Thanks for the help!

thanks for the help with my questions as well, i have some stuff en route from amazon to read while at work.

i also need to run through this bogle wiki.

definitely need to narrow down my deferrred comp since it's spread too thin across different funds and also offers a target retirement option

oh and my deferred is non matching.

Have begun reading this thread from page 1, currently on page 30.

Not ready to begin asking specific investing questions yet, beyond one:

I'm single, no kids, self-employed & make $200,000+/year. so I am ineligible to contribute to a Roth IRA. I make the max contribution to my regular IRA, but I'm getting killed on taxes.

I think I should open a SEP-IRA. I have accounts with Fidelity, Vanguard, & Schwab. Is one company better than the other when it comes to a SEP-IRA or basically the same?

Vanguard so you get access to their funds without any commission.

i've used all 3 and i just prefer vanguard. i transferred all my accounts to vanguard last month

First post in here so please be nice, I'm also a total noob in the stock market so.... Here it goes[*]Country you live in: US[*]Income: Irrelevant, I saved 2500 and a family member matched it, so starting bankroll is 5k[*]Risk Tolerance: currently high, I know that high risk brings high rewards, I'm not in it for low reward[*]Timeframe for investment: for my specific question, around 1 week[*]Debt[*]Any other information you might have that would help us: I'm talking about a specific stock (KIN)
This is my first trade ever, I was trying to follow CANSLIM to find the stocks that are ready to go up, and right that first up move...
This stock reached a new high on Thursday, so I placed a market order and got it for 26.25$, they r supposed to announce their annual performance end of next week, and I have read many reports predicting solid results... The question is the stock was a wild roller coaster on Friday... Is this because the big guys are trying to shake the weak ones out? The volume is like triple the average... Can someone explain what happened on Friday from a technical pov and tell me if my thinking is flawed?
My plan is to ride the annual report momentum and sell at a nice profit.
Thanks

gambolllllllll

yeah dude you're gambling. usually the questions offered in this thread have more to do with how to build wealth

I guess I didn't know where to post that question then?
I know it's a gamble, but I believe I'm getting great odds (at least from reading about the company and the upcoming projects). Again this is my first trade so it's possible I don't know what I'm talking about

Sent from my SCH-I545 using 2+2 Forums

I have been told to start maxing a ROTH every year. Was thinking of opening a Charles Schwab account and putting it in Vanguard 2045. Couple questions:

1. Is there a better method to avoid Vanguard fees than the one proposed? edit; I just read a few posts above and it appears I can just make an account directly with Vanguard and pay no commission?

2. Anyone know how to put money in a 401k being self-employed?

Appreciate your thoughts, thanks guys.

As an aside, Schwab's high yield investor checking is the nuts.

didn't know there was an individual 401k roth option. seems like that may be a better option than a SEP, anyone with any knowledge?

Honestly, it depends on your income level. If you are in a high tax bracket at this point, going with a regular individual/solo 401k is probably better. If you expect to be at a higher tax rate in retirement, then definitely look into the 401k-roth.

I haven't kept entirely current on this, but I think you can make a larger percentage contribution of your income into a Solo 401k/Roth-401k than a SEP, so definitely check that out. This might not matter to you if you are VERY high income, since the limits would be the same.

This is correct. I believe at 208k+ it doesn't matter.

how do we predict or know if our tax bracket is higher now or at retirement? I to have some options, SEP is where pry 90% of my retirement is, with traditional and Roth IRA the other 10%.

I use prudential. I think I want to roll it into a vanguard target for lower expenses.

Roths are like 5500 max contribution a year no? seps allow u to contribute quite a large portion of ur income, don't know the specifics. ok, there is a 401kroth? that differs from a traditional Roth?

If you are 21-30 years old, I think it's impossible to predict or know what tax bracket you are going to be in when you retire. You are basically just guessing. You can hedge your bets though, if you have for instance a tax deferred 401k through your employer, you might want to consider funding a roth as well.

Country you live in
- US
Income
- Married, $205k between both of us, stable jobs
Risk Tolerance
- High
Timeframe for investment
- 30 to 40 years
Debt
- About $100k school loans at 3% interest, no other debt
Any other information you might have that would help us
- Currently living in a rental house, planning to purchase a 3 or 4 unit building in the next two years (and live in one of the units). Looking for advice on how to allocate 401k and Roth IRA holdings for 30+ year investment horizon given that we will have exposure to real estate. Generally, I'm skewed toward US equity with the idea that it's a more aggressive position, but I'm otherwise fairly clueless and open to advice.

Current investment portfolio $117k
1) $14k of unvested company stock which I sell and plow into Roth IRA or 401k as soon as it vests
2) Roth IRA $64k (invested with Vanguard)
2a) $40k Total Stock Market Index Admiral Shares
2b) $24k Target Retirement 2050
2c) Adding max $11k per year
3) 401k $39k
3a)Prudential
- $33k Dryden S&P 500 Index Fund (putting all of my wife's 401k here because the expense ratio of 0.32% is the cheapest in the group of options, all others are more than 1%)
- Adding $8k per year, includes max company match
3b) Fidelity
- $3k Vanguard Small Cap Growth Index Fund Institutional Shares
- $2k Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares
- Adding $9k per year, includes max company match

You are 98% equities, and 89% of that is in the US market. Some people say you should have at least 10 - 20 percent in the bond market, but if you choose not to do that I won't argue. Just understand it could be a slightly bumpier ride without bonds. I would recommend you add some more exposure to international stock, like Vanguard Total International Stock market. Either that or add more of the target 2050 fund, as that will give you exposure to both more bonds and international stocks.

Unknown future = diversify. Some Roth, some traditional. Ratio affected by best guess at current vs. future brackets, taxation, and income changes.

thanks for the rec reading, picked up all 4 titles and added bogleheads to my regular internet reading routine.

i have miles to go, far behind the 8 ball by waiting so long to really learn about this stuff and jump in- can't manage money in the rearview though.

Good luck, sounds like a good start. The hardest thing to do will be to leave it alone once you get it set up. Most us have a tendency to micro-manage. I spent years randomly moving money from stocks to bonds and back, depending on the last article I read in the paper or story on TV. I finally got wise about 8 years ago, held in there during 2008 / 2009 and am doing well now. Pick an asset allocation and stick to it unless there is a really compelling reason to change. Those shouldn't happen more than every decade or so.

I agree with what you're saying, just don't agree about adding more to the target date fund. If you are in the total stock market index, there is no reason to be in the target retirement fund. you're buying the same securities twice.

I think he should either, 1.) dump everything in Vanguard into the target date fund, 2) sell the target date fund to purchase more total stock market, total international, and total bond market (in whatever allocation he is comfortable with).

I know that some people are disenchanted with bond funds these days (it's probably misguided just because they read somewhere the bonds have peaked) so I have friends that have been purchasing eebonds ibonds and tips direct from the treasury and using it as their fixed income portion of their portfolios.

I don't disagree with this. In a tepid defense of my post, I would just say that I was trying to make suggestions that worked with what he already owned. But because it is all tax deferred, he can easily follow your recommendation.

Country you live in: USA

Income: $170k AGI, $188,500 gross

Risk Tolerance: mid-high

Timeframe for investment: 20-30 years

Debt:
$100k on rental house with 3.5% rate on 15 year fixed...12 years to go. Current market value ~$250k. We keep it occupied and make $1300 a year over cost.
$330k on primary mortgage at 4.75% rate on 30 year fixed...26 years to go. Current market value ~$520k.

Any other information you might have that would help us:
Spouse has $170k in John Hancock work 401(k) plan, fully vested, all post-tax Roth in Lifestyle Growth fund. not sure what the fees are. employee match ranges between 0-3% a year.
She has ~15k in checking and savings

I have ~$33k in checking and savings (after recent cashout of several stocks and moving $ to saving for the short term)
~$4400 invested in PCP, NKE, and GLW...with about $1900 long term gain

Vanguard portfolio:
$12k in Roth IRA VTSMX (will contribute 5500 a year moving forward to roth)
$10k in straight VTSAX
$75k in old work simple IRA that i didn't roll and has been growing since 2008). 53% VTSMX, 26% VISGX, 21% VWNFX

The Principal portfolio (this is the current work 401(k)):
$150k in Lifetime 2045...max every year at $17,500 with 3% employer match and an additional 2% profit sharing.

I recognize that i'm light on bonds, international funds, etc. i'm 45 and have a lot of catching up to do.

Seems pretty good to me. Establish an emergency fund separate from your checking account.