Does The AutoTracker Reflect Your Real TSP Account Moves?

[OBXTrader]

Does the AutoTracker reflect your real TSP account moves and holdings? Only a partial year in standings, but my AutoTracker is my real account performance.

Huge moves in and out of sectors for fun and games is one thing, but playing with real retirement fund money is another.

 

[Frixxxx]

Read my signature.

I try to keep them the same. But my last move in the real world was made early, and I got hung up in a meeting and I couldn't get the AT request in on time.

Frixxxx

 

[WorkFE]

Does the AutoTracker reflect your real TSP account moves and holdings?

It does if you log into 2 totally different accounts and make the same identical moves in both. making moves in TSP Talk does not activate a move in your actual TSP account and making moves in your actual TSP account will not reflect in TSP Talk until you make an identical move there.

 

[RealMoneyIssues]

Mine does...

 

[weatherweenie]

Does the AutoTracker reflect your real TSP account moves and holdings? Only a partial year in standings, but my AutoTracker is my real account performance.

Huge moves in and out of sectors for fun and games is one thing, but playing with real retirement fund money is another.

I try to keep the AT in concert with my actual TSP moves. However, sometimes life gets in the way of me being able to enter the AT moves.

 

[nnuut]

Mine does, never missed one!

 

[ILoveTDs]

ILoveTDs reflects my true TSP moves and ILTDTechnical reflects my timing system which I some times deviate from in ILoveTDs.

 

[czapor1967]

mine absolutely does, otherwise what would be the point?

 

[Frixxxx]

mine absolutely does, otherwise what would be the point?

Good question, but some people might do it just to win the prize!

 

[WorkFE]

Good question, but some people might do it just to win the prize!

If thats the case then there are about 900 folks that should give up till 2015.

Me being one of them :laugh:

 

[OBXTrader]

Exactly might point in starting this thread. When I see big bets put down in C/S/I, I wonder if that's real money in real TSP accounts or just TSPTalk money. Because if I was trying to win the monthly or yearly prize, I would swing for the fences every month. When it's my real money, I just can't do that.

Good question, but some people might do it just to win the prize!

 

[PessOptimist]

Yes and no. My moves are my real moves. Since I move money around so infrequently the percentages get off. In the tracker I am 40G/60C since 3/31/14. In reality I am 37G/63C due to the increase in the C fund value and payroll allocations.

I have asked for opinions about adjusting this once in a while with about a 50/50 split in yes/no. Either way I am going to win no prizes.

PO

 

[alevin]

I try to keep the AT in concert with my actual TSP moves. However, sometimes life gets in the way of me being able to enter the AT moves.

Same here. I can't log into autotracker from work puter, which is where I'm usually sitting when I make my final decision on a move. fortunately for AT, I don't make moves very often, so AT is pretty close to reality. One way I've developed to try to stay in sync, is to make real IFT move after noon, for next day COB. That way I can enter the move in AT the morning the move will hit my real account.

And no, I don't undo a real afternoon IFT the next morning, based on what's happening in the market the next morning before I get to work, therefore whatever I do put in AT that morning for a move, reflects what is really happening that day in the real account. And no, I am most definitely not going after monthly prizes based on fake AT moves. :suspicious: Obviously.

 

[burrocrat]

i always match my tsptalk moves with my tspgov moves. contributions and allocations are the same too, no selling one (allocation) just to buy it back on payday (contribution).

i've found out that i only learn things the hard way for myself. it's how i'm wired. so playing with a fake money loss doesn't hurt, and winning with a bold move or backtesting brings no joy. i learn nothing from those exercises and i can't read charts anyways. i only play with my real chips, they match the autotracker. it makes me think a little harder before pulling the trigger with real consequences on the line.

note: i don't have a big tsp balance, i don't ever expect to retire in comfort and style just work until i die, and if i was to get lucky and a big duffel bag of money fell out of the sky and hit me on the head it would probably be full of pennies and break my neck. be careful what you wish for.

 

[nasa1974]

My AT account has always reflected my TSP account. Even in retirement.

 

[OBGibby]

My AT and TSP account IFT moves are the same. Contributions are not always the same.

 

[Sensei]

The first thing I do after every IFT in my real TSP account is log into the AT and update that allocation. So, yes - my TSPTalk allocation is my real allocation. I have seen a few people on this site cop to making different moves in their real accounts, so it's definitely a legitimate question. As you can see, however, the only people responding in this thread are those are playing for real.

 

[Boghie]

I view the AT as a tool. It is a very good tool for seeing what your actual returns are without the 'pollution' of contributions. So, yes, I keep the AT accurate.

Since AT is not blocked at my worksite I will enact the official trade, then update the AT, and then make an entry in my thread - in that order. I have missed one trade (in 2008 for two days and it didn't make a difference so I didn't hassle Tom) and I did have the official site not post a legal trade that Tom backed me out of in the AT. That is over seven years. I value the AT as a financial tool - but I am not against a little smack - see 2009 with me and BT lobbing scuds.

As far as noting that some make big moves and some make allocation adjustments, I think that is just trading style. I don't think there are too many survivors out there that are just gunning for mugs with fake trades. Remember, they would have to have an incredible crystal ball to consistently make the right moves. What I have seen from those I track is that the good ones are worth following. And, in general they comment in their threads. Doing so can make you look bad when you 'guess' wrong in an attempt to make the big win (see my posts over the past year or so:cheesy. You really cannot backdate moves on the AT since you have to make them by 1200 EST. Maybe you could hassle Tom to constantly back you out of trades resulting in one day losses of -0.38% or something. But, what difference does it make!!! Are you going to hassle Tom to get you into a day of market up-moves (+0.13%) the next day. Me thinks Tom would figure that one out pretty quick, eh. You might have been able to gain a bit in the AT in 2008/09, but I don't think so. My delayed entry in the AT cost me nothing on the AT as far as positioning - it was something like 0.02% to the positive so I should have yelled for justice!!!

One thing to note about the AT is rather obvious. It obviously cannot take into consideration your contributions. My contributions are 0/0/40/30/30 so my equities are always getting a little boost. Thus, my actual returns have been marginally better than the AT. Regardless, the AT does take into account dividend reinvestment because it tracks the 'C Fund' rather than the S&P500. So, in the end, many thanks to Tom for this site and a tremendous applause to those active on the site and a modest apology for all those who make long and inane posts on this site.:nuts:

 

[Sensei]

You really cannot backdate moves on the AT since you have to make them by 1200 EST. Maybe you could hassle Tom to constantly back you out of trades resulting in one day losses of -0.38% or something. But, what difference does it make!!! Are you going to hassle Tom to get you into a day of market up-moves (+0.13%) the next day. Me thinks Tom would figure that one out pretty quick, eh. You might have been able to gain a bit in the AT in 2008/09, but I don't think so. My delayed entry in the AT cost me nothing on the AT as far as positioning - it was something like 0.02% to the positive so I should have yelled for justice!!!

I don't think the issue is people cheating by asking Tom to back date an IFT. What I have seen a couple members post in their threads is something to the effect of, "Going 100 S-fund on the tracker. In my real account, I'm still holding 50% G fund..." I suspect many people look long or short on the AT, but their actual TSP account stays diversified. I think that's what the OP was getting at.

 

[OBXTrader]

Sensei - We are in agreement as that was my observations. I just wondered how many at the very top or bottom are playing with real money or house money. I would die if I really was losing that much money in my real TSP account as the bottom dwellers.

I don't think the issue is people cheating by asking Tom to back date an IFT. What I have seen a couple members post in their threads is something to the effect of, "Going 100 S-fund on the tracker. In my real account, I'm still holding 50% G fund..." I suspect many people look long or short on the AT, but their actual TSP account stays diversified. I think that's what the OP was getting at.