December 2011 Financial Asset Roundup

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on December 12th, 2011:

Asset	Nov 2011	Dec 2011	Change
Checking	2,391	728	-1,663
Money Market	38,419	40,865	2,446
Savings Bonds	52,318	52,421	103
Treasury Bills	0	0	0
CDs	87,914	88,269	355
Brokerage	101,778	101,106	-672
401k	93,479	92,431	-1,048
Roth IRA	47,921	47,447	-474
SEP IRA	265,455	264,299	-1,156
529 Savings	55,544	55,806	262
Total Assets	$745,219	$743,372	-$1,847
			(-0.25%)

The S&P 500 has declined a bit since the last update, dropping 2.17% during that time:

(chart courtesy of msn.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for November dropped to 8.6%, a significant decline from the 9% rate from October. Oil prices have remained flat at around $98 per barrel, while I've seen my gasoline purchases decrease by about 16¢ per gallon.

On the financial front, I am sadly less than a month away from the end of my 5 year Penfed CD @ 6.25% APY that I opened in January 2007. With such unappealing CD options currently available, I have decided on allocating that cash among a mix of I Bonds, Roth IRA, and 529 Plan contributions throughout 2012. I will also be selling my Procter & Gamble (PG) stock this month to take advantage of the 0% tax on dividends and capital gains, although I seem to be holding out for a Santa Claus Rally that probably won't be arriving this year.

I'm also planning on providing an annual grocery price inflation update this month as I wrap things up for the close of the 2011 business year for my S Corporation and get prepped for what I hope will be another wonderful Christmas holiday with my family.