NSurf9 Account Talk

[nsurf9]

Gumby, whew! what a ride. Greed vs stupidity. Guess which one is winning.

You all have my apologies, I know what that return meant to TSPTalk - especially since Long and the TSP Board cut the legs off everyone in the TSP - even if 99% of them didn't know it (but they will soon).

Huge buys of $3.5M+ at a time were made at the end of today (7/2) in the EAF, but I am, nontheless, very close to cutting the line. I'll look again tomorrow to get an exit point. If you throw a dead cat hard enough, long enough - something will bounce.

Since June 2, the equities, at least the I fund, have blown thru several resistance points and now approach March's lows as a possible bottom. However, the S fund still lags behind the I in its losses. The difference (as of 7/2 am) is that the I fund is about a $1.43 behind the S fund in this bear market. Since the I fund is somewhat higher leveraged that the other TSP equities, there is real potential to drop another $2.00, or more, just to allow the S fund to also move to the March 2008 lows, which is still $1.20 away.

On June 2, "I was only going to just put my toe in the water." I knew the dollar was at a low and I fund had the highest risk of loss. And, I suspected what might be coming. I thought I could put close to 20% on the board and quit before any shake-out. Unfortunately, I got hooked and pulled down fast - and I remain hooked - even this afternoon.

I don't have to tell you about the economic news - heck, I would even be looking at this message board until October, had I gotten out with 20%.

 

[Gumby]

Gumby, whew! what a ride. Greed vs stupidity. Guess which one is winning.

You all have my apologies, I know what that return meant to TSPTalk - especially since Long and the TSP Board cut the legs off everyone in the TSP - even if 99% of them didn't know it (but they will soon).

Huge buys of $3.5M+ at a time were made at the end of today (7/2) in the EAF, but I am, nontheless, very close to cutting the line. I'll look again tomorrow to get an exit point. If you throw a dead cat hard enough, long enough - something will bounce.

Since June 2, the equities, at least the I fund, have blown thru several resistance points and now approaches March's lows as a possible bottom. However, the S fund still lags behind the I in its losses. The difference (as of 7/2 am) is that the I fund is about a $1.43 behind the S fund in this bear market. Since the I fund is somewhat higher leveraged that the other TSP equities, there is real potential to drop another $2.00, or more, just to allow the S fund to also move to the March 2008 lows, which is still $1.20 away.

On June 2, "I was only going to just put my toe in the water." I knew the dollar was at a low and had the highest risk of loss. And, I suspected what might be coming. I thought I could put close to 20% on the board and quit before any shake-out. Unfortunately, I got hooked and pulled down fast - and I remain hooked - even this afternoon.

I don't have to tell you about the economic news - heck, I would even be looking at this message board until October, had I gotten out with 20%.

NSurf9
No need to apolgize.....your still doing great for the year. You are one of the few that have lost more than most people have made and still have a double digit positive return. I wish you still had that 20% on the board as it would reinforce to the FRTIB what can be done even with limited moves. I would have bailed out earlier in June also but that would have been my second move(IFT) for the month and locked into only moving to G and staying there. Of course 20-20 hindsight shows that would have been a good move. I diversified over into S & C hoping for a bounce with my reload of IFT's for July......but the bounce hasn't happened yet and may not for a long while.

I also noticed the large blocks of trades yesterday of over $1 million at a pop. The well capitalized traders were selling.....but someone was buying. It is almost breath-taking that a fund can tank so fast.

I still think there will be a bounce back up but the oil price is killing us. I think I am going to hold on a little while longer. With so much negative news right now is probably the time to keep adding to our position. I am still DCA'ing every pay period into C,S, and I......but I hate to lose 2 years of gains in a couple of months. I have always had trouble pulling the trigger and selling a losing position....but I may have to.:blink:

The S fund sure gave up some ground today and the S&P 500 closed below the March closing lows today. Hopefully, some relief is in sight.
Tomorrow may be a real roller coaster if the ECB raises rates.

Take care.

 

[nsurf9]

With June and now part of July in the books, I fell like nnut's icon.

Still holding +13.4% for the year - not shown on the auto-tracker, but -10.93% since 5/21. But, it still stings.

You gotta admire the TSP Board's timing on straightjacking the number IFTs to 2 per month.

With a trade a day, during the same 5/21-7/7/08 period - one could have profited about 10%, instead of losing 10%.

The TSP Board has picked, perhaps, the best time in 25 years to impose the 2-move IFT new rule. Also, I am delighted that the TSP Board saved a few dollars in cost -- 'cause my losses would have covered any #%$& IFT costs the TSP fund will incur, on my behalf, for years.

Changed allocation to S, based on I overpayment ($.50); S dropping 10.66% (-$1.92 vs ) vs I dropping 5.83% since 6/19/08; and a little bounce from oil tomorrow.

 

[Gumby]

You gotta admire the TSP Board's timing on straightjacking the number IFTs to 2 per month.

With a trade a day, during the same 5/21-7/7/08 period - one could have profited about 10%, instead of losing 10%.

The TSP Board has picked, perhaps, the best time in 25 years to impose the 2-move IFT new rule. Also, I am delighted that the TSP Board saved a few dollars in cost -- 'cause my losses would have covered any #%$& IFT costs the TSP fund will incur, on my behalf, for years.

In a falling market, the 2 IFT's severely limit the ability to profit from short term trends.....no doubt about it. The bad part of this is a person cannot even buy back in by paying for an IFT. I would gladly pay a fair price to be able to perform an IFT after my 2 freebies.:suspicious:
FRTIB thinks they are saving everyone money. They don't care about the millions that TSPers have lost in the last month. Totally clueless..What a bunch of incompetent dummies.:worried:

 

[nsurf9]

The TSP Board's problem is that they're goal is to keep costs down - "this is a long term retirement fund." Trying to beat the indexes is NOT advisable and they have the experts (ringers) to testify to that opinion.

Having members PROFIT better than the indexes is NOT ONE OF THEIR GOALS. If that were the case, TSPTalk, or something like it, would be part of the TSP Government site, with paid services to boot.

Now that it has straight-jacked the IFTs and instilled stupidity and ignorance in 99% of it members, wait until they see the loss reports.

 

[Guest2]

The TSP Board's problem is that they're goal is to keep costs down - "this is a long term retirement fund." Trying to beat the indexes is NOT advisable and they have the experts (ringers) to testify to that opinion.

Having members PROFIT better than the indexes is NOT ONE OF THEIR GOALS. If that were the case, TSPTalk, or something like it, would be part of the TSP Government site, with paid services to boot.

But the limits could have been more reasonable. Even if they set the limits
to 3, the advantages would have improved 10 fold. I can't help but think
that 3 unlimited moves would have resulted in achieving the goals they
set out to accomplish. 2 was just plain evil. I know, I'm preaching to the
choir. Just wanted to vent.

 

[Heres14U]

Why would they spend millions to set up a daily IFT system and then abolish it???? Those millions wasted are a slap in the face to all of us in the TSP. Something just doesn't add up. Their agenda is to save money by not letting us enhance our returns. What difference should it make to them? Its our money, we know our own risk tolerance levels. Those buy and holders who are sitting in the L funds can't be that happy with their returns lately. Instead of saving us from ourselves they should be concentrating on making the TSP a better platform for us by offering more investment choices even if it means charging us for daily IFT's.
I had enough of this crap and switching my TSP to a rollover IRA as I'm recently retired. My heart goes out to you guys who are not retired though, it's going to be really hard to make your accounts grow with only 2 IFT's and limited investment choices with TSP. I wish you all the best.

 

[nsurf9]

I agree. Even just 2 additional IFTs would allow you to recover or gain an extra trip to profit - really without any significant cost. Even without the limits, I seldom would make more than 5 moves per month.

The fact is, with only 2 IFTs, you can sustain great loss just protecting that last IFT, especially if you make an early in the month transfer in a "Bear" market.

Soon the market will bottom and I will be a buy-and-holder, too.

 

[Guest2]

Why would they spend millions to set up a daily IFT system and then abolish it???? Those millions wasted are a slap in the face to all of us in the TSP. Something just doesn't add up. Their agenda is to save money by not letting us enhance our returns. What difference should it make to them? Its our money, we know our own risk tolerance levels. Those buy and holders who are sitting in the L funds can't be that happy with their returns lately. Instead of saving us from ourselves they should be concentrating on making the TSP a better platform for us by offering more investment choices even if it means charging us for daily IFT's.
I had enough of this crap and switching my TSP to a rollover IRA as I'm recently retired. My heart goes out to you guys who are not retired though, it's going to be really hard to make your accounts grow with only 2 IFT's and limited investment choices with TSP. I wish you all the best.

And to you as well, my friend ! Make the big bucks, our day will come !

 

[nsurf9]

Don't be worried about me, I'll be 55 in a little more than a year. Then, I'm pulling my money out of TSP and putting it in a better platform - even if I have to quit the Government.

14u, where are you putting you rollover and what are the general rules, costs, capital gains etc.

 

[Heres14U]

When TSP gets off their -ss and finally sends my TSP funds to Firstrade I'll be a happy camper. It will be going into a rollover IRA which was easy to set up. Any brokerage would be fine and better than TSP. I have a traditional IRA now but may rollover to a Roth later. I'll see how it goes. I may still have to wait a week or two yet for TSP to send the check to Firstrade. I'm currently setting up my spreadsheets for Proshares ETF's to trade. Watching DUG and SMN for possible starters. A traditional IRA is basically the same as TSP. You can start withdrawing at 59 1/2 and must start withdrawing at 70 1/2. Taxes are paid when you withdraw. With a Roth you pay taxes up front when putting funds into it, but when you withdraw no taxes are due. So if you are expecting taxes to skyrocket down the road, then switching to a Roth might be a smart idea asap. 14U

 

[luv2read]

Why would they spend millions to set up a daily IFT system and then abolish it???? Those millions wasted are a slap in the face to all of us in the TSP. Something just doesn't add up. Their agenda is to save money by not letting us enhance our returns. What difference should it make to them? Its our money, we know our own risk tolerance levels. Those buy and holders who are sitting in the L funds can't be that happy with their returns lately. Instead of saving us from ourselves they should be concentrating on making the TSP a better platform for us by offering more investment choices even if it means charging us for daily IFT's.

As they keep telling us, it's not "our" money, it's Barclay's "investment pool" money. To do with as they see fit in Barclay's Index funds. Not a choice of index funds or necessarily the best index funds ....BARCLAYS INDEX FUNDS. Take another look at tsp.gov and the final rule...they say it several times in the response to comments that we "mistakenly" think it's "our money" to do with as WE see fit...

 

[Heres14U]

luv2read, thank you for clarifying that. If its not our money and is "Barclay's Investment Pool" than you've really got me worried now. So we trust them to do the right things with the investment pool? The Thrift Savings Plan should be called The Barclay's Investment Pool then, right? Cheers!

 

[Birchtree]

Don't worry be happy. If you have a brokerage account, your stocks, funds, and other such investments belong to you, not the broker. A bankruptcy of a brokerage firm doesn't change this. So your assets are legally protected and your right to obtain your own assets should not be blocked by any bankruptcy.

 

[luv2read]

Read the responses to the comments, the Rule, and tsp.gov explanation of how the funds work. They make it very clear that once contributed, the money is an "investment pool." They also used this excuse to "explain away" several other comments/questions.

 

[nsurf9]

The Board, or their assigns, have legal title, not equitable title. Equitable title, including the pool belong to the members. These guys are as ignorant and strong arming as they are ill advised. Yes, I'm pissed.

 

[nsurf9]

Mr. Long, I have my expert and the evidence that a forced buy and hold will cost your members, perhaps, several thousand times the IFT costs that the fund will save.

I just pray that what every retirement investment those bas$%$ds have, has served them as well as he and his cronies have served us.

The way I'm talking - a rebound must be on the way. But, as long as the real estate assets of this country are being devalued, I believe the market will suffer.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a5tAcWNIwOCc&refer=home

 

[Corepuncher]

WAKE UP NSURF! Gotta be pleased with todays action...

 

[nsurf9]

H A L L E L U I A H
Thank you, Rally Monkey!

 

[nsurf9]

Now that the OPEC trust countries have precipitated deep gouges into the meat of our businesses and real estate (partially because of its own problems and oil price pressures) and bought it up at bargain wholesale (or less) prices, its now time to pull down price of oil to ensure an increased value of their newly purchased US assets and, at the same time, destroy as many (as many as we let them) grass-roots oil competing alternative energy resources as possible. Don't worry - they'll sell it back to us later.

Oh yea, it nice to know that none of that TSP fund money can move and compete or protect themselves.

Not a sermon, just a thought.