How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Discuss all general (i.e. non-personal) investing questions and issues, investing news, and theory.

How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

0
26
10%
1
25
9%
2
56
21%
3
42
16%
4
31
12%
5+
87
33%
 
Total votes: 267

Topic Author
traveler90
Posts: 206
Joined: Wed Nov 13, 2013 2:46 pm

How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by traveler90 »

IF you own individual stocks, do not count those. Only mutual funds/etfs here.

And, do you hold funds in taxable that you also hold in tax-advantaged accounts?

Thanks.
Grt2bOutdoors
Posts: 25625
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:20 pm
Location: New York

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by Grt2bOutdoors »

5+ - I slice and dice in addition to holding tax efficient broad based indexed funds.

Yes and no, I hold broad based indexed funds in and outside of taxable accounts. I hold tax inefficient funds and tax-efficient broad based index funds in tax deferred vehicles.
"One should invest based on their need, ability and willingness to take risk - Larry Swedroe" Asking Portfolio Questions
User avatar
Clever_Username
Posts: 1915
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:24 am
Location: Southern California

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by Clever_Username »

Three, not including a MM fund that occasionally has money in it.

VTIAX -- 100% of my international stock is in taxable

VTSAX -- all of my tax-treatment types have domestic stock in them.

VCAIX -- a bond fund I'm using to "make car payments" -- my car's paid off, and I pay $250/month into this towards my next car. Now that I know about the differences between average cost and specific ID of shares, I might change the frequency of the payments, or writing a check when I'm ready for the car might be a hassle.
"What was true then is true now. Have a plan. Stick to it." -- XXXX, _Layer Cake_ | | I survived my first downturn and all I got was this signature line.
feh
Posts: 2011
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:39 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by feh »

total US market
total ex-US market
US small value
ex-US small
livesoft
Posts: 86075
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:00 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by livesoft »

When we started investing in taxable (early 1980's) all the popular tax-efficient funds did not exist. 2008-2009 allowed us to clean up the portfolio somewhat and reduce the number of funds required. Nevertheless, we have continued to tax-loss harvest along the way, so for a given asset class, we may have 2 funds. Or maybe we will have more funds because a new product came out. It hasn't been too long since VSS came into being and since the all-world ex-US funds have encompassed all-caps instead of just large-caps.

In the meantime, we remain "trapped" by large unrealized cap gains in some funds that we would not purchase more shares of today.

And yes, some of the funds in taxable are also held in tax-advantaged.
Wiki This signature message sponsored by sscritic: Learn to fish.
User avatar
cheese_breath
Posts: 11786
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:08 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by cheese_breath »

Two in taxable, Vanguard Total Stock Market and S&P 500 indexes. So when I take tax free capital gains out of one (I'm in 15% bracket) I can immediately invest them in the other and bypass frequent trading policy.
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
User avatar
SHL
Posts: 163
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:53 pm
Location: Nashville, TN

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by SHL »

Three in taxable, all Vanguard: total stock index, total international stock index, and intermediate tax-exempt.
Stephen
DieselEngineer
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 12:48 am
Location: NH

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by DieselEngineer »

I have 2. All of my international holdings in Vanguard's Total International, the remainder in Total Stock. My tax advantaged have Total Stock, F, and G. F and G are my bond holdings. Any remaining space in that tax advantaged account beyond my desired bond AA is C fund, an S&P 500 index.
Went from 14 funds to 4 Funds - TSM, TISM, F, and G!
placeholder
Posts: 8421
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 12:43 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by placeholder »

Eight ETFs as a result of slice and dice and tax loss harvesting.
minesweep
Posts: 1670
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:17 pm
Location: 27,000 light years from the Galactic Center of the Milky Way Galaxy (the suburbs)

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by minesweep »

Excluding Prime Money Market (dividends and capital gains go here)

Total Stock Market Index Admiral
Tax-Managed Int’l Stock Fund
Emerging Markets Stock Index Admiral
Capital Opportunity Admiral
PA L-T Tax-Exempt

Mike
Time is your friend; impulse is your enemy - John Bogle | Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others, it's cheaper! - John Bogle
User avatar
LAlearning
Posts: 1365
Joined: Wed May 09, 2012 12:26 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by LAlearning »

Total Intl
Total US
Interm TE
I know nothing!
User avatar
Doc
Posts: 10607
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2007 12:10 pm
Location: Two left turns from Larry

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by Doc »

Hmmn ...

In the poll the biggest number is the 5+ group but the people that are posting are all in the <= 5 groups. I wonder why.

Perhaps all of us with the 5+ are too busy keeping track to have time to post.
A scientist looks for THE answer to a problem, an engineer looks for AN answer and lawyers ONLY have opinions. Investing is not a science.
User avatar
Peter Foley
Posts: 5533
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 9:34 am
Location: Lake Wobegon

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by Peter Foley »

I voted 1 based on the use of the word "funds". I own only Total Stock Market in taxable. I do also have a few I-Bonds, two inherited EE bonds, and a commercial rental property.
Topic Author
traveler90
Posts: 206
Joined: Wed Nov 13, 2013 2:46 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by traveler90 »

I'm surprised no one has said they own Total Bond Market in taxable. I would have guessed that was a popular one. Seems many people are choosing tax-exempt bond funds instead.
User avatar
NAVigator
Posts: 2545
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:24 am
Location: Iowa

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by NAVigator »

Two; Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTIAX) and Vanguard Total International Stock Market (VGTSX).

Jerry
Last edited by NAVigator on Wed Mar 05, 2014 2:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"I was born with nothing and I have most of it left."
User avatar
RyeWhiskey
Posts: 864
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:04 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by RyeWhiskey »

None: I'm poor enough to be able to max my Roth and HSA and call it a day for retirement contributions. :beer
This post was brought to you by Vanguard Total World Stock Index (VTWSX/VT).
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by sscritic »

Six including MM.
No.
JV
Posts: 216
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2009 11:10 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by JV »

One (Prime MM) for a small emergency fund. I'm in the process of maxing tax-deferred and paying my mortgage by 2015 or 2016, so taxable investing is not in the cards for me right now. I was thinking about starting taxable early, but decided against it. When the home is paid, then I'll probably start with one additional fund: VG Tax-Managed Balanced (or I may add two: VG Total Stock and NY LT Bond).
User avatar
FrugalInvestor
Posts: 6214
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:20 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by FrugalInvestor »

I voted two, forgetting that we also have a money market account which is just there for temporary storage - so we actually have three.

The two primary funds within our taxable are Vanguard Total Stock Market Index and Total International Stock Market Index. We do not hold these funds in tax exempt although depending up on our spending and market performance that could eventually happen in order to maintain our desired asset allocation.

At this point in early retirement we are spending only from our taxable accounts.
Have a plan, stay the course and simplify. Then ignore the noise!
BuckyBadger
Posts: 1221
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2011 11:28 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by BuckyBadger »

traveler90 wrote:I'm surprised no one has said they own Total Bond Market in taxable. I would have guessed that was a popular one. Seems many people are choosing tax-exempt bond funds instead.
Wouldn't you only need bonds in taxable if you had already filled your tax-advantaged funds with bonds? I always followed the rule to keep bonds OUT of taxable if at all possible.

I have one fund in taxable - Total International Stock. As my funds increase, I forsee possibly having to add Total US Stock in taxable, but we have a lot of tax advantaged space, so we're able to keep most of our money in that rather than in taxable.

We only have 3 funds to begin with, anyway, and I don't tax loss harvest, so no additional funds from that.
User avatar
avenger
Posts: 963
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2013 11:11 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by avenger »

traveler90 wrote:IF you own individual stocks, do not count those. Only mutual funds/etfs here.

And, do you hold funds in taxable that you also hold in tax-advantaged accounts?

Thanks.
2. VTIAX, VTSAX

I only hold international in taxable. Roth is all VTSAX, 457 is index domestic equities and FI.
cheers ... -Mark | "Our life is frittered away with detail. Simplify. Simplify." -Henry David Thoreau | [VTI, VXUS, BND, VTEB, SV fund]
User avatar
rob
Posts: 5247
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:49 pm
Location: Here

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by rob »

Depends on purpose (I said 5+)....

For retirement - it's the 3 TM funds (Cap App, Int & Small) but also have regular small cap idx from some tax loss harvesting some time ago where I was not able to get back to the TM fund due to gains.

For college - I use total mkt index only.

Zero bond funds in taxable - that makes no sense and I have not so far not needed Muni's, but prime MM and tax free MM (I should close prime I guess but I have cheques for it, so keep it open as I might flip back to it one day from the Tax free MM).
| Rob | Its a dangerous business going out your front door. - J.R.R.Tolkien
IlliniDave
Posts: 2388
Joined: Fri May 17, 2013 7:09 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by IlliniDave »

There is one fund I have in common between taxable and tax-deferred, VG Total Stock Market Index (Admiral in taxable, Institutional in 401k).
Don't do something. Just stand there!
xrw1
Posts: 75
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:24 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by xrw1 »

2 funds in taxable

Vanguard Total International VGTSX and Vangaurd Total Stock Market VTSMX
2beachcombers
Posts: 672
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 5:10 pm
Location: Savannah

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by 2beachcombers »

fstvx, spartan total mkt(er-6bp)
fusvx, spartan S&P(er-5bp)
fsivx, spartan international(er-12bp)
fpmax, spartan emerging(er-20bp)

Reits, bonds,( value, small--US and int each) in deferred

jerry
User avatar
Dale_G
Posts: 3466
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 4:43 pm
Location: Central Florida - on the grown up side of 85

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by Dale_G »

I have 10 funds in taxable, but all is not what it seems.

Total Stock Market and Total international make up the bulk of the taxable account.

But due to tax loss harvesting, we also own:

VV (Large Cap ETF) + VTMSX (Tax Managed Small Cap) in proportion to = Total Stock Market

VEU (FTSE All World ex-US) + VEA (Developed Market Int'l ETF) + VSS (Small Int'l ETF) + VWO (Emerging Market ETF) in proportions to = Total International.

In addition, we have both Intermediate and Long Term Municipal bonds. From the practical standpoint, we own Total Stock Market and Total Int'l + the muni funds.

Except for the Muni's and and VWO, everything is big on capital gains. If we every have a really deep crash, I'll be able to do some consolidation. In the meantime, it is little effort to manage the accounts. Dividends go to the Money Market account (not counted above) and then are directed to wherever needed.
Volatility is my friend
User avatar
mickeyd
Posts: 4898
Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:19 pm
Location: Deep in the Heart of South Texas

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by mickeyd »

Just TSM and S/T Bond. Keeping it as simple as I can.
Part-Owner of Texas | | “The CMH-the Cost Matters Hypothesis -is all that is needed to explain why indexing must and will work… Yes, it is that simple.” John C. Bogle
User avatar
Toons
Posts: 14467
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 9:20 am
Location: Hills of Tennessee

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by Toons »

10 :happy
"One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity" –Bruce Lee
jbk
Posts: 309
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:56 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by jbk »

Doc wrote:Hmmn ...

In the poll the biggest number is the 5+ group but the people that are posting are all in the <= 5 groups. I wonder why.

Perhaps all of us with the 5+ are too busy keeping track to have time to post.
I've noticed this about several of the Boglehead polls. The vote goes one way and the comments go another. We're a tough group to figure out.
User avatar
Tycoon
Posts: 1630
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 7:06 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by Tycoon »

Three:
VPMAX
VFIJX
VMMXX
Emotionless, prognostication free investing. Ignoring the noise and economists since 1979. Getting rich off of "smart people's" behavioral mistakes.
User avatar
pennstater2005
Posts: 2509
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:50 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by pennstater2005 »

0.
I still don't max out the tax advantaged accounts. A Roth, traditional, and simple gives me plenty of space to try and max someday.
“If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.” – Earl Wilson
User avatar
iceport
Posts: 6054
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:29 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by iceport »

Just two:

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index (VTSAX)
Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index (VEMAX)

I do not hold these funds or anything similar anywhere else.

--Peter
"Discipline matters more than allocation.” |—| "In finance, if you’re certain of anything, you’re out of your mind." ─William Bernstein
User avatar
abuss368
Posts: 27850
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: Where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players!
Contact:

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by abuss368 »

SHL wrote:Three in taxable, all Vanguard: total stock index, total international stock index, and intermediate tax-exempt.
This is an excellent taxable account portfolio.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
User avatar
abuss368
Posts: 27850
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: Where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players!
Contact:

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by abuss368 »

I do like the Three Fund Portfolio for taxable accounts:

* Total Stock Index
* Total International Index
* Intermediate Term Tax Exempt

I have family in this exact portfolio and it has worked well.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
livesoft
Posts: 86075
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:00 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by livesoft »

jbk wrote:
Doc wrote:Hmmn ...

In the poll the biggest number is the 5+ group but the people that are posting are all in the <= 5 groups. I wonder why.

Perhaps all of us with the 5+ are too busy keeping track to have time to post.
I've noticed this about several of the Boglehead polls. The vote goes one way and the comments go another. We're a tough group to figure out.
These are funny posts because at the time of Doc post it was the 11th response and 4 of the 11 were in the >=5 group more than consistent with the poll. And now with about 33 posts, there should be about 10 folks who have >=5 funds and there are 8 have posted as >=5 if I have counted right. So well within the margin of expectations.
Wiki This signature message sponsored by sscritic: Learn to fish.
User avatar
Ged
Posts: 3945
Joined: Mon May 13, 2013 1:48 pm
Location: Roke

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by Ged »

One, VT.

I do not hold this in tax deferred.
poker27
Posts: 1149
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 2:48 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by poker27 »

Im slowly going down to three (total US, total international, and tax exempt bond). I'm in the process of slowly selling my posistions in Wellington, and have to figure out how I will get rid of my dividend fund
BanditKing
Posts: 631
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2013 11:11 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by BanditKing »

Total International, Total Stock, and Intermediate Municipal Bond funds, plus the MM sweep. However, I'm thinking of moving most of my bonds out of tax-advantaged into taxable and more stocks into tax-advantaged (based on recent article on White-coat Investor).
User avatar
abuss368
Posts: 27850
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: Where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players!
Contact:

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by abuss368 »

Two things are becoming obvious to me:

1) A lot of the responses are noting a taxable "Three Fund Portfolio" with Total Stock Index, Total International Index, and Intermediate Term Tax Exempt bonds.

2) The poll results thus far in terms of the 2 and 3 funds is 37% and greater than the 5+ funds.

Very interesting thread.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
placeholder
Posts: 8421
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 12:43 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by placeholder »

Doc wrote:In the poll the biggest number is the 5+ group but the people that are posting are all in the <= 5 groups. I wonder why.
Hey I'm people.
User avatar
Doc
Posts: 10607
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2007 12:10 pm
Location: Two left turns from Larry

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by Doc »

placeholder wrote:
Doc wrote:In the poll the biggest number is the 5+ group but the people that are posting are all in the <= 5 groups. I wonder why.
Hey I'm people.
OK placeholder and livesoft. I'm guilty of skimming and a little hand waving.

But I still get the impression that high number of fund people (now 41) are less represented or at least less verbose.

We have only five equity funds in taxable ignoring minor positions and counting very similar large cap blend funds as only a single fund.

We also have five short term bond funds but again in aggregate they are equivalent to a single Barcap 1-5 Gov/Credit fund.
A scientist looks for THE answer to a problem, an engineer looks for AN answer and lawyers ONLY have opinions. Investing is not a science.
FillorKill
Posts: 1007
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2011 7:01 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by FillorKill »

Doc wrote:
But I still get the impression that high number of fund people (now 41) are less represented or at least less verbose.
There isn't much to say. I have to scroll quite a bit on my VG 'balances & holdings' page (maybe 3-4 pages worth). This is a product of path dependency, time and using individual funds for tilting to SmB & HmL. Starting from scratch with cash I could clean this up considerably but the cap gains lock-up is the primary constraint.
island
Posts: 1971
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 1:45 pm

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by island »

poker27 wrote:Im slowly going down to three (total US, total international, and tax exempt bond). I'm in the process of slowly selling my posistions in Wellington, and have to figure out how I will get rid of my dividend fund
Why getting out of Wellington? To simplify, poor returns, or?
Curious because I have that in my 401K.
Thanks
Levett
Posts: 4177
Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:10 pm
Location: upper Midwest

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by Levett »

Why sell Wellington and other dividend fund over time in taxable?

Sure looks like a tax-efficient move based on what will remain.

Lev
moneyman11
Posts: 658
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:09 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by moneyman11 »

Nothing other than I Bonds in taxable.

After maxing out two 401k's, two Roth IRAs, and an HSA every year, the rest of post-expenses money went toward paying down mortgage ... and now that that is done, preparing for upcoming college costs.
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by sscritic »

Dale_G wrote: But due to tax loss harvesting, we also own:
That's part of it for me as well. I TLHed and picked up Large Cap in 2008; I later added TSM, but the cost of selling Large Cap and reaping all those gains makes no sense. I also had tax-managed international and EM before Total International thought that the world included emerging markets. I sold the TMI in 2011 to reap more losses, but kept the EM. As bad as EM has been lately, I still have gains I won't take. Those are my extra two, plus the MM, for a total of 6.
Last edited by sscritic on Thu Mar 06, 2014 11:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
abuss368
Posts: 27850
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: Where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players!
Contact:

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by abuss368 »

island wrote:
poker27 wrote:Im slowly going down to three (total US, total international, and tax exempt bond). I'm in the process of slowly selling my posistions in Wellington, and have to figure out how I will get rid of my dividend fund
Why getting out of Wellington? To simplify, poor returns, or?
Curious because I have that in my 401K.
Thanks
I am guessing that the poster has Wellington located in a taxable account.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
sscritic
Posts: 21853
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:36 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by sscritic »

I would think so, given that this thread is about taxable.
FillorKill
Posts: 1007
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2011 7:01 am

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by FillorKill »

Edit: Duplicate
Last edited by FillorKill on Thu Mar 06, 2014 11:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
CABob
Posts: 5091
Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2007 7:55 pm
Location: Southern California

Re: How Many Funds Do You Have in Taxable?

Post by CABob »

Five.
Total stock market (Also in IRA)
Money Market
Short term investment grade bond (chasing yield)
VIG
SDY
Bob
Post Reply