December 2013 Financial Asset Roundup

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on December 10th, 2013:

Asset	Nov 2013	Dec 2013	Change
Checking	1,380	3,068	1,688
Money Market	52,374	44,861	-7,513
Savings Bonds	81,519	81,626	107
Treasury Bills	0	0	0
CDs	59,726	69,878	10,152
Brokerage	107,465	108,943	1,478
401k	131,342	132,908	1,566
Roth IRA	84,676	85,770	1,094
SEP IRA	415,116	420,002	4,886
529 Savings	94,531	96,292	1,761
Total Assets	$1,028,129	$1,043,348	$15,219
			1.48%

The S&P 500 is up 1.73% since the last update, clinging to near all-time high levels:

(chart courtesy of msn.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for November fell from 7.3% to a five year low of 7.0%. Perhaps our economy is finally over the hump? Oil prices rose slightly to around $97 over the past month, although I've observed a disproportionate increase in local gasoline prices.

On the financial front, my asset levels have again surpassed the all-time high I reached last month. This has been a very prosperous year for us here at Casa Frugalson, where my assets have grown 20%+ even while paying cash for a number of large purchases (including a swimming pool and central air conditioning). In terms of money moves, I did put a bit of free cash into a market-leading Penfed 3.04% APY 5 year CD after they sent me an email about the surprise rate increase. I don't imagine that this deal will last beyond the end of the year, so I would encourage anyone interested in a Penfed CD at this rate to act sooner rather than later.

As for general life happenings, I'm pleased to say that my central air conditioning installation has been completed. Except for some accidental drywall damage (which the HVAC contractor is in the process of getting repaired and repainted), I have to say that I've been very impressed with how neat and polished the install looks. There is a bit of work to be done to get reimbursed for some energy efficiency incentives, but we are at least prepared for the hot weather next year. Other than that, I'm focusing on getting the end of year items completed for my S Corp while trying to get a handle on preparations for the Christmas holiday. This year has been really good to us, and my hope is that the trend continues into 2014. To anyone reading this, I wish the same to you and yours.