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McDuck's Account Talk
- Thread starter McDuck
- Start date
- Status
McDuck
Well-known member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
Successful member's current allocations (all dates are cob):
Good this year and last
---------------------------
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--------------------------------------
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Successful member's current allocations (all dates are cob):
Good this year and last
---------------------------
- GeorgiaGal 100%-I 5/24 Previous: 30 G 40 C 15 S 15 I 5/18
- Beavis 100% I 5/30 Previous: 100% F 5/29
- TSPgo-high-risk 100% I 5/18 Previous:
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- Thunder5 25%-C 25%-S 50%-I 5/29 Previous: 35%-F 30%-S 35%-I 5/22
- Safety Guy 100G 4/16 Previous:
--------------------------------------
- Nnuut 100% I 5/30 Previous: 75%-F 25%-C 5/29
- Show-me 100% I 5/30 Previous: 75% G 25% C 5/29
- Griffin 100% I 5/30 Previous: 100% S 5/24
- FundSurfer 40%-C 20%-S 40%-I 5/30 Previous: 60%-C 40%-S 5/25
- Mayday 100% I 5/30 Previous: 100% F 5/29
-----------
- Dakota's Account 50%-C 25%-S 25%-I 5/23 Previous: 25g 25c 30s 20I 5/22
Last edited:
McDuck
Well-known member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
Deal or no deal: Shop around for life insurance
By Mike Causey
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published May 29, 2007
Thousands of young, healthy federal and postal workers may be spending way too much -- millions of dollars in total -- for life insurance. They are enrolled in the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI).
Group rates tend to be a good deal for some and a liability for others.
By the same token, thousands of not-so-young or not-so-healthy feds are getting a good deal because of the large pool of people eligible for coverage. The average age of employees is 47 and climbing. Some of them are robust enough to compete in triathlons, while others can't climb a flight of stairs.
The pros of FEGLI coverage, for some people, are many.
Uncle Sam automatically signs up federal employees for basic coverage unless they elect not to take it. Some feds shop around and find they can get the same coverage, at a lower premium, by purchasing an individual plan from a solid company. But a large number discover that FEGLI is a good deal, and in some cases their only option, because they don't have to take a physical to get coverage.
Ed Zurndorfer is a federal benefits analyst and financial planner who lives in Maryland. Many of his clients are active or retired feds. He is an advocate of shopping around. He says many people, especially those younger than 50, can and should switch from FEGLI to an individual plan. But he adds this word of caution: "If you find a better insurance deal outside of FEGLI do not, repeat do not, cancel your FEGLI coverage" until you have been accepted by the outside firm and you have the policy in hand.
If there is an overlap in coverage and you have to pay an extra month's premium to two plans, things could be worse: Call it insurance that you will be insured.
Annuity or life insurance?
Federal civil servants have two annuity choices. One is automatic. It is the lifetime monthly benefit they get upon retirement based on their age, salary and length of service. That benefit is linked to inflation. Employees under the old Civil Service Retirement System get a full cost-of-living adjustment based on the rise in the inflation-tracking Consumer Price Index. Those under the newer Federal Employees Retirement System receive an increase that is one percentage point less than the inflation rate, and only after reaching age 62.
Feds can purchase a second kind of annuity from their Thrift Savings Plan accounts. Financial planner Arthur Stein says the annuity option is generally better for older people. He says that a 60-year-old who purchases a single life annuity with $100,000 from a TSP account can expect roughly $656 per month for life. If purchased at age 70, the monthly annuity would be about $825. If the annuity is purchased at age 80, then the monthly payment, for life, would be about $1,900. Those payments are not indexed to inflation. For more information on the option, go to www.tsp.gov.
Copyright © 2007 News World Communications, Inc
Deal or no deal: Shop around for life insurance
By Mike Causey
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published May 29, 2007
Thousands of young, healthy federal and postal workers may be spending way too much -- millions of dollars in total -- for life insurance. They are enrolled in the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI).
Group rates tend to be a good deal for some and a liability for others.
By the same token, thousands of not-so-young or not-so-healthy feds are getting a good deal because of the large pool of people eligible for coverage. The average age of employees is 47 and climbing. Some of them are robust enough to compete in triathlons, while others can't climb a flight of stairs.
The pros of FEGLI coverage, for some people, are many.
Uncle Sam automatically signs up federal employees for basic coverage unless they elect not to take it. Some feds shop around and find they can get the same coverage, at a lower premium, by purchasing an individual plan from a solid company. But a large number discover that FEGLI is a good deal, and in some cases their only option, because they don't have to take a physical to get coverage.
Ed Zurndorfer is a federal benefits analyst and financial planner who lives in Maryland. Many of his clients are active or retired feds. He is an advocate of shopping around. He says many people, especially those younger than 50, can and should switch from FEGLI to an individual plan. But he adds this word of caution: "If you find a better insurance deal outside of FEGLI do not, repeat do not, cancel your FEGLI coverage" until you have been accepted by the outside firm and you have the policy in hand.
If there is an overlap in coverage and you have to pay an extra month's premium to two plans, things could be worse: Call it insurance that you will be insured.
Annuity or life insurance?
Federal civil servants have two annuity choices. One is automatic. It is the lifetime monthly benefit they get upon retirement based on their age, salary and length of service. That benefit is linked to inflation. Employees under the old Civil Service Retirement System get a full cost-of-living adjustment based on the rise in the inflation-tracking Consumer Price Index. Those under the newer Federal Employees Retirement System receive an increase that is one percentage point less than the inflation rate, and only after reaching age 62.
Feds can purchase a second kind of annuity from their Thrift Savings Plan accounts. Financial planner Arthur Stein says the annuity option is generally better for older people. He says that a 60-year-old who purchases a single life annuity with $100,000 from a TSP account can expect roughly $656 per month for life. If purchased at age 70, the monthly annuity would be about $825. If the annuity is purchased at age 80, then the monthly payment, for life, would be about $1,900. Those payments are not indexed to inflation. For more information on the option, go to www.tsp.gov.
Copyright © 2007 News World Communications, Inc
McDuck
Well-known member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
THE FOLLOWING LEFT THE I-FUND THURSDAY-COB:
GeorgiaGal, TSPgo-high-risk, Show-me, Griffin
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Successful members' current allocations (all dates are COB):
Good this year and last
---------------------------
-----------------
--------------------------------------
-----------
THE FOLLOWING LEFT THE I-FUND THURSDAY-COB:
GeorgiaGal, TSPgo-high-risk, Show-me, Griffin
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Successful members' current allocations (all dates are COB):
Good this year and last
---------------------------
- GeorgiaGal: 100%-G 5/31 (Previous: 100%-I 5/24 )
- Beavis: 100%-I 5/30 (Previous: 100%-F 5/29 )
- TSPgo-high-risk: 100%-F 5/31 (Previous: 100%-I 5/18 )
-----------------
- Thunder5: 25%-C 25%-S 50%-I 5/29 (Previous: 30f, 35s, 35i 22-May )
- Safety Guy: 100%-G 4/16 (Previous: )
--------------------------------------
- Nnuut: 100%-G 5/31 (Previous: 100%-I 5/30 )
- Show-me: 100%-I 5/30 (Previous: 75% G 25%-C 5/29 )
- Griffin: 100%-G 5/31 (Previous: 100%-I 5/30 )
- FundSurfer: 40%-C 20%-S 40%-I 5/30 (Previous: 60%-C 40%-S 5/25 )
- Mayday: 100%-I 5/30 (Previous: 100%-F 5/29 )
-----------
- Dakota: 50%-C 25%-S 25%-I 5/23 (Previous: 25g 25c 30s 20I 5/22 )
McDuck
Well-known member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
Almost everybody that I watch has gotten out of the stock funds
Successful members' current allocations (all dates are COB):
Good this year and last
---------------------------
-----------------
--------------------------------------
-----------
Almost everybody that I watch has gotten out of the stock funds
Successful members' current allocations (all dates are COB):
Good this year and last
---------------------------
- GeorgiaGal: 100%-G 5/31 (Previous: 100%-I 5/24 )
- Beavis: 100%-I 5/30 (Previous: 100%-F 5/29 )
- TSPgo-high-risk: 100%-F 5/31 (Previous: 100%-I 5/18 )
-----------------
- Thunder5: 25%-C 25%-S 50%-I 5/29 (Previous: 30f, 35s, 35i 5/22 )
- Safety Guy: 100%-G 4/16 (Previous: )
--------------------------------------
- Nnuut: 100%-G 5/31 (Previous: 100%-I 5/30 )
- Show-me: 100%-G 6/1 (Previous: 100%-I 5/30 )
- Griffin: 100%-G 5/31 (Previous: 100%-I 5/30 )
- FundSurfer: 100%-G 6/1 (Previous: 40%-C 20%-S 40%-I 5/30 ))
- Mayday: 100%-G 6/1 (Previous: 100%-F 5/29
-----------
- Dakota: 10%-G 30%-C 30%-S 30%-I 6/01 (Previous: 50%-C 25%-S 25%-I 5/23 )
Griffin
Well-known member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
Greg,
I think your going to need to take me off the bad list......I've had a good run since getting back in the game...probably will be in the top 3rd of the tally and in the top 5 returns for this past month.
Greg,
I think your going to need to take me off the bad list......I've had a good run since getting back in the game...probably will be in the top 3rd of the tally and in the top 5 returns for this past month.
McDuck
Well-known member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
Back on May 24th, Tom posted this chart.
Here is how it has played out this year. Day +5 was yesterday Jane 4th. I believe it was fairly consistent with with the historical data chart that indicates that S&P will be down in the 5 days before Memorial day and generally up the 5 days after.
Back on May 24th, Tom posted this chart.
Here is how it has played out this year. Day +5 was yesterday Jane 4th. I believe it was fairly consistent with with the historical data chart that indicates that S&P will be down in the 5 days before Memorial day and generally up the 5 days after.
McDuck
Well-known member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
Almost everybody that I watch went 100% back in the market today. But I believe the stock funds still have a bit to go down.
Successful members' current allocations (all dates are COB):
Almost everybody that I watch went 100% back in the market today. But I believe the stock funds still have a bit to go down.
Successful members' current allocations (all dates are COB):
- GeorgiaGal: 100%-I 6/6 (Previous: )
- Beavis: 100%-I 6/6 (Previous: )
- TSPgo-high-risk: 100%-F 5/31 (Previous: 100%-I 5/18 )
- Thunder5: 50%-G 25%-S 50%-I 6/6 (Previous: )
- Safety Guy: 100%-G 4/16 (Previous: )
- Nnuut: 40%-C 35%-S 25%-I 6/6 (Previous: )
- Show-me: 100%-I 6/6 (Previous: )
- Griffin: 100%-S 6/6 (Previous: )
- FundSurfer: 50%-C 40%-S 10%-I 6/6 (Previous: )
- Mayday: 100%-I 6/6 (Previous: )
- Dakota: 100%-I 6/6 (Previous: )
McDuck
Well-known member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
The TSP Pot is Growing Fast: Will Congress Resist the Political Opportunities?
June 6, 2007
By Ralph Smith
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is the key to a successful retirement for millions of federal employees. Those in the CSRS are not as reliant to the TSP but having the money in a fund that has been building up tax free for a number of years can easily add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Anyone who does not have plans for using that money in some way during retirement has probably not been doing any planning.
One characteristic of the TSP is that it has been relatively free from political influence. The TSP invests in stock indices on behalf of investors. The TSP site outlines which index is used for each fund and investors can choose the funds they think will give them the best results for their retirement.
Should the money in the TSP be free from political influence?
The pot of money in the TSP funds is now about $219 billion and, with the long-running bull market, the total is going up fast. In short, the pot is huge and it is only going to get bigger. Baby boomers are dumping money into the TSP preparing for their retirement; federal employees are talking about their TSP balances with each other and comparing notes; and web sites are springing up over the internet telling employees how to manage their TSP money effectively.
With that much money at stake, a person who follows politics in America could predict that Congress would begin looking at that pot of money and seeing many possibilities. Some in Congress just want to get re-elected; some want to help others; some want to satisfy the political action committees who have the "good sense" to donate lots of money to help a Congressman get re-elected.
We have already seen a large amount of money flowing into the coffers of some Congressmen from some in the real estate industry who think it would be a good idea to have federal employees investing in real estate investment trusts (REITS). Perhaps it is a good idea and many readers think they would like this option. What about investing in gas and oil wells? How about putting your retirement money into assets that have gold as the underlying source of support? What about investing in emerging economies in the third world? No doubt, money is already flowing into the re-election campaign funds from industries that see that $219 billion just sitting in index funds when it could be flowing into the assets (and management fees) of other investment funds represented by those sending money to our elected representives.
And there is another possibility of helping out others less fortunate than ourselves with all of that money sitting in the TSP funds. Perhaps, as suggested by a few Congressmen such as Barbara Lee (D-CA), Congress should start telling the TSP folks which companies are acceptable to invest in and which companies are not acceptable.
That argument has some appeal. Who among us would not want to help the beseiged people of Darfur? The new bill in Congress bill would require congressional auditors to investigate the extent of TSP investments in companies that have directly or indirectly had a business relationship with those committing genocide in Darfur and send a report for Congress listing these companies.
No doubt, there is probably a long laundry list of socially responsible things that Congress could list that would help the world. Perhaps GAO should compile a list of companies that are contributing to global warming and eliminate them from the TSP. Numerous countries have been charged with human rights abuses of one kind or another and some American companies and some in the TSP's I fund have undoubtedly had a business relationshp with governments in those countries. Perhaps Congress should eliminate TSP investments in those countries as well.
There is also a very long list of companies that have helped propel activities that many readers would find objectionable. Numerous companies probably have a business relationship with abortion clinics by selling the clinics drugs and medical supplies. Depending on election results, Congress could help advance this or other political causes by listing companies that the TSP should not invest in because they have participated in some way.
Would "socially responsible" investing improve the performance of the Thrift Savings Plan? Would you, as a TSP investor, prefer to have your TSP investments only being used to invest in companies that are "socially responsible" as defined by Congress or the TSP?
© 2007 FedSmith Inc.
The TSP Pot is Growing Fast: Will Congress Resist the Political Opportunities?
June 6, 2007
By Ralph Smith
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is the key to a successful retirement for millions of federal employees. Those in the CSRS are not as reliant to the TSP but having the money in a fund that has been building up tax free for a number of years can easily add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Anyone who does not have plans for using that money in some way during retirement has probably not been doing any planning.
One characteristic of the TSP is that it has been relatively free from political influence. The TSP invests in stock indices on behalf of investors. The TSP site outlines which index is used for each fund and investors can choose the funds they think will give them the best results for their retirement.
Should the money in the TSP be free from political influence?
The pot of money in the TSP funds is now about $219 billion and, with the long-running bull market, the total is going up fast. In short, the pot is huge and it is only going to get bigger. Baby boomers are dumping money into the TSP preparing for their retirement; federal employees are talking about their TSP balances with each other and comparing notes; and web sites are springing up over the internet telling employees how to manage their TSP money effectively.
With that much money at stake, a person who follows politics in America could predict that Congress would begin looking at that pot of money and seeing many possibilities. Some in Congress just want to get re-elected; some want to help others; some want to satisfy the political action committees who have the "good sense" to donate lots of money to help a Congressman get re-elected.
We have already seen a large amount of money flowing into the coffers of some Congressmen from some in the real estate industry who think it would be a good idea to have federal employees investing in real estate investment trusts (REITS). Perhaps it is a good idea and many readers think they would like this option. What about investing in gas and oil wells? How about putting your retirement money into assets that have gold as the underlying source of support? What about investing in emerging economies in the third world? No doubt, money is already flowing into the re-election campaign funds from industries that see that $219 billion just sitting in index funds when it could be flowing into the assets (and management fees) of other investment funds represented by those sending money to our elected representives.
And there is another possibility of helping out others less fortunate than ourselves with all of that money sitting in the TSP funds. Perhaps, as suggested by a few Congressmen such as Barbara Lee (D-CA), Congress should start telling the TSP folks which companies are acceptable to invest in and which companies are not acceptable.
That argument has some appeal. Who among us would not want to help the beseiged people of Darfur? The new bill in Congress bill would require congressional auditors to investigate the extent of TSP investments in companies that have directly or indirectly had a business relationship with those committing genocide in Darfur and send a report for Congress listing these companies.
No doubt, there is probably a long laundry list of socially responsible things that Congress could list that would help the world. Perhaps GAO should compile a list of companies that are contributing to global warming and eliminate them from the TSP. Numerous countries have been charged with human rights abuses of one kind or another and some American companies and some in the TSP's I fund have undoubtedly had a business relationshp with governments in those countries. Perhaps Congress should eliminate TSP investments in those countries as well.
There is also a very long list of companies that have helped propel activities that many readers would find objectionable. Numerous companies probably have a business relationship with abortion clinics by selling the clinics drugs and medical supplies. Depending on election results, Congress could help advance this or other political causes by listing companies that the TSP should not invest in because they have participated in some way.
Would "socially responsible" investing improve the performance of the Thrift Savings Plan? Would you, as a TSP investor, prefer to have your TSP investments only being used to invest in companies that are "socially responsible" as defined by Congress or the TSP?
© 2007 FedSmith Inc.
qibovin
Member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
"Socially responsible" government is the most oxymoronic thing I've ever heard.
If the government really wanted to be socially responsible, they'd let us invest our own social security Ponzi-scheme contributions as we see fit in a manner very similar to the currently non-political TSP. Heck, I'd be happy if they'd just put my contributions in the L2040 or even just leave it in the G-fund as long as they kept my SSN attached to it.
Thanks for the post.
Wow, that's scary!
"Socially responsible" government is the most oxymoronic thing I've ever heard.
If the government really wanted to be socially responsible, they'd let us invest our own social security Ponzi-scheme contributions as we see fit in a manner very similar to the currently non-political TSP. Heck, I'd be happy if they'd just put my contributions in the L2040 or even just leave it in the G-fund as long as they kept my SSN attached to it.
Thanks for the post.
sugarandspice
Well-known member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
Isnt socially responsible really a morality issue? And morals are up to individuals. Morality is subjective. And their are plenty of business that have skeletons in their closets and on their front doorsteps. And those businesses are thriving. Leave the decisions to us the individual. Just make sure we have options.
Isnt socially responsible really a morality issue? And morals are up to individuals. Morality is subjective. And their are plenty of business that have skeletons in their closets and on their front doorsteps. And those businesses are thriving. Leave the decisions to us the individual. Just make sure we have options.
qibovin
Member
Re: Greg's Account Talk
Is this Sugar or Spice?
Is this Sugar or Spice?
Yes
Moral decisions are up to the individual.
Morality is as subjective as we allow our image of God to become. The original sin of man was born of the desire to become like God--in essence making God in our own image--determining for ourselves what is good and evil.
This we can agree on, though.
Re: Greg's Account Talk
Please make sure you ad a link to articles you post. Thanks!
http://www.fedsmith.com/articles/articles.showarticle.db.php?intArticleID=1272
Greg,
Please make sure you ad a link to articles you post. Thanks!
http://www.fedsmith.com/articles/articles.showarticle.db.php?intArticleID=1272
- Status
