Feel free to quote me on all this...
to make money.
funds that weren't making money
to make money
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- Thread starter ChemEng
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stephenlosey
New member
I'm also interested in talking to people who have taken hardship withdrawals from their TSP or loans recently. If you'd like to only talk to me on background or have me not use your name, that would be fine too.EEK! 5 YEARS TO GO!
New member
Mr. Losey,
What is the intent of your article? Are you gathering information to show how the IFT rule has impacted TSP members?
Silverbird
Well-known member
Why I'm not in L funds/Why I'm 85-100% G funds
This is the first test of the L funds during a downturn. As happened during the 2001-2003 downturn, before the L funds were developed, stock funds have taken a huge hit. Ironically, the longer you have until retirement, the larger the hole your retirement just fell into if you invested in the recommended L fund based on your retirement. It takes gaining double what your lost to get out of the hole. So even if you can withstand a higher amount of risk over time because your retirement isn't for another 15 years or more, G is your best investment this year. My retirement date puts me right at the end of L2030, and at the beginning of L2020. Either one would put me in a deep hole.
Why I'd rather wait in Mostly G even though I probably won't catch the bottom
Most likely I will re-enter equity funds later than the actual bottom. However, as long as I catch the upturn before the returns on my L fund or personal equity fund/bond fund mix's returns equal G, I will have gained from my strategy of moving into G during the downturn. There is no good reason to let my investments sit in a long term higher risk L fund with the economy the way it is right now. Right now G is the best place to be!
When will I move more money out of G into other funds?
I'll move my money out of 85 - 100 percent in G to higher percentage in equity funds when the equity funds have a sustained gain of at least 3/4 of the G fund gain.Last edited:
McDuck
Well-known member
I also reduced my contributions to 5% because of the IFT restrictions. I will do my main retirement outside of TSP because of the FRTIB changes over the last several months.
CountryBoy
Well-known member
I have recently come into a sum of money, which I would've rather not had come into,
that has allowed me to pay off my house and vehicle, so I'm basically bill free and plan to stay that way. This sum would've allowed me to increase the amount of money I could invest into the TSP up to the max 15%. I will not be doing that because of the shoddy treatment received from the board and to tell the truth, I don't feel very secure with my funds, being there when I retirement, with barclays gambling on hedge funds and the minimal oversite of the board regarding the safety of our funds.
CB
Show-me
Well-known member
I have recently come into a sum of money, which I would've rather not had come into, that has allowed me to pay off my house and vehicle, so I'm basically bill free and plan to stay that way. This sum would've allowed me to increase the amount of money I could invest into the TSP up to the max 15%. I will not be doing that because of the shoddy treatment received from the board and to tell the truth, I don't feel very secure with my funds, being there when I retirement, with barclays gambling on hedge funds and the minimal oversite of the board regarding the safety of our funds.
CB
Sorry for your loss. The only way I would up my contributions to the G fund is to lower my taxable income.
CountryBoy
Well-known member
Thanks Show-me,
I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but wait about 6 months before I jump into something without fully thinking it out. G fund would be one option and the only option for putting anything more into the TSP.
CBI only contribute 5% because if two things, lack of funds to select from and not having a ROTH option. The ROTH option is the primary reason. I am in the 15% tax bracket close to the 25%, but why would I contibute more and get a 15% tax reduction but pay 25% on the same money when I withdraw at retirement. I Max out my ROTH IRA, but would love to contribute more in a ROTH. If TSP had a ROTH, I would max out here.
hessian
Member
Slightly off-topic, but I wanted to keep this thread on top.
Posted below, today on our TspTalk mainpage...
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57305
FM/FM seizure has silver lining for TSP finances, 09/10/08
"Thrift Savings Plan participants are among the winners in the U.S. government’s takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."
"But that move is a positive one for the TSP’s F Fund, which carries more than $5 billion in mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie and Freddie, according to the plan’s latest available financial statements."
"The securities that are in the F Fund from Fannie and Freddie are now guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the Government of the United States," said Tom Trabucco, director of external affairs for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, which administers the TSP."
Can anyone explain this?
I was always told, under the impression, & read (and think its even on our TSP Website) that all our TSP Savings were always guaranteed -so what is this article about / what's it really saying?:notrust:
- They weren't safe before?? And are other Funds then safe -or aren't they?? :suspicious:
luv2read
Active member
It's complicated, they are safe from some bad investments, but not all. The important thing is that if the fund manager goes under, they can VOLUNTARILY make up the losses, or FRTIB and TSP members can sue. Article from govexec.com from about 2 weeks ago is posted somewhere on here.
James48843
Well-known member
Sorry Hessian- I missed your post when you said:
the answer is:
NO! NO! NO!.
The ONLY one that you could reasonably say is "guaranteed" by the full faith and credit of the U.S. governmet is the "G" fund.
NO OTHER FUND HAS ANY ASSURANCE AT ALL OF MAKING MONEY. You CAN lose value in any other fund. Your money is at risk in any fund other than "G".
(And, at the rate these bailouts are going, one must start to think about "G" as well- that's a joke..)
hessian
Member
Hey James,
Thanks for the reply. I suppose I meant that I'd thought the G was guaranteed (knew the others always carried risk of loss - even total). But thanks for clarifying anyway - interesting what was said about the F-Fund now, since the FM/FM take-over.
Interesting what you suggested re: the G - after the "Paulson Plan." What will be "safe" after that, down the road, really is anyone's guess!!
Braveheart
Member
1. Question if Fannie & Freddie go up the F Fund moves down ????????:suspicious:
2. Question if Fannie & Freddie go down the F Fund moves up ????????:suspicious:
Frixxxx
Moderator
Thanks Tom. Seems that the story is a little too late. 20 billion lossed on paper. OUCH. Me personally, I have not locked in losses but preserved what I have for three months now. The problem with this one article shows that people do care about their retirement. If I had unlimited inter-fund transfers, I could make tons of money in this bear market. But alas, TSP doesn't want to keep moving my money. If we trade less doesn't that mean they will need less account support at TSP? Maybe we'll see the ramifications when Barclay's lays-off people cause there is nothing left to support. I know it's a reach but we could have been fueling markets with our transfers rather than helping stagnate economies into recession.
+ :nuts: + :suspicious: = 
CountryBoy
Well-known member
Ya know, I’m getting just a little sick and tired of Long and the FTRIB telling me on how to invest my money and to get back into stocks. I’ve studied hard and with what I’ve learned from the guru’s here, I feel that I’m much more able to decide what to do with my money than those jokers at the TSP.
First they banish me to snail mail, just for following rules that were published, that alone put me in a hole that I though would cost me to have a losing year.
Then they say we should B&H, well screw them, I’m to close to retirement to lose 30 to 40 %. And then Long says, “I view this as a time for prudence, not panic,” said Long, executive director of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. “History has shown us that stock markets do recover. Even people who are about to retire should consider staying invested in stocks”. I’ve been very prudent and dug myself back out of the hole that the Board put us in by limiting the IFT’s. I would have already been dipping my toe into stocks, buy 2 IFT’s any plan that any financial adviser could come up with short of B&H.
Dave Ponder, a private financial adviser who advises the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association is quoted that . “As of today, you’ll have to ride it out.” Ponder also said that those already in the G Fund should not wait too long before getting back into stock markets. But nobody knows exactly when the market will hit bottom, he said. Concerned investors should meet with their financial advisers to figure out how to minimize losses and reallocate assets, Ponder said.
As someone (I’m sorry for not remember who said this) in another on another thread articulated very well, More consideration should be paid by the pols concerning the cost to the American public by the banks, hedges funds and brokerage firms. Than what we are doing, but then they can push us around since they aren't accepting money from banks, hedge funds, etc.
I am a concerned investor and I sleep very well at night. With the Funds down a minimum of 30%, excluding the L Funds. I will re-enter stocks full time when the loss goes from the 30’s to the mid 20’s with an upward trend.
I don’t have any problem missing that bottom 10%, trying to catch a knife. And if the pols would just leave us alone, we might actually be able to make a respectable retirement fund. But it appears they are trying to force us to save at 3%, with their new plan. Call it what you want , but it’s nothing more than taking my money I worked for and giving it to people who don’t work. Maybe Losey can investigate how that plan will hurt us even further, instead of the IFT story, that horse has already left the barn and that’s why we’re in the G Fund. He could actually work on what the exact impact of that plan will further reduce our ability to save money for retirement.
Hey, you clowns in DC, stay out of our retirement money.
Sorry for the rant, I have made a pledge to myself to try and not give a crap about how Congress is going to screw us, because we’re pretty helpless to stop this robbery as evident by the 2 IFT limit failure. No one sure to hell wasn’t looking out for us then and they won’t be now. So Losey has the ideal story and maybe he can shine a light on it .
CB (working hard on not caring on things outta my control)
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