Search found 326 matches

by HenryPorter
Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:27 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Auto renewing T-bill purchases. Is the Treasury Direct the best for reducing lost time?
Replies: 3
Views: 779

Auto renewing T-bill purchases. Is the Treasury Direct the best for reducing lost time?

Haven't bothered much yet with auto renewing Treasury bill investments in my brokerages but may want to keep an open ended holding in Vanguard instead of a money market for semi-rainy day needs. Plan to maybe use 1 month Treasuries and purchase them and then repurchase when they mature until the money is needed elsewhere. Is the lost time between auction repurchases significant to returns on a 1 month Treasury? I am probably more concerned if rates dip a lot in the future and makes Treasuries less savory.
by HenryPorter
Thu Jan 04, 2024 10:25 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Email confirmations for brokerage trades not working?
Replies: 13
Views: 1470

Re: Email confirmations for brokerage trades not working?

Called Vanguard this morning. They were of little help in figuring out why my email brokerage executions stopped being emailed to me. Is anyone else experiencing brokerage orders not being emailed?

EDIT: Also, another person in my household who has a Vanguard account has the same thing happening to them. Brokerage orders were executed but they are not getting emails of the notice.
by HenryPorter
Tue Jan 02, 2024 11:51 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Email confirmations for brokerage trades not working?
Replies: 13
Views: 1470

Re: Email confirmations for brokerage trades not working?

climber2020 wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2024 11:42 am I didn't get one either for a transaction made last week.

Also the personal performance returns percentage is way off.
New year software glitch?

Also, noticed today my total account value has been fluctuating a lot even though the market has been not that volatile after the morning dip. When I refresh the account balance it shows unusual swings.
by HenryPorter
Tue Jan 02, 2024 11:40 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Email confirmations for brokerage trades not working?
Replies: 13
Views: 1470

Email confirmations for brokerage trades not working?

Executed some brokerage orders on Vanguard this morning and have not received any emails for the trades. Vanguard usually sends an email of the order details immediately after execution. Maybe a glitch? I did not reset email confirmation or anything. This is out of the blue.
by HenryPorter
Mon Dec 25, 2023 3:23 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TIPS are too confusing. Are they really worth it versus using bond ETFs and Treasury notes for an IRA?
Replies: 20
Views: 3666

Re: TIPS are too confusing. Are they really worth it versus using bond ETFs and Treasury notes for an IRA?

BabaWawa wrote: Mon Dec 25, 2023 2:53 pm
WhitePuma wrote: Mon Dec 25, 2023 2:49 pm I find individual TIPS too confusing, and I like to understand the mechanics before investing. So I stick with VTIP.
Rick Ferri, who certainly understands TIPs, finds it just easier for him to use VTIP also.
I noted to myself VTIP also worth holding in my IRA. How does the NAV perform in relation to interest rates? I gather it is like BND in terms of purchasing new TIPS periodically and is subject to bull or bear market for bonds possibly.

Ran the Portfolio Visualizer for VTIP and BND and the CAGR for them is 1.51% and 1.08% respectively since January 2013. Don't know if that is evidence that VTIP is better in the long run than BND barring the fact that we have had basically ZIRP since the 2008 crash period up until last year.
by HenryPorter
Mon Dec 25, 2023 2:24 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TIPS are too confusing. Are they really worth it versus using bond ETFs and Treasury notes for an IRA?
Replies: 20
Views: 3666

Re: TIPS are too confusing. Are they really worth it versus using bond ETFs and Treasury notes for an IRA?

If you find the terms of TIPS, or anything else, confusing do not buy them. Use funds/etf if you have those terms clear. I probably just don't see myself go all-in with them as the fixed income part of my holdings at this point. I have bought a few TIPS for my IRA to "diversify" my bond holdings but TIPS seem too complicated as describe most everywhere. Especially buying the re-opened auctions and witnessing how the rates on them can vary so much ( I believe there have been negative rates in some periods). Probably looking for a yes/no type indicator on whether to buy when the rates are nominally better -ie- there have been rates above 2% I believe. So possibly just waiting for TIPS rates to be a screaming buy is all I am looking...
by HenryPorter
Mon Dec 25, 2023 2:01 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TIPS are too confusing. Are they really worth it versus using bond ETFs and Treasury notes for an IRA?
Replies: 20
Views: 3666

TIPS are too confusing. Are they really worth it versus using bond ETFs and Treasury notes for an IRA?

The thing that bothers me about TIPS is that the rate you get for a TIPS bond is not straight forward explained. If the rate is posted at 1.625%, does that mean the bond will have an interest rate 1.625% above the stated official inflation numbers per year/half-year, etc? Seems like there is also the re-opening of TIPS auctions which is confusing. If you buy a $1000 TIPS from a re-opened auction on Vanguard, what are you getting if the inflation rate has dropped since the initial TIPS was offered? Seems like the market value of your purchase already has lost value somehow. Seems like TIPS suit people who have a lot of money they want to tie up in fixed income having already reached critical mass perhaps with the rest of their investments. I...
by HenryPorter
Fri Dec 15, 2023 12:28 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: QDI info for Fidelity VYM holding. It is not showing as qualified dividend
Replies: 0
Views: 1939

QDI info for Fidelity VYM holding. It is not showing as qualified dividend

Looking at the YTD tax info on my non-retirement Fidelity account. QDI attribution is only being allowed for the several stock positions I have ( some SP 500 stocks). I was under the impression that 100% of VYM is QDI within the holding time parameters. Will Fidelity characterize VYM dividends as qualified after the new year and tax forms are generated?

EDIT: Nevermind. Apparently just preliminary info from Fidelity. I looked at 2022 tax info on the site and it did characterize ETF dividends appropriately for QDI as per the parent ETF indications.
by HenryPorter
Sat Nov 04, 2023 6:12 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" 50th Anniversary Edition -- A Gem
Replies: 15
Views: 2945

Re: "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" 50th Anniversary Edition -- A Gem

Wow, it was first published in 1973. My library can loan out a 1985 edition. Wonder if it would be interesting to read the pre-Internet copy for fun. Also, 1973 was way before mom and pop bought stocks recklessly (!!!??). I think commissions and share prices were denominated in $100 minimums. What could have been the reader for an edition that early other than the higher income likes?
by HenryPorter
Sun Oct 22, 2023 8:02 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Please explain how bonds “recover”
Replies: 68
Views: 7935

Re: Please explain how bonds “recover”

Does all the 529 money have to spent in the undergraduate education? Can some of the 529 stay put indefinitely in the event the students wants to attend grad school or use the money for career-related classes later on? Or even, can the 529 be passed to another family member down the road -ie- if the OP's child has children themselves. If a 529 is flexible that way, then time will probably allow the account to do better.
by HenryPorter
Sun Oct 15, 2023 11:40 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: SGOV or FZDXX or CD
Replies: 27
Views: 3869

Re: SGOV or FZDXX or CD

02nz wrote: Sat Oct 14, 2023 12:11 pm
POINT3R wrote: Sat Oct 14, 2023 11:12 am I have two CD maturing. They both were for 1 year duration

I am trying to decide which way to invest them again

SGOV IS AT 4.39% is this State Exempt from taxs?
FZDXX is at 5.17%
CD is at 5.6% for a one year.



TIA Rob
SGOV's current yield is about 5.3%. 4.39% is the trailing 12-month yield, that's because interest rates have been going up over the past 12 months.

SGOV is the best choice given liquidity and that almost all dividends are exempt from state income tax.

How do state tax forms typically handle the tax exemption status of SGOV?
by HenryPorter
Sun Aug 27, 2023 11:00 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Just for fun, what single stock do you think will see huge growth
Replies: 174
Views: 27384

Re: Just for fun, what single stock do you think will see huge growth

Many consumer products were multi 10 baggers over the decade. Look at MNST and CELH. I think a consumer stock will be a huge grower. Wish I knew the beverage market better. I could put some Roth IRA money into a speculative stock.
by HenryPorter
Mon Aug 21, 2023 12:10 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Are people more blind to inflation that short term volatility
Replies: 78
Views: 8212

Re: Are people more blind to inflation that short term volatility

Shrinkflation has also sneaked into many consumer products. A unit reduction of 5% or more in weight or volume does not get noticed as much but that is a gross 5+% gain in price.
by HenryPorter
Sun May 28, 2023 11:22 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard's new mobile app (formerly known as "Beacon")
Replies: 702
Views: 81738

Re: Vanguard smartphone app

Stinky wrote: Sat May 06, 2023 9:51 am
HenryPorter wrote: Sat May 06, 2023 8:38 am Is everybody logging into the app without any problems? My password and login credentials are good and work on my home PC. Trying to log in to the app on my phone, Vanguard rejects them and I have to do a pseudo password reset and enter name, birth date, last 4 of my SSN, zip code. Then I can log in with my unchanged password. This came up all of a sudden the past month.
My Vanguard app on iPhone is working just fine this morning.

I’ve had no difficulty logging into the app over the past month.
Yeah, the app has been working better lately. I don't know why there were glitches.
by HenryPorter
Sat May 06, 2023 8:38 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard's new mobile app (formerly known as "Beacon")
Replies: 702
Views: 81738

Vanguard smartphone app

[Merged into existing discussion -- moderator oldcomputerguy]

Is everybody logging into the app without any problems? My password and login credentials are good and work on my home PC. Trying to log in to the app on my phone, Vanguard rejects them and I have to do a pseudo password reset and enter name, birth date, last 4 of my SSN, zip code. Then I can log in with my unchanged password. This came up all of a sudden the past month.
by HenryPorter
Thu Mar 23, 2023 9:38 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Fractional share trade feature only available on app now?
Replies: 3
Views: 450

Fractional share trade feature only available on app now?

Noticed this morning that the dollar denominated ( fractional share) feature was missing from the ETF trading page for a Vanguard ETF when I was on my laptop. The smartphone app allowed me to trade the fractional share. Could be a glitch or maybe Vanguard is trying to limit fractional share trading?
by HenryPorter
Fri Jan 20, 2023 9:33 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: T-Bill rates for new issues lower on Fidelity vs. Vanguard?
Replies: 7
Views: 1654

T-Bill rates for new issues lower on Fidelity vs. Vanguard?

Comparing 3 month, 6 month and 52 week treasury rates on Fidelity versus Vanguard, it looks like Fidelity can be at least 20 basis points lower rate than Vanguard. Basically, for new issues, does Fidelity actually take a small commission in form of a lower rate?

I use CNBC's bond site:

https://www.cnbc.com/bonds/

and the Treasury's site :

https://home.treasury.gov/resource-cent ... nth=202301


to get a sense of what rates are.
by HenryPorter
Mon Jan 16, 2023 5:47 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Roth conversion and then a t-IRA contribution for same tax year?
Replies: 1
Views: 263

Roth conversion and then a t-IRA contribution for same tax year?

Are there any IRS rules against converting a portion of one traditional IRA to Roth, say in a Vanguard account and then making a traditional IRA contribution to another account, say one in Fidelity. I did some Roth conversion in 2020 and I think I did make a traditional IRA contribution in 2020. Since it seems like a wash, the point of doing these conversions is possibly lock in a lower cost basis. Making a traditional IRA contribution later on still allows the deductibility if needed for tax purposes. Also, if I want to stack more of my Roth holdings in one brokerage vs. another, this allows the means.
by HenryPorter
Tue Jan 10, 2023 7:41 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Recharacterized a t-IRA to Roth back in December. Is it a distribution?
Replies: 6
Views: 643

Re: Recharacterized a t-IRA to Roth back in December. Is it a distribution?

If you recharacterized a TIRA contribution to a Roth IRA contribution that is a reportable distribution but it is not a taxable distribution. You will get a 1099-R because you withdrew money from the TIRA. You enter the 1099-R info into your tax-software and it will appear on your 1040 line 4a but not 4b. And you fill out the required "recharacterization" statement. This assumes Fidelity does know that it was a recharacterization not a conversion and puts the correct code on the form. In Box 7 it should show "N—Recharacterized IRA contribution made for 2022 and recharacterized in 2022". Thanks for that. Fidelity messaged me that the recharacterization was the selection I made. Asked for specific dates of contributions t...
by HenryPorter
Mon Jan 09, 2023 8:42 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Recharacterized a t-IRA to Roth back in December. Is it a distribution?
Replies: 6
Views: 643

Recharacterized a t-IRA to Roth back in December. Is it a distribution?

Looking at my Fidelity year end statement for 2022, a recharacterization of traditional IRA contributions to Roth shows up as a reportable distribution. Is that just a formality footnote to worry about and just something Fidelity uses instead of saying a recharacterization? This is the first time I have had to recharacterize a traditional IRA contribution to Roth IRA.

As far as I am concerned, I will not have to fill out any other tax forms. Just fill out the 1040 and other typical paperwork that I have been doing for years?
by HenryPorter
Tue Dec 27, 2022 6:03 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Bought $2000 worth of 5 year TIPs. Was charged $2029.
Replies: 29
Views: 4124

Re: Bought $2000 worth of 5 year TIPs. Was charged $2029.

toddthebod wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 5:25 pm

You didn't pay a 1.1% premium. You paid a 0.5% premium
Divided $2022 by $2000 and got 1.011

1.011 = 101.1% of 1.00

Hence the 1.1%
by HenryPorter
Tue Dec 27, 2022 5:08 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Bought $2000 worth of 5 year TIPs. Was charged $2029.
Replies: 29
Views: 4124

Re: Bought $2000 worth of 5 year TIPs. Was charged $2029.

The price that Yoshida26 listed from Fidelity is the unadjusted price, that is, the premium ($100.5559). The adjusted price, including the inflation adjustment, was 101.1351 (from the Treasury press release rounded to the same number of digits as Fidelity used). As was already pointed out, HenryPorter and Yoshida26 paid $2022.70 for $2000 face value. Theoretically, they could lose the $22.70 if there isn't sufficient inflation over the next 4 years, 10 months to increase the face value above $2000. Over 5 years that 1.1% premium I paid might get evened out by the inflation adjustments and coupon payments anyway ( this is in my IRA actually). The quick answer to those buying TIPS is to buy the new issue and not a re-opening of them if you w...
by HenryPorter
Tue Dec 27, 2022 3:21 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Bought $2000 worth of 5 year TIPs. Was charged $2029.
Replies: 29
Views: 4124

Re: Bought $2000 worth of 5 year TIPs. Was charged $2029.

Geologist wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 3:06 pm In fact, this was an auction, but a re-opening. See my previous posts.
So, in worst case scenario and we have 5 years of net deflation outome ( very unlikely) will I receive my $2029.52 back as a redemption proceed? Or will I get less than that?
by HenryPorter
Tue Dec 27, 2022 1:36 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Bought $2000 worth of 5 year TIPs. Was charged $2029.
Replies: 29
Views: 4124

Bought $2000 worth of 5 year TIPs. Was charged $2029.

I bought a 5 year TIPs for $2000 on Vanguard last week. They deducted $2029 from my settlement account to pay for it. How does the math work on this? Did I buy a TIPS that had 2 months of interest accrued and had to pay for that $29 difference?
by HenryPorter
Sat Dec 17, 2022 10:54 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: RMDs apply to IRAs. Do 401ks have an RMD?
Replies: 10
Views: 1133

RMDs apply to IRAs. Do 401ks have an RMD?

Would it behoove someone to leave their 401k alone when they retire if they can avoid RMDs of it? Or do 401ks have an RMD just like an IRA?
by HenryPorter
Tue Dec 13, 2022 5:27 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is this CD being called? If so, why possibly?
Replies: 3
Views: 880

Re: Is this CD being called? If so, why possibly?

talzara wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 1:28 pm
When you hold a callable CD, you're exposed to the time structure of the bank's loan portfolio.

CFG Bank has very few single-family mortgages. Almost all of it is in multifamily properties, nonresidential properties, and commercial loans. If one of its borrowers made a big mortgage prepayment, the bank no longer needs your money to fund that loan.
Interesting. I did not know that banks will basically envelope money like that. They had right to my funds until end of March per CD maturity date.
by HenryPorter
Tue Dec 13, 2022 10:55 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is this CD being called? If so, why possibly?
Replies: 3
Views: 880

Is this CD being called? If so, why possibly?

Vanguard account has a bank CD with this heading this morning:

"Cfg Community Bank2.7% due 3/31/2023 CALLED IN FULL 12/22/2022@100 - Conditional Puts - Death of holder"


Can't figure why. Interest rates are much higher than the CD's issued rate. Anyway, guess I can re-invest in a higher rate t-bill.
by HenryPorter
Tue Nov 29, 2022 6:55 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Transferring 401k to another custodian while still employed at same company?
Replies: 6
Views: 624

Transferring 401k to another custodian while still employed at same company?

I am not happy with my employer's 401k plan. Is it as simple as contacting the plan's administrator and seeing if they do transfers while I still keep my job?
by HenryPorter
Wed Nov 16, 2022 11:48 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Morgan Stanley Bank 18 mo CD @ 4.8% non-callable
Replies: 4
Views: 1123

Morgan Stanley Bank 18 mo CD @ 4.8% non-callable

Fidelity has an offering for 18 month CDs with a 4.8% rate from Morgan Stanley. They are not callable. Is Morgan Stanley Bank solid? Only reason I am thinking of going with them is that I have some money in my IRA at Fidelity that I want to keep in cash format and get better interest than the SPAXX money market is paying.
by HenryPorter
Tue Nov 01, 2022 9:55 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202876

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

neurosphere wrote: Tue Nov 01, 2022 9:41 am
nps wrote: Tue Nov 01, 2022 9:37 am Interesting, there were more than a few posters on this long thread who were near-certain that the November fixed rate would be zero.
I don't have the skills to efficiently calculate what "long-term" turns out to be in this situation, i.e. when does the 0.4% fixed rate overcome the loss of interest in a bond which could have been purchased earlier?
I am guessing that it would take 24 years at 0.4% to match the 9.62% rate. Simple math gives that but compounding and future inflation rates affect things too possibly.
by HenryPorter
Thu Oct 27, 2022 9:36 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TreasuryDirect website overloaded
Replies: 20
Views: 3271

Re: TreasuryDirect website overloaded

I was just able to get in and place an order @ 10:30am EST on October 27th.

One thing that is noticeable is that I am not getting an email confirmation immediately for the order. It has been like this the past few days. I have been buying I bonds this week and did not get emails confirming the orders. In the past, I'd get an email seconds after the order.

Social Security also has been slow to send authorization code for login. Like an hour delay.
by HenryPorter
Mon Oct 17, 2022 3:24 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: buying individual high grade corporate bonds
Replies: 18
Views: 1961

Re: buying individual high grade corporate bonds

squirrel1963 wrote: Mon Oct 17, 2022 12:38 pm
You could also take a look at ishares ibonds (not to be confused with treasury I-bonds), they are term-date ETF up to 10 years out, and you can find both investment grade as well as high yield. The nice thing about them is that if you hold to maturity you know exactly the yield you get. Typically you'd buy one of each maturity year to build a bond ladder.

https://www.ishares.com/us/resources/tools/ibonds
Do those ETFs have the NAV eventually return back to full purchase price if bought new? In other words, when the underlying bonds mature, the principal is returned in the NAV price? If so, a person is almost guaranteed a capital gain upon maturity if they buy shares on a dip?
by HenryPorter
Mon Sep 12, 2022 4:01 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Today's 26 Week T Bill auction
Replies: 5
Views: 1238

Re: Today's 26 Week T Bill auction

Pulled this off the Treasury Direct site:

https://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/a ... =912796YL7

The interest for a 52 week period ( annualized) looks like 3.566%
by HenryPorter
Wed Aug 31, 2022 10:10 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How do you verify US treasury purchase price versus redemption value?
Replies: 3
Views: 361

Re: How do you verify US treasury purchase price versus redemption value?

Is there a way to look at just US treasury bill purchase and redemption history on Vanguard? From what I gather, the US treasury security purchasing feature is off site and not 100% searchable like the rest of a brokerage account. I just want to see my US t-bill costs versus the redemption amounts. Vanguard makes it confusing. Wouldn't there be an outgoing transaction amount from your settlement fund related to the purchase of the t-bill? Regards, ok, not enough coffee this morning for the big guy. Vanguard breaks up a treasury redemption into 2 lines. The first line is the redeemed total ($1000 in my case) and has the original cost ($998.34) in the last column. The second line shows the interest. In my case, $1.66 on a $998.34 t-bill purc...
by HenryPorter
Wed Aug 31, 2022 9:48 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How do you verify US treasury purchase price versus redemption value?
Replies: 3
Views: 361

How do you verify US treasury purchase price versus redemption value?

Is there a way to look at just US treasury bill purchase and redemption history on Vanguard? From what I gather, the US treasury security purchasing feature is off site and not 100% searchable like the rest of a brokerage account. I just want to see my US t-bill costs versus the redemption amounts. Vanguard makes it confusing.
by HenryPorter
Mon Jul 25, 2022 12:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Treasury Direct OTP not being sent?
Replies: 62
Views: 7345

Re: Treasury Direct OTP not being sent?

We had the opposite issue!! Last night, Wife and I were sent OTP by treasurydirect without us requesting it. I just logged in - no new activity on the account - but wondering if this was a system glitch or someone else tried to log in? Anyone else had this happen? TD was down last night when I tried to log in. Some issues could be on my end on the other hand. I registered my computer with TD and it has let me log in with just my password. Last night I had to have an OTP sent. It did not send it, so I had to click on the resend button and then I got the OTP. The site is buggy and every time I log out I give it a POOR rating. I don't need bells and whistles as much as I need security and ease of use. I am chiefly buying I bonds on the site w...
by HenryPorter
Mon Jul 25, 2022 11:48 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How to avoid the $1 fee while buying CDs on Vanguard?
Replies: 4
Views: 915

How to avoid the $1 fee while buying CDs on Vanguard?

I bought CDs on Vanguard recently. When I looked at the list of them, some had a $1 fee ( I bought $1000 of each CD) and some not. The new issue CDs have no fee. A $1 fee is 0.10% of a $1000. Some of the CDs are 6 month or shorter term, and the fee really cuts into the actual return. The CDs pay better than the money market rate so I am not complaining as much as I am wanting to be careful next time I purchase a CD. There is a drop-down menu the CD buying section has that simplifies the time frames you want to buy in. You can buy 1 to 3 month, 4 month to 6 month, 1 year, 2 year, etc. CD terms. Are those featured CDs the non-new issue ones? I bought a few off that menu drop-down. I just think if that is the case, Vanguard should make it clea...
by HenryPorter
Tue Jul 19, 2022 10:05 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Treasury Direct OTP not being sent?
Replies: 62
Views: 7345

Re: Treasury Direct OTP not being sent?

7eight9 wrote: Tue Jul 19, 2022 9:51 am

I bought I Bonds on Sunday with no problem. Maybe check your spam folder (if you haven't already).
I checked that and the blocked sender list ( just in case). I have gotten the OTP many times before.


EDIT: This is weird. I looked at an OTP they sent the other day that has not expired yet. It worked letting me in to my account. I thought they generated a new OTP each time you try to log in. Anyway, I overlooked the box you can click that will keep your computer registered. I will click that.
by HenryPorter
Tue Jul 19, 2022 9:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Treasury Direct OTP not being sent?
Replies: 62
Views: 7345

Treasury Direct OTP not being sent?

[2022 thread bumped in 2023 --admin LadyGeek]

As of last night, TD has not been sending me a one-time passcode when I try to log in. Great. I have been adding I bonds since last summer. Hope this is not a hassle like TD has been to others.
by HenryPorter
Sun Jul 10, 2022 2:25 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: CD/Bonds/i-Bonds
Replies: 19
Views: 3460

Re: CD/Bonds/i-Bonds

1. Treasuries are simple to buy at a brokerage, and neither Fidelity or Vanguard charge anything for handling the purchase. You get the same rate as on Treasury Direct, but it is a lot easier to deal with these two brokerages (I don’t know about others) than TD. 52-week treasuries are offered only once a month, but now is the time; you can buy some over the weekend and they will settle next week. I recently bought treasuries. The advantage TD has is that you can buy $100 increments of the Treasury issues. I think Vanguard and Fidelity are $1000 increments only? Also, do the bills and notes get sold within a day of the auction? Or rather as I am maybe seeing, the auction sets the rate and the T bills and T notes languish a few days before b...
by HenryPorter
Sat Jul 09, 2022 10:41 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Why do Vanguard, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity have CD rates higher than the banks' websites?
Replies: 6
Views: 1451

Re: Why do Vanguard, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity have CD rates higher than the banks' websites?

livesoft wrote: Sat Jul 09, 2022 10:40 am My brain cannot comprehend what "light years higher" and "beat the pants off" actually mean in this context. I'm thinking the difference has got be one CD is paying 1% and another is paying something like 186,000%.
You forgot to factor in inflation. Light year is about 3 yards length now.
by HenryPorter
Sat Jul 09, 2022 10:27 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Why do Vanguard, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity have CD rates higher than the banks' websites?
Replies: 6
Views: 1451

Why do Vanguard, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity have CD rates higher than the banks' websites?

Comparing CD rates on brokerage sites, I go to the bank that issued the CDs. The rates at the brokerages are light years higher than the bank.
by HenryPorter
Tue Jul 05, 2022 11:26 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Protection of privacy when buying brokered CDs on Vanguard?
Replies: 4
Views: 751

Re: Protection of privacy when buying brokered CDs on Vanguard?

notjackjack wrote: Tue Jul 05, 2022 11:20 pm I'm retired now but I used to work for a bank and managed the issuance of brokered CDs. XYZ bank will not get any information on who buys the brokered CDs. XYZ bank only knows that $XX million in CDs were issued to the "Depository Trust Company" (DTC) at X% for XX months. XYZ bank just issues one master CD but gets no information on how the CD is split out to consumers or any information on those consumers.
Thanks. Probably will shoot Vanguard an e-mail to follow up. I could not see Vanguard divulging account holder info without some good reason. As I read it here, they keep it all "in-house". I wish Vanguard made that apparent when you peruse their CD section.
by HenryPorter
Tue Jul 05, 2022 10:47 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Protection of privacy when buying brokered CDs on Vanguard?
Replies: 4
Views: 751

Protection of privacy when buying brokered CDs on Vanguard?

Trying to cajole my partner to put some of their IRA cash holdings into a CD that pays rates better than the Vanguard money market they have it in. A question was raised whether a CD bought on Vanguard from XYZ bank means that XYZ will have all the personal information about the Vanguard account holder in their XYZ computers. Or does Vanguard buy the CD in "street name" kind of shrouding and not let any account holder info into the XYZ data banks. If XYZ gets account holder info, then that is a level of sellable data to worry about among the worry of security breaches into XYZ's computers. We already have some concern about Vanguard being 100% safe as far as hackers or phishing goes.
by HenryPorter
Wed May 18, 2022 9:51 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: People who backed up the truck on I bonds in 2001
Replies: 55
Views: 9145

Re: People who backed up the truck on I bonds in 2001

Even after Uncle Sam gets his cut that’s not bad. I wonder, can you put off redemption until you are in a more favorable tax liability status after the I bonds and EE bonds mature? In a nutshell, if you are in retirement and maybe have mostly Roth to draw off of and/or LT non-retirement capital gains in mutual funds and ETfs, etc. you can defer indefinitely, then waiting after year 30, maybe something like til year 32, where the redeemed bonds could be all your income and may be subject to little tax depending upon your tax bracket? Does the government have a deadline to redeem the bonds after they mature? I am buying EE bonds with that in mind. The intention is to hold them to maturity and cash them in along with my Roth. Or at least that...
by HenryPorter
Tue May 17, 2022 7:08 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: People who backed up the truck on I bonds in 2001
Replies: 55
Views: 9145

Re: People who backed up the truck on I bonds in 2001

Luck of the draw My DW and I bought 25k of i bonds in Oct 2000 that have been getting 3%+ fixed plus variable inflation rate since then. I was smart enough to keep all but one of them (what was I thinking when I sold one?). The 4 are worth $69,288 and mature in 2030. Definitely this falls under “better be lucky than good” as I didn’t have any insight they would turn out so well. If I remember right the stock market was not doing well then and I thought I should diversify some. I may have done better if I loaded up on the total market fund then. Back then Someone here or someone in money magazine mentioned i bonds and that the fixed rate was likely to go down in the future so buy. No idea what the max buy was then. It was the First time I h...
by HenryPorter
Tue May 17, 2022 5:40 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: People who backed up the truck on I bonds in 2001
Replies: 55
Views: 9145

People who backed up the truck on I bonds in 2001

Are people who bought I bonds between 1998 and 2001 getting the same 3.XX % interest rate on all the compounded accruals too? What was the limit back then too? There are probably at least a few here on BH who bought the limit those years and can count on redeeming them after holding year 30 with a lot of glee.
by HenryPorter
Tue Apr 26, 2022 11:02 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: New I Bond Variable Rate for May 2022 - 9.62% annualized
Replies: 260
Views: 39443

Re: New I Bond Variable Rate for May 2022 - 9.62% annualized

Trying to use the TD site today. Running slow. Wonder if oodles of people are logging in to it to get in on the I bond rates before Friday.
by HenryPorter
Tue Apr 19, 2022 2:29 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Pros and cons of leaving HSA unused for medical bill reimbursement
Replies: 42
Views: 3852

Pros and cons of leaving HSA unused for medical bill reimbursement

I have not used my HSA to reimburse any medical bills yet. I am inclined to leave the HSA untouched for the next 20 years if I can but the one thing that nags me is if I do use the HSA to reimburse bills later on basically I am taking out dollars to pay an inflation ravaged cost. In other words, a $1000 medical bill in 2022, if I reimburse it later on, say 2032, will extract $1000 from the HSA but a $1000 in 2032 will possibly have significant reduction in buying value vs. 2022. I am trying to understand whether it would be better to reimburse myself on a lot sooner schedules and use the reimbursement to cover Roth IRA contributions and/or traditional IRA contributions. What is the upside of an HSA in the long run other than reimbursing med...