How's Your Investment Portfolio?

[LivingnLA]

Kudos on your VIX wins; good luck on the BTC's I'm imagining your balls are made of solid iron.

I've watched my BTC's quadruple then fall 90% in an astoundingly short period. I can't decide if I'm avoiding capital gains or capital losses...lol

Funny thing: I saw an ad in an online journal: "Convert Your IRA to BitCoins! " It was not a joke.

 

Haha! I actually bought some bitcoins years ago kind of as a joke when they were incredibly inexpensive and promptly forgot about them. Converting them back to dollars was a "joy" and is getting even more difficult so for those who want to dabble, the ETF is the way to go, but yes, watching it requires either "balls of solid iron" as you said or an ability to take whatever comes without stress.

 

The VIX wins were awesome because I've been trying to figure out how to really boost our returns (2 more future Trojans to pay for) so betting on market stability seemed worth a shot.

[+ SundayZip]

In my case, my company 401k is with Fidelity, is still there as I just recently retired, and we are allowed to leave it there after retirement. However, they have revised funds in the last year or two. My target funds are Vanguard's (through Fidelity) that have an expense ratio of .05%, and I have some $ in an equity index fund with only a .02% expense ratio.

 

Other than the target funds available as part of the company 401k options there are not that many other options, and all but 2 have an expense ratio from .41% to .44% (yes, no zero after the decimal, $4.10 to $4.40 per $1,000). So that is why I am thinking of leaving. However, I have not yet talked to a Fidelity rep to see what options they have now that I'm retired, and I would still want to talk to a Vanguard rep to see what they have to offer.

 

To be honest, I wasn't planning on retiring at that time, so hadn't started any advance planning, but as often happens, when presented with the option, you take it and run, and sort it out later.

 

Good idea for you to talk to both Fidelity and Vanguard to compare what they have to offer. I found this interesting comparison: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/investing/vanguard-vs-fidelity/

 

For me, a big deciding factor was Fidelity's superior (in my opinion) online research, retirement planning and financial modeling tools. And it helps that Fidelity has a well staffed office close to my home -- so meeting with my advisor is convenient (although I wish he was more attractive ). Now that you've retired, consider converting your 401K to a traditional IRA. This will likely increase your investment options whether you manage your investments through Fidelity or Vanguard.

[+ bashful]

Good idea for you to talk to both Fidelity and Vanguard to compare what they have to offer. I found this interesting comparison: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/investing/vanguard-vs-fidelity/

 

For me, a big deciding factor was Fidelity's superior (in my opinion) online research, retirement planning and financial modeling tools. And it helps that Fidelity has a well staffed office close to my home -- so meeting with my advisor is convenient (although I wish he was more attractive ). Now that you've retired, consider converting your 401K to a traditional IRA. This will likely increase your investment options whether you manage your investments through Fidelity or Vanguard.

 

Thanks. I keep procrastinating, but know I need to get my ass in gear soon.

[Kevin Slater]

Good idea for you to talk to both Fidelity and Vanguard to compare what they have to offer. I found this interesting comparison: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/investing/vanguard-vs-fidelity/

 

For me, a big deciding factor was Fidelity's superior (in my opinion) online research, retirement planning and financial modeling tools. And it helps that Fidelity has a well staffed office close to my home -- so meeting with my advisor is convenient (although I wish he was more attractive ). Now that you've retired, consider converting your 401K to a traditional IRA. This will likely increase your investment options whether you manage your investments through Fidelity or Vanguard.

 

I'm extremely happy with Fidelity. I'm sure their mutual funds have fees, but you're not limited to their funds and I don't pay a dime for my accounts. That may be a function of critical mass or maybe they're just free for everybody. I seem to recall getting a special 800 call-in number years ago when I crossed seven figures, but I didn't find that any better than the regular customer service.

 

Kevin Slater

[samhexum]

[samhexum]

The President Trump stock market rally is close to becoming the greatest in 85 years.

 

Since Election Day, the Dow Jones industrial average has surged 24.7 percent — fueled in large part by investor enthusiasm for Trump’s plans to cut regulations and taxes and bring back manufacturing jobs.

 

Barring a large sell-off over the next month, Trump’s Dow rally will surpass the 23.3 percent gain the much-watched stock index posted in the year following the election of President George H.W. Bush.

 

The Trump rally, beginning its 12th month today, is compared to the one-year Dow record starting on Election Day.

 

You’d have to go back to FDR, first elected in 1932 as the US started to recover from the Great Depression, to see a larger jump. The Dow rose 54.9 percent following Election Day that year.

 

What’s more, surveys of business confidence are at an all-time high — something the tweeting president sees as a personal conquest. “Business is looking better than ever with business enthusiasm at record levels. Stock Market at an all-time high. That doesn’t just happen!” Trump tweeted on Aug. 3.

 

Some observers, though, are hard-pressed to point to the reasons behind the historic runup — especially when Trump often targets business leaders with criticism.

 

“When I think back on the whole year, the forecast versus the fulfillment, I don’t think the Trump administration has done anything,” Sam Stovall, an analyst at CFRA, told The Post. “Other than maybe reduce a couple of regulations, or at least lower the bar on regulation, nothing’s happened.”

 

Other major indexes have also seen huge surges this year. The S&P 500, a broader gauge of US companies, has risen 19.2 percent since Election Day. The Nasdaq has surged the most, 26.9 percent, driven largely by Apple and Amazon — two companies that Trump has publicly attacked.

 

The Trump tax plan, which may face a rough road to being law of the land in its current form, is aiming to slash nominal tax rates for corporations from about 40 percent to about 20 percent, as well lower taxes that would incentivize companies like Apple to move profits abroad back to the US.

 

“We believe we can have 3-plus percent growth with taxes and the regulation reform that we’re after now,” Gary Cohn, Trump’s top economic adviser, told Bloomberg TV on Friday.

 

The US didn’t have a single year with 3 percent growth in gross domestic product under President Obama.

 

Investors like tax cuts for foreign money because companies tend to spend that money on stock buybacks, which often lifts share prices.

 

Of course, stocks could collapse at any time, though it’s hard to imagine when. On Thursday, the VIX, known as Wall Street’s fear index, hit its lowest level ever — an indication that investors are keeping their chips in the game.

 

Since Election Day, the Dow has surged an average of 2 percent a month, closing at 22,773.67 on Friday.

 

If the bull market maintains its pace, the Dow could rise above 23,200 by Nov. 8 — marking a gain of about 5,100 points.

[Kenny]

The President Trump stock market rally is close to becoming the greatest in 85 years.

 

Since Election Day, the Dow Jones industrial average has surged 24.7 percent — fueled in large part by investor enthusiasm for Trump’s plans to cut regulations and taxes and bring back manufacturing jobs.

 

Barring a large sell-off over the next month, Trump’s Dow rally will surpass the 23.3 percent gain the much-watched stock index posted in the year following the election of President George H.W. Bush.

 

The Trump rally, beginning its 12th month today, is compared to the one-year Dow record starting on Election Day.

 

You’d have to go back to FDR, first elected in 1932 as the US started to recover from the Great Depression, to see a larger jump. The Dow rose 54.9 percent following Election Day that year.

 

What’s more, surveys of business confidence are at an all-time high — something the tweeting president sees as a personal conquest. “Business is looking better than ever with business enthusiasm at record levels. Stock Market at an all-time high. That doesn’t just happen!” Trump tweeted on Aug. 3.

 

Some observers, though, are hard-pressed to point to the reasons behind the historic runup — especially when Trump often targets business leaders with criticism.

 

“When I think back on the whole year, the forecast versus the fulfillment, I don’t think the Trump administration has done anything,” Sam Stovall, an analyst at CFRA, told The Post. “Other than maybe reduce a couple of regulations, or at least lower the bar on regulation, nothing’s happened.”

 

Other major indexes have also seen huge surges this year. The S&P 500, a broader gauge of US companies, has risen 19.2 percent since Election Day. The Nasdaq has surged the most, 26.9 percent, driven largely by Apple and Amazon — two companies that Trump has publicly attacked.

 

The Trump tax plan, which may face a rough road to being law of the land in its current form, is aiming to slash nominal tax rates for corporations from about 40 percent to about 20 percent, as well lower taxes that would incentivize companies like Apple to move profits abroad back to the US.

 

“We believe we can have 3-plus percent growth with taxes and the regulation reform that we’re after now,” Gary Cohn, Trump’s top economic adviser, told Bloomberg TV on Friday.

 

The US didn’t have a single year with 3 percent growth in gross domestic product under President Obama.

 

Investors like tax cuts for foreign money because companies tend to spend that money on stock buybacks, which often lifts share prices.

 

Of course, stocks could collapse at any time, though it’s hard to imagine when. On Thursday, the VIX, known as Wall Street’s fear index, hit its lowest level ever — an indication that investors are keeping their chips in the game.

 

Since Election Day, the Dow has surged an average of 2 percent a month, closing at 22,773.67 on Friday.

 

If the bull market maintains its pace, the Dow could rise above 23,200 by Nov. 8 — marking a gain of about 5,100 points.

So what? More than 3/4 of Americans own no stocks, of any kind. The investor class is fine, but that's hardly a surprise.

[+ quoththeraven]

So what? More than 3/4 of Americans own no stocks, of any kind. The investor class is fine, but that's hardly a surprise.

Does that exclude 401(k) and mutual fund investments? If it doesn't, 3/4 seems high.

[mike carey]

Does that exclude 401(k) and mutual fund investments? If it doesn't, 3/4 seems high.

Few Australians hold company shares, some have mutual fund investments that do, but our compulsory national retirement savings scheme is primarily based on bank-run and industry funds that hold huge investments on the stock exchange. The stock market is inherently volatile so the bigger funds here (mainly the industry ones) are realising that investing directly in income producing assets like toll roads and other utilities are more stable and hence more reliable. The Ontario teachers' pension fund has been doing that for years. They are also better custodians of those sorts of assets as they are not driven by quarterly profit figures but by the long term returns.

[Kenny]

Does that exclude 401(k) and mutual fund investments? If it doesn't, 3/4 seems high.

 

Yes, it does include them. Two-thirds of Americans aren’t putting any money into 401(k) plans. Only 14% of employers offer them, and less than half of their employees are invested in them.

 

The idea that everyone, rather than just a minority, is benefitting from stock market gains is fantasy. Spreading the false claim encourages resentment: How come they are getting rich and I’m not? It’s pernicious.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-21/two-thirds-of-americans-aren-t-putting-money-in-their-401-k

[Kevin Slater]

More than 3/4 of Americans own no stocks, of any kind.

Does that exclude 401(k) and mutual fund investments? If it doesn't, 3/4 seems high.

Yes, it does include them. Two-thirds of Americans aren’t putting any money into 401(k) plans.

 

If two thirds aren't putting money into 401(k)s, that means one third are. Simple math says it cannot be the case that three quarters of Americans own no stocks (unless a large number of 401(k)s are in strictly cash and bonds, which is unlikely).

 

Only 14% of employers offer (401(k) plans).

 

The link also says that those 14% of employers account for 79% of all employees.

 

Gallop says 52% of American adults own stock.

 

Kevin Slater

Edited October 10, 2017 by Kevin Slater

[samhexum]

[Kenny]

Gallop says 52% of American adults own stock.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the Dow Jones industrial average near its record high, slightly more than half of Americans (52%) say they currently have money in the stock market, matching the lowest ownership rate in Gallup's 19-year trend.

[+ sniper]

I'm extremely happy with Fidelity. I'm sure their mutual funds have fees, but you're not limited to their funds and I don't pay a dime for my accounts. That may be a function of critical mass or maybe they're just free for everybody. I seem to recall getting a special 800 call-in number years ago when I crossed seven figures, but I didn't find that any better than the regular customer service.

 

Kevin Slater

 

So have you considered becoming a financial advisor to escorts? Seems like a lot of them could learn a thing or two from you...

[gallahadesquire]

I'm extremely happy with Fidelity. I'm sure their mutual funds have fees, but you're not limited to their funds and I don't pay a dime for my accounts. That may be a function of critical mass or maybe they're just free for everybody. I seem to recall getting a special 800 call-in number years ago when I crossed seven figures, but I didn't find that any better than the regular customer service.

 

Kevin Slater

 

Is that $XX,XXX.XX?

[+ sniper]

If two thirds aren't putting money into 401(k)s, that means one third are. Simple math says it cannot be the case that three quarters of Americans own no stocks (unless a large number of 401(k)s are in strictly cash and bonds, which is unlikely).

I worked in the insurance industry, and you would be shocked how extremely risk-averse many of those people are. When I got the annual summary from our 401(k) plan, it broke out the assets by class, and the numbers were such that aside from employer stock which everyone got and couldn't diversify because we were privately held, it appeared that most employees were nearly exclusively in the cash/stable value fund. Now many of these people had a pension coming to them as well as our company was late in getting rid of it, so they didn't necessarily "need" to be in stocks. But still, these were people in a finance-adjacent industry. You'd think they'd have been in a decent chunk of the stock market.

[gallahadesquire]

I tried to post a graph of Berkshire Hathaway"A" shares. Suffice it to say, it was $285/ share in 1980 … currently at $278,000.

[+ bigjoey]

So have you considered becoming a financial advisor to escorts? Seems like a lot of them could learn a thing or two from you...

 

Actually, the top escorts with business sense seem to do OK and need investment help. I have given investment help to a few escorts and having a million dollars is possible and done. It really depends on how the escort saved and spent during his career and how hard he worked.

[+ sniper]

Actually, the top escorts with business sense seem to do OK and need investment help. I have given investment help to a few escorts and having a million dollars is possible and done. It really depends on how the escort saved and spent during his career and how hard he worked.

I know some do okay. But there appear to be quite a few who despite making quite a lot of money manage to burn through it with nothing to show for it. You don't even really need to escort that long to make enough money to really change the rest of your life with compounding effects.

[+ GregM]

Both my Stash and Acorns says I am up almost 16% My Stash is doing better than Acorns by just a hair due to being able to customize a bit more. These are investment apps that invest in ETFs. I've also started using Coinbase for crypto currency which is doing well.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Kevin Slater]

So have you considered becoming a financial advisor to escorts? Seems like a lot of them could learn a thing or two from you...

 

I was very pleased when I once tried to give avuncular advice to a not highly educated colleague friend of mine who makes absolute bank here in NYC. I wanted to make sure he was investing wisely and asked what he did with his earnings. He replied "no offense, but none of your effen business." Not the reply I was expecting, but I was proud of him. I have advised quite a few others.

 

Kevin Slater

[+ bashful]

$285/ share in 1980 … currently at $278,000.

 

Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Another lost opportunity in my life.

[gallahadesquire]

Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Another lost opportunity in my life.

 

I come from a long line of losers. My grandfather's grandfather had a farm ... 1/3 of the land around what is now Columbus Circle in NYC. He sold it ... it was too far uptown.

A relative was working in Henry Ford's bicycle shop, and was offered a half-ownership in the Automobile business. He turned it down.

[The one that's been verified] My father knew of Xerox's IPO before it was public. He was familiar with copiers, as he frequently had to Thermofax (registered name for themofacisimile) paper to the home office. He failed to act on it.

[+ bashful]

A relative was working in Henry Ford's bicycle shop, and was offered a half-ownership in the Automobile business. He turned it down.

 

He may have been right. Henry's first 2 businesses went bankrupt before the present day Ford Motor Company.

[samhexum]

Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Another lost opportunity in my life.

http://www.thecomicstrips.com/properties/speedbump/art_images/sb1050408.jpg