Is this one of those things that claims to give you stock like returns but with downside protection?
Here's an SEC Alert about them. https://www.sec.gov/oiea/investor-alert ... dannuities
Search found 330 matches
- Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:38 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Like to know the Pros and Cons of Annuity - Fixed Index Annuity
- Replies: 9
- Views: 654
- Thu Jan 21, 2021 4:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Millionaire Parents: Do Your Kids Know You're Rich?
- Replies: 194
- Views: 9782
Re: Millionaire Parents: Do Your Kids Know You're Rich?
The innate position taken by society is your children do have an implicit right to your money and you have to deliberately take action to alter that trajectory. It is reflected in the culture and hence the law. And in some cases, you can take all the actions you wish, and the courts will say you ow...
- Thu Jan 21, 2021 3:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Millionaire Parents: Do Your Kids Know You're Rich?
- Replies: 194
- Views: 9782
Re: Millionaire Parents: Do Your Kids Know You're Rich?
I don't think most people are that precise about the term at all. I think most people think of a millionaire as "someone with more than me" I respectfully disagree, I think there is a common understanding of the term millionare and it's pretty clear...someone who has more than one million...
- Wed Jan 20, 2021 11:12 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: S&P 500 index funds: not diversified enough
- Replies: 26
- Views: 3000
Re: S&P 500 index funds: not diversified enough
Here's my list of large cap US stock ETFs WITH the expense ratios added: * RDVY (First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF): 2.31% in the biggest position, 22.10% in the top ten positions, 1.86 times book value, 0.50% ER * QDIV (Global X S&P 500 Quality Dividend ETF): 1.78% in the biggest posit...
- Wed Jan 20, 2021 10:24 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: I-bonds within revocable trust, tax consequences?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 305
Re: I-bonds within revocable trust, tax consequences?
I believe this is done mostly for getting around the $10,000 limit, and perhaps also for some estate planning reasons, not for tax reasons.
- Wed Jan 20, 2021 10:18 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Sanity Check Taxes - Schedule C - Hand Made Items - Cost of goods sold? 0r non-incidental materials?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 394
Re: Sanity Check Taxes - Schedule C - Hand Made Items
Not much simpler but sounds eligible for Schedule C-EZ?Soon2BXProgrammer wrote: ↑Wed Jan 20, 2021 10:11 pm What am I missing? Is there a simpler way to do this?
Edit: whoops, look like it doesn't exist anymore.
- Wed Jan 20, 2021 4:10 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Warren Buffett's 90/10 portfolio strategy using only QQQ and cash
- Replies: 32
- Views: 1700
Re: Warren Buffett's 90/10 portfolio strategy using only QQQ and cash
QQQ doesn't seem to be a real index. What's the basis for the index construction, just being on the NASDAQ? Its construction doesn't really make much sense. Yeah, I think the idea of QQQ is to be able to track "the NASDAQ" which was hyped a lot during the dot com boom. Fun fact: a Q at th...
- Wed Jan 20, 2021 4:04 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Warren Buffett's 90/10 portfolio strategy using only QQQ and cash
- Replies: 32
- Views: 1700
Re: Warren Buffett's 90/10 portfolio strategy using only QQQ and cash
The idea of using QQQ instead of the S&P 500 seems pretty brilliant. I personally never thought about it. If America does well and the S&P 500 does well, then chances are that QQQ will outperform. Any thoughts on this strategy? QQQ means NASDAQ-100: Only stocks listed on NASDAQ are included...
- Tue Jan 19, 2021 10:51 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Need to unfreeze credit to open Fidelity account?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 763
Re: Need to unfreeze credit to open Fidelity account?
It's possible/likely the credit report check doesn't apply if you open an account by mailing in a paper form, if that's less of a hassle than unfreezing...
- Tue Jan 19, 2021 10:26 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: January 2021 ten year TIPS auction
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1514
Re: January 2021 ten year TIPS auction
I'm with you. At TIPSWatch, there is a nice discussion of this auction. The yield spread between 10-year TIPS and nominal Treasuries will price at 2.1%, suggesting that the market is expecting a slow but relentless rise in inflation over the next decade (Current inflation is running 1.4%). The over...
- Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:17 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: new Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF
- Replies: 10
- Views: 940
Re: Vanguard plans to add Ultra-Short Bond ETF to lineup
Does anyone know why they aren't adding this as an additional share class to the existing Ultra-Short Term Bond Fund mutual fund, like most of the older ETFs? The dual-class structure doesn't work because it's actively managed? Because Vanguard's patent expires in a few years? Or is there so much en...
- Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:13 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Vanguard Brokerage versus Mutual Fund Account Decision thread
- Replies: 172
- Views: 7427
Re: Vanguard Brokerage versus Mutual Fund Account Decision thread
I have a question. I want to open a Roth IRA soon for my wife at Vanguard and put her in their admiral shares mutual funds (almost have enough to meet the minimums). Do I need to know anything before opening the account about which platform to select? Will I even get an option? You won't get an opt...
- Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:03 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Buying a car out of state
- Replies: 10
- Views: 827
Re: Buying a car out of state
There is a dichotomy of states that follow California emissions rules versus federal, and I think you would run into that trying to bring in a car from out of state should you not move. Here in MD it's very common to buy a car out of state as PA and DE also follow CA emissions rules, but you still m...
- Tue Jan 19, 2021 6:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Whole Life Insurance Policy - What to do?
- Replies: 15
- Views: 984
Re: Whole Life Insurance Policy - What to do?
Hi Bogleheads, My folks got me a $50,000 Whole Life Insurance policy when I was born, with the policy paid up @ 65. Currently there is $6,955 of 'paid-up additional insurance' for a total of $56,955. In addition, there is a 'cash value', including 'value of paid-up additional insurance' worth $10,5...
- Tue Jan 19, 2021 6:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Need help: low tax-free space & taxable allocation
- Replies: 3
- Views: 190
Re: Need help: low tax-free space & taxable allocation
- So should we fill those IRAs and then lump all other savings into a taxable account? If so, how should we get bond fund exposure - municipal bond fund or just Vanguard bond fund and pay the taxes? - Are there ways to open other tax-deferred or tax-protected accounts that I don't know about? You c...
- Sun Jan 17, 2021 6:35 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: T. Rowe Price Simple IRA, Should I move???
- Replies: 7
- Views: 465
Re: T. Rowe Price Simple IRA, Should I move???
3) How much is the extra customer service at TRP worth? I really hate to leave them, but also I'm disappointed by their recent social justice initiatives. I wish they would stick to investing, rather than politics. Well someone recently posted about getting into Vanguard Personal Advisor services (...
- Tue Jan 12, 2021 9:20 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Brokerage firms moving to fractional shares: Move from index funds to ETFs
- Replies: 4
- Views: 482
Re: Brokerage firms moving to fractional shares: Move from index funds to ETFs
You have to go through contacting Vanguard to convert mutual fund shares to ETFs. You cannot simply sell the mutual funds and buy ETFs, that would be taxable.
- Sun Jan 10, 2021 5:25 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Post when you have received various tax forms
- Replies: 22
- Views: 1931
Re: Post when you have received various tax forms
Easy. My employer always sends the W2 on the last day of January. Not sure why. The cynic in me thinks that some businesses interpret the "no later than" date to also be a "no earlier than" date for no better reason than "why should we do anything earlier than we have to&qu...
- Sun Jan 10, 2021 12:47 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How can I teach my 5 year old daughter about investing?
- Replies: 109
- Views: 4883
Re: How can I teach my 5 year old daughter about investing?
Just some anecdotal observations, but there were 2 kids in my elementary school class who had parents that clearly pushed them too hard to be adults when they were still very young. This was early 1990s. I remember one talking about stock shares that his family bought him and showing me the price i...
- Sun Jan 10, 2021 12:41 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How can I teach my 5 year old daughter about investing?
- Replies: 109
- Views: 4883
Re: How can I teach my 5 year old daughter about investing?
I agree with the others that investing probably isn't realistic, except perhaps the concept of having to trade off saving for a future need vs. taking advantage of resources now. I'd consider getting one of those folders set up to hold the 50 State Quarters and go through change together and fill it...
- Sat Jan 09, 2021 3:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: HELP - Inherited IRA strategy
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1174
Re: HELP - Inherited IRA strategy
Also worth mentioning that the (joint) child tax credit starts phasing out at $400,000. So you might want to keep your income just under that each year.
- Sat Jan 09, 2021 3:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Help parsing Capital Group (American Funds) for unrealized gains
- Replies: 8
- Views: 500
Re: Help parsing Capital Group (American Funds) for unrealized gains
An additional question -- the C shares that I originally purchased in 2004 autoconverted to F-1 shares after some years. I assume the cost basis of those C shares no longer matters? Did the shares convert in a 1:1 ratio (i.e., did the conversion change the number of shares)? If they didn't, you wil...
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:09 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Dual fuel set-up (heat pump/propane)..being proactive
- Replies: 34
- Views: 1262
Re: Dual fuel set-up (heat pump/propane)..being proactive
Ok after figuring out how to get into the installer configuration mode I dropped the heat pump shutoff point from 35 degrees down to 30. In addition the outside temp sensor was reading about 3-4 degrees cold...adjusted that up as well. The heat pumps should now be running down 8+ deg colder OAT now...
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What is an appropriate percentage of net worth to spend on a house?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 1884
Re: What is an appropriate percentage of net worth to spend on a house?
I think it makes a huge difference whether the house is being bought with a mortgage or free & clear. And in the mortgage case, there are established percentages of income for what's considered an acceptable mortgage payment and you could work back from that with interest rates to estimate the h...
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:41 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Where to put $$ for paying expenses: Taxable account or Roth?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 567
Re: Where to put $$ for paying expenses: Taxable account or Roth?
Wondering if you might run into the five-year rule for conversion money if you do this.
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: HELP - Inherited IRA strategy
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1174
Re: HELP - Inherited IRA strategy
~ 20% is in cash right now, as I'm looking for a new home. Of the money I currently have in the market, its comprised mainly of low cost index funds. I guess more specifically, knowing I need to withdraw the money within 10 years. should I withdraw just enough money each year so it doesn't push me ...
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Bogleheads approved 401k menu?
- Replies: 32
- Views: 1641
Re: Bogleheads approved 401k menu?
Thanks for the response. The approach your company is taking seems to be quite similar to other 401k menus. However, I remain perplexed that any employer would put active funds on menus given the aggregate underperformance of active and the fact that choosing the "right" active fund befor...
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Help parsing Capital Group (American Funds) for unrealized gains
- Replies: 8
- Views: 500
Re: Help parsing Capital Group (American Funds) for unrealized gains
Now, as I consider moving the account to another broker, I'm trying to find what the unrealized gains are going to be. It's not something that's nicely presented like Vanguard does. The fund info page (https://www.capitalgroup.com/individual/investments/fund/amcpx) has no reference to it. The annua...
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Bogleheads approved 401k menu?
- Replies: 32
- Views: 1641
Re: Bogleheads approved 401k menu?
I do not agree that a 401k plan should be passive only and in fact I think it is reckless at best. It is a fantasy that outside the Bogleheads bubble that everyone believes that passive is better than active. A 40qk should offer both options. The actively managed fund industry agrees with your asse...
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 9:41 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Preserving text messages and e-mails for possible legal matter
- Replies: 23
- Views: 2268
Re: Preserving text messages and e-mails for possible legal matter
We have pdf files of the contract and addenda. However, lots of important info on the property was sent to us by our realtor via text message, and some via e-mail. We would like to get everything in one place on my (Apple) computer (which has automatic backup) and on a USB stick. What's the best wa...
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 5:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Bogleheads approved 401k menu?
- Replies: 32
- Views: 1641
Re: Bogleheads approved 401k menu?
Is it a 401(k) or a 403(b) plan? I'm not sure if different regulations might apply. Personally I'd just push for the target dates funds to be switched to index funds, as opposed to eliminating the possibility to invest in an active fund if one wants to. Remember that Vanguard has plenty of low-expen...
- Tue Jan 05, 2021 3:49 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Can a portfolio of boring dividend stocks outperform the market?
- Replies: 74
- Views: 6094
Re: Can a portfolio of boring dividend stocks outperform the market?
I was frankly surprised by the results. I suspect no one would have guessed that a boring portfolio of plain vanilla companies would perform so well while paying considerably more dividends - an important result if one is living on those dividends. It's an interesting point. I looked at the 6/30/20...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 4:10 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Bitcoin ETF (GBTC): Is 17% premium irrelevant?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 1869
Re: Bitcoin ETF (GBTC): Is 17% premium irrelevant?
I haven't seen many responses to this comment, so decided to create a new thread in the hopes to get feedback on this assumption. Is it reasonable to assume that the premium is irrelevant as long as the percentage of premium remains constant? I don't think it's safe to assume the premium remains co...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 4:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Why max 401k before 529?
- Replies: 181
- Views: 10395
Re: Why max 401k before 529?
I read a lot of the 529 threads, and I keep seeing "only do a 529 if you maxed out your 401k and Roth first", but I don't get it. If I max out my 401k and have nothing left over to put in a 529, how does that help? When college comes around (2 kids), I will need roughly 8 x $30,000, and i...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 3:37 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Dual fuel set-up (heat pump/propane)..being proactive
- Replies: 34
- Views: 1262
Re: Dual fuel set-up (heat pump/propane)..being proactive
House kept at 64 deg during winter months. Not sure how to drop the setting but will have to research that one a bit more. It seems that this is a pretty common temp shut-off point at least for old school conventional heat pump set-ups. I read of new units working much lower than this temp... prima...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 3:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Bringing Rollover IRA into a 401k Plan
- Replies: 16
- Views: 619
Re: Bringing Rollover IRA into a 401k Plan
This question is mainly for those who have personally done this in the recent past* --> transferred money from a rollover IRA into a current or previous employers' 401k account. What was the minimum paperwork that the 401k custodian needed from you? My 401(k) provider let me self-certify that I was...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 2:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Dual fuel set-up (heat pump/propane)..being proactive
- Replies: 34
- Views: 1262
Re: Dual fuel set-up (heat pump/propane)..being proactive
Yes it completely shuts down and kicks over to gas furnace. I was told if the unit freezes and has to defrost it rapidly approaches the efficiency of electric grid heating. It seems the break even point for this is about $3/gal on propane. I guess I can see that if you have propane rather than elec...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 2:47 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Dual fuel set-up (heat pump/propane)..being proactive
- Replies: 34
- Views: 1262
Re: Dual fuel set-up (heat pump/propane)..being proactive
You're saying that the heat pump totally shuts down once it's 34 F or lower outside? Is that setpoint configurable? Maybe you can try lowering it to perhaps 25 F if so. I doubt that your existing heat pump is totally ineffective below 34 F, rather an efficiency trade-off. For those of us who use ele...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 1:57 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Robo-advisors that just advise, not manage?
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1054
Re: Robo-advisors that just advise, not manage?
I'm picturing an MS Office Assistant paperclip popping up saying "It looks like you're trying to rebalance..." In any case, I wonder if something like Vanguard Portfolio Watch, or whatever is available on the platforms where your IRA/401(k) are, might be enough for you. It looks at your in...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 1:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Questions re HSA deduction, form 8889
- Replies: 4
- Views: 307
Re: Questions re HSA deduction, form 8889
When you contribute to an HSA through payroll, the 8889 considers it an "employer" contribution. This is better, because it means you don't pay any Medicare tax on the contribution. If you compare your last 2020 paystub with your W-2 (when it comes) you should find that the employee contri...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 1:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How IRS keeps track of my 401k and IRA investments?
- Replies: 36
- Views: 3225
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:54 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: SWTSX vs VTSAX - what is the true tax efficiency gain?
- Replies: 5
- Views: 746
Re: SWTSX vs VTSAX - what is the true tax efficiency gain?
You're talking about capital gain distributions? It looks like in 2020, SWTSX didn't make one, so they must be doing a good job matching losses and gains. In 2019, they distributed a .1365 capital gain, or about 0.25% of NAV, which at a tax of 23.8% would be a 0.06% increase in expense ratio. Do you...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Capital gains when moving states
- Replies: 6
- Views: 601
Re: Capital gains when moving states
Based on what I'm reading in the publications, I don't see anywhere where it would be legitimate to allocate a $80,000 loss to a state (IL), where such loss occurred several months before I ever set foot in that state, while resident of another state. Your logic makes sense, but consider something ...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:19 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Cashing out
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1279
Re: Cashing out
Single premium immediate annuity?
- Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Capital gains when moving states
- Replies: 6
- Views: 601
Re: Capital gains when moving states
Hmm, I read the FTB 1100 you linked and it sure sounds messier than I first thought. Particularly example 22 It seems your CA capital loss is going to be capped at $3,000 anyway? with a per-state carryforward now? yuck Edit: I wonder if I'm right about IL though. Looking at IL-1040 Schedule NR, on l...
- Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Capital gains when moving states
- Replies: 6
- Views: 601
Re: Capital gains when moving states
Hey, I haven't commented on your other threads but I read them and wondered how you were doing. It seems you're toughing it out until you're there for a year and then leaving, good luck. This is deeper in the weeds than I've ever gone, but I'm wondering if your capital gain income might be $0 in Cal...
- Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: 401k investments - Question
- Replies: 3
- Views: 248
Re: 401k investments - Question
Hi all, I'm 19 years old and just started contributing towards my companies 401k within the past 2 months. Currently, I have 100% allocation in US Large company stock index. I'm wondering if I should diversify my portfolio more and contribute a % towards US small company stock index (Currently thin...
- Sat Jan 02, 2021 9:56 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Young adults have savings - where to place in Vanguard? Mutual funds?
- Replies: 25
- Views: 1889
Re: Young adults have savings - where to place in Vanguard? Mutual funds?
My son has both a taxable account and Roth IRA at Vanguard, but Vanguard will not let him add money nor withdraw any money. He doesn't care because he doesn't even look at it. Why won't Vanguard let him do anything with his accounts? Well, apparently years ago when he started these things as an 18-...
- Sat Jan 02, 2021 9:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Zoom not Connecting via One-Click Links
- Replies: 6
- Views: 425
Re: Zoom not Connecting via One-Click Links
What browser are you using? I have found that I have that issue using the MS Edge browser but Chrome works fine. I was thinking about whether the Windows 10 20H2 update might have something to do with it. Here is something else you all can try (assuming this is Windows). Bring up the old-fashioned ...
- Sat Jan 02, 2021 9:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Vanguard message about retiring old investment program
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1991
Re: Vanguard message about retiring old investment program
That's not the consensus at all. Most people have transitioned and are fine with it. There are a few vocal hold outs. Vanguard can't make the change for you because a mutual fund account is different legal agreement with you than a brokerage account. What Vanguard has told us so far is that as yet ...