Bogleheads.org

Apparently the government wants more money fast, so they are allowing Roth 401k conversions for all.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeli ... liff-deal/

Check your employer for availability.

Would encourage her to focus on passing the EPPP so that she can become licensed. Thanks epictetus, that's the plan. unfortunately w/ the VA rules, she can not take it again for a year, so the studying will lead up to that point. But in the meantime, we were trying to be strategic w/ the long term ...

Thank you livesoft. I want to find out how long she can get COBRA coverage, they we may discuss getting married by law earlier than the ceremony date. Another, some what related, consideration I would like to ask about is IRA roll-over. She (fiance) has a Roth IRA and a 457 plan from her current (so...

I would also consider iBonds if you can part with your funds for at least a year. Between a year and 5 years, the rate minus the penalty is still competitive w/ the likes of ING/Ally/Penfed or the Vanguard funds, and you don't pay federal taxes on your gains. After 5 years, no penalty. The only vari...

I live with my fiance who is a psychologist being let go from her job at the beginning of the year, because she has not passed her EPPP test yet (but she was close). Over the year she was worked off hours here and there with 2 companies to do contracting work. She has recently been introduced to 2 o...

any takers?

@Dave sounds like I'm doing what you described. Making 1/yr lumpsum contributions to IRA and allocating those contibutions to balance my AA. I wanted to 1) figure out if I'm doing the right thing. 2) figure out what it's called. @LadyGeek you answered my question about if I'm doing VA, which I'm not...

I read the wiki post. I DCA into my Roth, but rebalance into the funds in the Roth (as part of my quarterly rebalancing). I contribute to my Roth once at the beginning of the year. I thought I was doing DCA into IRA and Value Averaging into funds, but now it sounds like I'm not. How would one charac...

Slappy600cc wrote:I'm utilizing both Roth's right now and will for the next few years because I am in the 15% tax bracket and my pension will put me in the 25% bracket at retirement.

Assuming tax brackets stay the same until that point in time.

Is there a "back door Roth" for a 401K too? Or just the IRA?

Also, do the AGI phaseout limits apply to Roth 401k's too?

I'm skimming through (not reading, but skimming) Suze Orman's money class. As many have noted on this site, Suze bad talks bond funds, and promotes individual bonds. In her bond sections under the retirement chapter, she talks about making a bond ladder, but with 3-5 year bonds. IF I were to supplem...

Aye, it was great while it lasted. I just signed up for the 2% card from Sallie Mae: http://www.mydollarplan.com/sallie-mae-cash-back-credit-card/ It's a pain to switch cards, but apparently the existing FIA (formerly Schwab) cards will be canceled, so we'd have to update all the auto-pay stuff any...

The treasurydirect site must be down because I couldn't get on after repeated tries. All other websites worked just fine. I'm having the same issue. Either "everybody" is checking out the new login in, or some devloper botched the code for the new login. Or rather, these are just the firs...

The treasurydirect site must be down because I couldn't get on after repeated tries. All other websites worked just fine. I'm having the same issue. Either "everybody" is checking out the new login in, or some devloper botched the code for the new login. Or rather, these are just the firs...

So I've come across all sorts of ways to invest in bonds on this site, as part of my asset allocation. Everything from Total Bond Market to Individual Bonds to just Treasuries & TIPS. But, my question is not about what type of bond investments I should have. My question is... If one were to go t...

Likes this.

Try Xenimus. It has top down graphics, but its free and has a large following. Will keep you interested for a few months.

So, I'm far from the sophisticated investor, as some of you seem to be, but I'm doing my best to catch up on the my reading from the book list. But, seems as though you all are saying that, since historically we can match a pattern to the behavior of gold, that it's not worth analyzing as a diversif...

On this forum I've seen lots of posts about how Gold's long term value growth is 0%, which is valid if one looks at Gold as a stand alone investment. And I've seen alot about the cost of owning Gold over the longer as well. But what I've seen less analysis of Gold as a part of one's Asset Allocation...

I actually prefer value averaging, because it fits in well with my re-balancing strategy.

In terms of DCA vs. Lump Sum. If you have the money, put it in, if not, put it in as you have it (DCA). If its long term, then don't try to time the market, the gains will come, in the long term.

31% is an outrageously high tax. Have you seen the thread where folks making $200,000 per year pay only about 10% in tax? It should be eye-opening to you. So with you in the 25% tax bracket, it would seem to me that it is very likely that you will pay a much lower tax rate when you need to withdraw...

@Grabiner - State tax is another good point. I still can't tell the future, but I have a feeling either before or during retirement, I may end up in Florida. For family reasons, but we'll see if career has a different path for me. This would be a big consideration on the tax impact on my on retireme...

Taxes (or lack of) on Social Security is another consideration I just started thinking about. With all this complexity to the question, I'm thinking in the long run I may embrace this "tax diversification" idea, and maybe split 50/50 w/ my Traditional/Roth 401(k) contributions. Assuming I'...

@Hector - I'm making no other investments, and probably will not for a long while. But with me and the significant other, we both have aspects of our careers and aspirations that will most likely lead us to government workers (if we can get in) and the pension benefits there may add up later. Too ea...

@livesoft - I looked up the post you referred to (or at least the example you gave in another post), and I see your point. Thanks. @Alan - I guess I can't simplify the decision to just tax now vs later. But more specifically to me, my pre-deduction income is in the 28% fed tax bracket, but my mortga...

BTW, the partnership between my mother and I is that she contributes the money, and I apply the funds to investments and rebalance the investments, based on the plan from her visit to a Fee-Only adviser. So what I'm getting from the feedback is: 1. Let my mother stick to her twice a year random cont...

I've recently posted a few messages for portfolio advice, and in my posts I stated that, at age 31, I'm in the 25% fed / 6% state tax bracket (31% total) and that my job offers 401k & Roth 401k (or both). Some of the immediate feedback that I received was "You definitely should NOT contribu...

I help my mother manage her retirement accounts (she is still working). She maxes out her 401K & Roth IRA each year. She contributes to the Roth IRA each year in 2 lump sums. No specific dates, no specific amounts, no method to the madness. Just 2 separate lump sums that in the end total her max...

@retiredjg - Thanks for all the feedback. I'll take some time to reevaluate my debt pay-down plan. In some initial estimates, I'm calculating how much I'm paying in interest w/out even paying against the principal (though paying down the HELOC is essentially paying down 20% of the principal, since i...

VG Total International or maybe Total International and International Value. One international fund will be more cost efficient then 4 funds In All About Asset Allocation I have several examples of using one fund. It is convenient, but if you have more time, here are a few reasons for slice and dic...

My question here... Is this plan still not aggressive enough? Or do I truly need to redirect funds from maxing out my retirement accounts to paying down my debt, beyond my established plan? I don't know. You may be doing the best you can. If you send more money to the HELOC and pay it off faster, c...

You seem to be after some variation of a Merriman portfolio. These can be difficult to achieve given that only a few of the funds needed are available in your 401k and your 401k will be growing faster than your Roth IRA. Thank you for addressing my question, and providing advice on the debt issue. ...

This is in response to my asset allocation strategy (slice dice international): I read Rick Ferri's "All About Asset Allocation", and based my AA on one of his example portfolios. I also would like to add TIPS and HY Bonds in the future. I don't mind the extra time and calculations it take...

I'll split my responses into 2 posts, this one is in regards to the debt: I posted a similar post in the past asking for advice on a taxable contributions, and was directed to focus on my Mortgage debt, so that point is well understood (I think). I've contacted my BoA bank (lender to both debts) and...

let me know if you require any additional information in order to provide guidance and/or advice. Thanks!

Emergency funds = 3-6 months of expenses Debt: Mortgage @ 6.875%, 10/1 ARM (Adjusts 2017. Currently under water, but I plan to refinance as soon as I am above water, into a 30 year standard) HELOC @ 2.99%, 10 yr balloon (Balloons 2017. I'm on self-made principal payment plan to pay it off in full be...

Give them 5/1 ARM. Once they graduate, adjust the rate every year, based on market rates. Let them compare your offer and other market offers, and then decide. Put on the table the possibility to start off in community college or work through college. Should be some great life lessons.

I would like to know too.

Kindle will offer library books by the end of 2011 through overdrive.com. You can get these books through the iPad kindle app.

I vote for anti glare screen.

Cheaper and more boglehead like solution.

Btw, i wrote this from my iPad (original).

Since you have the iPad, it's probably cheaper to go with an anti-glare screen protector.

http://www.amazon.com/Speck-ShieldView- ... B003EN2VJI

And download the kindle and nook app.

Here's the deal. On one hand, the less 6% interest you pay, the better. On the other hand, you have the risk of not being able to refinance when the balloon pops. Remember that you can pull money out of a HELOC but not out of a mortgage. You want to navigate optimally between profitability and risk...

OP, am I reading it right that you have an underwater house that you are counting on increasing in value to become overwater and that counting that negative, you have negative net worth? Yes, I have negative networth. But I'm not counting on my home increasing in value. I'm just hoping it doesn't d...

If you're paying PMI on that mortgage your effective interest rate on the missing 20% is far higher than 6.875%. I'm not sure you should even be prioritizing a Roth IRA over addressing the debt. There is no PMI added to the mortgage. I only pay the ARM and the HELOC, as I have described them. The w...

So my question is more centered around how should I spread my international investments across my Roth IRA and Taxable account. Is it tax-efficient enough to start to expand my slice/dice method into the taxable account, or should I wrap it all into a one-size-fits all international fund in my taxa...

On the other hand, a 2.99% is a pretty nifty rate. You would be better off if you rejigger your math so that you pay down the mortgage now, and the HELOC right before the balloon. You may even be able to refinance the HELOC and not have to pop the balloon. Well, not to take a 90 degree change with ...

Go read about tax-efficient asset placement again. There is no reason to balance across asset classes within accounts, only across the entire portfolio. Your taxable account should contain stock index funds. In particular, your taxable account should first be used for your allocation to tax-efficie...

I've updated my Debt details. I took on that debt before I started my financial self-education, so I made some mistakes there I would not have made today. Seems like the general message of feedback is that I am not ready to invest in my taxable account until I've made more progress against my debt. ...

Emergency funds = 3-6 months of expenses (indicate if you have this, but it should probably not be part of your asset allocation) Debt: Mortgage @ 6.875%, 10/1 ARM (Adjusts 2017. Currently under water, but I plan to refinance as soon as I am above water, into a 30 year standard) HELOC @ 2.99%, 10 yr...

Filter by MAC address as well. It's a pain to add new devices, but it blocks those which you did not authorize.

Is there an update on this? I still can't find a Vanguard TIPS ETF.