Search found 1021 matches

by allsop
Fri Jan 10, 2014 11:29 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Investing with a Revalued American Dollar
Replies: 20
Views: 1756

Re: Investing with a Revalued American Dollar

^ Your reply did not add any clarity, I'm afraid to say, as you did not address my two questions.
by allsop
Fri Jan 10, 2014 10:05 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Investing with a Revalued American Dollar
Replies: 20
Views: 1756

Re: Investing with a Revalued American Dollar

cheese_breath wrote:
allsop wrote:[OT comment removed by admin LadyGeek]
I thought political statements weren't allowed.
You "forgot" to quote my complete post, for some reason. That said, who are the ones talking about "debasing" the USD along with "suggestions" for future and current investments?

I think that Nisi is spot on in his analysis, don't you think?

Edit: Added "along" for clarity.
by allsop
Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:24 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Given High PE10, How about this AA?
Replies: 13
Views: 1317

Re: Given High PE10, How about this AA?

Kenyan: The US tilt is relatively small, though, about 2%.
by allsop
Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:17 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Given High PE10, How about this AA?
Replies: 13
Views: 1317

Re: Given High PE10, How about this AA?

For the equity portion it is quite reasonable.
by allsop
Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:01 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Investing with a Revalued American Dollar
Replies: 20
Views: 1756

Re: Investing with a Revalued American Dollar

coldman wrote:As I have been talking with people, many conversations have the same theme of the American dollar is going to decline in the near future when it is revalued. Is there a way to invest and protect against some of the impact this will have on a person’s portfolio? I am not interested in buy gold or silver. Please share your thoughts.
I think that Nisiprius explains the issue very nicely with facts and graphs:

"I think a lot of people have been looking at the dollar's fluctuation through ideology-colored glasses...". Just look at the graphs.

Besides, a weaker USD means that USA will be more competitive and more manufacturing jobs returning. [OT comment removed by admin LadyGeek]
by allsop
Sat Jan 04, 2014 10:46 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Why tilt towards value funds?
Replies: 16
Views: 2137

Re: Why tilt towards value funds?

livesoft wrote:This is the MUST-READ thread on why one tilts to value funds:

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 10&t=96441
Yep, the first post is hilarious.
by allsop
Tue Dec 24, 2013 2:45 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: is there a conspiracy to understate inflation?
Replies: 21
Views: 2720

Re: is there a conspiracy to understate inflation?

fishnskiguy wrote:Hey folks,
I'm pretty sure that chained CPI has not been incorporated in any program or pension yet. I'm pretty sure that chained CPI has not been incorporated in any program or pension yet. [OT comments removed by admin LadyGeek]

Chris
[OT comments removed by admin LadyGeek]
by allsop
Tue Dec 24, 2013 2:31 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: is there a conspiracy to understate inflation?
Replies: 21
Views: 2720

Re: is there a conspiracy to understate inflation?

For those of you who actually shop have you noticed that while the price you pay for groceries is not increasing the quantities are now less. For example, a bag of sugar is now 4 lbs instead of 5. Same price but 20% less. Half gallon of orange juice contains 59 oz and a gallon of detergent is now 120 oz. So while the prices are the same you are getting a lower quantity for the same price which is the same as a price increase. The changes to the CPI-U calculation were exactly because it was "overstating" inflation. Corrections would then result in a lower "correct rate". What is the problem there. Of course prices are increasing, there is after all inflation no matter how low. We all understand the compounding inherent i...
by allsop
Tue Dec 24, 2013 1:58 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: is there a conspiracy to understate inflation?
Replies: 21
Views: 2720

Re: is there a conspiracy to understate inflation?

History is replete with inflation caused by governments. When money dies is a nice book. http://www.amazon.com/When-Money-Dies-Devaluation-Hyperinflation/dp/1586489941 The current Germans referred to our recovery policy as "clueless" quite recently. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/clueless-ndash-the-german-verdict-on-us-policy-for-recovery-2126766.html Sure, previously, inflation was "overstated" and now its "correct", with each revision that brings it downward. Its a valid point of view. As is the US, and is the German, even though they are opposite. So now, sure, all the revisions make inflation lower, than previous, and this is deemed "correct". I would deem it interesting. Regardl...
by allsop
Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What do early retirees actually do in Florida?
Replies: 238
Views: 22541

Re: What do early retirees actually do in Florida?

My impression from reading blogs and forum post about early retirement is that they want economic "independence" (that is, not a salaried job). But when they achieve that they do not know what to spend their "independence" on, but XXX sound great.

Of course I'm sort of very, very, very slightly exhuming early retirement, so bear with me, in the stock sense, or nonsense.
by allsop
Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Will an attached iphone drain a car's battery?
Replies: 13
Views: 2426

Re: Will an attached iphone drain a car's battery?

RooseveltG wrote:My car has an ipod connector in the glove compartment that remains powered on even when the car is turned off. I recently attached an old iphone 3 to use as an ipod and I want to leave it in the glovebox. Does anyone know if this will drain the car's battery?

Thanks in advance.

Roosevelt.
You did not write in which temperature conditions you do this, and in a cold climate I would not recharge.
by allsop
Sat Aug 03, 2013 12:53 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The "Lost Decade" and Long-Term Real Stock Returns
Replies: 39
Views: 7858

Re: The "Lost Decade" and Long-Term Real Stock Returns

allsop wrote:
Call_Me_Op wrote:
allsop wrote: Nisi's point is very reasonable as there is significant risk in investing in equity. We have expected returns not guaranteed ones, but even on this forum there seems to be some confusion.
Well, this forum is not monolithic. It consists of investors with many different experience and knowledge levels. So it should not be surprising that some of the newbies do not yet understand the basics. But relative to the public at large, in aggregate this is a very educated forum.
[OT comment removed by admin LadyGeek]
Thank you for your even-handed moderation of my post.
by allsop
Sat Aug 03, 2013 11:31 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The "Lost Decade" and Long-Term Real Stock Returns
Replies: 39
Views: 7858

Re: The "Lost Decade" and Long-Term Real Stock Returns

Call_Me_Op wrote:
allsop wrote: Nisi's point is very reasonable as there is significant risk in investing in equity. We have expected returns not guaranteed ones, but even on this forum there seems to be some confusion.
Well, this forum is not monolithic. It consists of investors with many different experience and knowledge levels. So it should not be surprising that some of the newbies do not yet understand the basics. But relative to the public at large, in aggregate this is a very educated forum.
[OT comment removed by admin LadyGeek]
by allsop
Sat Aug 03, 2013 11:08 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The "Lost Decade" and Long-Term Real Stock Returns
Replies: 39
Views: 7858

Re: The "Lost Decade" and Long-Term Real Stock Returns

The global stock market has indeed averaged 5% real total returns over its history — but there have been many historical 30-year periods when its real total returns were only 2%-4% annualized... A decade of returns, "lost" or not, is irrelevant over the lifetime of the average investor... The last decade may have had 0% real total returns, but the 30-year period including the last decade returned over 7% annualized. A new narrative for your consideration. Ah, well, I am sure we are both convinced that narratives are poison. And that the only thing worse than narratives are slogans ("lost decade," "interest rates can only go up," "stocks always win over any 30-year period," etc. etc.) I guess my only ...
by allsop
Fri Aug 02, 2013 11:49 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on "Rich Habits"
Replies: 28
Views: 12854

Re: Question on "Rich Habits"

Many wealthy are wealthy because they have taken great risks that payed off but there are many for which the risk showed up.

There is also a huge amount of luck involved but the lucky ones are "skilled" while the others are "unlucky" :shock:
by allsop
Wed Jul 31, 2013 12:44 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [Poll] How Much Will Investment Fees Reduce Your End Wealth?
Replies: 45
Views: 4520

Re: [Poll] How Much Will Investment Fees Reduce Your End Wea

The poll have many implied assumptions, not the least that not all bogleheads are US based investors nor that several (many?) US based bogleheads have taxable accounts.
by allsop
Wed Jul 03, 2013 11:39 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 1929 Crash being a Boglehead?
Replies: 74
Views: 9619

Re: 1929 Crash being a Boglehead?

A strange question.
by allsop
Wed Jul 03, 2013 11:12 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Foreign stocks as a % of your stock asset allocation
Replies: 61
Views: 10556

Re: Foreign stocks as a % of your stock asset allocation

Swedish investor:

3% Swedish stocks
97% Foreign
by allsop
Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:56 am
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Boglehead in Europe/Netherlands
Replies: 20
Views: 6407

Re: Boglehead in Europe/Netherlands

Are there any other European Bogleheads frequenting this forum? What are your considerations or thoughts about currency risk and asset allocation? What ETF's are you using? Do they accumulate dividends? What are their TER's? Are you doing anything to counter Euro inflation? :beer There is, you know, a large part of EU that is not part of the Euro zone nor pegged to Euro, having floating exchange rates.... I am a Swedish based investor in an EU country that is a small country but not a member of Euro zone, thank God. A BH in Sweden can find low cost funds with TER less than 0.3 covering essentially large cap blend (S&P 500, ACWI, etc) but tilting to a reasonable small cap (or value) is not there yet. Most of my fixed income is in insure...
by allsop
Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:55 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Folks' willingness to accept risk
Replies: 14
Views: 2755

Re: Folks' willingness to accept risk

dm200 wrote: BUT - each and every person or organization that chose to purchase things like the GNMA fund at Vanguard agreed, before making the investment, to have read the Prospectus, which explains the risks. In my opinion, what has happened was within the risks described in the Prospectus.
<tongue in cheek> You mean, why are not everyone a Boglehead reading the Prospectus in detail and requesting the SAID while clearly understanding all the risks, thus eliminating the very need for this forum? To a Boglehead the terms of a CD, like early withdrawal, are clearly understandable, as recent threads indicate. Why can't the rest of the world be like us?
by allsop
Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:40 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What the blank is going on with bonds?
Replies: 36
Views: 5199

Re: What the blank is going on with bonds?

Calm Man wrote:But we now have a weird situation where "everybody" is saying rates will keep going up and they do keep going up. Every day.
Since the beginning of the Lesser Depression many, very many, have claimed that interest rates will rise and, if not hyperinflation, very high inflation.

They have all been very, very wrong, not that they will admit it, ever. Doubling down is more like it.

I myself was not immune to this and avoided bond funds, but on the other had I live in Sweden and FDIC insured CD's have a positive after inflation and tax a positive yield. Lucky me.
by allsop
Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:19 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: How is the price of an ETF determined?
Replies: 5
Views: 628

Re: How is the price of an ETF determined?

The price for an ETF is just like for any traded stock. To determine if the price is good value there is Intraday Indicative Value to look at, and the ETF have their own IV ticker. "Approved participants" can issue new ETF shares under certain rules. From http://www.amex.com/etf/Glossary/Gloss.htm: "Intraday Indicative Value (IIV): An Intraday Indicative Value is published by NYSE Alternext US for each ETF as a reference value to be used in conjunction with other ETF market information. The Intraday Indicative Value for an ETF is typically published under a separate symbol every 15 seconds over the Consolidated Tape and calculated throughout the trading day based on the last sale prices of the securities specified for creatio...
by allsop
Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Emergency Fund for Single Income Household
Replies: 17
Views: 2564

Re: Emergency Fund for Single Income Household

Having a baby and you exiting the paid workforce could be quite a strain on the personal finances. As I understand, you are currently renting, so why not continue renting for a while after the baby is born so that you can more properly assess your expenses? Also, when renting it is much easier to move if the sole income earner loses his/her employment, and when the child is very small it is much less of an issue to move for the child's sake. What's the deal with this forum & people giving unsolicited advice? Please, just once, let's stick to the question. [Snarky comment removed by admin LadyGeek] You might have noticed that sometimes "unsolicited" advice is given as a reminder that your assumptions are 1) not valid, 2) incom...
by allsop
Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:13 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Emergency Fund for Single Income Household
Replies: 17
Views: 2564

Re: Emergency Fund for Single Income Household

Having a baby and you exiting the paid workforce could be quite a strain on the personal finances.

As I understand, you are currently renting, so why not continue renting for a while after the baby is born so that you can more properly assess your expenses?

Also, when renting it is much easier to move if the sole income earner loses his/her employment, and when the child is very small it is much less of an issue to move for the child's sake.
by allsop
Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:01 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bogle: Too Much In Bonds
Replies: 115
Views: 14005

Re: Bogle: Too Much In Bonds

Call_Me_Op wrote:
HomerJ wrote: SS, even after the trust fund is paid out, will still be able to pay at 75% even with zero changes from Congress. Counting on 100% may be imprudent, but using 0% is even more silly in my opinion...
What's silly about having lots of extra money you didn't count on when you are in your 60's?
It is silly from a planning point of view given what is known about SS.
by allsop
Fri Jun 07, 2013 7:14 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: European/Swedish investor - Help with a lazy portfolio
Replies: 8
Views: 2181

Re: European/Swedish investor - Help with a lazy portfolio

hafius500 wrote: According to the Swedish website of Vanguard several ETFs have been registered in Sweden although they may not been tradable in Sweden.
Other ETF companies, like iShares Sweden, may be an alternative option.

I can't read the Swedish iShares website, but, to my knowledge, iShares does not offer "true" European small-cap funds, and the only value-tilted fund is the Euro large-cap value fund. If you want to "tilt", your options are limited.
Available small-cap mutual funds are expensive and I do not invest in them.
by allsop
Fri Jun 07, 2013 6:54 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: European/Swedish investor - Help with a lazy portfolio
Replies: 8
Views: 2181

Re: European/Swedish investor - Help with a lazy portfolio

tna wrote:Lets not forget the emerging markets! I thought I was exposed to these with the global fund. Right now Im leaning towards something like the following:

65% SPP Global. Tracking Msci world. 0% fee.
20% AVANZA ZERO. Tracking SIX30RX, the 30 largest companies in the Stockholm exchange. 0% fee.
10-15% SPP emergin sri. Tracking msci world emerging. 0, 95% fee. I sadly can't find anything cheaper.
The SPP Aktiefond Global (ER 0.3%, not 0%, sadly) tracks MSCI AC World Net Return that includes emerging markets (about 10%) so no need for the SPP EM fund, unless you want to overweight EM.
by allsop
Fri Jun 07, 2013 12:41 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: European/Swedish investor - Help with a lazy portfolio
Replies: 8
Views: 2181

Re: European/Swedish investor - Help with a lazy portfolio

Welcome to the forum! I'm living in Sweden as well and over the last few years there have been a marked improvement in offering index funds with ER of 0.4% and lower. You can use SPP Aktiefond Global (ER 0.3%) that is a no-load index fund that follows the broader MSCI AC World as of this year as a replacement for Danske Invest Global Index. The fund is available on Avanza, Nordnet or directly from SPP Fonder (www.spp.se). Most of my fixed income is in taxable account and I use FDIC insured CD's (Swedish: fasträntekonto med insättningsgaranti) ranging from 1 to 3 years as the rates are very good now (around 3%) with inflation around 1%. This site is useful for finding good offers: http://www.compricer.se/sparande/ Both AMF and SPP have money...
by allsop
Mon Jun 03, 2013 12:54 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Are Bogleheads reducing duration of bond holdings?
Replies: 15
Views: 3557

Re: ARE BOGLEHEADS REDUCING DURATION OF BOND HOLDINGS?

As a Swedish investor most of my fixed income is in taxable and invested in the Swedish equivalent of FDIC insured CD's with an after-tax real rate of about 1.7% (currently) I have various 1, 2 and 3 years CD's.

A two-year Swedish GB have a yield of 1.0% while a five-year have 1.3%

Below is link to a graph of CPI/CPIF/CPIX for Sweden since 2006: http://www.scb.se/Pages/TableAndChart____284172.aspx

Note that the CPI includes home-owners mortgage interest changes while CPIF keeps the mortgage interest fixed.
by allsop
Sat Jun 01, 2013 7:27 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "My guy always beats the market"
Replies: 20
Views: 2900

Re: "My guy always beats the market"

We've all heard people say this while we try our best not to roll our eyes and hold our lips tight. I heard a coworker say this about their Edward Jones adviser and had visions of him throwing 5% of his money into a burning trash can every time he makes a deposit. It prompted me to wonder how many people think they or their advisers "always beat the market" but I couldn't find any good articles or research. Does anyone know of any? Is the "adviser" beating the market before or after dividends? Even the most inept manager can beat that. A few years ago several Swedish banks that have a major part of the mutual fund business used indices ex dividends as their benchmarks and after a "PBS" report highlighting this...
by allsop
Fri May 31, 2013 12:32 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "My guy always beats the market"
Replies: 20
Views: 2900

Re: "My guy always beats the market"

We've all heard people say this while we try our best not to roll our eyes and hold our lips tight. I heard a coworker say this about their Edward Jones adviser and had visions of him throwing 5% of his money into a burning trash can every time he makes a deposit. It prompted me to wonder how many people think they or their advisers "always beat the market" but I couldn't find any good articles or research. Does anyone know of any? Is the "adviser" beating the market before or after dividends? Even the most inept manager can beat that. A few years ago several Swedish banks that have a major part of the mutual fund business used indices ex dividends as their benchmarks and after a "PBS" report highlighting this...
by allsop
Mon May 27, 2013 1:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: how much to invest??
Replies: 5
Views: 1183

Re: how much to invest??

Welcome to the forum!

It would be very helpful if you could give more information about your 401(k) and the following post is very good: http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... f=1&t=6212

I might add that you can edit your first post so that is more easy for us to follow later on.

The amount to save for retirement is an active field of research, and Wade Pfau have a interesting very view on this: http://wpfau.blogspot.se/2011/02/safe-s ... ch-to.html

There is very much scaremongering about SS, mostly for political and finance business reasons, so my advice is to ignore it. You might get a 25% haircut unless [self censor] is increased by 1%.

The most important thing is how much you save.
by allsop
Mon May 27, 2013 11:58 am
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Vanguard and Norway
Replies: 15
Views: 4605

Re: Vanguard and Norway

www.SPP.se, owned by Storebrand, offers several no-load passive mutual funds with low costs.

The SPP passive funds for Europe, Japan and Global now have much broader indices to follow and have TER in the range of 0.2% to 0.3%

The above assumes that you can buy them from Norway without fees when using Norwegian Krone.
by allsop
Sat May 25, 2013 11:02 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How Have You Been Greedy?
Replies: 28
Views: 2768

Re: How Have You Been Greedy?

^ Boglehead?
by allsop
Wed May 15, 2013 12:34 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Got Engaged, Now to Plan (Portfolio Review)
Replies: 22
Views: 1901

Re: Got Engaged, Now to Plan (Portfolio Review)

Congratulations with your engagement!

That said, you there is a significant difference between being married or not, as well as cohabitation, and that varies between the states depending and countries.

You really should verify the laws of inheritance, etc, in case one of you die, especially if children is involved.
by allsop
Tue May 14, 2013 3:51 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why don't people use the Permanent Portfolio?
Replies: 158
Views: 22703

Re: Why don't people use the Permanent Portfolio?

Rodc wrote:I'm not really interested in a contest as to who is the most skeptical. You can win. :)
You are taking all the fun out of this :)
by allsop
Tue May 14, 2013 1:44 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why don't people use the Permanent Portfolio?
Replies: 158
Views: 22703

Re: Why don't people use the Permanent Portfolio?

90 years of data gives all of three 30-year data points. Rolling periods may give more numbers, good for making pretty scatter plots, but all of them are just remixes of three honestly independent data points (at best, as the the second is dependent on the particular history that led to point one, and point three is dependent on the particular history that led to points one and two, so even here they are not really independent). Why do you think those three data points are independent? Over-lapping periods share data: thus they are dependent by definition. Non-overlapping periods do not share data, thus could be independent (are given some simplifying assumptions that probably are not quite true in the real world, see parenthetical comment...
by allsop
Tue May 14, 2013 12:19 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why don't people use the Permanent Portfolio?
Replies: 158
Views: 22703

Re: Why don't people use the Permanent Portfolio?

craigr wrote: Gold handles political risk and currency risk.
Depends what you means with "handles".
by allsop
Tue May 14, 2013 12:14 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why don't people use the Permanent Portfolio?
Replies: 158
Views: 22703

Re: Why don't people use the Permanent Portfolio?

Rodc wrote: 90 years of data gives all of three 30-year data points. Rolling periods may give more numbers, good for making pretty scatter plots, but all of them are just remixes of three honestly independent data points (at best, as the the second is dependent on the particular history that led to point one, and point three is dependent on the particular history that led to points one and two, so even here they are not really independent).
Why do you think those three data points are independent?
by allsop
Mon May 13, 2013 12:44 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Past Performance
Replies: 60
Views: 4577

Re: Past Performance

The first chapter (No Guts, No Glory) of W. Bernstein's "The Four Pillars of Investing" is about historical financial risks and returns spanning thousands of years where one of the author's intentions was to give the reader an idea what is reasonably to expect in real return of an investment. Given that the book was published in 2002 one purpose was to lower the readers expectations of returns going forward.

So, I have indeed looked at past performance when investing, and so have many others.
by allsop
Sun May 12, 2013 11:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Spending after exhausting emergency fund
Replies: 6
Views: 900

Re: Spending after exhausting emergency fund

To add to the above you can withdraw contributions from a ROTH with no penalty, thus the often given advice to fund a ROTH before a taxable EF.
by allsop
Fri May 10, 2013 2:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How Much Did You Spend on Your Engagement Ring??
Replies: 289
Views: 41421

Re: How Much Did You Spend on Your Engagement Ring??

So, Debeers concocted and perpetuated a widespread marketing campaign that the masses willingly bought into? Amazing. I have been in the wrong business. BFG What business are you in? DeBeers is unique only because they pulled it off single-handedly, by virtue of monopoly. But there are few businesses that don't participate in the biggest "dupe" of all, to use a term suggested earlier in this thread. "Being a nation of manufacturers, industrialists and shopkeepers, it was not long before Victorians realised that Christmas, with its emphasis on generosity and hospitality, could be exploited for commercial possibilities. By the turn of the century, festivities commenced when the shopping season began." http://www.historyex...
by allsop
Wed May 08, 2013 11:09 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Do you adjust your AA based on valuations?
Replies: 94
Views: 9683

Re: Do you adjust your AA based on valuations?

^I have as well and more than one long time BH poster did so during the depth of the financial crisis.

For me as a Swedish based investor the Krona was really hammered, or so I thought, and new investments was in Swedish equity funds along with paying down all debts.

Now the Swedish stock "overweight" is gone and I made a profit. However, it was a bet on the Krona not being valued correctly, and this time I _guessed_ correctly.
by allsop
Wed May 08, 2013 10:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How Much Did You Spend on Your Engagement Ring??
Replies: 289
Views: 41421

Re: How Much Did You Spend on Your Engagement Ring??

market timer wrote:
LFKB wrote:Both of us earn a very good salary so if I applied the 1/3 of yearly salary "rule" (which seems to high anyways) I would be buying an astronomically priced ring. What is a reasonable amount for a high income earner?
We bought what I thought was an astronomically priced ring. I gave my wife 1/3 of my pre-tax salary in cash and let her decide how much ring to buy. The rest went to earrings. She looked beautiful wearing them.
A wedding is a very special occasion, and I'm sure that she would look beautiful whatever ring(s) she had put on her fingers, ears or nose when you married her.

Congratulations!
by allsop
Tue May 07, 2013 12:31 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Help w/ investing in Taxable accounts [US citizen in Sweden]
Replies: 20
Views: 2403

Re: Help w/ investing in Taxable accounts [US citizen in Swe

As an US citizen it might be difficult to open any account at all in Sweden due to recent US laws.

For equity mutual funds SPP (www.spp.se) have passively managed equity mutual funds for USA, Europe, Japan, Sweden and Global with TER in range of 0.21% to 0.31%. Recently the Europe, Japan and Global fund follows much more broad indices.

For fixed income in taxable I use "CD" (fasträntekonto) with the equivalent of US FDIC insurance. www.compricer.se have lists of those that are pretty good.
by allsop
Mon May 06, 2013 10:33 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Negative interest rates in Europe coming?
Replies: 5
Views: 1496

Re: Negative interest rates in Europe coming?

Denmark (EU member with Danish Krone pegged to the Euro) currently have a negative interest rate around 0.1% for the 2 years government bonds, and have been around zero for a least a year.

Apparently this is cheaper than have the money in cash :twisted:

Let me add that Europe is bigger than the Euro zone, just saying...
by allsop
Sat May 04, 2013 11:19 am
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: European pension allocation
Replies: 5
Views: 766

Re: European pension allocation

100% bonds for pension with withdrawal many years ahead is very conservative, even for most BHs, as you describe your situation.

Edit: So while Bogleheads principles are very useful they need to be adapted for non-US based investors, and taxation is the one factor you must take into account as this is the basis of part the order of BH principles as well as common advices given here in this forum with a US-based investor in mind.
by allsop
Sat May 04, 2013 9:42 am
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: European pension allocation
Replies: 5
Views: 766

Re: European pension allocation

Went to your first thread, which I should have done in the first place....

The "pension fund" you refer to reminds me of similar funds in Sweden where each investment is guaranteed a minimum return but in addition have a variable return that in some circumstances can be taken back. This allows the "pension fund" to have stocks in the portfolio, within local regulations, so they are not 100% in bond unless they are in a very bad shape. Is this the case for your "pension fund" as well? The "pension fund's" yearly report should tell how much bonds they are holding.

A common problem, at least in Sweden, is that there are very high costs with transferring assets from them.
by allsop
Sat May 04, 2013 8:55 am
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: European pension allocation
Replies: 5
Views: 766

Re: European pension allocation

Too bad that you cannot contribute much the global index fund, which seems to be the cheapest option. Going from 100% bonds to less than 30% is a pretty big jump, but on the other hand this only for the 30% of your portfolio not in the pension part. I assume that you are a Dutch based investor, after googling on the funds, and the various prospectus will give you more information about the investment style of the funds listed which is just as important as the funds as TER. Start with the Factsheet that by EU regulation is not supposed contain marketing. My Dutch is pretty poor but the world fund have following link to documents that you might already know: http://www.morningstar.nl/nl/funds/snapshot/snapshot.aspx?id=F0GBR04B1Z&tab=12 Fr...
by allsop
Fri May 03, 2013 11:52 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Don't want to TLH. Is this a bad idea? [Tax Loss Harvest]
Replies: 38
Views: 3559

Re: Don't want to TLH. Is this a bad idea?

assumer wrote:There's also the $3000 deduction on your income tax from tlh which rolls over year after year.
Ah, this was the deduction I was thinking of.

Using "TLH" to get our from an unwanted investment is great, though.