Nate's Account Talk

[EmoDx]

EmoDx,

Here is the main thread: <1% IFT Option

What FutureTrader incorporates is that he places some assets in the L Funds when he bails to the G Fund. That allows him an opportunity to move fractional assets into those five funds as well - and those funds include equity holdings. I think I came up with the idea, but the kudos goes to the chap making money on it. Ahem...

It reads complex, but it is rather simple. TSP allows a fractional rebalance to occur in the funds. SqualeBear (who found the <1% strategy) figures this loophole is around so that the TSP board can rebalance the L Funds.

So, let us say you are out of IFTs - but with your last trade you put 91% in the G Fund, and 1% in each of the other funds. You are now ready to use SqualeBears '<1%' strategy.

After a week of equity market gains you have an allocation like this:

G: 89.33%
F: 0.82%
C: 1.23%
S: 1.31%
I: 1.17%
LIncome: 1.01%
L2010: 1.07%
L2020: 1.13%
L2030: 1.43%
L2040: 1.51%​

You can now 'rebalance' your allocation to:

G: 83.00%
F: 1.00%
C: 2.00%
S: 2.00%
I: 2.00%
LIncome: 2.00%
L2010: 2.00%
L2020: 2.00%
L2030: 2.00%
L2040: 2.00%​

Next week you are sitting at:

G: 82.54%
F: 0.90%
C: 2.10%
S: 2.05%
I: 2.15%
LIncome: 2.01%
L2010: 2.04%
L2020: 2.06%
L2030: 2.07%
L2040: 2.08%​

You can bump to:

G: 75.00%
F: 1.00%
C: 3.00%
S: 3.00%
I: 3.00%
LIncome: 3.00%
L2010: 3.00%
L2020: 3.00%
L2030: 3.00%
L2040: 3.00%​

You have just increased your exposure by a decent amount in two weeks toward the stock market. And, you can do so quite often - as soon as any fund has a fractional you can 'rebalance' it.

I don't do this as often as FutureTrader because I use Quicken. When TSP changed how they document IFTs it became a pain to make an IFT. Thus, I do this only when I make the cowardly lion mistake:embarrest:

Thank you.

 

[Birchtree]

Nate,

If you don't mind I will finish my story. As a benefit upon completion of military service I could sit on my duff and draw unemployment for 52 weeks - no questions asked. I applied and received one check for $75 and waited two weeks to cash it - during that time period I landed a job but of course it took two weeks to get my first paycheck. In the meantime I had rent to pay. That was in July 1969 - come winter I had a different job working at the UNH infirmary and was going to school part-time. One night at shift change comes a knock and it's the local sheriff with a warrant for my arrest - and it will take $100 to bail me out. The nurses on duty were giggling searching their purses for bail money. I went to the police station and called my landlord and he graciously bailed me out. I actually had to go to court and defend myself like a criminal because I should've waited 3 weeks. The prosecutor wanted me fined $175 plus pay back the $75. The judge was kind enough to ask me what I thought of that. Well I took the opportunity to trash mouth the whole place and the judge said forget about the fine just pay back the $75. What a complete waste of State resources. The prosecutor apologized to me on the way out wanting to be friendly and I simply told him to get tf away from me before I kicked his ribs in. Now comes the funny part. One morning when I was driving home from work about a week after my arrest I got pulled over by a young deputy for passing a truck going up a hill on the right hand side. I had to go back down to the station and when I walked in the same desk sergent was there - he looked at me and said what are you doing back here. Once he understood the situation he says to me to get out of there. Well I thought if was funny at the time. I made a few friends at the police station.

 

[Steadygain]

The moral of this story is someone good always sees you even if you don't know they are there. Someday I may tell you about the time I got arrested for cashing a $75 unemployment check a week early - that's when the local police got to know me. And the funny stories keep coming.

Birch --- you really put it well.

Your stories all the more speak volumes for you my incredible brother.



That reminds me of Buzz. It was a while back and you might have to think on this one a little --- but anyway all of a sudden they changed the school systems due to 'segregation' -- and of all things Buzz winds up in this dump crap school with like 99% blacks (no offense to anyone on the MB - SERIOUSLY - just reflecting on what happened in real llife). Well so Buzz calls me and tells me about the situation (I'm her favorite uncle - and we've always been tight). So I tell her to be careful how she tells her Dad; BUT -- Birch is most certainly someone who immediately see right through -- anything and everthing....

...so he goes to the TOP and says 'I want my daughter out of that school and am willing to do whatever to get her to .... (a better school)...

...and they tell him ...that she's NEEDED to balance the weights and so she had to function as a 'white spect' on the scales.....

...well that little scroundel ...went on to become a Captain -- and did her time in Iraq. Then a Full Bird Colonel... thinks ohh my gosh what she wouldn't do and be for my own son .... so she marries his son....

...now she's having people cutting her hair ....to test for drugs ... cause she's like the major king pin for the Oil Industry...


It is nice to REST -- and I feel the same way -- but money is to be made and it doesn't come to those falling asleep at the wheel -- but it comes to those in control holding it.

 

[Birchtree]

BP has developed a whole new division for quality improvement and will be doing audits of their operations world wide. I told Buzz in about another year, once she has her Tony Llama boots, that some doors might open. She'll have to decide.

 

[Nate]

The last few days have been a blur. Just got off a 24 hour shift that totaled appx 27 hours. I dont know if today is yesterday or tomorrow.
Poked in to check the market a few times.
Im happy with the S fund so far....but I am eyeballing the door of the plane, chute in hand.
And on that note....Anyone look at USD Index (DYXO) lately? Just looks like its still on an uptrend from 11/4...and vix has a wedgie? :cheesy:

 

[Nate]

Thats it.....I popped smoke & jumped. Taking my (+/-) 9% ytd to the G fund till 2011. Still hoping for a nice pullback after the new year......currently a little overpriced for my taste on the I fund and my individual account. Good luck with the Santa Rally!

 

[KevinD]

Now you can enjoy the holidays.

Merry Christmas!

 

[Nate]

Yup! As much as I wanna keep riding this wave, im going with my gut. Im waiting on a due promotion soon which will allow me more into the TSP and my individual account next year.
Lately the numbers dont make much sense to me anyways. Economy is in the tanker still, funds have been hitting highs too quickly. S fund for example hasnt seen 20's since 2007. The I fund hitting 20's hasnt been since 2008. I dont see the "substance" behind it without a recovering economy.

 

[Nate]

Well xmas vacation begins tomorrow for me....10 days or so. Still sitting on the sidelines in the TSP till Jan. My 2 year anniversary with the wifey is in a few days, and since I was in Iraq for our first, I'll be spending a little on double-occasions this month, plus getting my snowboarding time in over the 10 days...which was the main reason for taking leave. (One other thing I missed out on in Iraq, and promised myself to do this season).
The little crumbs left over allowed me to finally grab a share of USO in my individual account. As tempting as it was to buy buy buy building my base, I needed self-restraint.....or sleep on the couch :cheesy:
So.....Im not near as diverse as birch (is anybody?) but now Ive gotten a little wider. I've had my eyes on a few other etf's & stocks, but I dont think I'll be reaching out to anything new for now, but just working on strengthening what Ive already got. Hopefully my promotion comes soon next year as it will allow more finances to stash in 2011. Good luck with the season rally, and hope everybody's holidays are starting to cheer up. If you havent hung the lights, bah humbug.....at least drink some egg nog & play a little Bing Crosby! Christmas is on its way!

 

[Nate]

Grabbed a few more shares of USO as a last choice. ....but catching my eye was a 11/2010 IPO, WSBHF (aka WB.TO) at $12. Unfortunately ING doesn't sell/buy this stock. The other I will be watching for a pullback on is MTN.
Also keeping an eye on COP & CRDN for an entry, and hoping to grab more BA & LMT when the money is available.
Birch...good move on the Hormel! Your EXH doesnt look too bad either...

 

[FAB1]

Anyone thats scored good gains this year so far I dont blame them for moving to safety. Me - I have been in negative territory since May, gotta stay in to hope to see the light of day and these Bulls are sometime hard to kill, and this is a great time seasonality-wise.

Santa may still come to town!

 

[JamesE]

Santa may still come to town!

He's been here all month...

 

[Nate]

yup....all month

 

[Nate]

Just grabbed some AIB for dirt cheap with my leftover few $'s in the account.

 

[FAB1]

I left you an enlightened post over at Nutts Oil Stuff thread. Go there

 

[Nate]

Since I joined here, I've been keeping track of everything on paper. I finally transferred everything to a spreadsheet. It was not what I'd consider "fun", or "exciting" to say the least.
I did however find 60 new funds to watch (and weed through), Its time to focus on buying (Birch's optimism is infectious).

 

[Nate]

Working out a new system. My cat is less than magical, but never too old to learn new tricks. I write out a fund on paper, then crumple it & toss it to her. Either she chases it or watches it pass-by. Pretty simple.
Grabbed some EEE and PARD today. Many others I wanted, but funds are tight, and if I dont feed the cat (or the wife) I wont be purchasing anything :cheesy:

Happy New Year everybody.. Good luck with 2011!

 

[Birchtree]

What a doll. My investment adviser is Mindylou - a tonkinese.

 

[Nate]

Ahh.. Siamese blend, so your cat is great with mathmatics

 

[Nate]

So I went ahead and shook things up. Being Army, and having 18 months left until my next life-move (which may be full time school), Im attempting to plan ahead.

With my current strategy in my individual account, many future buys i've been watching are slowly been drifting out of my price-range, forcing me to "shift-fire" since I am DCA'ing.
I've reached my (first tier) goal in my TSP, and have decided to stop contributions. These finances will be directed towards stocks instead, in order to more aggressively expedite building my base-goal there.​

My gut tells me some of you "active members" would be advised this is not a wise move. I enjoy feedback, so shoot away if you'd like. Im open to positive influences, and constructive criticism.
I've been given good advice here on finances before, sometimes took, and sometimes not. But the decision to stop contributions did not come lightly. I wanted to take a position in stocks before missing the predicted birch-boat. My individual account is more of a buy & hold strategy, and I have many that I would like to purchase for a wider exposure for when this economy rebounds. I've spent hours/days/weeks building my spreadsheet for future buys (currently monitoring 150+ individual stocks/EFT's) and have taken more of a backseat to monitoring index funds. My 2011 TSP strategy is consisting of mocking an active individual's IFT's on the tracker. Feels weak, dependant, and spineless, but until I've got a grasp on the indexes vs market changes, this will still allow me to keep my TSP active, and place me into funds I normally may not expose myself to. Hopefully this will help me develop my own TSP strategy.