Risk Parity Radio
Frank Vasquez
Risk Parity Radio is a podcast about investing located at www.riskparityradio.com. RPR explores risk-parity style portfolios comprised of uncorrelated or negatively correlated asset classes -- stocks, selected bonds, gold, managed futures, and other easily accessible fund options for the DIY investor. The goal is to construct portfolios that are robust and can be drawn down on in perpetuity, and to maximize projected Safe Withdrawal Rates regardless of projected overall returns.
Episodes
Mentioned books
21 snips
May 10, 2026 • 48min
Episode 508: Allocations To Help You Sleep Better At Night, The Three H's Of Retirement Spending, Bond Ladder Follies, And Portfolio Reviews As Of May 8, 2026
A 67-year-old investor stuck all in equities and strategies to redesign allocations for calmer nights. Metrics like volatility, drawdown and the Ulcer Index used to compare sleep-friendly portfolios. A simple framework called the three H's — hustling, hoarding, harvesting — and how each shapes retirement life. Why bond ladders appeal emotionally, and weekly reviews of several sample portfolios and their recent performance.
14 snips
May 7, 2026 • 47min
Episode 507: Celebrating Your Generosity With Queen Mary, Estimating Health Care Insurance Costs, Index Funds, Assorted Milkshakes, and Surviving Stagflation
They celebrate a big community fundraising win and the impact it will have. They outline an actuarial-style way to estimate retirement health care costs using current ACA premiums. They untangle the messy language around index funds and argue for rules-based, diversified exposures. They joke about milkshake memes and map which assets tend to help a portfolio survive stagflation.
23 snips
May 3, 2026 • 42min
Episode 506: Somebody's Drinking Mommy's Milkshake, Tax Considerations In Retirement, Ditching The TSP, And Portfolio Reviews As Of May 1, 2026
They tackle a family finance standoff over a parent’s costly advisor and strategies to calm the conversation. They outline tax-aware retirement withdrawals and the asset-swap trick to rebalance without taxable hits. They explain when to ditch the TSP into an IRA and how to manage multiple IRAs. They close with quick performance updates and distribution notes for several model portfolios.
17 snips
Apr 29, 2026 • 55min
Episode 505: Driving Ms. Mamie, The Why Of Risk Parity Radio And Becoming A 1%-er, And Some Portfolio And Calculation Musings
They talk about life priorities and clarity inspired by Mamie McCoy and confronting the end of life. They explain the real work and impact of court-appointed advocates and foster care reunification. They cover practical investing: using long-term Treasuries like VGLT for recession protection, safe withdrawal rates, portfolio rebalancing, and a simple 1% giving goal.
18 snips
Apr 25, 2026 • 1h 6min
Episode 504: Fun With Bond Funds, Why Unnecessary Income Sucks, Social Security And Four Quadrant Musings, A CAGE Match, And Portfolio Reviews As Of April 24, 2026
They dissect how to split Treasury funds and what treasuries actually do in a portfolio. They argue liquidity beats taxable income for retirement planning. Social Security timing is framed as a personal life choice and valued like an annuity. They critique four-quadrant market timing and warn about new complex ETFs like CAGE. Weekly reviews of eight model portfolios wrap up the show.
16 snips
Apr 22, 2026 • 40min
Episode 503: Our Inspiring And Generous Listeners, Tweaking The Golden Ratio, And A Few Fund Questions
They answer listener mail about building a drawdown portfolio you can actually hold while living a full life. They share a moving Fairfax CASA story about long-term advocacy for a child. They discuss tweaking the Golden Ratio portfolio, adding international and small-cap value, and managed futures options. They also cover practical fund choices, beta limits, and why personalization aids adherence.
9 snips
Apr 19, 2026 • 53min
Episode 502: Spending More And Living More In Retirement, More On The Four Quadrant Model, Celebrating Our Listeners And Friends, And Portfolio Reviews As Of April 17, 2026
They tackle how to spend more and enjoy retirement without guilt, using a visible spending bucket and experiments. They dig into the Four Quadrant model, its empirical tests, and why relationships are probabilistic. They discuss diversification roles for managed futures, commodities, bonds and stocks. They also review performance of several sample portfolios and recent market moves.
9 snips
Apr 16, 2026 • 40min
Episode 501: Talking CASA, Dealing With Shiny Object ETFs, Musings About TDFs, And Transitions From Cash
They show how to vet a newly hyped ETF by checking fees, category, holdings, and comparables. They explain why shiny-object marketing and short backtests mislead investors. They argue target-date funds are limited and suggest simple low-cost alternatives. They cover practical steps for transitioning into a retirement drawdown portfolio without obsessing over market timing.
10 snips
Apr 12, 2026 • 49min
Episode 500: A Non-Profit Portfolio, Some Retro Ranting on TIPS, Parsing Withdrawal Methods, And Portfolio Reviews As Of April 10, 2026
They celebrate a milestone and share nostalgic extras. They dissect a nonprofit’s heavy value-stock allocation and governance implications. They rant about TIPS and why inflation-protected bonds can still fail. They compare withdrawal methods and practical forecasting choices. They finish with concise reviews of several sample portfolios and recent market leadership.
5 snips
Apr 8, 2026 • 50min
Episode 499: Thanking Our Generous Listeners, Converting An Inefficient Vanguard Thingamablob, Assisting College-Age Kids, And Smiling With Sara
They celebrate a big fundraising win for Fairfax CASA and share a moving advocacy success story. They cover tax-lot selling and timing to reduce capital gains when reallocating. They debate where to hold GLDM and when to turn off dividend reinvestment to build cash. They explain swapping bond funds for Treasury funds and why value and treasuries can improve withdrawal odds. They discuss setting clear college support expectations.
