Search found 184 matches
- Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I tax loss harvest in my HSA?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1002
Re: Can I tax loss harvest in my HSA?
Based on this thread and others like it, I sold Vanguard Small-Cap Index (VSMAX) in my HSA in late March 2020, before moving to Arizona. Now I'm doing my California taxes for 2020, and trying to figure out where the loss goes on the forms. When H&R Block asked for HSA Earnings and I input a nega...
- Tue Jan 19, 2021 11:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Don't enjoy being a federal supervisor: is the problem with me?
- Replies: 30
- Views: 3942
Re: Don't enjoy being a federal supervisor: is the problem with me?
I'm going to take a different angle on this. It sounds like you'd like to finish up the two years you agreed to, so let's assume stepping down early is off the table. So why fret now about what you should do in another year's time? Instead, focus on what you can do to make the next year better for y...
- Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:20 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: 529 Age Based Plans AND the poor outlook for bonds
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1284
Re: 529 Age Based Plans AND the poor outlook for bonds
I recently decided that our 529s could well be over-funded (kids turn 2 and 3 next month), so I re-allocated to 50% cash and 50% TIPS. More specifically, the cash is in Vanguard Interest Accumulation portfolio, which has been earning close to 2% over the last 30 days - better than any other cash opt...
- Fri Apr 10, 2020 2:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: TSP: G and F fund
- Replies: 30
- Views: 4035
Re: TSP: G and F fund
See this thread for some previous discussion I found insightful: TSP: G Fund in lieu of the F Fund
- Mon Jan 27, 2020 9:40 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: BlackTux - buy your rental?!
- Replies: 8
- Views: 863
Re: BlackTux - buy your rental?!
When I was in college, I needed a tux for orchestral concerts I was performing in. I couldn't afford a new tux at that point, so I bought a used one from a place that had rented then out. Think it was about $100 with accessories, including shoes. That was over 20 years ago, and I've probably worn it...
- Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:29 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: TSP Loan or Sell Taxable Stocks to Buy Rental Property
- Replies: 13
- Views: 710
Re: TSP Loan or Sell Taxable Stocks to Buy Rental Property
Others make good points about the dangers loans can pose. But if you're going into it for the right reasons, not to spend more than you have, I think TSP loans are perfectly fine. Two things I gleaned from the What so scary about TSP loans? thread: If you already have the amount of the loan in the G...
- Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Fidelity free Turbotax
- Replies: 858
- Views: 96068
Re: Fidelity Free Turbotax 2019
I don't see anything related to Turbo Tax on the Summary tab - for All Accounts, or any of the individual accounts. I have Brokerage, Cash Management, HSA, and Visa credit card accounts with Fidelity; <$5k in each except Brokerage, which is just over $100k. I'm not particularly disappointed; just a ...
- Wed Nov 27, 2019 6:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Tax efficiency when in the 12% bracket
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2697
Re: Tax efficiency when in the 12% bracket
I think you’re trying to ask if it matters how your available 0% space is allocated between QDI distributions, LTCG distributions if applicable, and LTCG voluntarily realized by TGH. Yes, I think this is essentially what I'm asking. Thanks, this is a much clearer way to both think about it and say ...
- Tue Nov 26, 2019 11:28 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Tax efficiency when in the 12% bracket
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2697
Re: Tax efficiency when in the 12% bracket
More info: We might leave California sometime in the next couple of years, but doing so would probably be for a higher-paying job that would reduce or eliminate our space in the 0% long-term capital gain bracket. I hope to retire on the early side, but not before my minimum retirement age of 57 sinc...
- Mon Nov 18, 2019 8:13 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Tax efficiency when in the 12% bracket
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2697
Re: Tax efficiency when in the 12% bracket
Bump - it would be nice to get some feedback on this.
- Sun Nov 17, 2019 4:59 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Tax efficiency when in the 12% bracket
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2697
Re: Tax efficiency when in the 12% bracket
You are on the right path. There are threads that talk about the small differences in FSKAX and FTIHX. You are looking for bigger fish to fry. https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=268311 You need to be looking for ways to get your nest egg out of taxable and into retirement accounts (Ro...
- Sun Nov 17, 2019 4:35 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Tax efficiency when in the 12% bracket
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2697
Tax efficiency when in the 12% bracket
First, the question: Other things being equal, is a fund that has higher qualified dividends and/or long-term capital gains distributions any less tax-efficient for taxpayers in the 12% bracket (who pay 0% tax on long-term capital gains) , if they plan to tax gain harvest? How I got to that question...
- Mon Nov 11, 2019 4:25 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: TSP 3-Funds or TSP Target Date Fund?
- Replies: 85
- Views: 7094
Re: TSP 3-Funds or TSP Target Date Fund?
why did you choose not to roll your other retirement accounts into the TSP, if you had such an option. I don't think you can rollover a Roth IRA into TSP. I also have a taxable account; if I ever had trouble finding cash to max out TSP contributions, I'd raid those funds...but haven't needed to yet.
- Sun Nov 10, 2019 10:08 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: TSP 3-Funds or TSP Target Date Fund?
- Replies: 85
- Views: 7094
Re: TSP 3-Funds or TSP Target Date Fund?
By the way, TSP can directly simulate TSM with a 80%/20% C/S allocation. Actually, it's closer to 87%/13% these days. See Thrift Savings Plan in the wiki for a reference. Do you simulate this fund or use the L fund in your portfolio? I started out with an age-appropriate L fund and a target date fu...
- Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Is principal portion of mortgage counted for savings rate purposes?
- Replies: 126
- Views: 7745
Re: Is principal portion of mortgage counted for savings rate purposes?
I consider your savings to be your net income (gross income minus taxes minus expenses) that is invested or held in cash or cash equivalents. Just because "savings account" and "savings rate" share a word doesn't mean they're that closely related. When you contribute to a stock ...
- Wed Sep 25, 2019 11:50 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Heads-up: Vanguard Federal MM higher TEY than Prime/Treasury MM for many
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2844
Re: Heads-up: Vanguard Federal MM higher TEY than Prime/Treasury MM for many
...and just like that, VMFXX's TEY advantage over VMMXX/VUSXX is pretty much gone. After a small bump in VMFXX's yield, it's dropped 7 basis points in the last two days.
- Fri Sep 20, 2019 1:25 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Heads-up: Vanguard Federal MM higher TEY than Prime/Treasury MM for many
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2844
Re: Heads-up: Vanguard Federal MM higher TEY than Prime/Treasury MM for many
[...] I had been using the following =index(importhtml("http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/"&B12,"table",3),2,5) [...] This used to work. However, for the past few days, it seems this method is broken as the nasdaq website just shows "n/a" for the data. Anyone with the s...
- Thu Sep 19, 2019 9:15 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Heads-up: Vanguard Federal MM higher TEY than Prime/Treasury MM for many
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2844
Re: Heads-up: Vanguard Federal MM higher TEY than Prime/Treasury MM for many
[...] I had been using the following =index(importhtml("http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/"&B12,"table",3),2,5) [...] This used to work. However, for the past few days, it seems this method is broken as the nasdaq website just shows "n/a" for the data. Anyone with the s...
- Wed Sep 18, 2019 6:34 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Heads-up: Vanguard Federal MM higher TEY than Prime/Treasury MM for many
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2844
Heads-up: Vanguard Federal MM higher TEY than Prime/Treasury MM for many
Yields have been dropping, and Vanguard Prime Money Market (VMMXX) is no exception. Reported 7-day SEC yields for 9/17/2019 are 2.06% for VMMXX, 2.05% for Federal Money Market (VMFXX, the default sweep account), and 1.96% for Treasury Money Market (VUSXX, $50k minimum). By my calculations (adding VM...
- Fri Sep 06, 2019 11:22 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: U.S. stocks in free fall
- Replies: 21882
- Views: 2929631
Re: U.S. stocks in free fall
Folks - all of this conversation about international has no place in the "U.S. stocks in free fall" thread. Can we get back to the inane banter about "buying the dip", please?
- Thu Sep 05, 2019 11:39 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: TSP Loan, Mortgage Pre-payment
- Replies: 8
- Views: 726
Re: TSP Loan, Mortgage Pre-payment
By doing this, you are missing out on growth potential of the money you take out of the TSP. I think it is a bad idea. If he has at least the loan amount in the G fund, he could change his allocations just prior to taking out the loan, such that there would be very little "opportunity cost&quo...
- Wed Sep 04, 2019 3:05 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Where to put excess College savings once 529 Goals are met.
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1619
Re: Where to put excess College savings once 529 Goals are met.
I-bonds can be rolled into 529 accounts tax-free Note- subject to income limits. (May be exceeded by someone with enough income to have fully/over funded 529s.) Thanks for pointing this out. IRS Form 8815 spells out modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) for 2018 under $94,550 for single, head-of-ho...
- Wed Sep 04, 2019 2:46 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Where to put excess College savings once 529 Goals are met.
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1619
Re: Where to put excess College savings once 529 Goals are met.
Does anyone have any suggestions/advice on where to put the money for an approximate 6 year time horizon? We stopped funding 529s for our kids to be cautious about over-funding. My current favorite idea is to start buying Series I Savings Bonds in the 5-7 years before they start school - the nice f...
- Mon Aug 05, 2019 4:33 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Ally & Marcus Dropping Some Interest Rates (Title Edited 8-8-19)
- Replies: 59
- Views: 9066
Re: Ally Dropping Interest Rate on their Online Savings Account 8-6-19
I haven't talked to Ally to confirm, but I'm guessing I didn't get an email because I have a $0 balance in my savings account.
- Mon Aug 05, 2019 1:35 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Excel Quotes Add-In: Stock quotes from Gaier Software
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1870
Re: Excel Quotes Add-In: Stock quotes from Gaier Software
Is anyone else having trouble with the Excel Quotes Add-In? I've refreshed many times, but can't seem to get any new data since last Tuesday's close (July 30th).
- Mon Aug 05, 2019 11:30 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Federal Employee Burn or Sick Leave [before retirement]
- Replies: 125
- Views: 11214
Re: Federal Employee Burn or Sick Leave [before retirement]
Yeah, people just don't understand the numbers. As you said if during the course of their career they use up 1 year of annual leave (credit time, comp time, etc.) instead of sick leave, they are throwing away one full year of salary to get 1% extra on a pension that is somewhere in the neighborhood...
- Sun Aug 04, 2019 2:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Federal Employee Burn or Sick Leave [before retirement]
- Replies: 125
- Views: 11214
Re: Federal Employee Burn or Sick Leave [before retirement]
Yeah, people just don't understand the numbers. As you said if during the course of their career they use up 1 year of annual leave (credit time, comp time, etc.) instead of sick leave, they are throwing away one full year of salary to get 1% extra on a pension that is somewhere in the neighborhood...
- Fri Jul 26, 2019 10:31 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Outdoor “misting fan” recommendation?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 986
Re: Outdoor “misting fan” recommendation?
I recently was sitting at the outdoor patio of a hotel on an insanely hot day... they had this amazing overhead fan that sprayed the perfect amount of mist on you while you sat. It never made you feel wet and the water never collected. [...] Our back patio gets super hot in the sun and something li...
- Thu Jul 25, 2019 10:22 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: VTWAX TLH pair
- Replies: 7
- Views: 881
Re: VTWAX TLH pair
Something like this makes sense to me:
Code: Select all
VTSAX -> VFIAX -> VLCAX
/
VTWAX VTMGX
\ /
VTIAX
\
VEMAX
- Wed Jul 24, 2019 10:54 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Donating Appreciated Shares during Accumulation Stage
- Replies: 24
- Views: 1790
Re: Donating Appreciated Shares during Accumulation Stage
2) DAF makes it very flexible to meet your SALT (such as every-other-year) and tweak your marginal rates when needed. (DAF is an excellent tax tool) A friend told me about this strategy a year ago, and since then I have set up a DAF to facilitate it. As others above have mentioned, it also goes wel...
- Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:29 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: specific investments when market crashes
- Replies: 38
- Views: 4602
Re: specific investments when market crashes
For me, even if I was in the highest tax bracket, that would be a huge savings since saving half of 39% is more than saving half of 10% or 12%! If my marginal tax rate rate were 39%, I'd be pretty skeptical about paying "19.5%" tax (after a 50% drop) if my marginal tax rate could be lower...
- Mon Jul 22, 2019 4:20 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Tax Loss Harvesting Worth it?
- Replies: 176
- Views: 14570
Re: Tax Loss Harvesting Worth it?
IMHO - There's nothing wrong with TLH, but it's generally a waste of time, especially if you're investing in big, broad-based index funds or ETF's. Assuming that you're using the famous 3-fund portfolio (or some similar variant) and you rebalance with cash flows, then you probably don't have any re...
- Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:59 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Help, Single Filer try to maintain 0% LT capital gains tax
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1010
Re: Help, Single Filer try to maintain 0% LT capital gains tax
I think the definition of "taxable income" that's relevant for capital gains calculations is essentially the last line on Form 1040 before the calculation of tax. So yes, it's after subtracting adjustments to income and standard/itemized deductions.
- Thu Jul 18, 2019 11:09 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Help, Single Filer try to maintain 0% LT capital gains tax
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1010
Re: Help, Single Filer try to maintain 0% LT capital gains tax
No. In this scenario, he would pay 0% tax on only $1 of LTCG. Or maybe $0 depending on what the limit represents. The rest would be taxed at 15%. I'm not sure this is right. My understanding is that the capital gains rate is based on taxable income, so since he's coming in $1 under that, all gains ...
- Thu Jul 18, 2019 6:36 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: TSP 3-Funds or TSP Target Date Fund?
- Replies: 85
- Views: 7094
Re: TSP 3-Funds or TSP Target Date Fund?
Actually, it's closer to 87%/13% these days. See Thrift Savings Plan in the wiki for a reference.
- Sun Jul 14, 2019 5:17 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: U.S. stocks continue to soar!
- Replies: 13113
- Views: 1012148
Re: U.S. stocks continue to soar!
Average net worth for my age is will over one million dollars. https://www.financialsamurai.com/the-average-household-net-worth-in-america-is-huge/ I was feeling good about my returns and the increase in the value of my stuff but the numbers put me in my place. You should read up on the difference ...
- Sat Jul 13, 2019 4:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What to do with 100k at this moment in time
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1308
Re: What to do with 100k at this moment in time
No one can predict the market's next move. DCA is nice when the market keeps rising, not so nice when it keeps falling, unless it turns up again quickly and you bought low. When you have a choice between investing a lump sum and dollar cost averaging, lump sum is better if the market continues to r...
- Thu Jul 11, 2019 4:54 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why is Vanguard Treasury Money Market yield so high?
- Replies: 123
- Views: 38262
- Thu Jul 11, 2019 12:08 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: 25 years to retirement; assume 0 future contributions
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2725
Re: 25 years to retirement; assume 0 future contributions
I think Watty's approach is spot on. My wife is staying at home with our two kids (ages 10 months and 1 year 10 months). We had saved up a bunch of extra cash to use in supplementing my income after she stopped working. I also have some taxable stock funds slated for retirement, and intend to sell t...
- Mon Jul 08, 2019 6:44 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Tax GAIN Harvesting
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2672
Re: Tax GAIN Harvesting
Thanks all, this is making more sense to me. In many ways, I think what's most advantageous is to have a mix of high-gain and low-gain lots so you preserve options - for high gains, make charitable donations or leave to heirs (who get a step-up in basis); for low gains, harvest future losses, or, fo...
- Mon Jul 08, 2019 6:02 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Tax GAIN Harvesting
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2672
Re: Tax GAIN Harvesting
So do you sell those assets with the higher percentage gain or the lowest. Assume no matter what choice you will harvest the same dollar amount of gain. Any thoughts as to which is best and under what circumstances? Sell from assets with higher percentage gain, because those with lowest percentage ...
- Sat Jun 29, 2019 1:57 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
- Replies: 53
- Views: 4268
Re: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
Tomwood (the OP) is talking about contributing the max to TSP, which is $19k this year. Whether you contribute to Roth or Traditional, you still have that $19k in your TSP (plus any gains or minus any losses). TSP doesn't take out anything for taxes. If you contribute to Traditional, it's possible y...
- Tue Jun 25, 2019 11:08 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Dodge & Cox DODIX
- Replies: 17
- Views: 2949
Re: Dodge & Cox DODIX
I currently hold DODIX in my PayFlex Health Savings Account (HSA). There are so many better bond funds with lower expense ratios, but none of those are available in my HSA, so DODIX is what I'm stuck with for now. It's acceptable, but I don't know why one would choose it if lower-expense options wer...
- Fri Jun 21, 2019 6:18 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
- Replies: 53
- Views: 4268
Re: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
Actually the Roth TSP does have RMDs, but this is easily avoided by transferring your Roth money to Roth IRA before your RMDs start. Thanks, I edited my post so there wasn't bad information lurking in the thread. I removed the incorrect portion of my post, too. And I learned something new today! :w...
- Fri Jun 21, 2019 8:44 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
- Replies: 53
- Views: 4268
Re: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
Lots of feds retire to PA because it doesn't tax pensions. But what if you plan to retire in FL where there is no state income tax? If so, a traditional TSP is for you. I searched for states who don’t tax pensions and there are quite a few. If I plan to retire in PA, FL or a similar state, should I...
- Wed Jun 19, 2019 11:48 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Fixed-income strategy; various goals
- Replies: 18
- Views: 2576
Re: Fixed-income strategy; various goals
I'm revisiting this, after letting Dodecahedron's comments sink in a bit and doing more reading. In the adjustment from two incomes to one, I had been quite focused on having enough liquid assets to cover any shortfall. Tallying up our various options for shortfall funds, though, has been eye-openin...
- Wed Jun 19, 2019 11:47 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
- Replies: 53
- Views: 4268
Re: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
A three fund portfolio is very easy to build at the TSP. The TSP C Fund is indexed to the S&P 500. The S Fund is indexed to a completion index of smaller capitalization stocks. The ratio changes a little with time but if you go 80% C Fund and 20% S Fund you'll replicate Total Stock Market. Actu...
- Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:30 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
- Replies: 53
- Views: 4268
Re: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
A three fund portfolio is very easy to build at the TSP. The TSP C Fund is indexed to the S&P 500. The S Fund is indexed to a completion index of smaller capitalization stocks. The ratio changes a little with time but if you go 80% C Fund and 20% S Fund you'll replicate Total Stock Market. Actu...
- Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:14 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
- Replies: 53
- Views: 4268
Re: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
Does the G fund offer the same projected return as the bond fund suggested in the 3 fund portfolio? Not precisely, no, but I would say its overall function in your portfolio is essentially the same. I believe the 'classic' 3-fund portfolio uses Total Bond Market for bonds, which would be the F Fund...
- Tue Jun 18, 2019 2:34 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
- Replies: 53
- Views: 4268
Re: How to maximize 3 Fund Portfolio w/ TSP & i401k ?
Congrats on your new job! There are challenges to being a fed, but many rewards as well. First, read Thrift Savings Plan in the wiki. There's a bunch of helpful info in there. Depending on how you want to look at it, the G Fund is either a (usually) higher-rate money market account or a bond fund wi...