Bogleheads.org

pkcrafter wrote:Lack of diversification, mainly.


Paul

Of course, but who cares if it works. I am just not sure if there is any sector specific risk that I am not considering?

What would be the disadvantage of investing in consumer staples ETF only ?

It is dull, boring & has consistent returns.

Any thoughts?

I understand that the bubble popping thing. Generally the theory for indexing is that as long as the companies are producing earnings and you are selecting the whole market the index portfolio should rise by the risk premium and inflation. The japan equity index show a declining curve even after the...

The GDP growth rates are quite similar between US & Japan but the stock market returns are not. http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdi&met=ny_gdp_mktp_kd_zg&idim=country:JPN&dl=en&hl=en&q=japan+gdp+growth#met=ny_gdp_mktp_kd_zg&idim=country:JPN:USA

Anyone?

http://www.publicradio.org/columns/marketplace/money-blog/2011/03/stocks_for_the_long_run.html

.

Scott S wrote:Slightly-higher fees are one aspect keeping me from the simplicity of VTWSX -- there is the 0.25% purchase fee and the 0.5% ER.

Once someone has paid the initial $3,000 do we have to pay the 0.25% on each additional $100 also that we contribute or is the 0.25% assessed only on the first $3,000?

Ozonewanderer wrote:I'm not really sure what the difference is between VGTSX and VEU now except that I don't think there is an ETF version of VGTSX.

Yes there is VXUS.

https://personal.vanguard.com/us/funds/snapshot?FundId=3369&FundIntExt=INT

I am really curious as to why Japan equities have underperformed for the last 5 / 10 year period? While Japan is different from U.S. it is quite similar in many ways (well regulated equities market, developed economic powerhouse, companies that dominate the world). Can someone please shed some light...

Simba this is indeed a gem, thank you very much.

Will it be correct to assume that the gains are calculated without taking into account dividends?

purchase the Fund Version of VXUS (VTIAX). This way I don't have to worry about a discount/premium value when buying. Yeah but you have to deal with capital gains/distributions with VITAX even you are only accumulating and didn't sell anything. If it wasn't for this drawback I would want to do the ...

purchase the Fund Version of VXUS (VTIAX). This way I don't have to worry about a discount/premium value when buying. Yeah but you have to deal with capital gains/distributions with VITAX even you are only accumulating and didn't sell anything. If it wasn't for this drawback I would want to do the ...

I have seen the threads here: http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=67790 http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=70171 I want to buy and hold an etf for the long run in an taxable account. Would you guys suggest that VXUS has a higher probability of being kept open and being impro...

I want to setup an automatic transfer of approximately $500 every month to be invested 50% in VEU / VFWIX 50% in VTI / VTSMX I have two concerns 1) If I do auto-investing through Vanguard for low volume ETFs like VEU how will I know I am getting a good price? 2) My monthly amounts are less than the ...

I am just curious if I decide to take an early withdrawal from 401K and/or Roth IRA are the brokerages required to withhold estimated taxes and penalty or is that something you take care of yourself when you file the taxes?

I have already added her name to my credit card. Will her name also be reported to the credit bureaus?

For all the secured credit cards you have to pay a annual fee of $18 - $30. I don't want to pay fees for establishing credit!

My wife just moved to the US and I was wondering what is the best way to establish credit history for her? She has a social security number etc. I had heard something about a prepaid credit card, where it is actually more like a prepaid debit card but the issuing co. reports it as credit card. Pleas...

I called my employers HR department and this is what she said: 401(k) Contribution: Pre tax contributions Roth 401(k) Contribution: After tax contribution The maximum that I contribute in total for both is $16,500. So, if I am maxing the 401(k) & Roth 401(k) out does that mean I can still contri...

I am confused what is the difference between my employer sponsored Roth 401(k) vs. Personal Roth IRA? I understand what Roth's are (the after tax contribution & contribution limits etc) but what is the advantage of having one from your employer where I can do the same on my own? Also does it mea...

MrsO wrote:I was told that a payment is only made if over $50 has accrued. Could it be that you haven't accrued that amount yet?

Thank you, that's exactly what it was.

I haven't received my automatic cash back from FIA card services for fidelity 2% rewards card automatically into my fidelity account for the past two months. When I logged into the FIA websites it shows an option for check redemption. Does that mean they have stopped the auto credit of rewards to th...

Nothing new here http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A055R20101102 The dollar is in danger of losing 20 percent of its value over the next few years if the Federal Reserve continues unconventional monetary easing, Bill Gross, the manager of the world's largest mutual fund, said But I don't unders...

nisiprius wrote:How old are they?

They are 12-15 years.

Thank you everyone for the valuable input, I have got a lot of good ideas from you guys to digest.

The fund in it's seven years since inception has slightly underperformed the S&P 500, which leads me to ask myself if they cannot pick these superior companies how am I supposed too. The commentary they publish sounds intellectual, none of the usual CNBC stuff. But if you look at there funds pe...

I want my kids to highly organized and plan well ahead in the future, whether it is the school trip next week or personal finances. I want to engage them in games that will enable them to develop that mindset. Can someone please suggest any games or techniques? I thought about checkers, chess etc.

NateW wrote:We get a 5% cash back on groceries (permenant, no promo )

What I kind of card is that? Do you have a link where we can check it out?

Permanent sounds good!

After calling Chase I found out that Walmart actually qualifies under multiple categories. So your automotive purchase might not but you regular meat and milk purchases will qualify for the 5% rebate.

Walmart submits transactions based on what you have purchase from them.

It is my fault for not doing the research but I abondened the 2% Fidelity credit card for Chase this month just to take advantage of 5% reward at walmart. I always assumed it was a 'grocery store'.

No one to blame but me.

I wonder if a foreign national and/or resident will have to pay any taxes on earnings and gains generated from U.S. capital markets? No we do not have any taxes on gains from the US capital market. Bahrain is not going to require you to pay any taxes probably but I wonder if IRS is going to ask you...

Cherokee8215 wrote:My online broker, TD Ameritrade, does. They used to only invest into full shares and would give you cash in lieu of fractional shares, but they did away with that years ago.

Do they charge you a fee for reinvesting the dividends in the respective stocks?

Jase wrote:I would like to get some tips, about what would be best to start trading in to take advantage of my unique situation.

I wonder if a foreign national and/or resident will have to pay any taxes on earnings and gains generated from U.S. capital markets?

I know companies like vanguard offer free dividend investing for their ETF's etc.

Are there any brokerages that offer free and/or automatic dividend reinvesting for individual stocks?

FWIW I've gotten my last two jobs via LinkedIn - in fact I get pinged so much I usually update my LinkedIn profile first, and my resume second. It's particularly useful if some / most of your professional contacts have moved - I have several who have emigrated. How does ping work in LI? do you get ...

Sidney wrote:Most of the contacts came from personal relationships.

No sarcasm intended, speaking from a realistic point of view would you agree that gold course and country club memberships etc. actually work & is worth the investment?

Since then, I have gotten about a half dozen unsolicited calls from headhunters. Well, the profile is pretty much like a resume anyways. One one hand I want to put my 'resume' out there so I can be reached for a potential job from co-workers/headhunter but at the same time I don't want my resume to...

I have seen a lot of professionals (especially in business) use linkedin. 1) Has it ever helped anyone get a great job or any other benefit? 2) Is it really an effective networking tool outside the good old face to face contacts? Can you guys please comment it is worth paying for the membership also?

This link was a bit unfair. People have to make forecasts at a point in time with the information they have at the time. When information changes - do you change your opinion? The bloggers have really lost the sense of authenticity and independence that used to be attributed to them. They are becom...

I use: http://www.emailforeclosures.com/ I provided them with a junk email address in case they decide to sell my address. I get email updates once a week with all of the new listings and price changes. The full address is usually included, but sometimes not. The source is incomplete. The foreclosu...

Everytime I see a foreclosure listing on trulia.com or zillow.com it doesn't give an address and you have to pay to get detail information. Is there a way to get the same information without having to pay for it? There has to be a source where these companies are getting the listing information in t...

I'm guessing it means they'll pay half commission to a broker who steers you to buy that house... That's exactly what it means. It has nothing to do with the ownership interest known as a co-op (cooperative ownership, which is very similar to a condominium ownership interest). In this case, it mean...

I have seen some good houses in my are for sale (usually by the owner) and it also say 'Will co-op'.

What does 'Will co-op' mean?

What ever that thing is can anyone please share advantages or disadvantages of it?

tfb wrote:Call FIA for an auto-pay form. Return with a voided check. FIA will auto debit full balance.

Just did that, thanks tfb.

I also have the fidelity/FIA 2% cash back card. The rebate is good but I hate two things about them: 1) There is no e-bill service that I can use. All other credit card companies send automatic e-bill and they get automatically paid through the Bank of America checking account and I never have to wo...

I have a hard time believing this (exactly what the author says).

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/your-money/11shortcuts.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Does anyone mind sharing their personal experience?

craigr wrote:

pteam wrote:How can analyists think stocks are cheap, and then other analyists the same day think stocks are overvalued?

Because what they are analyzing is random noise.

Not necessarily, they are just looking at the opposite sides of the same coin and neither of them are lying.

jace wrote:Pick up anything except a penny showing tails. That's bad luck.

The only badluck is that the penny not in your pocket.

For all those suffering from the badluck syndrome, just send me a PM and I will come and get it. I would hate anyone on this forum to suffer badluck.

Here you could easily get guided into a investment that is in conflict with your principals. Most of the posters on this forum are really smart people and actually with the exception of the interest issue the financial issues discussed on this forum are quite in line with Islam. e.g. spending withi...

There is a shariah definition of "gross income"? Interesting idea to have a non-secular definition of gross income. Must be tough to reconcile to GAAP. I don't understand why is that such a surprise. Modern finance did not invent the concept of Gross Income. Trade & business has been ...

There are Islamic legal rulings that go into all the details. If I can find any that are specifically about the 5%, I will post a link. And, BTW, there are legal rulings that determine at what % concentration "filth" (i.e., najasa) permeates something. For example, urinating in a bath tub...

I can't remember the name but you can buy stand alone motion detector alarms. And you can put them anywhere in the house like a lamp (next to a window or center of a room) and whenever there is any movement it sounds a loud alarm like a smoke alarm.

There are Shariah tests that Islamic finance scholars have developed for determining the acceptability of an investment. One is that its gross income cannot be made up of more than 5% interest income. As long as the interest income a company generates is less than 5% of gross income, it is consider...