Bogleheads.org

jbow44

My emergency fund has been parked at Ally and is getting 0.5%. I know this is off topic and I know many here have accounts there. Is anyone moving money from VMFXX to something like an Ally account to chase a little interest? I'm not advocating for it, nor saying I will. Just curious as to other's l...

jbow44

Yea.

That's kinda what I've learned and agree with.

Sometimes I need someone that just happens to not be me to tell me that the thing I'm considering isn't necessary.

Thanks!

jbow44

So, I have an emergency fund, retirement savings, no debt besides a mortgage of which the value of the home is about 60% equity at this point and will be paid off in 8 years if I make minimal payments. That's all the backstory you need to weigh in on my question I think (although BH's always point o...

jbow44

Completely agree with above. Stop investing in retirement plans until the consumer debt is paid off. Attack it like crazy, then you can invest what you'd be paying on debt and more. The more you focus on one item the faster it's accomplished. Then move on to the next. If you spread your dollars out ...

jbow44

Excellent discussion on varied topics, but one thing jumped out to me that nobody touched on. That's the fact that you have 150k in a taxable account and still have 50k student loan debt and a car loan. Maybe consider getting those wiped out just to clear the slate. Yes rates are low, but debt is de...

jbow44

If you don't plan to utilize these funds for medical expenses then I'd treat it as you would another investment account. I agree with duckie, VFIAX and VITSX are going to provide you similar outcomes. If that's your goal you could simplify and just pick one of those.

jbow44

Very basic: if you are buying a mutual fund you get the end of the day price. Most index mutual funds have an ETF version whose price fluctuates throughout the day. Yes if you place an order for a mutual late in the day after the market closes you will get the next day's closing price. To expand on...

jbow44

I'm no expert in real estate so I won't go there. However, if your question is what to do with cash on hand not doing anything and you have cars that are unpaid, even with zero interest, that's an easy place to increase your net worth. If you don't want to commit to stocks, mutual funds etc. just de...

jbow44

Thanks for all the responses and the similar threads outlined there. As always, your participation is appreciated.

jbow44

So I'm kicking around the possibility of ditching my old brick and mortar bank for Ally. I already have a savings account there and use that for my emergency fund and basic savings for larger ticket items. I do that obviously for the higher interest rate that my local bank can't provide. I've been h...

jbow44

Thanks for clarification. That's what I thought as this is such a common utilization, I just wanted to be sure rather than surprised later.

jbow44

Thanks for the information.

Would capital gains apply if funds were withdrawn directly from the taxable side of things?

jbow44

I currently have traditional & roth IRA's at vanguard. I do backdoor contributions each year so I keep the balance zero in the traditional until I make that single transaction. I currently keep cash savings in an ally online savings account but am looking at separating this because different acc...

jbow44

I'm sure there are obvious answers that I'm just ignorant of and I understand there are many different scenarios that makes placing cash here vs. there a better option for one person vs. another, but why not just put cash in an online savings account like ally. To the best of my knowledge it costs ...

jbow44

I'm currently getting 2% at Ally for my online savings account. Maybe look there? In the 3 years I've had my emergency fund there they've kept pace with money market's at vanguard. I don't know if that will continue with growing interest rates though. I guess we'll see.

jbow44

I'd pay off the car and throw the rest at the house if allowed. You went from 200k income to 120k and have a lot of dept. You can significantly reduce that in one day. If you need cash for emergencies you have an emergency fund and then I can only assume you'll also have a lot more equity in the hom...

jbow44

I'm sure there are obvious answers that I'm just ignorant of and I understand there are many different scenarios that makes placing cash here vs. there a better option for one person vs. another, but why not just put cash in an online savings account like ally. To the best of my knowledge it costs n...

jbow44

If your plan is to be very heave weighted on US stocks, then yes you're doing fine. However, there is a lot of overlap in your funds. FSTMX & SPY are going to give you very similar results. Maybe choose one and drop the other just to simplify. Most would recommend FSTMX as it's more diversified ...

jbow44

Thanks goingup and gostars. I don't mind being hands on and making the moves periodically but I find myself checking on things probably more than I should or need to. Plus if it's going to cost me money to make those moves it becomes more obvious that simplicity is the master key to success. :beer W...

jbow44

These are all your choices, or just the ones you are using? Funds I have available with 457/roth: iShares total stock: BKTSX ER: 0.04 iShares total international: BDOKX ER: 0.11 iShares aggregate bond: WFBIX ER: 0.05 These three are all you need--the 3-fund portfolio https://www.bogleheads.org/foru...

jbow44

The funds I have available in that plan are listed in the original post with ER's.

jbow44

I had the same thoughts awhile back and had accounts at Schwab, Vanguard, etc, etc. Now, it's 99% Vanguard and all in Vanguard funds. And, very substantial amounts. If Vanguard, at 3 tril. plus. goes down, there will be bigger concerns to worry about. Although. . . my emergency funds and short term...

jbow44

Hello. We have decided to start maximizing my wife's 457/roth contributions this year. We've got about 15k so far on our way to maxing it out at 18 and plan to do so moving forward. This plan has offerings within the plan as well as the option of selecting our own funds through TD Ameritrade. Of cou...

jbow44

unclescrooge wrote: ↑Tue Sep 19, 2017 9:04 am The reason most brokerages don't provide this info is to prevent the average non-BH investor from realizing how lousy his annual performance is.

Hard to argue with reason.

jbow44

I have a taxable TD Ameritrade account and it is unfortunate they don't give you tools or graphs to track your return easier. I'm using Personal Capital to track the account and all my other accounts. It's great as it shows me my personal return and I can compare it to the S&P 500. Thanks. I'll...

jbow44

Long-time TDAm client here. I've never seen nor tried to see total return over time on the TDam web site. Gains/losses both realized and unrealized can be seen. I use MS Money instead for performance tracking. Ok. So another stupid question. Since I am buy & hold investing and simply buy more E...

jbow44

Hello, I have a self-directed-brokerage-account through TD Ameritrade from my wife's employer where we contribute into a Roth. We opened the account in January and have made regular contributions since. I inquired on their client services messaging system about where I can determine the performance ...

jbow44

I am in a similar situation regarding the backdoor Roth and recently executed such a transaction with Vanguard. You can find my review here: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=219120&p=3372110#p3372110 It was a simple process when saving the 5500 and making a lump sum contr...

jbow44

jbow44, Do both as in A) Trad. 401K and Roth IRA? Or, B) Trad. 401K and Roth 401K? <<however the idea of tax free money later in life is appealing. >> Which you get from Roth IRA. So, why would you want to contribute to Roth 401K? It does not make any sense. Especially for folks in higher tax brack...

jbow44

Are you in the Traditional or Roth 401k contribution camp? To be honest, I'm in a higher tax bracket, am 37 yoa and do both 401k & Roth. I understand all the arguments why 401k would be better to reduce taxable income however the idea of tax free money later in life is appealing. So, I do both....

jbow44

The performance of the two are basically identical.

http://quotes.morningstar.com/chart/fun ... ture=en-US

jbow44

I recently went through the same process opening a roth at vanguard. I chose the ETF route because I like the control and like being a little more hands on. However, the target date or lifestyle options are just as good and it's a simple, one fund selection. When purchasing ETF's the price to invest...

jbow44

Is it enough? Yes. However, some think that having more than "enough" small cap value is a good strategy and will add additional SCV to TSM.

jbow44

lack_ey, thanks, that makes sense, and explains why I couldn't easily find any info! jbow44: My 401(k) is managed by VOYA under the selections chosen by my employer. There is not a named fund listed in the 401(k) plan description. In fact, about the only thing descriptive is the comment "Bond ...

jbow44

To your first question, I'd say you are doing fine, keep it up. To your second, if you haven't played around with https://www.portfoliovisualizer.com/backtest-portfolio spend a little time on it. I recently did and was amazed how making what I thought was significant portfolio changes regarding AA ...

jbow44

What is the bond fund in your 401k?

jbow44

To your first question, I'd say you are doing fine, keep it up. To your second, if you haven't played around with https://www.portfoliovisualizer.com/backtest-portfolio spend a little time on it. I recently did and was amazed how making what I thought was significant portfolio changes regarding AA m...

jbow44

Emergency fund is insurance against life's unexpected occurrences. Leave it alone and invest elsewhere for growth.

jbow44

I think the point here has been made perfectly clear. To your original question, yes there is definite overlap and thus no reason to keep both. However, if you had an inclination that growth is best for you, simply go with VUG and none of VTI (although you can tell that's not the general recommendat...

jbow44

flamesabers wrote:Why not max out your Roth IRA for yourself in one lump deposit and spend the rest of the money on your car loan?

I would do this!

jbow44

I also tilt to SCV added to the three fund portfolio. I simply add VBR to VTI. If you wanted to go so far as small cap on the international side, look at VSS (although this isn't "value" specific).

jbow44

I agree with everything posted above. However, if you just wanted to DIY the fund choices and have low balances in the Roth's, ETF's are a good alternative. The minimum investment is the cost of one share. For instance, the ETF version of total US stock market index (VTI) is currently trading at $12...

jbow44

I recently had to make similar decision while opening a backdoor Roth at Vanguard. As others have correctly pointed out the target retirement fund of your choice is the simplest choice and will work just fine, especially if you like to be completely hands off. I chose the ETF version and came up wit...

jbow44

Hello. If your list is prioritized and you plan to work from one goal to the next on the given time frame, it doesn't look like you'll be investing for a while. I don't disagree that the stated priorities should come before IRA investing (although others may disagree) especially if you plan to buy a...

jbow44

I recently set up 2 accounts with VG with the intention of doing a backdoor Roth. I posted a review of my experience. Seems similar to yours. Not sure you'll find this educational except for reassurance that you're doing it right but here you go anyway. Be well. https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/view...

jbow44

livesoft, Thanks for the perspective. That TD Ameritrade account is the only one I've got there, so I think it's just a learning curve thing for me. I'm sure I'll get it straight in a day or so. I've got the funds I want I'm just trying to get them to assist me with the asset allocation. I'll keep w...

jbow44

Hello. This post is not a solicitation for advice, rather a review of my initial experience with Vanguard in what could potentially be a complex matter (or so I thought). Many have inquired to the exact mechanics for executing a backdoor Roth and I thought some might find my experience helpful. What...

jbow44

Hello. I am in need for some advice on where my parents should invest a lump sum of cash (inherited). I have followed this forum for a couple of years and have read all the boglehead books and am comfortable with market fluctuations and dyi financial management. They have never been of that kind and...

jbow44

Yea, I know that's really expensive. It's a small company and not many employees participate. I'm told that is the reason for the high ER's. For instance, this is my current portfolio. 80/20 stock/bond Vanguard Small Cap Index (VSIAX) ER: 1.69 Vanguard Mid Cap ETF (VOE) ER: 1.75 Vanguard Large Cap (...

jbow44

I know the topic of which account to fund has been discussed from various angles in multiple threads already. However, I just wanted to get peoples take on my specific options. To date, my primary focus has been to eliminate debt (student loans) which I completed last month. :sharebeer My next goal ...

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