Stoplight's Account Talk

[Silverbird]

Dang !

Yesterday, before noon, I had one of those "gut feelings" to go "all in" on either C or S.....finger on the button, but I said "No....don't let emotions affect your "sit tight" approach....

Stoplight....

Not so fast....if you bought on a dead cat bounce you would have had to pull the trigger yesterday, to be sure of the gains, and would be out of IFTs. Sit tight and be right, you won't get every hop.

 

[Stoplight]

Updated my avatar

Stoplight...

 

[Stoplight]

A "bottom" ? Who knows....all I know is the B & H ain't working for me this year...and without a Fed job, so thus not contributing to my TSP account, I can't take advantage of a paycheck DCA.

This may end up being a quick hit and run, or may sit on it longer if I'm comfortable...just my first IFT this month.

Just rebalancing the I; increasing C

50 % G / 40 % C / 10 % I

GL to all !

Stoplight...

 

[Stoplight]

I got nothing else positive to post about my TSP account (well, that's not quite true, but that's a long story.....saved for later), so I'll post this :

WOO HOO !!!!!

....got the Gator flag flying on the front porch, just to **** off the
neighbors <g>

Our Gators win a tough game to take the National Championship again !

I have this weird urge to go out and buy a pair of orange pants and a white belt, so I look like the other geezer Gator Alumni <g>

Stoplight...

 

[Stoplight]

This is my “home”, so I can post whatever I want, right ?

So here’s my “Good News” story…I’m going with Steady’s approach….that airing my feelings here with my on-line friends will do me some good <g> :

I walked away from a lucrative Fed job in Sept ’07….can’t say exactly why I did it, but it had to do with a burn-out on the things I was doing, the travel required, and maybe some “mid-life crisis” thrown in My intention, as a civil engineer, was to get in to another job, in a different career field, soon….

That didn’t happen……but based on a wonderful, understanding Wife, who continued to work and supply our family income, I was able to pick and choose what Fed jobs I applied for…..nothing worked out, until recently…

I recently was offered a job with the Navy back in FL, our home State….it’s below my previous pay scale, but the cost of living is much lower there, and they are offering me the top of the GS pay band, AND relocation expenses ! Crunching the numbers, it’s a “no-brainer”…I already have my “high-3” up here !

The Wife wants to finish out her school year…she’s a 4th grade teacher, and doesn’t want to leave “her kids” in the middle of a school year….she’s dedicated that way ! We went down to FL over her Christmas break, with the intent of finding a place for me to rent (a bachelor pad !) until we sell the place here, and she comes down, but we ended up BUYING a home there ‘cause prices are so cheap.

So here’s the first comment : If anyone says there isn’t mortgage money available to buy a house (primary residence), they’re a liar !!! We qualified with 3 different lenders, even though I’m not yet back on the Fed payroll, and they didn’t even use my wife’s current salary, or her retirement pension, in the calcs. All they asked for was a copy of the Navy’s offer letter, and my acceptance.

The bad news/second comment : We’re “cash poor” right now….we blew through our liquid “savings”, taking care of the Mother-in-Law, before she passed in Aug ’07. We have assets, but nothing we can easily tap for closing costs. Fortunately, we have “family” that will float us a loan for closing. I THOUGHT I’d take a loan against my TSP, but I found out I have to be back on “pay status” before I can do that, and knowing the Feds, that probably won’t happen before our 30 Jan closing date !

My third comment : I’ve not had the benefit of a DCA contribution from a paycheck to my TSP….like other retirees, I’ve just watched my TSP value sink….but now I’ll be back to contributing something each paycheck. My only concern is, I read something that I don’t get the 1% Agency match until I’ve been contributing a year. I’ll have to dig deeper and see if that’s the case, with a prior service employee…

Anyway…..we’re blessed with this opportunity to get back to FL, and closer to our family…we’re not particularly “religious” people, but it seems like “Someone” is watching out for us on this move !

Thanks for letting me vent !

Stoplight…

 

[nasa1974]

Stoplight, Welcome back and good luck.

 

[kar_crazy]

Stoplight, Welcome back and good luck.

same here good luck, and I hope 2009 is a better year for you

 

[CountryBoy]

Welcome Stoplight,

I left 2 higher paying jobs so I could stay in the area and finally settled for working for the Feds ( Job 3) as a CE also, just as they said most engineers would. Money isn't everything, family, surrounding environment and lifestyle is much more important, at least to me.

Lot of great people here.

Good Luck

CB

 

[turbo23dog]

I've been looking for just the right govt job in FL for three years with no luck. I've heard several times about the great buying opps in FL.

I"m not complaining though because we're happy for right now but I'm always thinking about that warm sunny beach in February... Good luck to you!

 

[budnipper1]

My third comment : I’ve not had the benefit of a DCA contribution from a paycheck to my TSP….like other retirees, I’ve just watched my TSP value sink….but now I’ll be back to contributing something each paycheck. My only concern is, I read something that I don’t get the 1% Agency match until I’ve been contributing a year. I’ll have to dig deeper and see if that’s the case, with a prior service employee…Stoplight…

Does this apply to your specific situation?

View attachment 5393

https://www.civilianbenefits.hroc.navy.mil/TSP_page.asp
​

 

[Stoplight]

BN1,

Looks like that should cover it ! I'll call the benefit line, just to make sure.

Many thanks for the info, and link !

Stoplight...

 

[Stoplight]

....and thanks to All for your kind comments ! Things are looking up for 2009. Let's hope the TSP returns go up, too

Stoplight...

 

[Stoplight]

Wow ! Has it REALLY been that long ??? Guess I've been sulking over my beating long enough...time to get back to work on my account !

To update :

-Love the new job !
-Love the new area !
-Paycheck TSP deduction only 6% (to get the match !)...we need the cash !
-Floated a TSP loan, once I was "eligible", and paid off the Wife's 403(b) loan we had to take to scrounge the cash for settlement in FL...better rate with TSP !

2nd Best news of all ? Our house in MD finally sold yesterday...only been on the market since Feb !!! Now that I have only 1 mortgage payment, I can beef up my TSP contribution...

BEST news of all ? The Wife is retired, and down in FL with me ! <VBG>

Stoplight...

 

[Steadygain]

Wow ! Has it REALLY been that long ??? Guess I've been sulking over my beating long enough...time to get back to work on my account !

To update :

-Love the new job !

That's wonderful !!! We had a 'social gathering' over at Buster's the other night and Tom and all the Mods, Alevie, Grandma, Malyla, bridgestreetBETTY, CB, Birch, and maybe 20 others were there and Lady was asking us if you were enjoying the 'new job'

But you'd been disconnected for so long we didn't know. So I'm thrilled for you.

-Love the new area !

It's a beautiful area -- and at times we find 'a new place' somehow offers the most wonderful opportunities.

Some of us are planning on investing in 'Lakeside Property' -- but we're waiting to see where a friend builds his home. We're going to turn it into a 'recycling center' --- land fill and 'trading dump'.

-Paycheck TSP deduction only 6% (to get the match !)...we need the cash !
-Floated a TSP loan, once I was "eligible", and paid off the Wife's 403(b) loan we had to take to scrounge the cash for settlement in FL...better rate with TSP !

It all sounds GOOD

2nd Best news of all ? Our house in MD finally sold yesterday...

Man !!! It's about time ... Birch and I were starting to lose our patience .... and it takes a lot for us to get upset :cheesy:

only been on the market since Feb !!! Now that I have only 1 mortgage payment, I can beef up my TSP contribution...

BEST news of all ? The Wife is retired, and down in FL with me ! <VBG>

Stoplight...

Good to have ya back Stoplight ---

thanks for the updates....

gotta run

Steady

 

[Stoplight]

Steady,

Thanks for the kind words ! I've been thinking of you and my other "Forum Friends" that I read...believe me...no one was more frustrated on selling the MD house than us I understand Birch's "buy and hold", but on the house, we had to "hold" longer than we expected

....and "Lady" was...well...being a "Lady" !

I'm curious to know what that other Joss Wheadon fan, Malyla, thinks of "Dollhouse"...we love it, but the "casual observer" would be lost...oh well !

Is it just me, or has the general "tone" of posts to this forum gotten uglier since I was gone ? Scanning through posts, it doesn't seem quite as friendly a place as I remember...

Stoplight...

 

[Stoplight]

Current fund balance allocation is G - 52% ; C - 37% ; S - 1% ; I - 10%

Doesn't quite match the Tracker !

I switched my payroll deduction from 50% G, 25% S, 25% C to 100% G, in anticipation of paying off my TSP loan...once that check clears, I'll do an IFT of some funds back out of G

Stoplight...

 

[Stoplight]

No change (IFT) to my balances, but I've paid off my loan and re-allocated my payroll deduction from 100% G back to 50% G ; 25% C ; and 25% S. Also bumped it up to 15% (from 6 %, to get the match !) to dump a little more money into TSP and out of my paycheck.

With the loan no longer being deducted, the meager pay raise, and the proceeds from the MD house sale to play with, I figure we'll see how the take-home pay + the wife's retirement check + the other mortgage payment we're no longer making works for us at this level for a few months The BAD news is....my 2009 State and Fed taxes are going to be a PITA

I gotta say..."kudos" to the TSP for making the loan payoff go smoothly...I printed out the loan payoff instructions, and sent them a personal check. It cleared quickly, and they even sent me a good old fashioned green paper check to reimburse me for the small amount I'd overpaid...

Best of luck to everyone in 2010 !

Stoplight...

 

[Stoplight]

GOODNESS ! It's been over a year since my last post ? :nuts:

I've been lurking off and on, and I figured I better log in before Tom dumps me as an inactive member...I've already been dumped from the tracker, but that's okay, 'cause I wasn't going anywhere, anyway...still trying to recover from the 2008 beating...

So, to recap, and some random thoughts :

- On 18 Mar, finally fled back to the G, 100 % I know it's not a loss until you sell, and I had barely climbed in to the black overall...just decided it was time to start over. I'm down to < 3 years to retire, so I gotta get serious about "preserving capital", but earning a decent ROR, too. "Buy and hold" wasn't doing it for me, and the world situation makes me nervous...still DCA'ing in my payroll deductions, 15%, at 50% G / 25% C / 25% S...I'm done with the I...

- The Wife's 403(b) is mostly in bonds...haven't touched that, yet...my take-home and her defined benefit pension are keeping us afloat and happy for now

- Took our tiny IRA balances (~$1K each) and opened USAA "Self-Directed IRA's"...I consider it play/"teaching" money, but I like the ability to buy individual stocks, and go from there...now I better understand Birch and his "dividends" ! My CSX has done great, but my CEG has tanked, while the Wife's McCormick and Stanley Black and Decker has been in the black...yeah I put it in to companies with links to Maryland Once I pull the plug, I'm going to have to seriously consider rolling everything into my self-directed account...

- Since I started with the Navy in 2009, I've been converted from GS to NSPS and then back to GS :worried: I'm probably one of the few who benefited from being in NSPS...being maxed out on the GS pay scale when I took the job, my pay pool put me above the top of the GS scale. When converted back, I was put into "retained pay", which, coupled with Obama's pay freeze for us Federal workers, means I'll stay at the same rate for at least 2 more years

Anyway...good to be back, and seeing what the rest of y'all are doing with YOUR money !

Stoplight...

 

[Cactus]

Welcome back, Stoplight. Trying to recover from "Buy N Hold" and "the 2008 beating" is why I joined up here. The way the market was going Sep - Feb, I had acctually entertained hopes of getting back to my Nov 2007 high by the end of this year. After Libya and Japan I know better now. Let's see if we can go anywhere from here.

Anyways, from a newcomer to an oldtimer: Welcome Back!!

 

[nnuut]

Good to hear from you Stoplight, stick around!