January 2024 Financial Asset Roundup

Here are my current financial assets as of the market close on January 10th, 2024:

Asset	Dec 2023	Jan 2024	Change
Checking	3,037	2,856	-181
Money Market	77,604	56,933	-20,671
Savings Bonds	234,411	235,279	868
Treasurys	90,000	90,000	0
CDs	30,741	50,855	20,114
Brokerage	382,410	365,621	-16,789
401k	316,737	332,409	15,672
Roth IRA	261,095	269,484	8,389
IRA	1,320,282	1,360,546	40,264
529 Savings	170,209	172,879	2,670
Total Assets	$2,886,526	$2,936,862	$50,336
			1.74 %

The S&P 500 continues to approach record levels, rising 3.48% (+0.29% YTD) since the last update:

(chart courtesy of nasdaq.com)

On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for December remained at 3.7%, beating expectations with 160,000 new jobs added. Oil prices rose to the $72 level (from $70) while the 2024 oil price forecast looks positive due to record level domestic production. The $72 price translates to a local unleaded regular gasoline price of $3.09 at my last fill-up.

On the financial front, my assets have hit an all-time high, surpassing the previous high from December 2023. I did the usual Fidelity 401k transaction (FSKAX) and Vanguard VTI purchase in my taxable brokerage account. My 13 week T-Bills (5.509%) matured and were rolled into new ones at 5.404%. Treasury yields dropped as 2024 interest rate cuts are apparently on the table, so I also locked up some cash in a Alliant 5.40% APY 17 month CD and a Alliant 5.30% APY 23 month CD as comparable brokered CD rates at Fidelity and Vanguard plummeted below 5% APY.

As for the non-financial, I'm already getting my 2023 tax prep started and continue to deal with the severe storms that seem to be arriving here every couple of weeks. I look forward to the post-holiday doldrums to be over and the arrival of spring weather.