Search found 72 matches
- Sat Dec 30, 2023 10:21 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: When to sell old/purchase new vehicle
- Replies: 37
- Views: 5022
When to sell old/purchase new vehicle
Have been a highly satisfied owner of a 2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E. It's been extremely well maintained and is in good cosmetic shape, though I do treat it as a truck -- camping/hunting/dog as passenger so there are some purely cosmetic signs of wear in the interior. Bought it new in September 2016 for 46k. Fully loaded. I also bought a 100k extended warranty. It's got 89k miles on it, basically new tires. Paid it off in 2019. While I'm not itching to replace it, I do feel like I'll get a better resale on it if I part with it before I cross that 100k mileage threshold on the extended warranty. I would probably look to get a new Rav4 Hybrid or consider something like a CR-V. I live in the DC/NOVA area and although the truckbed has come in ha...
- Fri Jun 09, 2023 11:37 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Small Cap Value heads Rejoice !!!
- Replies: 5577
- Views: 623588
Re: Small Cap Value heads Rejoice !!!
Some days I enjoy the volatility of SCV, others I wish I was plain-jane 3-Fund and Chill. One strategy I've found that can scratch the factor-tilt itch is to open an account outside your main brokerage and just DCA into that. M1 is ideally suited for this. I opened one there in Aug '21 and started a weekly DCA into a Ben Felix inspired Factor portfolio. People sometimes knock M1, but for auto-invest buy and hold a specific asset allocation it is tough to beat. I also have a 10% tilt to value in my VG brokerage, but it's a minor annoyance to have to manually purchase ETF shares there to keep my tilt via Avantis ETFs (AVUV, AVDV) instead of just letting my DCA run automatically via VTSAX and VTIAX. Kind of wish I'd never started a tilt there ...
- Sat May 13, 2023 9:24 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Sell rental house and invest profit?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 845
Re: Sell rental house and invest profit?
I’m interested in what you decide to do but unfortunately don’t have any advice. Am facing a sell vs keep as a rental decision on a recently rented out primary residence that I’ll need to decide on in a year or two.
- Sat Apr 29, 2023 11:13 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Capital Gains Exemption - Primary Residence as Rental
- Replies: 4
- Views: 321
Re: Capital Gains Exemption - Primary Residence as Rental
Thanks - 2025 gives me a good chunk of time to assess.
- Sat Apr 29, 2023 10:41 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Capital Gains Exemption - Primary Residence as Rental
- Replies: 4
- Views: 321
Capital Gains Exemption - Primary Residence as Rental
I'm seeking clarification on when my capital gains exemption on my recently rented-out townhouse will expire. Also welcome any thoughts folks might have regarding the pros and cons and financial sense of keeping a formerly primary residence as a rental long-term as part of their portfolio. Situation: Currently living in Washington DC area (Northern VA). Had lived in my townhouse for 10 years and in November 2022 decided to rent it out and move to a different part of town to be closer to friends and social activities, plus just needing a change. Love where I'm living now, renting, and have no intentions of moving back to my old home. Bought my townhouse in 2012 for 380k and it would probably get ~500k - 520k based on recent comps in the neig...
- Sun Jul 03, 2022 11:24 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: North Carolina’s Piedmont Region places to live?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2796
Re: North Carolina’s Piedmont Region places to live?
I grew up in Guilford County and loved it. My folks and much extended family still live there and every trip home is like a vacation (currently live in DC/NOVA). We grew up in NW Guilford, near Oak Ridge/Summerfield, so kind of in the "ex-urbs" (if not downright rural) when I was a kid, but it has become a pretty desirable place to live now, especially for folks wanting access to good public schools. You can be at the beach in under 4 hours easily, straight shot on I-40 to Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach, and can be in the mountains in far less than that. Greensboro isn't what it was with tobacco and textiles having declined greatly since the 80s and 90s, but it's got everything you need, and if you wanted to live more in town, I su...
- Sun Jun 19, 2022 8:46 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Selling Townhome to Rent Nearby in Same HCOL Area
- Replies: 22
- Views: 2247
Re: Selling Townhome to Rent Nearby in Same HCOL Area
"Keep prior house as rental" is the primary method by which I built my current rental property portfolio. "Be the roommate" is something I'm seriously considering for the exact same reasons you've cited, plus the prospect of returning to school for a graduate degree, in the big city that's two hours away. Do you have any formula or rubric you use to determine if renting out your prior house as rental makes sense? When have you decided not to keep a prior house as rental property? My place would rent for $2500/month and my mortgage/HOA/taxes, etc are currently $2150/month. My savings rate is 50% post-tax, so I can float vacancy with no impact to my lifestyle. Logistically and financially, I am in a good position to be th...
- Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:00 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Selling Townhome to Rent Nearby in Same HCOL Area
- Replies: 22
- Views: 2247
Re: Selling Townhome to Rent Nearby in Same HCOL Area
Thanks everyone for the very thoughtful and helpful feedback! I am going to speak with a realtor this week to see about getting my place on the market. Two units identical to mine just listed for the price I'd like to see mine sell for (after some price cuts), which in the local market here seems reasonable. I do think things are cooling. We'll see how much the rising interest rates in mortgages pressure these prices. My unit is in the lower-end of the various models in our neighborhood, so hopefully people who are just dying to live in this neighborhood, combined with there there being very little inventory on the market, should mitigate some of that pressure. Even if some of the appreciation we've seen in the past two years fades, those w...
- Sat Jun 18, 2022 7:54 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Selling Townhome to Rent Nearby in Same HCOL Area
- Replies: 22
- Views: 2247
Selling Townhome to Rent Nearby in Same HCOL Area
[2022 thread bumped in 2023 --admin LadyGeek] I'm hoping this post can elicit some thoughts on the wisdom of selling a townhome that has a quite low mortgage rate (2.9%) in order to move to a more desirable part of town (access to friends, dating, after work activities, downsizing, free from "joys" of home ownership) in a HCOL region. Situation: Have owned a townhome in the Northern Virginia area for ten years in a good neighborhood but one which doesn't bring me much joy and satisfaction. I'm single and want to be closer to friends and activities I enjoy on a daily basis rather than my current community and neighbors (young families and retired people -- all nice folks, but I have no desire to be part of this community). The app...
- Fri Apr 29, 2022 8:51 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Dog breeds
- Replies: 150
- Views: 12423
Re: Dog breeds
English Cocker Spaniel checks all of your boxes. Different breed than American Cockers per AKC. Males 25 to 30 lbs. Can be trained to compete in field trials and hunt tests. Love to run and swim. Fun and fairly easy to train if you are so inclined. Great companions and good house dogs. I have had a female and now have a male. Happy to provide more info in you are interested. English/"working" cockers are fantastic dogs. I have a Boykin Spaniel that I adore, but I can obsess over some of the Working English Cocker accounts on instagram. I've done a fair amount of traveling in the UK and love coming across their cockers. The poise and intelligence of these little dogs is unmatched. This is a superb recommendation. On a similar note...
- Fri Apr 29, 2022 5:01 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Dog breeds
- Replies: 150
- Views: 12423
Re: Dog breeds
I like the recommendations for a springer spaniel, but have seen the behavioral issue in some pups from a litter my parents' female had when I was young. They were all fine dogs, but there was a dr jekkyl/mr hyde switch in some of them! Given the size and temperament/activity level you're looking for, I would look at a Boykin Spaniel. I have a female, just turned 10, and she has been an absolute joy as a pet and companion. Females should be about 35# and males around 40#. They are big dogs in a compact package. You can see why they were bred as a compact replacement for labs by hunters in the South Carolina low-country swamps and creeks (aka the "Swamp Poodle"). I've been around dogs all my life and although I have a bias towards ...
- Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:06 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: U.S. stocks in free fall
- Replies: 36221
- Views: 4683675
Re: U.S. stocks in free fall
Still accumulating. Don't love watching my account balance fall, but also don't mind buying new shares cheaper.
- Sat Nov 06, 2021 6:08 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: U.S. vs International Stock Allocation
- Replies: 203
- Views: 22406
Re: U.S. vs International Stock Allocation
Meb Fabers recent podcast was really interesting.... I'm 100% US and no international and Meb's podcast strangely reassured my decision is well founded. Waiting for NathanDrake to chime in..... What was reassuring about it? I like Meb's intro music. His guest on the show provided reasons why US has outperformed and the reasons why he doesn't see that changing in the future. Thanks for reminding me of this! I was doing other thins while listening and almost didn't believe what I heard, especially given how Meb, who is always talking favorably of looking internationally for value and diversification. I've been ~35% ex-US across my 401k and taxable, and was 100% ex-us for my Roth (which wrecked it's returns for the past decade). I'm going to ...
- Fri Nov 05, 2021 8:07 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: why is it so wrong to say the market is overvalued?
- Replies: 241
- Views: 21042
Re: why is it so wrong to say the market is overvalued?
Those who are worried about concentration in a potentially overvalued US broad equity index might consider: Moving closer to something like total world stock index on the equity side Adding in global SC(V) or REITs as a proxy for global assets not captured in broad indices Adding in TIPS, precious metals, or international bonds on the fixed side Wake us up when the trend changes. Until it does, I have no desire or need to change our AA regarding international holdings as they have suffered enough over the past 22 years compared to the S&P 500... :shock: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51608491193_cfc64fae21_c.jpg I sure wish I'd been a bit less dogmatic in my conviction to hold global market cap. I hold the I Fund (essentially EFA)...
- Wed Oct 27, 2021 2:39 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: U.S. stocks continue to soar!
- Replies: 22381
- Views: 2138996
Re: U.S. stocks continue to soar!
It truly is. I suspect swing traders have made quite a game, perhaps profitable, from trading the $IWM. I've been tempted to do the same with the TSP S fund (which isn't the IWM, but has similar range-bound history the past 7 - 8 months), but it's such an inferior platform with its goofy rules (2 per month, trade must be placed before noon), it keeps me from doing foolish things like swing trading.
- Wed Oct 13, 2021 7:59 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Fidelity HSA - switch to VTWAX?
- Replies: 35
- Views: 4206
Re: Fidelity HSA - switch to VTWAX?
Have you considered a combination of Fidelity Mutual Funds, Total US (FSKAK) and Total International (FTIHX), in roughly 60/40 or 55/45 weighting? I don't use Fidelity so can't speak to their auto-invest features, but if you can't find a way to use the VT ETF, this may be a very easy way to roughly approximate VT using Fidelity mutual funds and automate your HSA investment.
I've become more of a fan of mutual funds for long term investing. In my taxable account, I've moved from VTI/VXUS to VTSAX and VTIAX because I found the temptation to try to time my bi-weekly investments into the ETFs too problematic and a hassle.
I've become more of a fan of mutual funds for long term investing. In my taxable account, I've moved from VTI/VXUS to VTSAX and VTIAX because I found the temptation to try to time my bi-weekly investments into the ETFs too problematic and a hassle.
- Fri Jul 16, 2021 10:06 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Paul Merriman free ebook "We're Talking Millions"
- Replies: 27
- Views: 10087
Re: Paul Merriman free ebook "We're Talking Millions"
There's plenty of things to complain about w.r.t. the public education system, but the absence of personal finance curriculum is not one of them. A personal finance course is mandatory at the public school at which I teach and many others. This has got to be regional. I haven't heard of personal finance class being taught in school in at least 30 years. A friend just shared her 9th grader's class schedule with me (at the same HS we both went to in NC in the 90s). All rising 9th graders this year will be required to take a Personal Finance and Econ class. This is a great move! Hopefully these classes will drill the compound interest table and the concept of putting some money to work while you dollars have the most impact (i.e., early in li...
- Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:44 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Amazon Firestick vs. Roku
- Replies: 72
- Views: 5936
Re: Amazon Firestick vs. Roku
I'm in the market for a cheap TV. The Rokus are definitely appealing; I have AppleTV on one of my TVs with all of the apps also in the TV itself. But I'm looking for something cheap (under 400 bucks) for my basement/mancave. Anyone have recommendations on Vizio vs TCL vs LG, etc Roku models?
- Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:10 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Need help with HSA investment options
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1877
Re: Need help with HSA investment options
I just signed up for an HSA as well. I'm 42 and wish i'd done it a decade sooner, but still looking forward to this option.
What I'm doing: Rather than trying to juggle a bunch of funds across multiple accounts and introduce the behavioral risk that can come with that, I will go with Total World (VTWIX or VT) or a blend of VTSAX/VTIAX (VTI/VXUS in etf) whenever I hit my 1k minimum contribution from my payroll contributions.
Hope this helps and good luck!
What I'm doing: Rather than trying to juggle a bunch of funds across multiple accounts and introduce the behavioral risk that can come with that, I will go with Total World (VTWIX or VT) or a blend of VTSAX/VTIAX (VTI/VXUS in etf) whenever I hit my 1k minimum contribution from my payroll contributions.
Hope this helps and good luck!
- Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:27 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Best Way to Collect Rent Electronically?
- Replies: 89
- Views: 6238
Re: Best Way to Collect Rent Electronically?
Seriously consider CashApp. There is no limit to inbound/receipt of cash from other users, zero transaction fees, and you can "cash out" to your checking or other linked bank account instantly.
The "smartphone...ick!" factor aside, it's about as friction-free a transaction as I can think of. I wasn't a fan of the app until I started using it in lieu of a credit card for cash-back rewards (on CashApp they're mostly targeted discounts, aka "boosts") about a month ago. They've won me over by their innovation in this regard, the cleanness of the design and the simple ease of use.
The "smartphone...ick!" factor aside, it's about as friction-free a transaction as I can think of. I wasn't a fan of the app until I started using it in lieu of a credit card for cash-back rewards (on CashApp they're mostly targeted discounts, aka "boosts") about a month ago. They've won me over by their innovation in this regard, the cleanness of the design and the simple ease of use.
- Tue Dec 08, 2020 8:22 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What should a 23 year old consider before purchasing a Tesla?
- Replies: 264
- Views: 19196
Re: What should a 23 year old consider before purchasing a Tesla?
'Boglehead advice' will be a 23-yr old making $100k is too soon to be buying a $50k eclectic vehicle (that will be outdated in 3 years as EV tech is progressing rapidly). "Wisdom" on this forum would be to get a cheaper new or used vehicle for <$30k which has the same utility as the Tesla (although not the same 'cool' or 'fun' factor) e.g. your usual suspects of toyota, hyundai, honda, etc. etc. You'll also have an extra financial cushion if you lose your job in 6 months. In the non-boglehead world you can certainly get it if you want it... it will just delay financial independence by 2-3 years and potentially set you on a path of living beyond your means as you'll probably want to upgrade to the newest tesla in 4 years because y...
- Wed Dec 02, 2020 5:16 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Mark Hulbert on the next decade
- Replies: 13
- Views: 2278
Re: Mark Hulbert on the next decade
Almost like he's on the same page as the Vanguard total world and life strategy portfolio allocation recommendations, which for the past many years have seemed too heavy in international equities given their lagging performance.
- Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: twitter 20% drop
- Replies: 55
- Views: 6986
Re: twitter 20% drop
I bought some TWTR shares a year ago around $28 or $29; even after this plummet, it's still 40% higher.
They may be in a tight spot right now with the recent content moderation/suppression (along w/ political flack) and slowing user growth, but I think it will pass. Of all the social media platforms I use, TWTR still provides more value than any other. My long-term hope/aspiration is that they figure out a way to successfully monetize the platform. They do provide an indispensable news filtering/finding/alert and interaction service.
S&P500 is up 6% in same time.
I'm still an indexer for >90% of my portfolio, but I don't think people are crazy for buying individual stocks.
They may be in a tight spot right now with the recent content moderation/suppression (along w/ political flack) and slowing user growth, but I think it will pass. Of all the social media platforms I use, TWTR still provides more value than any other. My long-term hope/aspiration is that they figure out a way to successfully monetize the platform. They do provide an indispensable news filtering/finding/alert and interaction service.
S&P500 is up 6% in same time.
I'm still an indexer for >90% of my portfolio, but I don't think people are crazy for buying individual stocks.
- Sat Oct 31, 2020 2:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Tesla Full Self Driving Option
- Replies: 177
- Views: 16530
Re: Tesla Full Self Driving Option
To what extent is FSD dependent on lane/highway/street markings? That seems like a really problematic variable. I know my Honda's lane keeping assist seems to struggle in the rain at night when lane markings are masked by heavy rain and the reflection of head and tail lights.
Also, is the beta release feeding data back to the AI -- things like when the driver had to intervene, exceptions/deviation from what it thought it needed to do -- in real or near real time? If so, this is really compelling. But I'd also like to know how they settled on the cost and cost increase when having as many sensors (i.e., drivers with FSD enabled) out on the roads as possible seems to be THE critical path to seizing the advantage in autonomy.
Also, is the beta release feeding data back to the AI -- things like when the driver had to intervene, exceptions/deviation from what it thought it needed to do -- in real or near real time? If so, this is really compelling. But I'd also like to know how they settled on the cost and cost increase when having as many sensors (i.e., drivers with FSD enabled) out on the roads as possible seems to be THE critical path to seizing the advantage in autonomy.
- Fri Oct 30, 2020 7:27 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Stable Value Fund as “bond” allocation
- Replies: 32
- Views: 3466
Re: Stable Value Fund as “bond” allocation
3% sounds outstanding. What is the ticker?
- Wed Oct 28, 2020 3:01 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: U.S. stocks in free fall
- Replies: 36221
- Views: 4683675
- Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:23 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: U.S. stocks in free fall
- Replies: 36221
- Views: 4683675
Re: U.S. stocks in free fall
Imagine my shock! This is what it looks like when we have no vaccine/stimulus/trade/reopening pump and ominous shutdowns across Europe.
I see a long way to the bottom. Hope I'm not right, but I will continue to buy on schedule.
I see a long way to the bottom. Hope I'm not right, but I will continue to buy on schedule.
- Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Help...we're getting a dog!
- Replies: 157
- Views: 12241
Re: Help...we're getting a dog!
Congrats. Your kids are at the same age when my brother and I got an 8 week old springer, who brought us all years of joy. It was a great experience and even my old-school dad, who had bird dogs/hunting dogs (and could be very rough with them) loved her. I bought a boykin spaniel in my mid-30s a few years ago and raised her from 8 weeks as well. She's been wondeful and I will get another when she's no longer with us. I think you've already gotten a ton of useful advice. I'm a huge advocate for crating the pup WHENEVER they are not in your sight/reach for the first many months, and arguably the first year. It builds a lot of structure into their life and makes them view you as their master. They will eventually learn to like it, especially i...
- Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:21 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Individual Stocks - 5-10% of Portfolio "Play Money" - YES or NO?
- Replies: 91
- Views: 7568
Re: Individual Stocks - 5-10% of Portfolio "Play Money" - YES or NO?
I would definitely do it. But set up some rules. Someone earlier mentioned sticking to where you feel you some kind of edge or sense that you know something that others are missing. I don't buy many individual stocks, but on a few occasions I've come across some companies like Equinix (actually a REIT) and Cloudflare by virtue of some projects I've been on and ended up doing some informal research (i.e., the book "Tubes" was very relevant in this case, as was chatting up our IT/networking guys). These two have done very well relative to where I bought them, and if I have any regrets at this point it's that I didn't invest sooner and with more "conviction." But I don't want to press my luck so the rest of my Roth, Taxable...
- Wed Sep 09, 2020 5:01 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Buying covid hit stocks
- Replies: 30
- Views: 2309
Re: Buying covid hit stocks
Something like an S&P500 or Total Market, ex-Tech/Comms Services, if it existed, might be the most Bogleheaded way to go about this. But I think it's crazy to write off AAPL, MSFT, AMZN, & GOOG.
- Wed Sep 02, 2020 9:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Poor performing portfolio
- Replies: 73
- Views: 9092
Re: Poor performing portfolio
Was just looking at my taxable account and noticed that my Year To Date gains are currently just $100. LOL! I kid you not. This is on a close to half million dollar position. Clearly I am doing something terribly wrong. Positions : VOO (S&P 500) - 14.14% VFWAX (Total International) - 23.31% VBILX (Intermediate Bond) - 15.70% VTMSX (S&P 600) - 31.86% VTSAX (Total Stock) - 6.58% Cash Reserves - 8.40% 2020 beginning balance: $456,426, new money invested: $20,700, current balance as of today: $477,230, net gain: $104 I understand that I have Small and non-US and this is a 75/25 portfolio but still I was expecting at least more than a $100 gain on a half million dollar portfolio on what is supposed to be a bull market? :oops: Can anyone...
- Wed Sep 02, 2020 9:22 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Where to buy disinfectant wipes?
- Replies: 33
- Views: 2444
Re: Where to buy disinfectant wipes?
Walmart.com shows Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are available for purchase and in stock for 'in-store purchase only' where I live. You would probably be better off getting (or making your own) disinfecting spray and using disposable/paper towels. If COVID-19 is the concern, it might be worthy of consideration that contact with surfaces " is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads " https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html Yes this. I think we may benefit from lingering changes in behavior re contact/surface/hand washing awareness during flu season (I work in an office where we all have to use the same nasty door handle to enter our secure area), but the run on wipes for covid seem...
- Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Moving "Safety Net" from Betterment to VG?
- Replies: 1
- Views: 351
Moving "Safety Net" from Betterment to VG?
I've held my "safety net" of roughly 6 months living expenses in Betterment for the past five years. It's a relatively low-cost aggregation of various indexes of stocks and bonds (Vanguard, iShares, etc). Returns have been ok -- it's 40% stocks, 60% bonds -- and it weathered the covid plunge just fine. Sometime last year they had recommend to all their "safety net" users that we move to their new recommended safety-net allocation of only 15% stocks, but I ignored it and don't see any reason to wander from the original 40/60 split. In the interest of having everything in one basket/under one roof (for simplicity's sake) and paying slightly less in fees, can anyone recommend a good "safety net" to move this into ...
- Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:45 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Roth TSP + Traditional TSP
- Replies: 8
- Views: 739
Re: Roth TSP + Traditional TSP
Roth IRA is @115k; TSP is @ 560k; nothing in trad IRAs. Current tax bracket is 32%.
I'd love to retire early and get the heck out of the DC/NOVA area for lower COL, housing, traffic, proximity to extended family, but my job is interesting as well as good from a security, work/life balance and income perspective. So at this point in time I have no plan for retiring early, barring some drastic change of part-time vocation/side-hustle or windfall.
Thanks for your response!
- Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:37 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Roth TSP + Traditional TSP
- Replies: 8
- Views: 739
Re: Roth TSP + Traditional TSP
Are you maxing out your TSP and IRA (and funding a 529 for your children's education, if appropriate)? If not, then the traditional TSP is probably better; as a GS-15, your marginal tax rate is likely to be higher now than in retirement, even with your FERS pension. This is even more the case if you live in a high-tax state such as Maryland or DC and might retire in a lower-tax state. If you are maxing out tax-favored investments, the Roth TSP lets you effectively tax-defer more money, If you expect to retire in a marginal tax bracket which is only slightly lower than your current bracket, the Roth might be better. See Traditional versus Roth: Maxing out your retirement accounts on the wiki. Yes, I currently max my Roth IRA and max my TSP ...
- Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:13 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Roth TSP + Traditional TSP
- Replies: 8
- Views: 739
Roth TSP + Traditional TSP
Anyone have experience with changing their TSP contributions from 100% Traditional to a mix of Trad and Roth? Was thinking of contributing 5% to Trad for the match and then direct the rest towards Roth. Pros, cons?
Age 42, GS15, possibly a lifer...not an investing savant.
Thanks!
Age 42, GS15, possibly a lifer...not an investing savant.
Thanks!
- Fri Jul 31, 2020 10:42 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: >2055 TSP Lifecycle + 10% in G fund
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1579
Re: >2055 TSP Lifecycle + 10% in G fund
- Fri Jul 31, 2020 10:23 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: >2055 TSP Lifecycle + 10% in G fund
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1579
Re: >2055 TSP Lifecycle + 10% in G fund
I noticed the same thing regarding the overly conservative allocation, which is why I suppose I never settled on an L fund previously. Did you end up going with the 2050 then or are you allocating to individual funds? Curious as to why we would hold F right now given how low interest rates are...when they go up (in a few...years(?), doesn't that mean we'll see their value fall?
- Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:11 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: >2055 TSP Lifecycle + 10% in G fund
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1579
>2055 TSP Lifecycle + 10% in G fund
Thoughts on holding one of the new TSP Lifecycle funds (which have almost no G or F fund, ~1%) and then some percentage of the account in G fund? I don't believe there is any benefit in being in F funds given where interest rates are now -- not that there is much return in G, but it's as risk free as anything, unless we go negative(?). Right now I hold a 3-fund allocation in my TSP - C/S/I @ 60%/15%/25% and rest in G. But watching markets and allocation is driving me nuts, so I'd rather let some automatic re-balancing, especially if we see some rotation from large cap to international and small cap, do it's work. In addition to one of these new ~99% equities Lifecycle funds, I'd keep 10% in a reserve of G fund for any really bad day. 42, se...
- Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Older Women Lifting Weights
- Replies: 203
- Views: 27796
Re: Older Women Lifting Weights
Not a female (M, 42), but I've lifted most of my life since high school and intensified it in my mid thirties with a goal of hitting some personal records on my 40th birthday, overhead pressing 205, squatting 405, dead-lifting 515 and benching 335 in under ten minutes. I don't maintain those levels now, but hands-down think that a lifetime of consistent resistance training has helped me age gracefully (I'm 42 but feel like I did in my early 30s, if not younger). One could do nothing more than basic barbell lifts and walk/jog a few miles a few times a week and be in fine shape for a very very long time. I see it in my gym with men and women in their 60s all the time and it really motivates me. I managed to convince my mom, at age 72, to take...
- Wed Jul 15, 2020 11:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Anybody watch new joe Rogan episode with Peter Schiff?
- Replies: 51
- Views: 8272
Re: Anybody watch new joe Rogan episode with Peter Schiff?
Got through about an hour of it. Longtime Rogan listener and this was one of the more painful episodes I can remember. Essentially a rehash of his (Schiff's) one-string guitar harping on and on about debt and inflation and how if he were president he'd had let everything collapse, how taxation is theft, etc. I actually liked his interview with Joe in 2017 much more, likely due to it being in-person vs this awkward Skype connection where they stepped on one another for three hours. That being said, I'd welcome anyone's views on Schiff's doom and gloom. He's been saying that for the past decade (and he is a gold monger). I'll be the first to admit I found some of his criticisms of waste in PPP appropriate (but small potatoes in the grand sche...
- Fri Jun 05, 2020 6:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: TSP Investor: Timed the drop - getting back to normal AA
- Replies: 9
- Views: 901
TSP Investor: Timed the drop - getting back to normal AA
On 26 Feb I moved my TSP AA from 80/20 (Stocks/G-fund) to 20% stocks, 80% G fund, missing much of the worst of the downturn. I also set my bi-weekly contributions to a 100% equity contribution of C, S and I @ 60% C, 15% S, and 25% I funds when I made this move. Around early April, I moved 20% back into equities and am now sitting around 54% G fund with the rest in C/S/I after today's pop in the markets. 1) If you were in my shoes, how would you move back to an 80/20 allocation? 2) Given low/zero interest rates, should I consider F (bonds) in addition to (or instead of) the G fund? This may be a stupid question, but in this interest rate environment -- and speculation about negative interest rates -- I'm not clear on the pros/cons of either....
- Tue Apr 28, 2020 12:12 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Unable to Order Work Out Equipment
- Replies: 45
- Views: 4281
Re: Unable to Order Work Out Equipment
Consider making some heavy training tools/implements, such as heavy "medicine balls." I made one a few years ago and it's been a great addition to some of my conditioning workouts (for cleans, over the shoulder runs, bear-hug walks, burpees with a clean and press...get creative). Pick out a bag of sand or gravel from Home Depot or Lowes at the appropriate weight for your "ball". Place it in a heavy duty contractor bag. You can wrap the excess of the bag around the bag of gravel or sand, or trim it away. Now take a roll of duct tape and start wrapping until it is completely covered and in the shape you desire. If I were making mine over again, I would have tried to make it more "bread loaf" shaped rather than de...
- Wed Apr 15, 2020 9:00 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Life Strategy VS Target Date funds
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1708
Re: Life Strategy VS Target Date funds
Are either acceptable in a taxable account? Does one have a more tax-efficient approach?
- Wed Apr 01, 2020 1:59 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why does anyone invest in international funds?
- Replies: 306
- Views: 24869
Re: Why does anyone invest in international funds?
I just don't like the idea of having one retirement account entirely invested in a single, ex-US fund simply to plug some gaps in my other plan (emerging markets) and ease of re-balancing. Would it not make more sense to hold a two or three-fund within each account, recognizing that at this time the TSP I fund doesn't include emerging international? I guess I'm just looking for someone to validate that as a concern for others to consider; I don't feel like it makes sense to go "all in" with a single sector or region in on of your accounts...feels like it puts the Roth account and its unique benefits (tax free withdrawal) at geographic risk. Why introduce that kind of bias to a specific account, even if you are balanced across you...
- Wed Apr 01, 2020 12:47 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why does anyone invest in international funds?
- Replies: 306
- Views: 24869
Re: Why does anyone invest in international funds?
Now my TSP has seen great gains, whereas my Roth has barely moved in 6 years despite consistent contributions and that one year of out-performance in international in 2017. In hindsight I would have just set my Roth on the most aggressive 3-fund (2-fund, actually) I could there and accept that I wouldn't hold emerging markets with international in my TSP until they/when they add emergning markets to the I fund. If anyone has some thoughts on how to perhaps get this situation corrected, I'm all ears. My 2020 contribution to ROTH is still in cash/MmKt, thankfully. Right now I am carefully DCA'ing into VTSAX. Should I just say to hell with it now and move to a total equity approach now? Sell out of some VTIAX and into VTSAX until I'm about 45...
- Wed Apr 01, 2020 11:23 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why does anyone invest in international funds?
- Replies: 306
- Views: 24869
Re: Why does anyone invest in international funds?
I always read these threads and still come down on the global market-weight side of the equation. However, if I could go back and change one thing it would have been to have NEVER put all my Roth into VTIAX while leaving my TSP in C, S, and G funds to achieve a balanced allocation across my total portfolio. I did this at the time after some advice on this board on how I might set up a three fund between my TSP and Vanguard. Now my TSP has seen great gains, whereas my Roth has barely moved in 6 years despite consistent contributions and that one year of out-performance in international in 2017. In hindsight I would have just set my Roth on the most aggressive 3-fund (2-fund, actually) I could there and accept that I wouldn't hold emerging ma...
- Tue Mar 17, 2020 5:38 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: The Black Swan is Here
- Replies: 164
- Views: 21747
Re: The Black Swan is Here
What annoys me about this swan is I felt like I could see it coming from a good distance away. Staying the course really led me strait into an iceberg. My defense strategy is that I still have the benefit of time. 'Staying the course' = 'Ignore developments'. A rational person changes his mind when new facts become available. Well put. Staying the course eventually = deer in the headlights? I moved most of my TSP to the G fund three weeks ago and it so far has saved me 6 figures. But now I have to decide when to get back in. When I moved it, I said I would start to move back in once we hit December 2018 levels, yet we seem to be blowing right past those and it still feels like Europe and the States are still just at the end of the beginnin...
- Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:13 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: International is in meltdown
- Replies: 413
- Views: 42416
Re: International is in meltdown
VXUS (Vanguard Total International ETF - corresponds to MUTF: VTIAX) is almost down a staggering -12% today, that puts International down 35% from the peak in Jan 2018 :shock: I know the predictions were for International to outperform US in this decade but the drawdowns have been so deep I don't know if this is going to pan out. I know the decade is still just starting and a ton can happen in the next 9 years but it isn't looking good for a recovery if it drops 50% which isn't too far away. It occurred to me ironically that discovering bogleheads ended up being rather costly for me because I was unaware of the possibility of investing in international stocks as a naive 22 yr old. Previous to that discovery, I stuck to the s&p. 15 year...
- Mon Sep 30, 2019 3:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: TSP: Moving out of G Fund to F?
- Replies: 49
- Views: 4510
Re: TSP: Moving out of G Fund to F?
Age: 41, single, no kids To me, the most perplexing part of this situation is that I can't figure out why a 41-year old person with no dependents has 20% of their retirement portfolio parked in cash to begin with. Valid observation. I was trying to roll my own "three fund" between my ROTH and TSP, but do feel I've been too conservative by holding this much "cash" given the 2+ decade horizon on this account. I subscribed to the idea that a 20% allocation would smooth some of the bumps along the way, however I will have some kind of pension under FERS, which I could treat as a bond holding. For now, I continue to hold it waiting for some big correction (kicking myself for not adjusting in late December 2018) and will go 9...