I was wondering if there may be a plan to one day track returns here like on TSPTalk. Thanks.
I was wondering if there may be a plan to one day track returns here like on TSPTalk. Thanks.
Tractor, I know it was talked about very briefly when the MB began. But given the wide universe of choices, nobody could figure out a way to make it work. It's just too unwieldy.
I do think that if someone could figure out a way to do it in a relatively clean and simple manner that Tom would be willing to entertain the thought.
If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. - Derek Bok
It would be extremely difficult. besides, I have a hard enough time keeping up with keeping Tracker consistent with real TSP already-I can make changes in Tracker from home, but can't do it from work. so sometimes I make changes in Tracker but I don't get those changes made in real TSP that morning after I leave home due to lack of time, other priorities.
And sometimes I make changes in TSP after I get to work-after I thought I wouldn't make any changes-so didn't record the change in Tracker before noon that day. hard to keep things consistent between the real and virtual enough already.
I let the brokerage tell me how I'm doing on net gains/losses for each account and each holding-but even they don't tell me how the overall portfolio in either the Roth or Taxable is doing net/net. I wish they did.
Current split in Roth account:
EWL=33% Switzerland because the exchange rate alone has a very positive prediction. Up 3% with purchase of less than one week.
SLV=27% To fight inflation with 81% return since purchase.
IYR=20% Also to fight inflation which I just bought and it is holding steady.
EFA=06% Had good return recently since I bought it and I like international stocks with 8% return since purchase.
FCG=14% Natural gas is good value I think and I got it at $22 today.
I like commodities and international stocks as I still think inflation is going to be very high for some time.
Greetings Tractor and others, by all means, please feel free to comment:
I read your comments regarding ETF’s in your Roth with Fidelity. I have been retired for two years and made a one-time withdrawal from TSP upon retirement. I’m seriously considering a full withdrawal via “gentle” monthly roll-overs into a traditional IRA, then convert monthly into a Roth. My main purpose in handling it this way is to eventually have all of my TSP in a generational/stretch Roth IRA and to manage my taxes on a yearly basis as I make the conversions. I understand that I have to deplete my TSP within 120 months (IRS rule for roll-over IRA eligibility). I want to buy mostly ETF’s that mimic the TSP funds and a few others, this method can also serve as a form of dollar cost averaging. I’ve had a Roth with TD Ameritrade for about 15 years (all stocks) and have about decided that their short –term trading fee of $19.99 for buying or selling the commission-free ETF’s within 30 days along with their rather high expense ratios is prohibitive. I’m also looking at Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard but leaning more toward Fidelity. If you were in my shoes, with which of these three investment firms would you open your IRA’s? Fidelity, Schwab and TD Ameritrade all have offices within 15 miles of my home. The drawback with Vanguard is that there will be no face-to-face interaction, seminars, they fact that they are so dang big, etc. With Fidelity when you sell do you have to wait 3 or 4 business days to settle before you can re-invest these same proceeds? No short-term trading fees right? Do you buy any ETF’s that mimic C, S, I, G and F? If so, what are they? What other tidbits can you offer regarding Fidelity or the other firms and your strategies for investing in ETF’s? If you were just now opening a Roth, would you still open it with Fidelity?
I’ve read tons of info on these firms' websites and it’still tough to make a decision on which one. All comments and opinions will be appreciated.![]()
Welcome Dubble doh! I copied this post over to your own thread... http://www.etftalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=518
-- Tom | My Trades
New Roth as of today.
I took a few positive rates of return and went hard assets because I do not have that opportunity in TSP. I have pulled into the top rates of return on TSP boards since taking a little more active role in managing my funds there with a 12-Month Personal Rate of Return: 33.19% and a year to date return of over 13% for this year. I also bumped my contribution to TSP to 20% split equally among C, S, and I funds.
% ETF
18 FCG Long term investment
32 EWL Exchange rate play
29 GLD Hard asset
21 SLV Hard asset
I will probably stay with this configuration until this fall when I will sell EWL hopefully at a good profit and we will see what happens to the hard assets by then. I still see inflation as a major threat in the next 10 years as well as a drop in the value of the dollar around the world.
I am saving up for this:
http://www.delicious.com/wwwtractor/vw My next car with 22 miles on battery and 200 - 300 miles per gallon beats my current 70 MPG best with the Honda Insight 2001 CVT.
http://www.delicious.com/wwwtractor/trike or a reverse trike with electric assist. (20 miles per hamburger)
Last edited by wwwtractor; 06-30-2011 at 08:19 PM.
Actually, my contributions are the exact same as my new allocation of funds in TSP.
I am thinking of switching half or all of my natural gas investment to graphite or graphite related?
Does anyone have an insight into that investment possibly US or Canada areas or another good investment that may be expected to have increased revenues in the hard asset class?
Finally, positive on all investments since purchase:
up 69.66% SLV ISHARES SILVER TR ISHARES
up 5.82% GLD SPDR GOLD TR GOLD SHS
up 4.12% EWL ISHARES INC MSCI SWITZERLAND INDEX FD
up 1.64% FCG FIRST TR ISE REVERE NAT GAS INDEX FD
Maybe it is up, up and away from here.