PessOptimist's Account Talk

[rangerray]

And don’t discount the fact that although you can no longer contribute income into your TSP in the traditional way, you can still actively manage your balance in retirement. It’s not over until your account reaches zero.


Sent from my iPhone using TSP Talk Forums

 

[PessOptimist]

Thanks for the good replies to my whining. I am retired and have been withdrawing for about 3 years now. I decided that my balance the day the last payroll allocation was deposited was what I had and would try to keep earnings ≥ withdrawals. I was doing OK until this last downturn. I'm still doing OK.

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

And don’t discount the fact that although you can no longer contribute income into your TSP in the traditional way, you can still actively manage your balance in retirement. It’s not over until your account reaches zero.

When 0 happens will one of my larger female acquaintances sing? Thanks rr.

I diligently updated my TSP spread sheets as usual this evening. Ewhhh. NBD, just 10% S fund. Do I stick it out and use hopium that it will at least get back to 4/28 prices? Do I bail? Do I move some in to C fund? Do I sit on the toilet and see what happens or lose my eyesight? (old expression reworded)

I wish hopium was a sleep aid.:cheesy:

Just whining as usual. Gonna stick it out for a while. Best of luck y’all.

PO

 

[rangerray]

It's still a bull market until it's not.

 

[nasa1974]

Happy Birthday PO

 

[DreamboatAnnie]

Happy Birthday PO! :smile:

 

[PessOptimist]

Well, now what? Paltry 10% in S isn't doing too well. Thought about moving it to C Friday. Thought about moving it to C last week. You all know what thought did. Let it ride on the belief that S will recover? Get out to G and suck up the loss.

10% is not going to change when TSP runs out that significantly, just hate to see balance go down more than withdrawals.

Yeah I know you are not investment advisors.

Just venting. It seriously might be time to go 100% G and see what happens.

PO

 

[DreamboatAnnie]

C & I are dropping too along with bond yields.

 

[PessOptimist]

Out (100G) as of 23 Jul. What will the future bring?
I remember it being mentioned to be in stocks on the 1st of the month. Was that a historical thing or to preserve IFTs? Should I do it? Yeah I know no one should advise here.

 

[rangerray]

Out (100G) as of 23 Jul. What will the future bring?
I remember it being mentioned to be in stocks on the 1st of the month. Was that a historical thing or to preserve IFTs? Should I do it? Yeah I know no one should advise here.

I noticed that my "rhythm" seemed to be off when I had used all of my IFT's and had to wait until the first of the month to get back into one of the funds after selling. I don't recall all of the technical talk about the end of the month and the first of the month, but it seems like I remember some talk about fund managers and such doing things at the end of the month that seem to prop up gains in the first week of a new month. But, for whatever reason, I decided it was better to be invested into the new month, then spend my first IFT to get out or reduce. Then there's that re-balancing that goes on at the end/beginning of each quarter; you've got to be aware of that.

For whatever reason that I'm no longer sure of, I'm trying to hold what I've got until after the new month begins. I'm 50% invested between C & S Funds and my goal is to hold that stance into August then use my first IFT at my discretion to buy more or sell.

So, I guess you might say I don't have a clue and your guess is as good as mine. :smile:

 

[PessOptimist]

I noticed that my "rhythm" seemed to be off when I had used all of my IFT's and had to wait until the first of the month to get back into one of the funds after selling. I don't recall all of the technical talk about the end of the month and the first of the month, but it seems like I remember some talk about fund managers and such doing things at the end of the month that seem to prop up gains in the first week of a new month. But, for whatever reason, I decided it was better to be invested into the new month, then spend my first IFT to get out or reduce. Then there's that re-balancing that goes on at the end/beginning of each quarter; you've got to be aware of that.

For whatever reason that I'm no longer sure of, I'm trying to hold what I've got until after the new month begins. I'm 50% invested between C & S Funds and my goal is to hold that stance into August then use my first IFT at my discretion to buy more or sell.

So, I guess you might say I don't have a clue and your guess is as good as mine.

Thanks Mr. Ranger.

I have no idea if I should move or not. Got tired of watching the balance go down with the S fund. Got up and was ready to move something this morning. Not as easy as it would seem anymore.

Warning, probably whining or maybe frozen by anxiety. Just talking.

I coulda made the cut off today but barely. Logged in to TSPtalk to read words of wisdom and check IFTs. Logged in to TSP.gov and as usual had to request verification code twice. Only happens in the morning just before cutoff time. Other times I get it immediately in a text. I needed to log in there to verify my withdrawal but was thinking of IFT just because I could. Then I asked myself why. S up a little from two days ago, C up also and heading up. I read a long time ago I shouldn’t make an IFT if I don’t know why. The idea of waiting until just before noon EST is to be clever. I am not a smart man. When it comes to TSP. If I decide to do an IFT, why not anytime? I will either be wrong or right.

As long as I am rambling along as usual, next April I should be able to draw my delayed or deferred ss benefit and may be able to reduce or stop the TSP monthly withdrawal. I believe stop them. This will help the bleeding of balance and make TSP last in to my 90s. As if I will be alive in my 90s. But you never know. Then it’s up to SO if she can figure it out.

Along the line of her figuring it out, I have sent instructions to two people she trusts about what to do. Plus her. Problem is, how often should I send these as people lose documents as time passes.

One of these days I will just decide to move some funds in to C, S, I or elsewhere. At 1155 on a weekday or just anytime. Or not. Maybe I will be content with the 1.25%.

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

Account talk so I should talk about account. I moved 15% each to C and S in November. Only lost about 5% since then. Age old advice is “don’t sell at a loss” but I have passed my “in my mind” loss point. Should move to G but probably will miss the back up time. Maybe adjust the life expectancy?

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

Now that the gloomy account talk is out of the way, MOPAR cars with slant 6s. My sisters boyfriend had a mid 60s Valiant convertible with a slant 6 and a four speed. I thought that was a great idea as a 6 banger would benefit from the additional gear.

Never saw a Ford or GM product with that combination. You could probably have ordered one but would have been ridiculed by salesmen, mechanics and gearheads. You could have built one out of that junk yard treasure you found but again would have been ridiculed by gearheads.

A coworker in the AF had a 1[SUP]st[/SUP] gen ChevyII. He put a Hurst synchro loc on the 3 speed and split the exhaust maniifold (or someone did, great welding/brazing job on the stock manifold) It sounded almost like a small block but not quite right. But obviously not a factory option.

Warning: war story (cold war). Another AF coworker ordered a car through the exchange while stationed in Turkey. (AAFES) He was to pick it up at a large dealership in NJ. Can’t remember the name but they were infamous. Car was supposed to be a Plymouth Volare wagon, 318 2bbl with Tourqueflite. He got an Aspen wagon (maybe, aspen badges on the right, Volare on the left, they were the same car, sales order said Aspen) with a slant 6 and a four speed transmission. He took it. They said come back tomorrow and we will straighten this out. Young GI E-5, with wife and kids, been up probably 18 hours, just got off cattle car, no place to stay, need to get on the road to AZ. So they signed and left. Lookee here Airman! Other adventures on trip were no unleaded gas in rural TX. Nozzle doesn’t fit, dire warnings from dealers about ruining car and voiding warrantee. I drove that car a few times. The 6 benefitted immensely from that additional gear.

Of course later cars with 4 or 5 speeds and 4 or 6 cylinder engines were common.

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

Since I'm talking Chrysler 6 bangers, in my younger days my Dad owned a 1 1/2 ton 49 Dodge truck with a flathead 6. Nice truck, 5 window, 2 speed rear axle. Traded it for a 55 Dodge, same size with a Hemi head V-8.

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

Moved to 100% G this evening. I think. Yeah, I know this will happen at COB tomorrow. I say I think because I have not gotten the confirmation e-mail yet. In the past this usually happens very quickly. I did see a very brief popup saying TSP was working on it then it logged me out.

Been thinking of this move for a while. Shoulda done it months ago. Never sell a loss. OK but at some point bleeding must stop. Maybe I will get lucky and get back in during the hopeful upswing sometime.

I seem to have a difficult time getting up and getting things done and getting computer working to meet the 0900 deadline here. Seems like it doesn’t matter much lately, up in the morning and down right after noon EDT.

Just me rambling. Good luck to those sticking it out. Losing about 5% on top of withdrawals so far made me think it was time to get out. 3% in G isn’t so bad. Rationalizing my action.

 

[nasa1974]

Happy Birthday PO

 

[PessOptimist]

back at ya

 

[PessOptimist]

So many threads commenting on the new TSP.gov site. I don't like it much compared to the old one.
I did find where my monthly withdrawal was made yesterday and it showed up in my checking account today. Problem is finding the actual shares amount they withdrew. It doesn't match on two different documents. I liked that info since I use a very old and good spread sheet I got on this site. A few days will tell. Requesting an account statement for specific dates gets some info but you have to go to messages to see it. Share amounts are not the same as the recent transactions once you choose fund information.

PO

 

[TSP-roulette]

I've been trying to connect with them for a few days now via phone, message tells me I have to wait 75-80 minutes to talk to a rep. I can log in and look at my records, they've made a mess in transferring my records to the new system. I've received emails with instructions to call a rep to rectify beneficiary info, contact phone #s, home address, I haven't moved elsewhere in the past 10 years, monthly withdrawals which I had requested for a year stopped, I haven't received nada this month. What's the Govt doing going low bid with the new system??

 

[nasa1974]

Happy Birthday PO.