to remove a Fed Governor for "mortgage fraud".

On the financial front, my assets have once again hit another all-time high, surpassing the $4M milestone and the previous high from August 2025! A main driver of that was a huge gain in Oracle Corporation (ORCL) stock, who announced big cloud infrastructure-related revenues on the way on their quarterly earnings call. I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.356% -> 4.144%, 4 week 4.303% -> 4.354%, and 8 week 4.379% -> 4.230%. I also hedged against falling interest rates with Navy Federal EasyStart CDs that can be opened with a low minimum purchase ($50) while allowing you to add additional money at any time (3.95% APY 12 months, 3.75% APY 18 months, 3.55% APY 24 months) plus I have an Alliant 5.40% APY 17 month CD maturing shortly and will move the proceeds into an Alliant 4.10% APY 17 month "elevated rate" CD offer that I received via email

As for the non-financial, the school year has started, the temps are cooling off, and I'm excited to start my Fall lawncare feeding program. I enjoy the Fall weather quite a bit, but that also means that winter isn't far behind!

August 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on August 11th, 2025:

Asset	Jul 2025	Aug 2025	Change
Checking	231	2,894	2,663
Money Market	64,580	67,320	2,740
Savings Bonds	259,724	260,289	565
Treasurys	136,000	136,000	0
CDs	62,063	62,248	185
Brokerage	698,339	720,824	22,485
401k	530,369	534,222	3,853
Roth IRA	366,843	365,651	-1,192
IRA	1,643,312	1,642,417	-895
529 Savings	174,627	175,532	905
Total Assets	$3,936,088	$3,967,397	$31,309
			+0.80%

The S&P 500 has been treading water, rising 0.23% (+8.36% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

I continue to be confused about how the stock market is as strong as it is. The most recent red flag was having the POTUS fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) after a disappointing July jobs report. I'm certainly concerned that someone unqualified will be appointed to head the BLS because they will willingly report or spin the data to fit the rosy outlook the POTUS is looking for. And if our government is unable to accept economic bad news even if it's accurate, then how can anyone trust our official employment or inflation data?

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for July rose to 4.2%, with a disappointing 73,000 new jobs created along with May and June numbers being revised downward.. Oil prices have been somewhat flat at the $63 level with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.89 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have once again hit another all-time high, surpassing the previous high from July 2025! I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.325% -> 4.268%, 4 week 4.129% -> 4.303%, and 8 week 4.312% -> 4.379%.

As for the non-financial, we're trying to squeeze in a little more summer before the school year starts. We bought some new recreational kayaks that we're enjoying and we'll be squeezing in a relaxing weekend getaway while we still can. We're also about ready to agree to have some work done on the house, which will hopefully be done before the weather gets too cold.

July 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on July 23rd, 2025:

Asset	Jun 2025	Jul 2025	Change
Checking	1,208	231	-977
Money Market	60,596	64,580	3,984
Savings Bonds	259,204	259,724	520
Treasurys	128,000	136,000	8,000
CDs	62,639	62,063	-576
Brokerage	559,540	698,339	138,799
401k	499,797	530,369	30,572
Roth IRA	350,773	366,843	16,070
IRA	1,612,393	1,643,312	30,919
529 Savings	172,003	174,627	2,624
Total Assets	$3,706,153	$3,936,088	$229,935
			+6.20%

The S&P 500 has ignored the noise, rising 5.30% (+8.11% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of cnbc.com)

Somehow the stock market hasn't taken the threats by the POTUS seriously as the TACO Trade continues to rule the day. I don't see how we can keep kicking the can down the road, but I've been wrong for a few months already.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for June fell to 4.1%, with a stronger than expected 147,000 new jobs created. Oil prices have been steady at the $66 level with that price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.85 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have once again hit another all-time high, surpassing the previous high from June 2025! I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.309% -> 4.340%, 4 week 4.129% -> 4.303%, and new 8 week at 4.389%. I also had an Alliant 5.40% APY 17 month CD mature and used the proceeds to open an Alliant 4.30% APY 17 month CD.

As for the non-financial, we just returned from a nice family vacation in beautiful Vermont. It was a pretty hot week in the mountains, but we stayed in an area with good restaurants and plenty of things to keep us busy. It's pretty cool that the young Frugalsons still want to vacation with us even though they're grown-ups now. :)

June 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on June 10th, 2025:

Asset	May 2025	Jun 2025	Change
Checking	2,225	1,208	-1,017
Money Market	61,894	60,596	-1,298
Savings Bonds	258,669	259,204	535
Treasurys	120,000	128,000	8,000
CDs	62,422	62,639	217
Brokerage	512,593	559,540	46,947
401k	479,890	499,797	19,907
Roth IRA	339,325	350,773	11,448
IRA	1,594,599	1,612,393	17,794
529 Savings	170,465	172,003	1,538
Total Assets	$3,602,082	$3,706,153	$104,071
			+2.89 %

The S&P 500 is finally above water for 2025, rising 3.33% (+2.67% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

The stock market continues to recover in spite of the chaos of the current political climate, although none of this makes much sense to me considering that we seem to be heading toward a recession of our own creation.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for May remained steady at 4.2%, with a stronger than expected 139,000 new jobs created. Oil prices have climbed to the $66 level (from $62) with that $66 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.94 at my last fill-up. Is the energy market pricing in the prospect of a potential trade deal with China?

On the financial front, my assets have surprisingly hit another all-time high, surpassing the previous high from February 2025! I again skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my T-Bill holdings automatically rolled into new ones: 13 week 4.309% -> 4.356%, 4 week 4.293% -> 4.293%, and new 8 week at 4.312%.

As for the non-financial, the school year is almost over and I'm trying to focus on our summer family vacation as the USA seems more angry and divided than ever. "May you live in interesting times", indeed.

May 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on May 12th, 2025:

Asset	Apr 2025	May 2025	Change
Checking	409	2,225	1,816
Money Market	80,182	61,894	-18,288
Savings Bonds	248,173	258,669	10,496
Treasurys	110,000	120,000	10,000
CDs	62,209	62,422	213
Brokerage	443,274	512,593	69,319
401k	427,644	479,890	52,246
Roth IRA	307,218	339,325	32,107
IRA	1,541,172	1,594,599	53,427
529 Savings	167,117	170,465	3,348
Total Assets	$3,387,398	$3,602,082	$214,684
			+6.34 %

The S&P 500 has rebounded strongly, rising 10.94% (-0.64% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

The stock market had a good day yesterday as the US and China agreed to a 90 day pause on 145% tariffs. Unfortunately, there are still high (30%) tariffs in place and what will happen after the pause is anyone's best guess. I also have no idea why the stock market has performed as well as it has considering the chaos that has been injected into the global economy and it seems that our best economic policy is simply undoing the trade war that we started against the rest of the world a few short months ago.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for April remained at 4.2%, with a strong 177,000 new jobs created. Oil prices are up a bit to the $62 level (from $60) with that $62 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.79 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, I skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my 13 week T-Bills (4.325%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.325% while ironically my 4 week T-Bills (4.293%) also matured and were rolled into new ones at the same 4.293%. The CD/Treasury ladder in my Fidelity Cash Management account also got another rung with a 5 year T-Note at 3.995% and I bought 5 year TIPS with a real yield of 1.702% in my IRA.

As for the non-financial, I'm trying to keep things positive as my youngest is on the cusp of finishing grad school and starting life as an independent adult. Hopefully we can ride the momentum into a nice family vacation this summer as economic bad news seems to be piling up.

March CPI-U numbers released: April 2025 issue I Bonds compelling

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the March 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) inflation data last week, which rose by 0.22% last month.

As always, now (along with the release of the September CPI-U) is one of the best times to consider purchasing I Bonds. The reason for this is that we now know what the rate of return for April 2025 I Bonds will be for both the first and second six month periods, which is important since I Bonds must be held for 12 months before they can be redeemed.

Using the CPI-U data from September 2024 (315.301) and March 2025 (319.799) (courtesy of inflationdata.com), we can calculate the variable rate for the second 6 month period for April 2025 issue I Bonds.

That means these bonds would earn a composite rate of 3.11% (using 1.2% fixed & 0.95% variable) for the first 6 months and 4.08% (using 1.2% fixed & 1.43% variable) for the second 6 months. In the current interest rate environment, an April I Bond purchase isn't a bad choice when compared to something like the 52 Week T-Bills @ 3.989% APY that will be issued on 4/17/25

In my opinion, April 2025 I Bonds are a reasonable choice, particularly for the 1.2% fixed rate if you plan to hold them long term. Based on the spread between I Bonds and TIPS, David Enna of tipswatch.com projects that the new fixed rate will fall slightly to 1.10%, which would make a purchase before the end of the month a bit more attractive. FWIW, Mrs. Frugalson and I will be maxing out our 2025 limit before the end of April.

April 2025 Financial Asset Roundup

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on April 10th, 2025:

Asset	Mar 2025	Apr 2025	Change
Checking	3,639	409	-3,230
Money Market	83,610	80,182	-3,428
Savings Bonds	247,594	248,173	579
Treasurys	110,000	110,000	0
CDs	52,915	62,209	9,294
Brokerage	483,195	443,274	-39,921
401k	451,398	427,644	-23,754
Roth IRA	324,919	307,218	-17,701
IRA	1,570,089	1,541,172	-28,917
529 Savings	170,916	167,117	-3,799
Total Assets	$3,498,275	$3,387,398	-$110,877
			-3.17 %

The S&P 500 has continued to struggle, falling 6.17% (-10.43% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

April has been a rough month due to the ill-advised global trade war and economic crisis that the US has created. Even though the US blinked during tariff escalation, the chaos and uncertainty this has caused cannot be easily reversed. In a short amount of time we have squandered the strongest economy in the world and turned our country into a global pariah. How can a company plan when a shipping container of goods may be tariffed at one price today and another price tomorrow and what will it be in a week, a month, or 6 months? Why would people across the world want to invest in the US when we are an unreliable partner that would impulsively pull the rug out from under them? I think a recession is imminent and suspect we're in one already and just don't know it yet.

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for March rose to 4.2%, with a strong 228,000 new jobs created. Since unemployment is a lagging indicator, I anticipate it continuing to rise throughout this year as conditions worsen. Oil prices have dropped to the $60 level (from $67) with that $60 price reflected in a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $2.95 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, I skipped my usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account because I am not comfortable adding to our equity holdings at this time. I did take an S Corp distribution and my 13 week T-Bills (4.335%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.309% while my 4 week T-Bills (4.308%) also matured and were rolled into new ones at 4.293%. In my IRA I bought 20 year T-Bonds at 4.632% and 7 year T-Notes at 4.233% with free cash and will likely participate in the 5 Year TIPS auction next week. I also had an Alliant 5.15% APY 23 month CD mature and moved the proceeds into my Navy Federal 4.75% APY 12 month add-on CD and also opened an Alliant 4.35% APY 17 month "elevated rate" CD offer that I received via email. Those CD rates are pretty attractive right now considering how Fidelity's brokered CD rates have quickly dropped during this crisis:

As for the non-financial, it feels like the world is on fire and I'm having a hard time watching the implosion of my country. I've can't believe I'm saying this, but I've never felt as hopeless about the future as I do now and I don't see that changing any time soon.