Bogleheads.org

Seekwhat

Doesn’t feel like the late 90s to me. That was a time when every unknown revenueless company with a .com after its name was bid up astronomically. The cases you cite are established companies with real businesses, except for BTC which is pure speculation at this point. These may be overpriced, but i...

Seekwhat

Age and experience have increased my risk tolerance. Having been through ‘87 in my late 20s, then 2000-1, and 2008, I see that I lost no money. In all cases, I closed my eyes for a few years and found I’d made a lot of money. Dips and crashes are to be expected. I don’t much enjoy them, but enduring...

Seekwhat

Pretty silent here. 10 years to retirement, 65/35 stocks. I'm doing nothing, but will check later. My plan calls for rebalancing if I'm down to 55/45. I'm really not thinking about it a lot - I prefer thinking about other things, not especially interested in the markets. I used to stress about it an...

Seekwhat

I'd like to amplify what others have said about possibly contributory mental health issues. I am a psychiatrist, and I see the overlap between burnout, regrettable choices and depression/anxiety in my office frequently. Even a mild depression can tip a delicately balanced system from manageable to u...

Seekwhat

Thanks everyone. After reading what everyone has to say, I'm not convinced it's worth it to me to switch. One of the beauties of indexing is not needing to conduct analyses that lead to uncertain conclusions and higher fees. I think I'll stick with the index until a stronger motive to change emerges.

Seekwhat

Thanks all. My retirement plan can't be accommodated in Vanguard, which is why I ended up at Fidelity.

Seekwhat

I recently met with an advisor from Fidelity. I have a very simple retirement portfolio there: 65 % in total stock market FSTVX and 35 % in US Bond Index FSITX. The Fidelity advisor had one recommendation only: don't index the bonds. He agreed with indexing equities, but feels in bonds one is better...

Seekwhat

I sympathize. I recently sold my stocks with an advisor, and Thursday put 500K, one third of my assets, into the total US market, and 50 K more Friday. It sucks. Here's what I've told myself: It matters where it is in ten years, not today. I have forgotten all the many days when I was happy that I'd...

Seekwhat

Scooter57 wrote:Seekwhat, I sure hope you haven't made huge investment's based only on what you have read anonymous posters saying on a web forum.

I should hope not! Now if I could just remember the name of the person who mentioned that strategy in passing....

Thanks, Scooter!

Seekwhat

I thank you all for your wise support, and for the valuable challenges to my strategy. Here is what I've decided: 1. I'm sticking with my plan, because that is what makes sense, and I am determined not to go off plan over emotion. So I'm buying the rest today. I agree that maybe I should see today a...

Seekwhat

If 1% feels like roaring downward, maybe 66% stocks just isn't right for you at all. :!: I would also suggest another look at your risk tolerance..... Thanks everyone. Yes, I hate the downturns. They bother me. But I am trying to use my mind rather than my emotions. I don't want to bear long term u...

Seekwhat

BanditKing wrote:It seems this downturn is my fault. I bought a bunch of VTIAX on Wednesday, and per the rules of Murphy, of course yesterday and today it's way down.

Sorry about that.

It's good to know who to blame -- thanks!

Seekwhat

Yeah I hear you..... Try and not look at market stuff and tune out the noise - especially since you're over your real tolerance point. I still have to say be careful.... if you bail out after getting over your head you will do far more damage than taking a more conservative allocation. Thanks rob. ...

Seekwhat

If 1% feels like roaring downward, maybe 66% stocks just isn't right for you at all. :!: I would also suggest another look at your risk tolerance..... Thanks everyone. Yes, I hate the downturns. They bother me. But I am trying to use my mind rather than my emotions. I don't want to bear long term u...

Seekwhat

Do I fully endorse the "Never time the market" strategy today? I just left my advisor. Sold my stocks. Yesterday, in keeping with my intent to go to 66% stocks and %33 bonds, indexed, I invested 40% of my assets in stocks, and 33% in bonds. The rest is in cash. I dutifully did not dollar cost averag...

Seekwhat

I regret that it took me until 55 to fully accept what I have known for 20 years: trying to beat the market is a loser's game. And dealing with advisors was catastrophic both in fees and outcomes. At least I have clarity at this late moment, but I think it is conservative to say that my assets would...

Seekwhat

As a self-employed individual, I have a choice with the 25% of my income I am eligible to contribute to my Keogh: pay it to myself, or pay around half of that to the government. I think I'll keep it.

Seekwhat

twindad, I just went through a very similar transition: college buddy had handled my money for 1% + manager fees/fund expenses totaling about 1.6%. I was happy with him over all, he was trustworthy and honorable, and a friend for 30 years. Leaving was stressful and agonizing, but I am pleased to hav...

Seekwhat

Depending on your particular retirement arrangements, Vanguard may or may not be able to accommodate you. I wanted to transfer my account from my former financial advisor just last week, and it couldn't be done through Vanguard. Fortunately, Fidelity had no problem making arrangements for me to set ...

Seekwhat

Definitely deposing my financial advisor in favor of diy low expense investing. That, and seeking out advice here were my best financial moves of 2013!

Seekwhat

Thank you, Bfwolf -- your thoughts are incredibly comforting!

Seekwhat

Thanks Rob, I take your point(s) about the AA. No reason to take excessive risk. Maybe I'm too concerned with not having what I think I need, and too little concerned about catastrophe. On the other hand, fwiw and i don't know how much or little that is, the Vanguard calculator at https://personal.v...

Seekwhat

Wow. Thanks Jon - that was the easiest money I ever made! Earned, I guess is more accurate. :happy Thanks Novine and bayview. Ok, I get that I don't want to get caught in the middle of a major correction/collapse right when I need the money for retirement. I'd like to think that with 11 years to go ...

Seekwhat

The bond allocation seems to be where I'm getting the most concern from folks - I thank everyone for mentioning it. I have to give it a good think. I know I may be wrong, but I tend to think that the last thing I would do in a down market is sell. I didn't do so in 2008, or in the 2000 Internet bubb...

Seekwhat

Bfwolf, yes almost all my funds are pretax. I'll be paying taxes upon withdrawal, but the $175,000 I'm estimating needing assumes paying taxes on it. Thanks for your comments!

Seekwhat

Let me just say what I'm afraid of here. Do we know that SS won't be modified, perhaps by setting income limits to qualify? I'm sure many here have a similar concern. That money may not be there. So I may end up needing to generate a lot more than I have calculated assuming SS. So I can be cautious ...

Seekwhat

What I am thinking of doing: Fidelity Spartan Total Market Index Fund 30% Fidelity Spartan Extended Market Index Fund 10% Fidelity Spartan Real Estate Index Fund 5% Fidelity Spartan International Index Fund 25% Fidelity Spartan Emerging Markets Index Fund 5% Fidelity Spartan U.S. Bond Index Fund 25...

Seekwhat

Not to belabor the point, but there are other ways to get compensated besides commissions or trades. Here's how Ameriprise works (my former Advisor): Client Relationship Guide , start on page 31 (How our financial advisors get paid) and then note how funds promote their product lines. Everyone is e...

Seekwhat

Now I have to formulate a clear plan for the transition: how to liquidate most of it but arrange to transfer in kind the few things I'd like to hold on to It may be less expensive to transfer everything in kind, and then liquidate what you need to. I'll second this. When we transferred from my fath...

Seekwhat

Well for all you naysayers who thought I would never hear from my erstwhile FA, he has reached out to me in, I thought, a considerate way. He asked me if i would like him to put my cash balances into an ETF so I won't be out of the market during the transfer process. This was entirely not his respon...

Seekwhat

What I am thinking of doing: Fidelity Spartan Total Market Index Fund 30% Fidelity Spartan Extended Market Index Fund 10% Fidelity Spartan Real Estate Index Fund 5% Fidelity Spartan International Index Fund 25% Fidelity Spartan Emerging Markets Index Fund 5% Fidelity Spartan U.S. Bond Index Fund 25...

Seekwhat

So pleased to have found all the knowledgeable people on this site! Thanks for helping -- Background to question: I have long suspected the Boglehead approach made the most sense, but did not listen to myself for a very long time. I had fear of managing my money on my own, and found that having a fi...

Seekwhat

I just fired my long-standing financial advisor last week. I am thrilled to be past that, because I too was using my "old college buddy", and he was charging me 1% plus around another 0.7% to various special managers. And overall, the result were not commensurate with the fees. Telling him I was lea...

Seekwhat

Sadly Vanguard cannot accept my retirement account, so I am going to go with fidelity, where I can do something similar. Seekwhat may I ask why they can't accept it? Sure -- I am a self-employed sole proprietor, so I have a Qualified Plan, in my case a Profit Sharing plan formerly or sometimes know...

Seekwhat

LadyGeek wrote:The wiki shows you how to construct a 3-fund portfolio without Vanguard: Other than Vanguard, Boglehead-style

Click on the Fidelity link for the details.

Oh terrific! Thank you very much.

Seekwhat

Seekwhat: Now that you have cut the cord, consider The Three Fund Portfolio . Happy Holiday! Taylor This is excellent advice from Taylor and an investor would do well to consider it. Yes, indeed. thank you. Sadly Vanguard cannot accept my retirement account, so I am going to go with fidelity, where...

Seekwhat

Vanguard has some weird restrictions in their retirement products which is why I don't recommend VG for retirement plans. All the other providers such as Fidelity, JPM, ML, etc have qualified profit sharing plans for self employed persons that will accept transfers of assets from any qualified plan...

Seekwhat

But 4 to 6 funds at $45 each one-time-only wouldn't discourage me. It should. :D And it might not end up being just once, in the long run. Find another custodian for this account. :D Ok, thanks, you may well be right. I just spoke to Fidelity. They apparently hire very pleasant energetic people to ...

Seekwhat

You need to research this carefully. A few years ago, I took a look at what USAA offers and finally found 1 index fund - an S&P 500 Index fund at an OK but not great expense ratio. This does not mean you can't invest in Vanguard funds there. But you might have to pay a transaction fee to for every ...

Seekwhat

DueDiligence wrote:
Seekwhat wrote:i am a USAA member; I've heard that can be a good way to invest. Anyone have any knowledge of that?
Fidelity is much better based on my experiences.

DueDiligence

Thanks Due -- does that mean you have used USAA for investment purposes in the past?

Seekwhat

No, I haven't discussed what could be transferred with my former advisor because the difficulty is not there, but rather that Vanguard does not serve as custodian for profit sharing accounts. What do you mean by profit sharing account? Are you self-employed? Vanguard does not accept any workplace a...

Seekwhat

i am a USAA member; I've heard that can be a good way to invest. Anyone have any knowledge of that? USAA funds are too costly in terms of expense ratio, with perhaps one or two exceptions. That does not mean they are bad funds, aside from that. USAA does not offer a very good selection of index fun...

Seekwhat

After going through the draining process of terminating my relationship with my former financial adviser, I had intended to transfer everything to Vanguard in pursuit of a low-cost self-directed approach. It turns out that Vanguard doesn't accept profit-sharing retirement accounts because of the re...

Seekwhat

i am a USAA member; I've heard that can be a good way to invest. Anyone have any knowledge of that?

Seekwhat

Are there advantages of fidelity over t Rowe price? Any other thoughts?

Seekwhat

After going through the draining process of terminating my relationship with my former financial adviser, I had intended to transfer everything to Vanguard in pursuit of a low-cost self-directed approach. It turns out that Vanguard doesn't accept profit-sharing retirement accounts because of the rep...

Seekwhat

island wrote:
kenner wrote:Seekwhat,

You have handled this situation masterfully.

Best wishes to you.
Agree!

Thank you! And hopefully that was the hard part!

Seekwhat

So the deed is done. :sharebeer He did make an attempt to change my mind ("The markets are about to get very volatile, who knows what happens when the fed begins to raise interest rates: that's when it really helps to have professional advice; Vanguard has a stake in propagandizing the idea of low c...

Seekwhat

You guys have been helpful -- thank you. Reluctantly, I have come to the conclusion that -- while I have allowed it -- he has been willing to use our friendship for his financial gain. No discussion of the impact on our relationship. In a similar situation with a friend, I would have said "Our frien...

Seekwhat

My FA is a close friend of the family. It was probably unwise to work with such a person, for one thing because terminating the relationship is necessarily complicated. I am not angry with him, and do not wish to hurt his feelings. I just don't feel the fees are worth it, I've developed my own inves...

Search found 50 matches