PessOptimist's Account Talk

[PessOptimist]

Thought I should come by and see if I was still here.

Law87, pretty much me but I don't own nearly 10k shares of any fund. I have only been at this 14 years and haven't always made the best decisions.

Birch, I didn't move to G and am still buying equities every two weeks.

Saving my pennies for someday as B. Joel wrote. No part time job or new car yet though.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda scenario: the day before I went on vacation back on Jul 15th, I almost moved it all to G since I wouldn't be able to "watch it". Common sense (??) smacked me and said "you did that a couple years ago and missed out on a big up time and besides, you never move anything and then you will have to worry about when to get back in". That move could have prevented a lot of loss. On the other hand, I'm not using this TSP thing for another six years or so. The ideal fantasy is to have gone to G then and moved back in to equities near the bottom and increased profits during the next run up. When is that run up going to happen anyway? I would really like to finish 2011 with more earnings than 2008.

Someone mentioned yesterday that the MB was being unserious this weekend. It was except for the normally serious people who help us with our investments. Thank you serious people. Thank you to those that run this MB for allowing it to become a social gathering place for friends also.

It's been pretty quiet here today. It is a day for quiet reflection. It brings back a lot of feelings. (for me) Don't let them get you down.

Regards to all

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

Pessoptimist's Account Talk

Here is that graph I used to like so much.



What a cool curve on that upper line.

 

[PessOptimist]

Re: what I did on my summer vacation

WOOHOO! I meant to post last Friday but life and work got in the way.

Happy New Year! As of last Friday my YTD return was higher than it was on January 1st. Course it's been negative in the last week. But now, I may be on track to beat the G fund this year. Unless I don't. Must be somebody's fault. Europeans or maybe manipulators with computers.

Maybe if I moved it to other funds once in a while I would be doing better?


Gotta go. Work tomorrow.

 

[PessOptimist]

Update to my account talk.

I made no moves in my TSP last year. I did have my payday allocation going to C, S and I so actually ended the year approx G44 C50 S3 I3 which made my actual 2011 return about 1.88%. I kept meaning to adjust the autotracker but was advised it would happen when I made an IFT.

I meant to change the autotracker the last day of December but...

Life and work just seem to keep getting in the way.

I found/made time on 13 Jan to look the situation over and take action. Actions were to change autotracker to G44 C50 S3 I3 or make IFT to G100 and adjust autotracker. Stuff I read indicated a correction was due so I did the IFT. At the point I made the IFT my actual gain was about 1.42%.

Results of this move:
sold 1/13 1/27
C 15.9342 16.2766
S 21.2851 22.2209
I 17.6812 18.7008

Great move, lost a few percent.

Now, based on things going on and my general inertia, when to get back in?

PO

 

[alevin]

Update to my account talk.

I made no moves in my TSP last year. I did have my payday allocation going to C, S and I so actually ended the year approx G44 C50 S3 I3 which made my actual 2011 return about 1.88%. I kept meaning to adjust the autotracker but was advised it would happen when I made an IFT.

I meant to change the autotracker the last day of December but...

Life and work just seem to keep getting in the way.


Now, based on things going on and my general inertia, when to get back in?

PO

I have to laugh, as I resemble that remark! spending too much time learning more about individual stocks and market behavior, not enough time putting it all into practice. not enough time spent focused on playing the indices. I promise me I will do better than barely beating the G fund the way I did last year. Trix weekly almost back into bull market territory, could break either way at this point. bear market rallies, bull market rallies, I shall do better this year-just as soon as I get past the inertia. clicking red slippers.

 

[PessOptimist]

Pessoptimist's Account Talk

What I forgot to put in the update was I went 100% G on 1/13. 1/27 prices used. On 1/13 C 15.9324, 1/27 C 16.2766; S 21.2851, 22.2209; I 17.6812, 18.7008.

Just wait for a correction and get back in? Do an IFT tomorrow to be in on 2/1? Squalebear once posted about % up at the beginning of the month. SB used to do a FV/EFA/EAFE thing. Anyone heard from him lately?

I am close to my entire year 2011 gain right now. (1.48 v 1.88) The autotracker isn't correct due to not adjusting that CSI thing until the 13th. When I adjusted it to reflect 100 G. Clear as mud?


It's gonna be a busy week at work and home, so I guess I just wait on the lily pad and try to make a decision over the weekend.

 

[PessOptimist]

Pessoptimist's Account Talk

Well golly gee willikers, eating utensil with tines and razzlefrats.

That takes care of the expletives for now.

This thread is supposed to be about autotracker moves. So OK. I adjusted the C fund amount because that's where my allocation goes and it was approaching 1%. That's where the housekeeping part is. I moved 10% in to S today through an IFT, adjusting the C amount to 1%.

I am not sure there will not be a bigger dip in prices. That is why only 10%. Sure wish I had left it alone in January and only adjusted the autotracker. Playing "what if" with a spread sheet shows my gains would have payed for the new HVAC system I may need. As they say, If you didn't sell it, it's not a real loss.

I spent about two hours today answering work e-mails or sending to myself reminders of what needs done Tuesday. There are disadvantages to working 4 10s v managers working 5 8s. They can change the whole game plan Friday and then ask why you never responded. No OT budgeted for said project but why didn't you respond. I need to stop looking at work e-mails on weekends. Poor, poor, pitiful me!

based on some postings today.
great to hear from Squalebear
wish I had bought right.
OJ sprint-thanks for going to Sodom on Potomac but that's what you get for going there
Current feds not secure-damn right. The next attempt will be attached to a bill about something everyone will have to get together on. Like clubbing baby sea otters or free bubble up. That's why all bills introduced end with "and for other purposes". In an obscure paragraph it will say :current federal employees not connected to the Congress of the United States will contribute 10% of their gross salary toward retirement annuity.
great stones song
not staying but chasing

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

Happy Friday everyone.

Is this the beginning of a correction so those not in can get in and become TSP hundred-thousandaires?

Re-established a core in equities a couple weeks ago. Something I read here that seemed to make sense at the time. Leave a little in. I chose S for the majority. Good thing I have a smaller amount in C to shore that up. Keeping me close to even.

Finally did the tax return today. Federal refund. Bah! Can't get that balanced out as OT is taxed at 25% and is impossible to predict. Owe the two states a few hundred.

 

[PessOptimist]

Re: Pessoptimist's Account Talk

Tax time is often a time to look at other ignored financial instruments.

Taxes are done BTW and I paid around 18% to the feds and 3% to two states.

Turns out the wife and I have some old IRAs. Mostly forgotten about. Earning nothing.

The wifes was WAMU now Chase. About $2600. It earned her $.33 last year. Now Chase says if she doesn't send them $1k contribution by 4/30 they will deduct $30 in management fees.

The question I have is for advice about where to roll this 2600 over to. Assuming there is not something in the contract that says there is a 100% fee for rolling it elswhere. I am kidding I hope.

This IRA is in her name only, is her only one and it is important to me to move it somewhere where it will at least earn something. She wants to give them the $1k and let it go. I have no idea of the history of this thing so let's not go there.

It will be 10 years before she will think about taking funds out of it. I realize it is a relatively small sum. Any suggestions appreciated. She has to move on this now.

About my old IRAs. I am surprised there was so much. Since I am so lax about managing my money, maybe I should roll them to TSP where at least they would earn G fund rates?

 

[Birchtree]

Re: Pessoptimist's Account Talk

Open a Roth IRA with a company of your choice - then convert the small IRA (2600) and pay the small tax and start over. Buy a couple of dividend paying stocks and benefit from the compounding of dividend reinvestments. I use Merrill Edge online for my trades with reasonable costs.

 

[PessOptimist]

Open a Roth IRA with a company of your choice - then convert the small IRA (2600) and pay the small tax and start over. Buy a couple of dividend paying stocks and benefit from the compounding of dividend reinvestments. I use Merrill Edge online for my trades with reasonable costs.

Thank you for that reply Mr Betula. Intriguing ideas which were all proposed to the IRA owner. The results were mixed.

She quite likes the idea of converting it to a Roth with the tax on the distribution being paid in 2012 taxes. We will hardly notice the difference on taxes and the idea that the money and all earnings will be hers tax free for the rest of whatever pleases her.

Unless, of course, the rules change retroactively which is ever a possibility.

The rest of your suggestion was rejected summarily. She believes the stock market is inherently evil and will take her money. She may have a point.:worried:

The options I am considering now are Roth IRA CDs.

The CU we deal with offers a 24 month at .95%. They offer no longer time frames due to the low amount.
Our mortgage holder offers .4 for 24 month and .9 for 39 months.
Ally Bank offers 1.3 for 36 months and 1.74 for 60 months.

All of the above claim no management fees. I have never dealt with Ally.

Checking out the current IRA reveals it is a money market account currently earning .007% per year with JP Morgan Chase. They want $30 management fee or a $1k contribution or to open a checking account, minimum $1k. If we comply they will continue to pay us this magnificent return.

JPMChase is not my favorite bank, mostly due to having to have a travel account with them at work. I used it once in the last seven years, they will not send a paper statement and so I went overdue two years ago when I last traveled. They didn't bother to send me a nasty e-mail, just sent one to the account manager that went to the top of my chain and filtered down, causing all to have to go to training classes about being dead beats. I inquired about closing the account since I hardly ever use it and was told I cannot because I cannot make airline reservations for official travel without it. Gee, I wonder it JPMC gets a fee for maintaining this account? Sounds a little like FW&A?

Another topic. Back to the current matter. I am leaning strongly toward advising rolling this account to the CU CD at .95% for two years. Advice welcomed.

As for my own forgotten IRAs, one earning .009% and one earning .25%, I need to find some place else to put them. One topic at a time. Baby steps.

PO

 

[PessOptimist]

Re: Suppose

I think I have mood poisoning. Yeah I stole that from RMI.

Every thing I heard in the news today or read on the MB pissed me off to some degree.

I am thinking 1st amendment v posting a jerks picture v removing said picture and want to see picture of jerk and decide for myself.

Busy week at work, haven't followed what the market was doing or this MB. Caught up now and think it's time to go to bed at regular work night time. Maybe in the morning things will look better.

$many question. Time to ease back in to equities or wait a few more days? I only have time to look or do on weekends.

 

[RealMoneyIssues]

Re: Suppose

I think I have mood poisoning. Yeah I stole that from RMI.

Every thing I heard in the news today or read on the MB pissed me off to some degree.

I am thinking 1st amendment v posting a jerks picture v removing said picture and want to see picture of jerk and decide for myself.

Busy week at work, haven't followed what the market was doing or this MB. Caught up now and think it's time to go to bed at regular work night time. Maybe in the morning things will look better.

$many question. Time to ease back in to equities or wait a few more days? I only have time to look or do on weekends.

I hope tomorrow is better for you PO... Good Luck !!

 

[Mapper]

Re: Suppose

You can just move your IRA, and keep it as a traditional. You don't have to convert to a Roth, although it may be wise, it's up to you.

PO, you can move your IRAs just about anywhere and purchase some dividend bearing stocks or mutual funds. One of the projects I took on this year was consolidating all of my retirement accounts under on bank. I had five different retirement accounts scattered in 5 different places, Now I have a Wells Fargo account that has my checking, savings, Roth IRA, Traditional IRA and Taxable brokerage all available through one login. It makes managing everything much easier. Honestly, I feel so much more in control of my savings goals now, it's great. Wells Trade isn't the best platform, but if your combined accounts exceed $25k you qualify for an account that gives you 100 free trades in EACH of the investment accounts, for me that's the Roth, Tradition and Taxable, so 300 free trades. Now trading ETFs in my IRA is VERY nice, no commissions or tax implications (because they are IRAs)!

Anyway, many of the discount brokerages are good if you just want to buy and hold. My Sharebuilder Roth account was great because I could set it up for automatic investments, bi-weekly, to continuously dollar cost average into funds. Regular trades are something like $7 there. Not bad if you just want a few good dividend payers to buy and hold. I've moved away from that in IRAs...but still like to do it in my taxable brokerage.

 

[PessOptimist]

Re: Suppose

I hope tomorrow is better for you PO... Good Luck !!

Thanks, RMI. I thought perhaps it would be but so far not. I just made a small IFT and was all happy about making a decision before the deadline. So I submitted it and it is effective Monday? What? DST? When did that happen? Almost two weeks ago?

Oh well. Let it ride. I am way too wrapped up in my little world of work projects, each one a puzzle piece that must be placed in the proper order.

Waah! The good part is job security looks good for the next 2115 calendar days.

 

[Bquat]

Re: Suppose

Thanks, RMI. I thought perhaps it would be but so far not. I just made a small IFT and was all happy about making a decision before the deadline. So I submitted it and it is effective Monday? What? DST? When did that happen? Almost two weeks ago?

Oh well. Let it ride. I am way too wrapped up in my little world of work projects, each one a puzzle piece that must be placed in the proper order.

Waah! The good part is job security looks good for the next 2115 calendar days.

Have a short timers calender. Hey who's in the picture?

 

[PessOptimist]

Have a short timers calender. Hey who's in the picture?

Got a short timers calendar and actually took the time this morning to adjust it to show work days based on my 4-10 schedule and holidays. Subtract from that figure the approx 120 days use/lose I will have to take in the next 5.76 years, the number is 1036.

What picture? I realize I missed the switch to DST and likely a lot of other things but I don't see any picture.

 

[Bquat]

Got a short timers calendar and actually took the time this morning to adjust it to show work days based on my 4-10 schedule and holidays. Subtract from that figure the approx 120 days use/lose I will have to take in the next 5.76 years, the number is 1036.

What picture? I realize I missed the switch to DST and likely a lot of other things but I don't see any picture.

Back in the day there were shortimers calenders that you would color in the squares with different colors to reviel a picture. Others you would peel off each day to reviel a bikini shot of a model. I think Jane Rusell, Sofia Loren or Rachael Welch. They even had one that would form a target on Jane Fonda, Fidel Castro, and lately Bin Laden. Excuse spelling please.

 

[PessOptimist]

Re: Pessoptimist's Account Talk

Back in the day there were shortimers calenders that you would color in the squares with different colors to reveal a picture. Others you would peel off each day to reveal a bikini shot of a model. I think Jane Rusell, Sofia Loren or Rachael Welch. They even had one that would form a target on Jane Fonda, Fidel Castro, and lately Bin Laden. Excuse spelling please.

LOL. I haven't seen one of those color in the box (so to speak) calendars since the 80s probably. The last one I remember was fashioned after the famous Farah bathing suit poster. Position adjusted slightly.

What I have is a count down clock app on my computer.

The three latest OCONUS assignments I had were in small, shared places where political correctness ruled and such posters were deemed offensive. One Det CO declared it offensive that we would count the days left under his command. Maybe that was because he discovered two short calendars in one room, one with his own projected departure date and one with the owners.

Thanks for the trip down mammary lane. Wonder If I could get away with posting something like that in a discreet location at work? Course, where would I find one for 1000+ days?

Excuse my spelling errors.

 

[Bquat]

Re: Pessoptimist's Account Talk

LOL. I haven't seen one of those color in the box (so to speak) calendars since the 80s probably. The last one I remember was fashioned after the famous Farah bathing suit poster. Position adjusted slightly.

What I have is a count down clock app on my computer.

The three latest OCONUS assignments I had were in small, shared places where political correctness ruled and such posters were deemed offensive. One Det CO declared it offensive that we would count the days left under his command. Maybe that was because he discovered two short calendars in one room, one with his own projected departure date and one with the owners.

Thanks for the trip down mammary lane. Wonder If I could get away with posting something like that in a discreet location at work? Course, where would I find one for 1000+ days?

Excuse my spelling errors.

I had a count down clock +30. Didn't like my supervisor and wanted be out the door before he realized it. He like to give the ____ details to short timers. First he knew when I needed his signature for CPO's clearing post list and final apprasial which I didn't care about.