What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

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HMSVictory
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by HMSVictory »

I'm up 72% from the March lows. Stay the course worked - just as it always has.

To the above poster referencing the morality of the gains of the market during this year. The returns were the payback for staying invested through turbulent times. I do not (and you should not) feel guilty about earning the risk premium you/we took. I personally have been working my rear end off and investing for decades. With that being said you/we can decide to give as much as you/we like to charitable causes or things you care about. The wise accumulation of wealth helps you do more good. Only the strong can help the weak and the stronger you are the more you can help.
Stay the course!
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Portfolio7
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Portfolio7 »

revhappy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:33 am Do you guys really think we deserve the huge massive gains made this year? FED and other central banks wanted to help the economy and make sure the unemployment numbers dont get worse. Instead what we have is millionaires are becoming more richer, with the cheap money. Do we really need so much money? It is like the free money the FED is giving you. Will there be consequences? Maybe not to us white collar work from home guys. But some of the poorest people will be hit again very badly when the whole thing collapses.
Legitimate question. Deserve is a loaded word, and that's something you'll need to decide for yourself. I would say we did the rational and appropriate thing given our knowledge and abilities. If you want to use the money for charitable endeavors, you can - but if you hadn't made the money in the first place, you'd have none to give away.

The way I see it, I'm not bigger than the system. I'm going to use the system to attain financial security. I have a special needs child for whom I want to leave a legacy, because SSDI is managed by people who make a lot of mistakes, and is designed to be difficult to deal with (which results in people who really need the support getting none unless they have a champion to manage it for them), and I don't want him turned out on the streets after I pass. Where I believe I can add a moral component to is to work within the system to help the next generation attain that same security with less effort, and so that people like my son can always have a minimum level of support. All he needs is basic food, shelter, clothing, and for quality of life, an internet hookup. He works at a local place, his third job in 2 years. People with his disability have difficulty maintaining long term employment - but that's a long story. He is on SSDI getting variable levels of support based on his earnings, and for the most part he earns his way. I'm trying to create security for him so he's not on the damn merry-go-round of political parties creating then yanking then changing support programs. I have a real dark place in my heart for the people who blunder into complicated situations with ill considered actions.

I suspect we would all be better off with a forced savings scheme like you see in Australia. Bogleheads would save over and above that as we've always done, but there would be far fewer people with no savings at all.

The way I see it, working for these changes, to obviate the need for us all to take these risks to attain financial security would be the moral thing to do, rather than turning down opportunity. Then again, maybe I'm just rationalizing the course I've chosen - we all tend to do that to some extent.
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest" - Benjamin Franklin
ducklake
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by ducklake »

2020 Performance:

Bond = 41.0%
Cash = 3.0%
Stock = 56.0% (US = 38%, NON-US = 18%)

Bond Diversification = [21 79 0; 0 0 0; 0 0 0]
Stock Diversification = [19 23 15; 9 12 5; 7 8 4]

Return = 10.06%
Expense Ratio = 0.07%
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Busdrvr »

2020: 35% No beardstown. Crazy.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by atdharris »

Finished up 32% in 2020. Began the year at a 90/10 stock to LTT split and sold off the LTTs after the March-April surge and went to 100% stock. Paid off nicely
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by abuss368 »

I actually don’t know if we are up or if we are down. I would expect up since the markets are up. A rising tide lifts all boats.

I don’t log into Vanguard to check up on it.

I simply don’t know and don’t care.

Whether I am up , down, or same, will not result in selling the funds I am in.

Best.
Tony
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by marti038 »

5.37% for 2021 so far.
“Having, first, gained all you can, and, secondly saved all you can, then give all you can.” - John Wesley
finite_difference
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by finite_difference »

Portfolio7 wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 10:21 am
revhappy wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:33 am Do you guys really think we deserve the huge massive gains made this year? FED and other central banks wanted to help the economy and make sure the unemployment numbers dont get worse. Instead what we have is millionaires are becoming more richer, with the cheap money. Do we really need so much money? It is like the free money the FED is giving you. Will there be consequences? Maybe not to us white collar work from home guys. But some of the poorest people will be hit again very badly when the whole thing collapses.
Legitimate question. Deserve is a loaded word, and that's something you'll need to decide for yourself. I would say we did the rational and appropriate thing given our knowledge and abilities. If you want to use the money for charitable endeavors, you can - but if you hadn't made the money in the first place, you'd have none to give away.

The way I see it, I'm not bigger than the system. I'm going to use the system to attain financial security. I have a special needs child for whom I want to leave a legacy, because SSDI is managed by people who make a lot of mistakes, and is designed to be difficult to deal with (which results in people who really need the support getting none unless they have a champion to manage it for them), and I don't want him turned out on the streets after I pass. Where I believe I can add a moral component to is to work within the system to help the next generation attain that same security with less effort, and so that people like my son can always have a minimum level of support. All he needs is basic food, shelter, clothing, and for quality of life, an internet hookup. He works at a local place, his third job in 2 years. People with his disability have difficulty maintaining long term employment - but that's a long story. He is on SSDI getting variable levels of support based on his earnings, and for the most part he earns his way. I'm trying to create security for him so he's not on the damn merry-go-round of political parties creating then yanking then changing support programs. I have a real dark place in my heart for the people who blunder into complicated situations with ill considered actions.

I suspect we would all be better off with a forced savings scheme like you see in Australia. Bogleheads would save over and above that as we've always done, but there would be far fewer people with no savings at all.

The way I see it, working for these changes, to obviate the need for us all to take these risks to attain financial security would be the moral thing to do, rather than turning down opportunity. Then again, maybe I'm just rationalizing the course I've chosen - we all tend to do that to some extent.
Agree. I would just extend that compassion to everyone who falls on hard times. (Those with disabilities all the more so.)

Use your extra YTD gains to advocate for and support the change you want to see. Guilt doesn’t help anyone.
The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. - Thich Nhat Hanh
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1789
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by 1789 »

2021 shows around 5%. Good enough for this year
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by rockstar »

4% ignoring today, which is crazy.
AliasDictusTyrant
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by AliasDictusTyrant »

5% in 2021, which is pretty high. I finished 2020 at 74%, which is insane; I don't expect to see that again.
Simple Simon
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Simple Simon »

Started the year with 5023 units of my global index fund of choice.

Bought another 230 units.

So I now have 5253 units, which means I am up 4.6%
25% stock, 25% bonds, 25% cash, 25% stuff
chuckb84
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by chuckb84 »

Well, this early in the year I don't know how meaningful YTD is. I usually look at the trailing year, and that's up 10.4%. About a 50/50 stock/bond AA and 80% of it is the 3 Fund portfolio.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Maverick3320 »

Around 25% for 2020. I'd have to check on 2021, but probably not a lot.

Some of the numbers here are crazy. How are Bogleheads getting 40, 60, 70% returns for 2020?
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ruralavalon
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by ruralavalon »

Maverick3320 wrote: Wed Jan 27, 2021 2:34 pm Around 25% for 2020. I'd have to check on 2021, but probably not a lot.

Some of the numbers here are crazy. How are Bogleheads getting 40, 60, 70% returns for 2020?
Some are not reporting returns, some are reporting returns plus new contributions a/k/a Beardstown Ladies' accounting.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by marti038 »

ruralavalon wrote: Wed Jan 27, 2021 3:24 pm
Maverick3320 wrote: Wed Jan 27, 2021 2:34 pm Around 25% for 2020. I'd have to check on 2021, but probably not a lot.

Some of the numbers here are crazy. How are Bogleheads getting 40, 60, 70% returns for 2020?
Some are not reporting returns, some are reporting returns plus new contributions a/k/a Beardstown Ladies' accounting.
And some of us are not 100% Bogleheads and own some individual stocks that saw strong returns last year.
“Having, first, gained all you can, and, secondly saved all you can, then give all you can.” - John Wesley
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Portfolio7
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Portfolio7 »

1.9% as of yesterday in our core portfolio. Portfolio is about 80% Stocks, about 45% of those stocks international. FI is all Stable Value earning 3%.

I think this thread serves to some degree as a self check for some folks... meaning one shouldn't have returns that are very different from investors with similar portfolios. However, returns data is kind of useless unless you 1) exclude your contributions when calculating your gains, and unless you 2) give us an idea how you're invested. I know I appreciate it when posts include that information, so if y'all don't mind, I think it would help .

As to the discussion of high gains for 2020, some folks clearly have a significant investment in high return assets, which I expect are also high risk - whether that is individual stocks, bitcoin or similar, 3x leveraged funds, or options (or something more esoteric). I think it is helpful for people to realize what is driving those very large returns.
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest" - Benjamin Franklin
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Bluce
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Bluce »

Portfolio7 wrote: Thu Jan 28, 2021 7:37 pm 1.9% as of yesterday in our core portfolio. Portfolio is about 80% Stocks, about 45% of those stocks international. FI is all Stable Value earning 3%.

I think this thread serves to some degree as a self check for some folks... meaning one shouldn't have returns that are very different from investors with similar portfolios. However, returns data is kind of useless unless you 1) exclude your contributions when calculating your gains, and unless you 2) give us an idea how you're invested. I know I appreciate it when posts include that information, so if y'all don't mind, I think it would help .

As to the discussion of high gains for 2020, some folks clearly have a significant investment in high return assets, which I expect are also high risk - whether that is individual stocks, bitcoin or similar, 3x leveraged funds, or options (or something more esoteric). I think it is helpful for people to realize what is driving those very large returns.
I agree.
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planetmike
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by planetmike »

So here's a dumb question: how do you calculate your returns for the year? We're still putting money in each month, and rebalancing to reach our AA goal a couple times a year.
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Bluce
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Bluce »

planetmike wrote: Fri Jan 29, 2021 7:23 am So here's a dumb question: how do you calculate your returns for the year? We're still putting money in each month, and rebalancing to reach our AA goal a couple times a year.
Schwab does this for me automatically, however I did copy the following from "Four Pillars of Investing," page 186-187 some years ago:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To calculate return, divide ending number by beginning number and subtract 1.
$10,000 starting amount
$11,000 ending amount. Divide 11k by 10k and subtract 1.
Division = 1.1, subtract 1 and answer is .1 or 10% rate of return

With contributions (or withdrawals): Example - Use $500 as "net inflow." Subtract half from large number and add half to smaller number, so (11,000-250) (10,000+250) = 4.9% return
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My addition to the above ^ in green: 10,750 / 10,250 = 1.0487. Subtract "1" and you get 4.9%. This is probably not perfect because it doesn't take into account when the money was added, but it's good enough for most of us if indeed it works -- which I've never checked.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Visitor76 »

Around 24% for 2020
So far for 2021 1.59% - thanks GME drama :annoyed
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by ChrisO »

2020 around 23%
2021 so far around 4.5%.

I own a sizable part in small and mid caps, more than the total stock market, which has had nice returns recently
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by revhappy »

I was up nicely until 3rd week of Jan, but thanks to $GME drama, the last week has screwed up my Jan PNL. Now I am flat for the month.
Equities is heavily tilted toward FTSE100 ETF since I thought, brexit is resolved and UK equities are undervalued, I loaded up UK equities in Jan, bad timing :( Portfolio is 60 equities 40 debt.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by AliasDictusTyrant »

Maverick3320 wrote: Wed Jan 27, 2021 2:34 pm Some of the numbers here are crazy. How are Bogleheads getting 40, 60, 70% returns for 2020?
My portfolio is individual stocks, sporadically hedged with options to protect against downside risk. In early 2020, my timing was coincidentally impeccable; I had a substantial hedge position at the start of the year which I liquidated almost exactly at the bottom and immediately bought long positions in stocks that did very well. I bought AMZN in the $1600s, less than a year ago. I hedged all the way up, which was lighting money on fire but the returns more than offset that.

Hedging isn't free. In that environment, it was something like a 5% drag on net returns depending on how you calculate it. But given that my net returns were >70%, I can hardly complain. And no, I've never owned TSLA or meme stocks. :) The core of my portfolio is buy-and-hold for many years.

There were a few different ways to have excellent returns in 2020. Above is one of them. I'm not clever, the situation just really fit my portfolio and investment strategy that year.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by mtnhawg »

From May 2020 until January 30 2021, I am 100% small cap stock (17). So far I have 14 in the green and 3 in the red. Return is +146%.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by manatee2005 »

401k YTD - 5.2%
brokerage - 10.5%
Marseille07
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Marseille07 »

Off to a terrible start, need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after. It'd be good if we can idiot-proof strategies but it's not easy.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by TravelforFun »

planetmike wrote: Fri Jan 29, 2021 7:23 am So here's a dumb question: how do you calculate your returns for the year? We're still putting money in each month, and rebalancing to reach our AA goal a couple times a year.
This formula should get you pretty close to the answer:

(Current balance - this year deposits) / end-of-last year balance - 1.

TravelforFun
JimmyJammy
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by JimmyJammy »

YTD I'm up 5.4%.

15% bond and 5% cash. Feeling like I should time the market and reduce stock exposure since things are so high. But trying to stay the course .
TravelforFun
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by TravelforFun »

Up 9% so far in 2021. This retiree would have been up 12% if I hadn't had to withdraw money from my investment to live on.

TravelforFun
Adam11
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Adam11 »

Up exactly 5% from 01/01/2021 to Friday, 02/05/2021.
Very pleased so far.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by manatee2005 »

Adam11 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:52 am Up exactly 5% from 01/01/2021 to Friday, 02/05/2021.
Very pleased so far.
I'm hoping we get a rocket ship up when every state opens up.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by ruralavalon »

Age 75, retired, our asset allocation is 50/50.

Total return of our portfolio is up 2.18% year to date.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link: Bogleheads® investment philosophy
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by ruralavalon »

Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:28 am Off to a terrible start, need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after. It'd be good if we can idiot-proof strategies but it's not easy.
You could stop trading, and learn "stay the course". When in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link: Bogleheads® investment philosophy
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Bluce »

ruralavalon wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:35 am
Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:28 am Off to a terrible start, need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after. It'd be good if we can idiot-proof strategies but it's not easy.
You could stop trading, and learn "stay the course". When in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.
LOL, yes.

The "idiot-proof" strategy is: Buy a total market fund and hold it forever.
"There are no new ideas, only forgotten ones." -- Amity Shlaes
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by pshonore »

Vanguard Three fund (50% VTI, 30% VXUS, 20% BND) up 3.49% YTD says VG website
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Marseille07 »

ruralavalon wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:35 am
Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:28 am Off to a terrible start, need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after. It'd be good if we can idiot-proof strategies but it's not easy.
You could stop trading, and learn "stay the course". When in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.
It's hard to pull the plug on 50% CAGR. Big gains come with big drawdowns. I will slowly scale back some exposure to this strategy though.
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by manatee2005 »

Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:31 am
ruralavalon wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:35 am
Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:28 am Off to a terrible start, need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after. It'd be good if we can idiot-proof strategies but it's not easy.
You could stop trading, and learn "stay the course". When in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.
It's hard to pull the plug on 50% CAGR. Big gains come with big drawdowns. I will slowly scale back some exposure to this strategy though.
Trees don’t grow to the sky.
finite_difference
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by finite_difference »

Bluce wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:11 am
ruralavalon wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:35 am
Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:28 am Off to a terrible start, need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after. It'd be good if we can idiot-proof strategies but it's not easy.
You could stop trading, and learn "stay the course". When in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.
LOL, yes.

The "idiot-proof" strategy is: Buy a total market fund and hold it forever.
+1.

I might even call it smart.
The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. - Thich Nhat Hanh
Marseille07
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Marseille07 »

finite_difference wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:09 pm
Bluce wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:11 am
ruralavalon wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:35 am
Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:28 am Off to a terrible start, need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after. It'd be good if we can idiot-proof strategies but it's not easy.
You could stop trading, and learn "stay the course". When in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.
LOL, yes.

The "idiot-proof" strategy is: Buy a total market fund and hold it forever.
+1.

I might even call it smart.
What are you guys even talking about. We all walk into a hole, Boglehead philosophy included. And the first thing to do isn't to sell your AA.
finite_difference
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by finite_difference »

Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:12 pm
finite_difference wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:09 pm
Bluce wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:11 am
ruralavalon wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:35 am
Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:28 am Off to a terrible start, need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after. It'd be good if we can idiot-proof strategies but it's not easy.
You could stop trading, and learn "stay the course". When in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.
LOL, yes.

The "idiot-proof" strategy is: Buy a total market fund and hold it forever.
+1.

I might even call it smart.
What are you guys even talking about. We all walk into a hole, Boglehead philosophy included. And the first thing to do isn't to sell your AA.
I disagree. The Boglehead philosophy is designed to avoid holes. There are no holes, mountains, canyons, peaks, crags or valleys.
The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. - Thich Nhat Hanh
Marseille07
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Marseille07 »

finite_difference wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:20 pm
Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:12 pm
finite_difference wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:09 pm
Bluce wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:11 am
ruralavalon wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:35 am
You could stop trading, and learn "stay the course". When in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.
LOL, yes.

The "idiot-proof" strategy is: Buy a total market fund and hold it forever.
+1.

I might even call it smart.
What are you guys even talking about. We all walk into a hole, Boglehead philosophy included. And the first thing to do isn't to sell your AA.
I disagree. The Boglehead philosophy is designed to avoid holes. There are no holes, mountains, canyons, peaks, crags or valleys.
Let's agree to disagree then. I'm really not sure what to discuss here if you don't recognize drawdowns of BH portfolios.
manatee2005
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by manatee2005 »

finite_difference wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:20 pm
Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:12 pm
finite_difference wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:09 pm
Bluce wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:11 am
ruralavalon wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:35 am
You could stop trading, and learn "stay the course". When in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.
LOL, yes.

The "idiot-proof" strategy is: Buy a total market fund and hold it forever.
+1.

I might even call it smart.
What are you guys even talking about. We all walk into a hole, Boglehead philosophy included. And the first thing to do isn't to sell your AA.
I disagree. The Boglehead philosophy is designed to avoid holes. There are no holes, mountains, canyons, peaks, crags or valleys.
What about March 2020?
Vtsax100
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Vtsax100 »

2021. 4.3 % YTD. I guess that is it for the year.
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ruralavalon
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by ruralavalon »

Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:25 pm
finite_difference wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:20 pm
Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:12 pm
finite_difference wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:09 pm
Bluce wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:11 am

LOL, yes.

The "idiot-proof" strategy is: Buy a total market fund and hold it forever.
+1.

I might even call it smart.
What are you guys even talking about. We all walk into a hole, Boglehead philosophy included. And the first thing to do isn't to sell your AA.
I disagree. The Boglehead philosophy is designed to avoid holes. There are no holes, mountains, canyons, peaks, crags or valleys.
Let's agree to disagree then. I'm really not sure what to discuss here if you don't recognize drawdowns of BH portfolios.
You said you were in a hole because of trading. "need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after."

That's way different than withdrawals from a portfolio.
"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein | Wiki article link: Bogleheads® investment philosophy
GT99
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by GT99 »

Up 10.4% for 2021 through 2/5. My "non-Bogleheads" allocation, including a sizeable portion of MJ, has done well.
Marseille07
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by Marseille07 »

ruralavalon wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 1:17 pm You said you were in a hole because of trading. "need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after."

That's way different than withdrawals from a portfolio.
Mate, I was not talking about withdrawals. The equivalent of "digging out of a hole" in Boglehead is to sell your AA and move to cash.
JayDee37
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by JayDee37 »

I am at roughly 4% excluding contributions. Allocation: 80 stocks (30 intl)/15 bonds/5 REITs.
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? | ~Mary Oliver
finite_difference
Posts: 3633
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 7:00 pm

Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by finite_difference »

manatee2005 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:30 pm
finite_difference wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:20 pm
Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:12 pm
finite_difference wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:09 pm
Bluce wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:11 am

LOL, yes.

The "idiot-proof" strategy is: Buy a total market fund and hold it forever.
+1.

I might even call it smart.
What are you guys even talking about. We all walk into a hole, Boglehead philosophy included. And the first thing to do isn't to sell your AA.
I disagree. The Boglehead philosophy is designed to avoid holes. There are no holes, mountains, canyons, peaks, crags or valleys.
What about March 2020?
March, 2020, was a month.

The whole idea of a “hole” is meaningless if you are following the Boglehead philosophy. If you’re holding the market you’re never in a hole. The market was priced one way yesterday and it’s a different price today.

The Boglehead philosophy encourages us to think in terms of the long-term view. Not the short-term view. The long-term view is 10, 20, 30, or 50 years. Will your trades in March, 2020 be important to you in 2050? It’s the antidote to the day-trader mentality of holes and peaks.

That said, if you enjoy thinking in terms of holes and so on, that’s fine. If you don’t have an affliction then you don’t need an antidote!
Last edited by finite_difference on Sat Feb 06, 2021 4:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. - Thich Nhat Hanh
finite_difference
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Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Post by finite_difference »

Marseille07 wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 1:30 pm
ruralavalon wrote: Sat Feb 06, 2021 1:17 pm You said you were in a hole because of trading. "need to dig myself out of a hole. My trades don't do well when we sell off 3% one week then go +3% right after."

That's way different than withdrawals from a portfolio.
Mate, I was not talking about withdrawals. The equivalent of "digging out of a hole" in Boglehead is to sell your AA and move to cash.
A Boglehead would never sell and move to cash. That would be market timing. A Boglehead might rebalance using bands or a calendar. A Boglehead might make one time shifts in their AA based on need, ability, and willingness to accept risk. But what you’re describing does not sound like anything a Boglehead would do.
The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. - Thich Nhat Hanh
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