Picking up Nickels

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

March 2013 Financial Asset Roundup

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on March 11th, 2013:


Asset Feb
2013
Mar
2013
Change
Checking 1,353 884 -469
Money Market 36,719 40,710 3,991
Savings Bonds 67,707 67,839 132
Treasury Bills 0 0 0
CDs 80,944 81,154 210
Brokerage 106,965 109,736 2,771
401k 114,771 117,480 2,709
Roth IRA 69,236 70,673 1,437
SEP IRA 356,570 363,420 6,850
529 Savings 79,109 81,030 1,921



Total Assets $913,374 $932,926 $19,552
   
 
2.14%

The S&P 500 has continued to climb to near all time highs over the past month, up 2.58% since the last update:


(chart courtesy of msn.com)

Watching the S&P climb about 9% so far this year has been reminiscent of being an investor in the 1990s. I'm not sure what's behind this current case of "irrational exuberance", but the stock market rise and the sense of optimism that is hopefully being signaled are good to see. It has been a fun ride.
On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for February was 7.7% (the lowest since December 2008) and anecdotal evidence from an acquaintance who works in the real estate business is that properties are selling of late and inventories are actually getting a bit low. Oil prices are still hovering around $93 per barrel, although gasoline prices have continued to hover toward $4 per gallon.

As for the financial front, I've passively watched from the comfort of my armchair as my assets have surpassed their previous all time high from February as they continue to inch toward the $1m threshold. I don't see the current stock market run continuing for much longer, but it has been fun to watch. Next up is finalizing my 2012 personal tax returns and waiting for the March 2013 CPI-U inflation data release next month to help us evaluate Series I savings bonds as an attractive investment. Stay tuned.

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