question about posting for advice

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Topic Author
anglophile
Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 5:57 pm

question about posting for advice

Post by anglophile »

Hello, I'm trying to fill out my household's current retirement assets according to the requirements posted in this forum. I am a bit confused by the percentage breakdown, as in the section regarding Vanguard funds. What does this mean: "Note: Total percentage of all the above accounts together (not each account individually) should equal 100%."
My traditional IRA is a mix of stocks and bonds. Should I put, for instance, VFIAX 50% stocks, 50% bonds?

Also, I find this part confusing: Taxable
xx% cash (for investing – do not include emergency funds)
xx% (ticker symbol) (expense ratio)
xx% stock company name (ticker symbol)

What does it mean?

Many thanks!
livesoft
Posts: 86075
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:00 pm

Re: question about posting for advice

Post by livesoft »

anglophile wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:24 pmMy traditional IRA is a mix of stocks and bonds. Should I put, for instance, VFIAX 50% stocks, 50% bonds?
If your traditional IRA is 100% of your portfolio and you do not have any 401(k) nor 403(b) nor Roth IRA nor others accounts, then yes.

But if your traditional IRA is only 15% of your entire portfolio, then you would put
7.5% VFIAX (assuming this is the real ticker symbol in your IRA)
7.5% bonds.

That's because 50% of 15% is 7.5%.
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go2run
Posts: 159
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2017 12:34 pm

Re: question about posting for advice

Post by go2run »

anglophile wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:24 pm Hello, I'm trying to fill out my household's current retirement assets according to the requirements posted in this forum. I am a bit confused by the percentage breakdown, as in the section regarding Vanguard funds. What does this mean: "Note: Total percentage of all the above accounts together (not each account individually) should equal 100%."
My traditional IRA is a mix of stocks and bonds. Should I put, for instance, VFIAX 50% stocks, 50% bonds?

Also, I find this part confusing: Taxable
xx% cash (for investing – do not include emergency funds)
xx% (ticker symbol) (expense ratio)
xx% stock company name (ticker symbol)

What does it mean?

Many thanks!
Let's say you have the following accounts: Taxable, 401k, and traditional IRA. The total of all three accounts will be 100%. You would list your accounts and funds as follows:

Taxable (x%)
x1% Cash
x2% Fund x (expense ratio) (

401k (y%)
y1% Fund x (expense ratio)
y2% Fund x (expense ratio)

traditional IRA (z%)
z1% VFIAX (0.04%)
z2% Fund x (expense ratio)

x + y + z = 100%
x1 + x2 + y1 + y2 + z1 + z2 = 100

Common Vanguard Funds:
(Name) (Ticker symbol) (expense ratio)
Vanguard Total Stock Market Index VTSAX (0.04%)
Vanguard Total International Stock Index VTIAX (0.11%)
Vanguard Total Bond Market Index VBTLX (0.05%)
Vanguard Total International Bond Index VTABX (0.11%)
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retiredjg
Posts: 54082
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:56 am

Re: question about posting for advice

Post by retiredjg »

anglophile wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:24 pm Hello, I'm trying to fill out my household's current retirement assets according to the requirements posted in this forum. I am a bit confused by the percentage breakdown, as in the section regarding Vanguard funds. What does this mean: "Note: Total percentage of all the above accounts together (not each account individually) should equal 100%."
My traditional IRA is a mix of stocks and bonds. Should I put, for instance, VFIAX 50% stocks, 50% bonds?
Only if your traditional IRA is the only account you have...which seems unlikely.

We want to know what each "holding" is in terms of a percentage of the entire portfolio. If you have $5,000 in total stock market in a Roth IRA in a $50,000 portfolio, it is 10% of your portfolio. We don't care if it is 1% of your Roth IRA account or 100% of your Roth IRA account - that is not relevant. It is 10% of the entire portfolio (all your accounts together).

To do this, add up the total dollars in all the accounts together (leave out emergency fund). Then divide the dollars you have in ____ by that number.


Also, I find this part confusing: Taxable
xx% cash (for investing – do not include emergency funds)
xx% (ticker symbol) (expense ratio)
xx% stock company name (ticker symbol)

What does it mean?
If you have cash sitting around in savings or whatever, and want to invest it, include that cash as a percentage of the entire portfolio.

If you have a mutual fund, show what percentage it is of the entire portfolio. Also show the expense ratio you are paying for that mutual fund.

Same for an individual stock. If you have $5k of Apple stock and your portfolio is $50,000, show that Apple stock is 10% of the portfolio.
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celia
Posts: 16774
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:32 am
Location: SoCal

Re: question about posting for advice

Post by celia »

anglophile wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:24 pm Hello, I'm trying to fill out my household's current retirement assets according to the requirements posted in this forum. I am a bit confused by the percentage breakdown, as in the section regarding Vanguard funds. What does this mean: "Note: Total percentage of all the above accounts together (not each account individually) should equal 100%."
The total of all your assets (except for your home and Emergency Fund) should total 100%, rather than the total of each account.
Also, I find this part confusing: Taxable
xx% cash (for investing – do not include emergency funds)
xx% (ticker symbol) (expense ratio)
xx% stock company name (ticker symbol)

What does it mean?
Here are examples of current threads who posted using the recommended format: (your questions will obviously be different than theirs)

viewtopic.php?p=6143516

viewtopic.php?p=6144226
A dollar in Roth is worth more than a dollar in a taxable account. A dollar in taxable is worth more than a dollar in a tax-deferred account.
livesoft
Posts: 86075
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:00 pm

Re: question about posting for advice

Post by livesoft »

celia wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:51 pm Here are examples of current threads who posted using the recommended format: (your questions will obviously be different than theirs)

viewtopic.php?p=6143516 Nope. Total portfolio adds up to 200% and not 100%.

viewtopic.php?p=6144226
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pedalman701
Posts: 97
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2020 7:12 pm

Re: question about posting for advice

Post by pedalman701 »

anglophile wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:24 pm Hello, I'm trying to fill out my household's current retirement assets according to the requirements posted in this forum. I am a bit confused by the percentage breakdown, as in the section regarding Vanguard funds. What does this mean: "Note: Total percentage of all the above accounts together (not each account individually) should equal 100%."
My traditional IRA is a mix of stocks and bonds. Should I put, for instance, VFIAX 50% stocks, 50% bonds?

Also, I find this part confusing: Taxable
xx% cash (for investing – do not include emergency funds)
xx% (ticker symbol) (expense ratio)
xx% stock company name (ticker symbol)

What does it mean?

Many thanks!
This is the spreadsheet I used to help me fill out that part of the review:
https://www.doughroller.net/investing/a ... readsheet/

It will give you a total picture of your entire holdings, including those percentages.
A Recovering Jonesoholic | 55% US/10% Intl/35% Bonds
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celia
Posts: 16774
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:32 am
Location: SoCal

Re: question about posting for advice

Post by celia »

livesoft wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:54 pm
celia wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:51 pm viewtopic.php?p=6143516 Nope. Total portfolio adds up to 200% and not 100%.
:oops:


pedalman701 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:08 pm This is the spreadsheet I used to help me fill out that part of the review:
https://www.doughroller.net/investing/a ... readsheet/
Ok, but that is not the format that will help us the most. We prefer our own template as it’s what we are already familiar with:
Asking Portfolio Questions
pedalman701
Posts: 97
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2020 7:12 pm

Re: question about posting for advice

Post by pedalman701 »

celia wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 10:25 pm
livesoft wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:54 pm
celia wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:51 pm viewtopic.php?p=6143516 Nope. Total portfolio adds up to 200% and not 100%.
:oops:


pedalman701 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:08 pm This is the spreadsheet I used to help me fill out that part of the review:
https://www.doughroller.net/investing/a ... readsheet/
Ok, but that is not the format that will help us the most. We prefer our own template as it’s what we are already familiar with:
Asking Portfolio Questions
I should have clarified. I meant that the sheet could be used to generate the percentages needed for the preferred format. :oops:
A Recovering Jonesoholic | 55% US/10% Intl/35% Bonds
Topic Author
anglophile
Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 5:57 pm

Re: question about posting for advice

Post by anglophile »

pedalman701 wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:08 pm
anglophile wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:24 pm Hello, I'm trying to fill out my household's current retirement assets according to the requirements posted in this forum. I am a bit confused by the percentage breakdown, as in the section regarding Vanguard funds. What does this mean: "Note: Total percentage of all the above accounts together (not each account individually) should equal 100%."
My traditional IRA is a mix of stocks and bonds. Should I put, for instance, VFIAX 50% stocks, 50% bonds?

Also, I find this part confusing: Taxable
xx% cash (for investing – do not include emergency funds)
xx% (ticker symbol) (expense ratio)
xx% stock company name (ticker symbol)

What does it mean?

Many thanks!
This is the spreadsheet I used to help me fill out that part of the review:
https://www.doughroller.net/investing/a ... readsheet/

It will give you a total picture of your entire holdings, including those percentages.
Thank you very much--I just filled it out and it really helped!
Topic Author
anglophile
Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 5:57 pm

Re: question about posting for advice

Post by anglophile »

Thank you, everyone!

It may be a couple of days before I post with my details. I'm very nervous when it comes to numbers and it's taking me a while to prepare the information.

It's also been a while since I even looked at my portfolio...

Thank you for your help and explanations.
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