Home Forums Articles How To's FAQ Register
Go Back   Xoutpost.com > Off-topic > The Lounge
Arnott
User Name
Password
Member List Premier Membership Today's Posts New Posts

Xoutpost server transfer and maintenance is occurring....
Xoutpost is currently undergoing a planned server migration.... stay tuned for new developments.... sincerely, the management


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old 09-30-2008, 08:43 AM
motordavid's Avatar
RetiredBum & Semi-RenaissanceMan
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Mtns of Western NC, & SW FLA
Posts: 16,829
motordavid will become famous soon enoughmotordavid will become famous soon enough
Weasel,
Free advice on the net is worth...you know what I mean.

Tweak is correct: Roth vs company 401K vs ind IRA are just
cubbyholes: they can contain the broad span of "investing"
from all cash to cash equiv. to the wildest azz penny stocks
and many variations in between. I would not lose a wink of
sleep over your current port; you have much time on your
side.

Review your 401k, see what % is devoted to what, investment-wise,
pick 2 or 3 or 4 funds, (maybe 2 or 3 equity indices & a bond fund),
have a smallish % in cash/cash equiv. acct., and keep tossing all
you can/ are allowed into it every year. And, as Gresch said, look at
it once in awhile, and readjust if you think necessary. Save the sweat
for working in the yard.

Broad index funds, eg S&P 500, Russell 2000, Dow Composite,
Wilshire 5000, et al, are simply big baskets that mirror a broad
swath of the mkt. Yes, they go up and, down...over time they
tend to go up. Few of us, including the brokers and geniuses on
the St. can pick "better" than the "market", over time. Thus the
reason for low fee funds, especially Indexes, as above. I would
think your 401k offers a few Index Funds to choose from...

As to your best friend about to become a CFA; good for him, but friends
advising on investing, (20 mins after getting their shingle), is like going to
the rookie Doc for brain surgery, imo. You can listen but pick your own
course, imo.

The econ will recover, over time; it's not necessarily a Dem or Rep fix, imo.
Remember, you have time, at your age...
GL,mD from the home of Cash is Currently King
Reply With Quote

Sponsored Links

  #12  
Old 09-30-2008, 08:51 AM
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 749
lakai is on a distinguished road
You're 26! You should be investing his hookers and beer.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 09-30-2008, 09:02 AM
Boston X5 4.4's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: X5world
Posts: 1,502
Boston X5 4.4 is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by weasel56
I guess I let it slip past me that the stocks bought now with money put out at the markets low point will make me more money in the future than the small amounts of money I'm worried about saving today...
There ya go

Loook at it from the other side of the fence - you are buying cheaper today than 6 months ago. That's the beauty of dollar cost averaging.

401K's and Roths are no brainers and I would continue with both at a level that you are comfortable with - at least put sufficient money in your 401K to get that employer matched contribution.

At 26, its a long road ahead and it is prudent and commendable that you are on the road and asking the right questions - it is surprising how many people are not and try and play catch up when it is too late.


(BTW - thanks for all of your input on the various threads on here - good to have a tech. on here from the belly of the beast so the speak.)

Last edited by Boston X5 4.4; 09-30-2008 at 10:16 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 09-30-2008, 10:03 AM
motordavid's Avatar
RetiredBum & Semi-RenaissanceMan
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Mtns of Western NC, & SW FLA
Posts: 16,829
motordavid will become famous soon enoughmotordavid will become famous soon enough
OT...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boston X5 4.4
...

(BTW - thanks for all of your input on the various threads on here - good to have a tech. on here from the belly of the beast so the speak.)
...
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 09-30-2008, 10:16 AM
KENT4.8IS's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 84
KENT4.8IS is on a distinguished road
At 40 I had to take some steps to stop my 401K from evaporating. For the last 17 years the diversification of: 30% US stock market, 30% Global equities, 20% growth ( the riskiest one) and 20% Money market, was not perfect, but worked just fine. When one goes down the others somewhat moved in the opposite direction. That worked until last year, when all the funds started moving down.
Once Bear Stearns failed earlier this year with clear signs that more speculators to follow, I decided to borrow as much as I could from my own and my wife's retirement plans. Put the procedes into our joint savings account. We are paying back, but we are paying back to ourselves, we are paying interest to ourselves and thus we are replenishing our funds by buying securities at lower prices. If we did not do this, since April our retirement funds would have lost 9%. The key is not to spend the money you borrowed from yourself.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 09-30-2008, 10:31 AM
haigha's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Machine
Posts: 1,575
haigha is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by motordavid
Roth is a no brainer, imo, for anyone under 50ish and still woikin...
though there is no guarantee the geniuses won't change/alter the
rules on Roth IRAs in the next decade or so.
GL,mD
I'm under fifty and I can't contribute to a Roth

http://retireplan.about.com/cs/irasa...a/roth_ira.htm

2007

If your income tax filing status is single, your Roth IRA contribution limit is reduced when your adjusted gross income is more than $99,000. Your contribution limit is zero when your adjusted gross income reaches $114,000.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 09-30-2008, 10:46 AM
motordavid's Avatar
RetiredBum & Semi-RenaissanceMan
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Mtns of Western NC, & SW FLA
Posts: 16,829
motordavid will become famous soon enoughmotordavid will become famous soon enough
haigha,
I knew the rules & parameters...I was just trying to avoid a very
complex answer. You are simply single and a high earner...quit
your beefing,

Hey, us RetiredBums can't contribute a fookin nickel to any IRA,
as it's based on Earned Income, of which I haven't earned any
in 8 1/2 years. And, to convert my IRAs to aRoth now,
I get banged on some taxes and then can't touch the Roth for several years.

I'm surprised the greedy geniuses in Congress haven't fiddled/diddled
with the Roth, yet.
BR,mD (Some buying oppotunities, for longer term, are here today, imo)
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 09-30-2008, 11:34 AM
haigha's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Machine
Posts: 1,575
haigha is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by motordavid
haigha,
I knew the rules & parameters...I was just trying to avoid a very
complex answer. You are simply single and a high earner...quit
your beefing,

Hey, us RetiredBums can't contribute a fookin nickel to any IRA,
as it's based on Earned Income, of which I haven't earned any
in 8 1/2 years. And, to convert my IRAs to aRoth now,
I get banged on some taxes and then can't touch the Roth for several years.
I'm not complaining, just clarifying for the OP I max out my IRA SEP contribution each year. The limits are much higher than traditional or Roth IRAs:

http://retireplan.about.com/od/retir...ira_basics.htm

Now quit your bitchin' about not being able to contribute Go chase a little white ball or something
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 09-30-2008, 05:10 PM
realchef's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Santa Fe
Posts: 1,390
realchef is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by haigha
I'm under fifty and I can't contribute to a Roth

http://retireplan.about.com/cs/irasa...a/roth_ira.htm

2007

If your income tax filing status is single, your Roth IRA contribution limit is reduced when your adjusted gross income is more than $99,000. Your contribution limit is zero when your adjusted gross income reaches $114,000.
Call and check your 401k limits tooo.....
as a highly compensated employee your 401k has lowered levels as well.
I could not believe it.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 09-30-2008, 05:32 PM
motordavid's Avatar
RetiredBum & Semi-RenaissanceMan
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Mtns of Western NC, & SW FLA
Posts: 16,829
motordavid will become famous soon enoughmotordavid will become famous soon enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by realchef
Call and check your 401k limits tooo.....
as a highly compensated employee your 401k has lowered levels as well.
I could not believe it.
That is correctomundo; sort of a funny calculation based on "participation"
and "participation $ amounts" by the rank and file, from memory.

Many companies skate around it a bit by letting the higher comp'd
mgrs, et al, contribute their max, sooner in any given year; at least
that gets your max dough in and woikin, sooner in the calendar year.
That's what we did...

Statute of limitations is up, I think.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:05 PM.
vBulletin, Copyright 2026, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. SEO by vBSEO 3.6.0
© 2017 Xoutpost.com. All rights reserved. Xoutpost.com is a private enthusiast site not associated with BMW AG.
The BMW name, marks, M stripe logo, and Roundel logo as well as X3, X5 and X6 designations used in the pages of this Web Site are the property of BMW AG.
This web site is not sponsored or affiliated in any way with BMW AG or any of its subsidiaries.