Search found 175 matches

by steadyosmosis
Fri Mar 31, 2023 9:10 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: In lieu of Roth conversions...what about spending some of my IRA?
Replies: 13
Views: 1355

Re: In lieu of Roth conversions...what about spending some of my IRA?

daacrusher2001 wrote: Thu Mar 30, 2023 9:24 pm I have been thinking about taking some of the income generated in my IRA and using it to reduce spending my taxable dollars prior to collecting SS.

I'm 64, my wife is 61.
...
Is this a bad/crazy idea?
Yes, bad idea in my opinion, given the limited view of your entire financial picture.
I am early-retired, spending from taxable, and doing Roth conversions at federal tax cost of 12% (and less), because I don't like paying unnecessary taxes.
by steadyosmosis
Fri Mar 31, 2023 7:34 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 401k advice for 28 yr old
Replies: 8
Views: 866

Re: 401k advice for 28 yr old

In my 401(k), I invest in the least-expensive stock fund, which is the SP500 index fund.
Other accounts contain other things to round out my desired 60/40 overall AA at the least possible cost.
by steadyosmosis
Thu Mar 30, 2023 2:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Rebalancing to less risk question
Replies: 11
Views: 893

Re: Rebalancing to less risk question

I typically rebalance and/or make changes to my portfolio annually right after Q1. I was thinking to go a bit more conservative from 80/20 to 60/40 this time. I am interested into moving some of my equities into VUSXX or VMFXX. I am a bit hesitant because the equities I would sell and reinvest would come from VTSAX. I restarted my investments in early 2021 after a 15 year hiatus (don't ask). Anyways, a large portion of my portfolio is VTSAX and just over half of my investments were during 2021 when it was quite "expensive". I did dollar cost during 2022 so they were a bit cheaper like they are now. But I still feel like I am selling them at a "loss" and that goes against the sell/high and buy/low philosophy. I'm sure ma...
by steadyosmosis
Wed Mar 29, 2023 7:29 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How much do you keep in true cash vs cash equivalents?
Replies: 60
Views: 4582

Re: How much do you keep in true cash vs cash equivalents?

As I am young and have a long time horizon on retirement, my investment portfolio is 100% VTSAX equities. On the flip side, I keep 12 months of expenses worth of cold hard cash sitting in a checking account earning nothing. I did that because I didn't really think it was that interesting to spend time trying to maximize the cash returns when rates were really low. Two things changed: 1) rates are up. 2) I am saving considerably above average amounts of cash to save for a future down payment in 1-2 years. Now that money market funds are earning 4-5% and my checking account is 100K, I feel that I am leaving value on the table. What strategies do you guys employ? I was thinking of sending 50-75K of cash to my vanguard brokerage settlement fun...
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 28, 2023 6:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pay off house?
Replies: 22
Views: 2623

Re: Pay off house?

I would value your opinion on whether we should pay off our house. Here is some information: 1. Married, 59-year-old couple, no children. One spouse works (retire in a month), the other takes care of the home/family. 2. House value $1M. Built in 2012. 3. Loan 30 year: 10 years completed. 3.25% interest rate. $400k principal remaining (pay this off?). 4. Mortgage is $3k per month ($1k principle, $1k interest, $1k escrow). 5. Income: retirement $4k per month (starting May 2023). 6. Monetary assets: $2M in IRAs/401Ks/Savings Mutual Funds. $150k medical savings account. $10k cash. 7. Pay off funds come from: $50k Savings Mutual funds, $50k Roth IRA (depletes both), $300k from traditional IRA (capital gains tax?). 8. Retire in April, expect thi...
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:45 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Robo-advisor triggered LTCG
Replies: 14
Views: 1453

Re: Robo-advisor triggered LTCG

I initiated the Vanguard Digital Advisor this February, and included my ROTH account (~192,000), brokerage account (~159,000), and a small roll-over IRA (~3,400). I foolishly did not understand the tax implications of this move. Because of the change in funds within the brokerage account, I now have over 23,000 in long term capital gains. I'm 42 and still working - my AGI last year was 56k. Is there a way to mitigate this tax burden, or do I understand correctly that I will have to pay 15% on 23,000? My account now offers TLH. But will that be useless since the funds I now own will be less than a year old by the end of the year? Now that I've learned a bit more, I would not have enrolled in the robo-advisor, or would at least have only add...
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 28, 2023 2:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cheap way to get national/world news on tv?
Replies: 40
Views: 2957

Re: Cheap way to get national/world news on tv?

R2D2 wrote: Tue Mar 28, 2023 1:45 pm We have a few different streaming services, and what they all have in common is that they are cheap and have good content. Well, except for YouTube tv. It's super expensive ($73/month) and there's hardly anything on television I want to watch anyway.

Except... DW likes to watch ABC World News (or any world news) and a few CNN shows when I'm away from home.

Is there a cheap way to get news channels, or just a couple tv stations for cheap? What do you recommend?
Using indoor antenna, I get NBC, PBS, etc. (about 10 channels total) over-the-air, justmuch like the old days.
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 28, 2023 1:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car under 15k with high mpg
Replies: 60
Views: 4464

Re: Car under 15k with high mpg

davidferrer31 wrote: Tue Mar 28, 2023 11:37 am I recently accepted a job offer in a city with poor public transit, thus I will need to buy a car. However, I only have enough cash to buy under 15k. Gas mileage is important to me, for my job isn't that well paid. I was looking at some used toyota prius models. Is there a certain mileage limit that you wouldn't go over for buying a car? Are there other cars that you recommend that get over 40 mpg and less than 15k?
Maybe five years ago, I bought a 1997 Toyota Camry for $2,000 from an individual.
Costing so little, I am not as concerned about primo gas mileage, but I'd guess it gets about 30 mpg.
I can buy a lot of fuel for $13,000 (15k-2k=13k).
by steadyosmosis
Sun Mar 26, 2023 9:01 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Millennials: do you prefer debit to credit? if so, why?
Replies: 178
Views: 10920

Re: Millennials: do you prefer debit to credit? if so, why?

NYCaviator wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 8:59 pm I’ve seen a number of articles stating that millennials and Gen Z’ers vastly prefer debit cards to credit cards. As an older millennial this was really surprising to me. This forum likely skews towards people who use credit cards for rewards/cash back, and not people who will carry balances, etc. but I’m curious if there are any millennials or younger people on here who do in fact prefer debit, and if so, why?
I am not a millenial, but credit cards have superior consumer protections.
I never use a debit card for purchases.
by steadyosmosis
Sun Mar 26, 2023 8:58 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Stable value fund question.
Replies: 5
Views: 570

Re: Stable value fund question.

FrankinFl wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 7:06 pm I have a stable value fund in my 401k that is only earning about 2.25%. With interest rates rising I would have expected a better return by now. When should I expect the rate on my fund to catch up with the rates on money market funds and high yield savings accounts?
When bond funds tanked in 2022, I pivoted out of my SVF and into the US bond index fund, which also has a lower ER.
So far, I have not regretted the move.
by steadyosmosis
Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:23 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Simplification suggestions
Replies: 15
Views: 1623

Re: Simplification suggestions

Long time follower, posting for 1st time. During the last few years, I tried my hand at diversifying the portfolio and now have unwieldy portfolio. One of the goals for 2023 is to simplify and eventually towards an 80/20 VTI-BND portfolio. However I do not want to do all of them overnight in one go and structurally move them in a meaningful way. Which of these would you recommend targeting to sell for 2023. Symbol - Description - Quantity BND - Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF - 104.237 BNDX - Vanguard Total International Bond ETF - 68.084 IVOO - Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400 ETF - 205.282 MGK - Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF - 495.023 VBK - Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF - 72.661 VEA - Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF - 209.047 VIOO - Vangua...
by steadyosmosis
Fri Mar 24, 2023 12:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Financial Wellness Check-In
Replies: 6
Views: 741

Re: Financial Wellness Check-In

I went from renting to buying a house that’s turned out to be a money pit. I paid $65k down on a $200k house and have about $18k into repairs/updates and a lot more to come. 3) I figure I need about $15k in my emergency fund for 6 months of living expenses. I have more than that in checking, savings and money market, but use it as a cushion for if I can’t cash flow my house repairs from my salary. Is that ok or should I be doing something else? Given what you wrote about the house being a money pit and needing to spend a lot more soon, I think it would be reasonable to hang onto more cash. 1) I max my 401k, IRA and HSA. I’m currently doing all Roth in my 401k but being in the 24% bracket, at what point should I go traditional? Income tax r...
by steadyosmosis
Thu Mar 23, 2023 5:41 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: asset allocation---two accounts
Replies: 2
Views: 241

Re: asset allocation---two accounts

curo wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 5:34 pm I presently have two accounts:
2.5 m in taxable
1.5 m IRA
I'm using the core 4 principle for both accounts (60/40). Since these accounts are close to a 60/40 split. Would it be wise to allocate my IRA account (40%) to fix income and my taxable account (60%) to equities. And consider these two accounts as one when I rebalance.
I have done what you are deliberating myself, because I dislike paying taxes unnecessarily.
The wiki describes it as 'tax-efficient fund placement' (or tax-efficient asset location).
by steadyosmosis
Thu Mar 23, 2023 2:30 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Semi-retirement tax reduction strategies?
Replies: 10
Views: 826

Re: Semi-retirement tax reduction strategies?

I have decided that I would like to semi-retire early, at age 42, and work only for pleasure and likely part-time at lower paying jobs, supplementing investment income. I want to reduce my taxable income as much as possible starting in 2024. Current situation: 1. $1.3M in brokerage 2. $930K in 401K 3. $260K ROTH IRA 4. $1.2M in stock options at the company I am leaving, most of which has been held for over a year 4. About to get ~$200K (after tax withholdings) in severance 5. About to get ~$600K of equity out of a home sale (not taxed) I think I'll need on average ~$100K a year to live based on my new budget right now, which may go up/down based on costs in any given year. My goal is to have ~20-30K of that come from part-time work, so reg...
by steadyosmosis
Thu Mar 23, 2023 12:48 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: which high yield savings account?
Replies: 9
Views: 1505

Re: which high yield savings account?

macobow wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 12:44 pm I have had this money market account for quite some time. Now it pays 1.87 APY. I want to put at least $10K into high yield savings. Considering current noise about banking turmoil..... what about UFB Direct preferred savings at 5.02 APY or Salem Five Direct E-one at 4.1 APY? Both are FDIC insured. Would this be a good move on my part or bad? I guess it's a no brainer but i'm not entirely sure.
Many people use Ally online savings, and I have in the past.
I have no complaints against Ally.
But I've since decided I dislike paying taxes on interest (ordinary income), so now I hold hardly any cash in taxable accounts.
by steadyosmosis
Thu Mar 23, 2023 10:33 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where to buy a bicycle (with training wheels)?
Replies: 35
Views: 1454

Re: Where to buy a bicycle (with training wheels)?

CtScrtDsse wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:02 am Any recommendations on where to buy a reasonably priced bicycle (with training wheels)?

My son is 3 years old and very tall (98th percentile for height), most tricycles for his age are too small for him and I'm trying to find something reasonably priced that could last hopefully more than a summer or two. Amazon? Wal-Mart? Thank you!
Craigslist.
(Sorry if it's a repeat; did not read all of the other replies.)
by steadyosmosis
Wed Mar 22, 2023 5:41 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Wellington VWENX for income in retirement
Replies: 58
Views: 4791

Re: Wellington VWENX for income in retirement

I'm progressively simplifying our Vanguard portfolios and at same time looking to maximize income. I will appreciate feedback on some changes. Background: we are both 69, I'm retired, husband is mostly retired. Own our home, no mortgage. We are drawing SS, no pensions, husband's expected income around $40K this year, fully retiring next year. Our SS covers about half of our living expenses and we have sufficient liquidity for next three years to cover the rest without going into our tax-deferred retirement funds. Except for $200K in bank, all of our resources are in Vanguard: $260K in a taxed brokerage account and $2.25M in our IRAs. Looking ahead to 2027 when we have to begin RMDs, we want to build up cash in our respective IRA MM account...
by steadyosmosis
Wed Mar 22, 2023 5:34 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why not follow Buffett’s mantra?
Replies: 134
Views: 10617

Re: Why not follow Buffet’s mantra?

ChinchillaWhiplash wrote: Wed Mar 22, 2023 5:13 pm “Buy when others are fearful”. Does it make sense to back up the truck to sector funds such as financials? Seems like a good time to get a huge discount. You might have to sit on it until it rebounds but you would do that with any holding. What would having 10-15% of portfolio in this matter as far as the downside. Could go down more. If it does just DCA into it. Is this any worse or riskier than holding something such as a REIT fund at these percentages?
Before committing 10-15% of my portfolio to anything more risky, I would project mathematically the potential impact to my overall portfolio.
Perhaps you have already done this.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 21, 2023 2:42 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Advice for 50 year old on optimizing stock allocation for the next five years.
Replies: 23
Views: 2246

Re: Advice for 50 year old on optimizing stock allocation for the next five years.

I sincerely appreciate all the valuable advice I've received so far. Why a five-year horizon? I started investing in 2006, but I have yet to be able to reach the 300K. Despite my efforts, I've seen minimal progress in my investments, and I recognize that I must be making some mistakes. I hope that by maximizing my returns over the next five years, I might have better luck than the laissez-faire approach I held for the past 19 years. Any advice or suggestions you can provide regarding portfolio simplification and maximizing returns would be beneficial. @arcticpineapplecorp My goal is to maximize returns for the next ten years. And yes, I have at times considered going 100%. @ Johm221122 Hoping to break into 500k by then. Thank you @Doctor R...
by steadyosmosis
Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:31 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I could use some help determining if I should start Roth conversions
Replies: 33
Views: 3514

Re: I could use some help determining if I should start Roth conversions

CookieDough wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:08 pm If you're ever going to be on an ACA health plan, and if your MAGI is low enough during those years, you might want to compare ACA subsidies against future tax savings by doing Roth conversions in order to prevent future tIRA withdrawals from bumping you into a higher tax bracket. That can be a complicated question regarding whether you come out ahead doing the Roth conversions or taking the highest possible subsidy.
This.
I try to 'walk the tight-rope' each tax year, considering ACA subsidies and paying 12% (or less) for each dollar converted to Roth.
by steadyosmosis
Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: [Keeping more than FDIC insurance limit in one bank?]
Replies: 86
Views: 6963

Re: Do we need to panic about Ally Bank ?

johnpau wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:00 pm Hi All,


I currently have brokerage account with Vanguard ( 3 fund portfolio) invested heavily.

From 2-3 years I have savings account in Ally bank just for peace of mind, in case stock market takes wild dip.

With all the recent banking news going on, I was wondering its time for me to move $$ away from Ally bank anything in excess of $250K (FDIC limit).
I know Ally started to pay 4.75% for 11-month no penalty CD.

Does it make sense to move excess $$ (above 250K) from Ally to Vanguard money market ?

If yes, which one do you recommend.

Or completely go with a different place (Fidelity ...etc)

Any other suggestion are welcome.
Unwise to exceed FDIC insurance limits by any material amount, in my opinion.
by steadyosmosis
Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:21 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Taxable account restructuring
Replies: 15
Views: 1708

Re: Taxable account restructuring

drramey wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:06 pm I like the idea of living off of dividend/interest if the saved amount at retirement allows it instead of selling off assets. In tax deferred accounts one could easily exchange holdings for something more income focused with no tax consequence. My taxable account is mostly VTI. Is there anyway to restructure holdings in a taxable account without a heavy tax penalty? In my case changing from VTI to corporate bonds, dividend stock funds, preferred stock funds, etc….
Hard to beat the tax efficiency of VTI in taxable.
If you haven't already, learn about tax-efficient fund (or ETF) placement.
by steadyosmosis
Sat Mar 18, 2023 3:16 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I am now FULLY Indexed, and at DIRT CHEAP costs (Portfolio Review)
Replies: 31
Views: 3427

Re: I am now FULLY Indexed, and at DIRT CHEAP costs (Portfolio Review)

So after taking five years to pass through Rick Ferri's stages of indexing ... ... Asset Allocation = 50/42/8 Looks really good. Just a few thoughts, since you asked for any suggestions: ... Overall, well done! Thanks and yes any suggestions welcome! 3. Would it be unreasonable to put MMF cash in my Rollover IRA (and buy Total Market in taxable with it instead of S&P), sell S&P when I need cash, and purchase total market with the MMF in the IRA to keep things balanced out? That would reduce cash drag if I have it right. Thanks again. Understood on the first 2. ... 3) That is how I handle our fixed income. I keep everything other about a month of expenses in tax-deferred accounts. When I need more money to spend, I sell some equitie...
by steadyosmosis
Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: HSA Investment fees normal w/ Gulf Coast Ed Credit Union?
Replies: 7
Views: 345

Re: HSA Investment fees normal w/ Gulf Coast Ed Credit Union?

I currently have an HSA plan through my employer(School District), but I don't know if the fees with investing my HSA is too high. The HSA funds is sent to a credit Union called "Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union and the Credit Union offers a 3rd party on their website called, myHSAinvestments to handle the HSA Investments. There are some fees through the 3rd party that's in addition to the standard expense ratio of the investment fund. It does have Vanguard Index Funds which is great since Vanguard is my Brokerage and as far as I know, Vanguard doesn't have their own HSA option (why?!?) And this is the fees incurred by the 3rd party: 0.50% Annual Fee Fee invoiced quarterly (0.125% per quarter or $1.25 per $1,000 of account va...
by steadyosmosis
Sat Mar 18, 2023 9:08 am
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: A decade on Bogleheads!
Replies: 22
Views: 1953

Re: A decade on Bogleheads!

berg wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:23 am Tomorrow marks the ten year anniversary of my first post on Bogleheads! I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to everyone on this forum who has taken the time to help me secure a better future for my family. I made so many better decisions, with much more confidence thanks to all of you! My wife calls you my money friends on the internet. I can't thank you all enough!
...
I was just lurking back in 2013, reading so many of the historical postings.
Truly amazing the amount of knowledge available on this forum!
'Thank you' to all contributors and moderators.
by steadyosmosis
Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:51 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Best firm for Boglehead investing *after* Vanguard and Fidelity?
Replies: 47
Views: 4381

Re: Best firm for Boglehead investing *after* Vanguard and Fidelity?

Redlee wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 1:16 am Vanguard and Fidelity are popular with Bogleheads and for good reason. But which firm would be in third place after them? If they closed tomorrow, where would you move to?

This would be for a "three fund" style portfolio of ETF's but with access to the most popular tax-loss-harvesting pairings. So access to those at low or no cost would be a priority.

The one that comes to mind is Charles Schwab. But is there something better?
Schwab is fine.
by steadyosmosis
Fri Mar 17, 2023 11:32 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Who's taking profits right now?
Replies: 23
Views: 2093

Re: Who's taking profits right now?

jebmke wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 10:38 am I only take losses in my taxable account.
Bingo.
I, too, prefer losses in taxable.
TLH is my friend.
by steadyosmosis
Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How long should I plan for it to take for money to go from Vanguard fund to my checking account?
Replies: 35
Views: 2310

Re: How long should I plan for it to take for stocks to go from Vanguard fund to my checking account?

aboose wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:47 pm I've never sold funds before so I am curious about this.

Say I sell on Business Day 1. I believe it takes 2 days to settle, so it will reach the settlement fund on BD3. then I ask for a transfer to my bank account. On what BD do I expect the cash to land in my checking?
Sell one share and try it.
by steadyosmosis
Thu Mar 16, 2023 9:38 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Better new investment right now - high interest CD or index fund?
Replies: 8
Views: 1341

Re: Better new investment right now - high interest CD or index fund?

Hi, With interests so high right now, what might be a better new investment, index funds or CDs? I just opened a Roth IRA at Vanguard and I also have an account at Ally Bank, which has one offer of 5% APY fixed rate for an 18 month CD. At Vanguard I saw some offers on their CD page of 5.35%. Would it make sense to invest in one of these CDs as long as rates are high, then maybe change to an index fund once rates are going down again? Or would investing in an index fund now still be better (and more profitable) in the long run? At Ally Bank the APY on my regular savings account (40,000$) is 3.60% currently as well and it's nice to get paid a chunk of interest every month without worries, while the stock market seems to be going up and down ...
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 14, 2023 7:45 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: If I was retiring today, I could comfortably withdraw 5% (mid-30s dad using ERN SWR Toolbox)
Replies: 239
Views: 20794

Re: If I was retiring today, I would comfortably withdraw 5% (mid-30s dad)

TinyHouse wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 7:17 pm After over a decade of learning from and reading this forum ...

Especially for traditional 30 year retirement horizons, you can probably withdraw much more than you think. Check these out and let me know your thoughts, and take care!
Early-retired already, with perhaps more than 40 years before my funeral.
Basically a 3-fund portfolio, with overall AA ~60/40, spread across HSA, 401k, taxable, and traditional/Roth IRA accounts.
No way I am going to withdraw anywhere close to 5% annually, unless something catastrophic happens.
If said catastrophe strikes, I will likely begin working again for a paycheck.
Best of luck to you, if you enact your proposal.
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 14, 2023 6:13 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: VWIAX
Replies: 54
Views: 5343

Re: VWIAX

Charles Joseph wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:59 pm
John Z wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:25 pm Short term (1-day, 1-week, 1-month, 3-month and YTD are in the bottom 2 quartiles of performance which is a good thing, you would be buying in low.
Or, manager risk is showing up. Matt Hand just recently took the helm with Michael Reckmeyer's retirement (equity side).

I sold Wellesley a few months ago when I finally surrendered to all index. I miss it, but for me (and me only) I had to pick sides in order to keep sane. Active? Or index?
Isn't it nice to no longer need to care about manager movements?
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:55 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Small Cap Value heads Rejoice !!!
Replies: 5527
Views: 555257

Re: Small Cap Value heads Rejoice !!!

A most classic RBD play just happened. Remember that Fridays cannot be bona fide RBDs, but Monday was a great RBD for AVUV when it dropped an additional -3.85% by the close though it was down even further intraday. And the next day AVUV has traded as high as 75.62 though it has slacked off to 74.11 as I type this. BND even cooperated by going up 1%+ on Friday and 1%+ on Monday, though it has gone down more than 1% from it Monday high. In any case, selling BND on Monday to buy AVUV, then selling AVUV on Tuesday has been profitable. Should BND be rebought? I'm gonna wait for now. Added: these kinds of trades can not be backtested with the current version of PortfolioVisualizer.com because it (a) doesn't have intraday numbers and (b) only has...
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 14, 2023 12:08 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fisher Investors - Your Opinions, Please
Replies: 29
Views: 2791

Re: Fisher Investors - Your Opinions, Please

hotajax wrote: Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:29 am ,,,,, are you a little bit satisfied?
Surely you jest.
I assume you have used the search box and read prior threads about Fisher.
by steadyosmosis
Mon Mar 13, 2023 1:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Salary & Net Worth Correlation
Replies: 14
Views: 1252

Re: Salary & Net Worth Correlation

LITeacher wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:39 am
wilked wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:38 am Is this to compare yourself against?

Some advice would be not to do so. Focus on your financial goals and compare yourself vs those goals, not vs others

My two cents...
Not necessarily --- more to see what is possible at specific income levels.
'Tis possible to retire with a portfolio more than 20x one's highest annual salary, without any windfalls.
by steadyosmosis
Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:07 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Moving a larger amount into the market: Market overvaluation
Replies: 18
Views: 1420

Re: Moving a larger amount into the market: Market overvaluation

Stanczyk wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:50 am Should I prioritize retirement accounts, or should I just do taxable?
Whichever is most advantageous tax-wise.
by steadyosmosis
Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:13 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Buy Schwab Stock?
Replies: 38
Views: 4530

Re: Buy Schwab Stock?

grandnexus wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 8:35 am Schwab has fallen over 20% in a few days due to the banking fiasco, seems like a good buying opportunity. Thoughts?

Edit: It is now down 37.75% since Thursday as of 9:43am EST
Introduce single-stock risk to my portfolio?
No can do.
by steadyosmosis
Sat Mar 11, 2023 11:12 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard Wouldn't Confirm If They Received Rollover; Asked Me For Exact Amounts of Checks
Replies: 17
Views: 1674

Re: Vanguard Wouldn't Confirm If They Received Rollover; Asked Me For Exact Amounts of Checks

Charles Joseph wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:32 am
retired@50 wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:09 am This sounds like some sort of security protocol to me.

Regards,
Agreed and thanks. My thought is they have the checks but wouldn't confirm receipt unless I could give them the exact amounts, due to security reasons. Should probably hit my IRA next week (I hope).

I hate rollovers. The money disappears into the vortex for a while. I think this should be my last one (will likely leave my 401k at Fidelity in there. It's got excellent options; all low-cost Fidelity index funds).
FWIW, when I have done rollovers from 401k, the 'FBO' check comes to me, and I drive it to my local Schwab office and deposit.
by steadyosmosis
Sat Mar 11, 2023 11:03 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Need help with 401K balancing
Replies: 5
Views: 625

Re: Need help with 401K balancing

Hi, I posted a question regarding balancing my 401K back in 2019. I was 59 1/2 at the time ... ... Questions: 1) Should I move all my Vanguard accounts into a three fund portfolio and similarly with Fidelity? I am worried about more volatility but the target funds seems too conservative to me. 2) I estimate I need $85K in retirement and that does not include medical costs. I've read a few posts regarding Planvision services. For someone like me who has not seen much improvement in my accounts and does not have anything left to invest, can anyone tell me if that would be a viable option vs. PAS? I'm really lost about distribution, taxes, etc. when I actually retire. I I stick close to a 60/40 asset allocation for my whole portfolio, but eac...
by steadyosmosis
Fri Mar 10, 2023 1:47 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Personal Capital (Empower) versus Vanguard or Fidelity
Replies: 9
Views: 1415

Re: Personal Capital (Empower) versus Vanguard or Fidelity

Elm195b wrote: Fri Mar 10, 2023 12:52 pm Asking for a friend! Any recommendations between the three for an individual who isn't interested in managing their own investments. Has anyone closed out their Personal Capital account and moved everything to Vanguard or Fidelity? How easy was the transition? Did it require you to sell any investments or were you able to just transfer holdings to new company? He is holding the majority of his investment in IRA's and 401K.
I moved from Vanguard to Schwab many years ago.
Has been a good move for me.
I self-manage basically a 3-fund portfolio, with AA of ~60/40.
by steadyosmosis
Fri Mar 10, 2023 1:40 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Need HSA investing advice pls
Replies: 6
Views: 801

Re: Need HSA investing advice pls

I’m 55 and just retired. Because I have Roth conversions planned until RMD I also decided to open an HSA, which if I’m correct will allow for $4850/yr to “add” to the conversion within my desired bracket. My question is what to invest in. I’m generally healthy and my HDHP has a $7k deductible. My AA is 60/40. Unless I incur more than the usual annual costs (eyeglasses, maybe a prescription, etc) I was thinking I’d just let it grow for 10 years while funding until 65, at which point I’d use it for Medicare premiums etc. Do I load $7k into a MM or bond fund, then go 60/40? Just dump it into a target date fund? Some other approach?? My HSA is 100% equities (VITSX), except for the required cash amount. My overall portfolio 60/40 AA is achieved...
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 07, 2023 5:29 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 31 year old investing for first time, would love your guidance
Replies: 52
Views: 5633

Re: 31 year old investing for first time, would love your guidance

As a fellow 31 year old, I recommend dumping everything that you can into VT Vanguard Total World and think about bonds in 10 years. If VT isn't available, then the cheapest target date fund available. Considering we have a long runway, I'm not going to assume the US dominates the stock market our entire lives. With VT, you're covered no matter what happens, but this is debated ad nauseam here; you'll have to come to your own conclusions. Keep things as simple as possible and worry about saving more than investing right now, as your savings are likely to outpace any investment gains. Thank you! Yeah, I ended up going with a strategy of 60% domestic and 40% international stocks as an overall in my portfolio. When you say, "worry about ...
by steadyosmosis
Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:16 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Already Retired - ETF’s?
Replies: 18
Views: 1288

Re: Already Retired - ETF’s?

I am 78, wife is 75. Have small ($50K) IRA, paid for (~$250K) home and ~$200K in taxable brokerage account with a 1.25% fee. And, that account is entirely ETF’s and MF’s. No need to leave any funds to kids. They do quite fine. Simply want to gradually withdraw $7K-$10K annually to live our years. And with lower or no fees. Think I could do fine with the appropriate ETF’s in a robo account or a zero cost brokerage account and be rid of the advisory fees (or have a significantly lower annual fee with a robo). I really do not want to spend much time to manage an account. Did that for the better part of my life. Looking for advice on my fee reduction ideas and thoughts on where (robo or self)? TIA I am early-retired. I have my traditional IRA,...
by steadyosmosis
Mon Mar 06, 2023 2:50 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: If not Vanguard, then who?
Replies: 62
Views: 5031

Re: If not Vanguard, then who?

saycanyouc wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 2:11 pm Basis of this question: I'm getting what I consider unacceptable customer service from Vanguard. For convenience's sake, lets not discuss why I feel that way. My interest is in competence and low fees. For those of you who are Vanguard customers, if you HAD TO move your account, where would you move it to?
Schwab.
by steadyosmosis
Sun Mar 05, 2023 7:59 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help me advise my wife regarding windfall
Replies: 81
Views: 8248

Re: Help me advise my wife regarding windfall

dlm2827 wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 3:36 pm What suggestions would you have for me to share with her for better use of that money?
Sorry, I have no suggestion.
Just writing to say that you are not alone in this situation.
I gave up long ago.
We each do our own thing.
Life goes on.
by steadyosmosis
Fri Mar 03, 2023 7:00 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: [How do you determine if you are a Millionaire?]
Replies: 124
Views: 8740

Re: [How do you determine if you are a Millionaire?]

Ask the person living in the next house over if there is a 'Millionaire Next Door'.
(Sorry, could not resist.)
by steadyosmosis
Thu Mar 02, 2023 5:46 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Should I TRADE the S&P 500 for the Total Market?
Replies: 17
Views: 2554

Re: Should I TRADE the S&P 500 for the Total Market?

TheTimeLord wrote: Thu Mar 02, 2023 5:33 pm Personally, I prefer to have a different index in my Taxable accounts as my Tax Deferred accounts to avoid unintended wash sales during TLH.
Bingo!
by steadyosmosis
Thu Mar 02, 2023 12:05 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Nearing Retirement Portfolio Checkup
Replies: 1
Views: 307

Re: Nearing Retirement Portfolio Checkup

I am early retired, and my ~60/40 portfolio is basically three index ETFs, mainly at Schwab (plus my 401k still residing at former employer).
My Roth IRA, HSA, and taxable account are all ~100% equities.
~100% of my fixed income is in tax-deferred accounts, plus some spillover equities.
When I need spending money, I simply sell a few shares of VTI from my taxable account.
If that causes my whole-portfolio AA to be out-of-balance, I simply re-balance in tax-deferred.
Portfolio is easily self-managed.
by steadyosmosis
Wed Mar 01, 2023 5:45 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Treasury Direct Login outage 2023-03-01, okay now.
Replies: 12
Views: 783

Re: Treasury Direct Login working 2023-03-01?

tibbitts wrote: Wed Mar 01, 2023 5:30 pm Is TD login down just for me or everyone? The site is up but when I enter my account number, there's an outage message.
I had no problems around noon ET today.
by steadyosmosis
Wed Mar 01, 2023 2:14 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Need help determining best course of action in how to get out from under this debt
Replies: 31
Views: 2245

Re: Need help determining best course of action in how to get out from under this debt

OP, I am at a similar income level to you. Cook and eat at home until the situation stabilizes, I mean don't eat out or buy drinks out at all. Grocery is one area where savings can usually be found. Take all the food in the house out of the refrigerator, freezer, and cabinets and put it on the kitchen table, then make a plan to eat it, even if it means having cooked carrots, baked beans and pickles for a meal. (This is temporary. We're trying to get out of a jam here.) When you do go grocery shopping, the first purchase should be a box of quart-size freezer bags. If you buy a pound of ground beef, the minute you get home cut it into four quarter-pound portions and freeze two of them. Eat ONE hamburger for a meal, not two, and skip the mult...
by steadyosmosis
Tue Feb 28, 2023 3:21 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Stocks vs High Yield Savings Account
Replies: 20
Views: 1303

Re: Stocks vs High Yield Savings Account

Postings like this cause me to consider buying more stocks.
(Not single stocks, but broad-market index ETFs.)