Lakebound's Account Talk

[Itchn2retire]

Re: Using the 72t calculator, it is that simple? I have questions.

If you have used BOTH IFT's for the month you can still alter your allocation a max of 1% per day.

So that doesn't even seem like it would be worth the effort. If I need to get out of a stock because it's going to crash I want all of it out. Not just 1%.

It reminds me of some of the "other" TSP services that I was evaluating and they would recommend reallocating 1% here and 1% there. It made no sense to me and it seemed like they were just sending an e-mail with minor changes just for the sake of giving me the comfort that I was getting something for my monthly subscription and that they were working for me. :suspicious: I quickly canceled my subscription to those services.

 

[Cactus]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

I agree. I don't think it is worth it. That's probably why you don't hear more about it. To be fair, I think it was used more by people who are invested across all/most of the funds, not all or nothing. They would just use it to alter their allocation to be more aggressive, little by little, if they were out of IFTs and the later part of the month picked up.

 

[Cactus]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

I am having a hard time getting the thread that this is in to come up (link issues). This is where it is supposed to be but the link won't work.

http://www.tsptalk.com/mb/tsp-transactions-q-and-a/ (<1% IFT Option (read only))

BUT I found it on archive.org...

http://web.archive.org/web/20131024...ccount-talk/7825-1%-ift-option-read-only.html

Thanks Tom! I kept trying to paste that link here yesterday for Lakebound, but it wouldn't work. I could find the thread on Google but it is no longer a link. I thought someone had deleted it so I gave up.

 

[tsptalk]

Re: Using the 72t calculator, it is that simple? I have questions.

So that doesn't even seem like it would be worth the effort. If I need to get out of a stock because it's going to crash I want all of it out. Not just 1%.

You can always get 100% out, it's buying when you're out of IFT's.

I've never actually done it myself, but I see others doing on the tracker and I get it.

Say you kept 1% in every stock fund, plus 1% in each L-fund, instead of going 100% G. You would have 8% divided in those funds. If you were out of IFT's you could move 1% into each of those funds everyday, which is 8% a day. In a week you'd have 48% in the stock and L-funds. Then of course you can move it all back to 100% G any time.

Like I said I don't use it and I may not have it 100% correct, but I can see why it could be beneficial.

 

[Lakebound]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

I agree. I don't think it is worth it. That's probably why you don't hear more about it. To be fair, I think it was used more by people who are invested across all/most of the funds, not all or nothing. They would just use it to alter their allocation to be more aggressive, little by little, if they were out of IFTs and the later part of the month picked up.

Exactly why I asked the question. I am currently not an all or nothing investor. As I mentioned above, I am spread accross the board with most of my funds being sheltered at the moment because of my retirement date. I may of course, jump in with both feet again in June. But, I wanted a way to move small bits here and there each day without getting jammed up by the IFT limits.

BTW, I was successful with today's IFT <1% transaction. (It works!) And so, using this method, it would only take me ten days to move from one 10% allocation to make another a 20% allocation all penalty free. Not bad for someone with time on his hands.

Thanks for all who helped me to understand this.

Frank

 

[Cactus]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

Just be aware that if you haven't made an IFT for the month yet, every <1% IFT will use up one of your 2 monthly IFTs. You should really only do this after you have already used up your 2 IFT allotment.

Also, going from 10% to 20% isn't as easy as you outlined. For one, I think you can only do the <1% IFT every other trading day. The reason why is because the <1% IFT is only rounding your percentages to integer values. After your <1% IFT takes affect tonight your allocations will all be integer values so you have nothing to round up or down tomorrow.

Another reason is because the allocation percentage of your different funds goes up and down every trading day. If the fund you want to increase actually goes down, you may only be able to restore it to where it was instead of increasing it.

 

[Lakebound]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

Just be aware that if you haven't made an IFT for the month yet, every <1% IFT will use up one of your 2 monthly IFTs. You should really only do this after you have already used up your 2 IFT allotment.

Also, going from 10% to 20% isn't as easy as you outlined. For one, I think you can only do the <1% IFT every other trading day. The reason why is because the <1% IFT is only rounding your percentages to integer values. After your <1% IFT takes affect tonight your allocations will all be integer values so you have nothing to round up or down tomorrow.

Another reason is because the allocation percentage of your different funds goes up and down every trading day. If the fund you want to increase actually goes down, you may only be able to restore it to where it was instead of increasing it.

Good advice. And yes, I only attempted this today because I was already sitting on my two IFT's for May. Just waiting for June and thought I would tinker a bit for testing purposes. Back to G is truly the only thing that I can do in volume at this point. And for now, I am still making modest gains while protecting the bulk of my retirement account. Not as good as being "all in" but much, much better than sitting in G all the while.

Frank

 

[tsptalk]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

Good stuff. Having never tried it I was not aware. Thank you!

Also, going from 10% to 20% isn't as easy as you outlined. For one, I think you can only do the <1% IFT every other trading day. The reason why is because the <1% IFT is only rounding your percentages to integer values. After your <1% IFT takes affect tonight your allocations will all be integer values so you have nothing to round up or down tomorrow.

Another reason is because the allocation percentage of your different funds goes up and down every trading day. If the fund you want to increase actually goes down, you may only be able to restore it to where it was instead of increasing it.

 

[tsptalk]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

I am having a hard time getting the thread that this is in to come up (link issues). This is where it is supposed to be but the link won't work.

http://www.tsptalk.com/mb/tsp-transactions-q-and-a/ (<1% IFT Option (read only))

BUT I found it on archive.org...

http://web.archive.org/web/20131024...ccount-talk/7825-1%-ift-option-read-only.html

FYI, I got it to work...

http://www.tsptalk.com/mb/tsp-transactions-q-and-a/22628-less-than-1-percent-option-read-only.html

 

[Lakebound]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

FYI, I got it to work...

http://www.tsptalk.com/mb/tsp-transactions-q-and-a/22628-less-than-1-percent-option-read-only.html

Thank you Tom!

Frank

 

[Lakebound]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

I haven't checked in here in awhile because I have been a Premium Member and a few times probably said too much about where I was headed. Today, there is probably nothing good to say about the current conditions unless you are like me, sitting on the curb.

I can only hope that some of you who are riding this thing out do well in the end with this falling knife. These discussions in my opinion must always have in mind, the participant's long and short term goals ever present. Unlike some here, I am focused on an annual gain of say 5.5%-7% for my TSP. I can do well with that in my near future retirement and remain a slow and steady growth approach. In short, my huge gains from 15 years ago are behind me save a few great days here or there hopefully.

But looking at today's happenings and the events in the Market these last few weeks, all I can do is hope for the very best for everyone. And to be honest, this corrections is a good thing IMO.

Best of luck in the Market everyone.

Frank

 

[Lakebound]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

Checking in again today. Won't comment on my personal account because I am a member in one of the Premium services (Won't say which one either). So, I really question why I have this account thread anymore. :smile:

Happy trading to all.

Frank

 

[Lakebound]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

I put my retirement paperwork in yesterday. Officially had it up to "here" and am looking forward to some "long weekends" between now and April 30th. :smile:

Happy trading folks, let's hope we get a rally in celebration of the Marine Corps Birthday today.

Frank

 

[clester]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

I put my retirement paperwork in yesterday. Officially had it up to "here" and am looking forward to some "long weekends" between now and April 30th. :smile:

Happy trading folks, let's hope we get a rally in celebration of the Marine Corps Birthday today.

Frank

Congratulations! Hope you enjoy it.

 

[tsptalk]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

Sweet! Good luck.

 

[Boricua]

Re: Using the 72t calculator, it is that simple? I have questions.

LB,

That is awesome! Good for you!!

B

 

[FogSailing]

Re: Teach me how to rebalance my account throughout the month with 1% IFT's

That's great Frank...Dig out the fishing pole and gas up the RV!!!

FS

 

[Lakebound]

Happy New Year to everyone. Today is a great day for me personally as I leave 2015 behind and the poor performance that my account realized. Here's to me paying more attention to my account, understanding when it's time to move back to safety and lock in gains to mitigate risk and loss. Greed kills, time to be more moderate in my personal goal of 5.5% per year.

April 30, 2016 here I come.

Frank

 

[FAAM]

Thank you Frank and happy new year & wish for financial & life blessings to you and all in 2016. Amen to NO GREED.:cheesy:

 

[Lakebound]

Pride and greed.

That is what causes people to lose money in the market. Get in, get out ..... remember that. And if you are too proud to admit that you were wrong to reach for the falling knife, put it down before it slices too much off.

Frank