Atarrin's Account Talk

[Atarrin]

About me: Relatively new Federal Employee who wants to be as smart about retirement as possible. I shouldn't be tapping my TSP for a long while.

Current Investment: 90% L 2050; 10% I

Explanation: As I'm still learning the ropes, I do not feel qualified to make market timing decisions. So I'm going with the L 2050 for the majority of my investments. However, to track how I'd do by "playing the game" versus the funds, I have decided to place (as of May 3 or so) 10% of my stocks in an individual fund. I picked the I fund based on the "Last Month, Best Fund" strategy, even though I put in my money a couple of days after May 1.

I intend to switch around the 10% (or as of this post, 9.9%) of the individual fund I invest in, to test it against the L Fund. It allows me to educate myself and play the game while at a lower risk than if I were playing with 100%. I'll try to post monthly how the L fund vs. my personal investing has gone.

I joined Autotracker at the worst time possible (early May), so my results look much lower than they have been during my time in the TSP. Oh well.

 

[RealMoneyIssues]

Welcome aboard and good luck !!

There is much to learn. If you don't find it, search for it, then ask!

 

[tsptalk]

Welcome Atarrin! Don't worry about the AutoTracker. Your account will be marked as a partial year return so we know it is not comparing apples to apples. You'll be eligible for monthly prizes starting in June since that will be apples to apples, and then next year you start fresh with the rest of us.

Until then, if we can be of any help, just let us know.

Good luck!.

 

[nasa1974]

Atarrin, Welcome aboard. Sounds like you have the right idea for starters. Good luck.

 

[nnuut]

Best of luck Atarrin, we're all in the same boat!
Norman

 

[Birchtree]

Inorder to accumulate shares you want dead weight in pricing for the next 10 years - however we are in a bull market and you'll be forced to pay up - how cruel is that. For those of us that have already done our time in grade, we want a rocket ride.

 

[Atarrin]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I've lurked for a while and will likely continue to do so for quite a while.

Inorder to accumulate shares you want dead weight in pricing for the next 10 years - however we are in a bull market and you'll be forced to pay up - how cruel is that. For those of us that have already done our time in grade, we want a rocket ride.

Yeah. I'll just put in as much money as I can afford and keep hoping for the best. (While educating myself, of course). Accumulation, accumulation, accumulation.

 

[Birchtree]

Yes, there is nothing worse than having a 25% gain and no shares to back it up.

 

[Atarrin]

Even with the month switching, I'm going to stick with the I-fund as my experimental investment fund because I don't have faith that the dollar's strength will hold up.

 

[mayday]

Even with the month switching, I'm going to stick with the I-fund as my experimental investment fund because I don't have faith that the dollar's strength will hold up.

You are correct. The I-fund is the place to be until the government raises the debt ceiling. We must have the money to do this. It's either printing more money which would make the dollar go down or cut spending to repay our obligations.

 

[Atarrin]

Staying put despite the volatility.

 

[Atarrin]

As of COB yesterday, I-fund is winning its race vs. L-2050 in returns since I began competing them against one another. (Though both are doing poorly, of course).

Just got permission from my wife to increase the level of my TSP contribution about 25%, or to the statutory maximum. Now all I have to do is wait a month(+) for myPay to process it.

 

[Atarrin]

Put in an IFT today, transferring my 10% I (with its gains) for a temporary jump to F.

 

[Atarrin]

Wall St poised for drop on weak jobs data

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/08/us-markets-stocks-idUSTRE75512M20110708

I'll likely take today's dip as an opportunity to jump my 10% away from F and into the S-fund, where I need a little more exposure. Sure, I'll be chasing gains a bit, but it ought to be good in the long run.

 

[Atarrin]

That was a bad day.

Thankfully my biweekly contribution came in COB Monday rather than open of business, so my contribution bought deflated share prices.

 

[Birchtree]

I often wish I was still playing that game - being retired has its' drawbacks.

 

[Atarrin]

Wow.

This has been a bad few weeks. The inclination is to jump over to bonds, but that is fear talking. And fear is the mind-killer. I believe I am going to stick this out, but I must admit I am considering a switch to a spread of something alone the lines of -- 10% G; 15% F; 25% each for C,S,I.

But for now I will hold with my increased market exposure. And I will try to take solace in the fact that I get to purchase on the upcoming Monday rather than last Monday.

That, and in the fact that I am still young and building my account.

 

[Atarrin]

Buying the dip with my 10% portion of my account I actively trade. Moving from F to a split between S & I.

Clarification: The 90% portion of mine that I don't actively trade remains in L2050.