Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.

    Support MFO

  • Donate through PayPal

msf

About

Users name
msf
Joined
Visits
32,749
Last Active
Roles
Member

Comments

  • You can't buy life insurance for some random person off the street - that invites fraud and homicide. Rather, there must be some economic interest you are insuring. Studios may insure their actors because the studios have money on the line. Th…
  • Federal protection for rollover IRAs (i.e. where the source of money is identified as an employer-sponsored plan) only applies in bankruptcy cases. Outside of bankruptcy, traditional contributory IRAs and Roth IRAs and inherited IRAs, have protect…
  • From the Artisan statutory prospectus: You may open a new account in a closed Fund only if that account meets the Fund’s other criteria (for example, minimum initial investment) and: - you beneficially own shares of the closed Fund at the time of y…
  • You will only be charged a transaction fee when you buy a FundsNetwork TF fund, not when you sell one. The charge wasn't a transaction fee. Fidelity does not charge a fee when selling any mutual fund - even if there is one for purchasing - unless …
  • All are effective July 1, except for the IRA MLP filings. See thread: https://mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/62244/our-service-is-terrible-but-we-ll-charge-you-100-to-transfer-your-account Many firms charge closeout and/or transfer fee…
    in Vanguard Website Comment by msf May 2024
  • But it also used to be that a Private Client customer at Fidelity was assigned a specific rep. No more at either brokerage. Fidelity still assigns you an individual Premier Services Advisor. @msf did they also used to assign another kind of "…
  • Yesterday I was logged in looking at portfolio holding prices day-by-day for the past month. When I got to one date, I got that message. But it was transient. I moved on to the next day, and then went back to the day that had a problem. Ever…
    in Vanguard Website Comment by msf May 2024
  • It gives some hope for rate cuts sooner than later. Unemployment remains below 4% (not recessionary) while demand growth (as measured by the increase in people with paycheck money in their pockets) is tapering.
  • My error - Vanguard is adding the $25 phone fee for Vanguard fund trades. It already had a $25 fee for phone trades for non-Vanguard funds. In comparison, Fidelity charges for fund trades over the phone: - Fidelity funds - no charge - Automated (…
  • In the case you described, "Exchange" would have worked fine for simultaneous overnight exchange. If "Exchange" involves non-VG fund(s), it may take 2 days, one day to sell, another to buy. Vanguard and other brokers will do a same day exchange of …
  • There's a certain "fun element" in knocking Vanguard. While it's hard to find any upside to Vanguard's latest announcement, in itself it's not that big a deal. Most of the changes won't affect most people, as noted in the video Yogi linked to. I…
  • Comparison should be with 5-yr T-Note (4.64%) and 5-yr TIPS (2.25% + inflation). I suppose that's as good a reference as any. I can infer the rationale for five years - that after five years one can cash out an I bond w/o penalty. But an argument…
  • Vanguard's funds are overwhelmingly low-cost. However, it feels as though investors are now being nickled and dimed by Vanguard Brokerage Services. A $100 account closure and transfer fee is excessive IMHO. Is it customary for other brokerages to im…
  • Would they transfer Admiral shares to Schwab? That's a question best put to Schwab. I have been able to transfer Admiral shares of non-index funds to Merrill. In addition to live accounts at Vanguard, I also have a couple of dead (empty) ones t…
  • "Our service is terrible ..." And soon to get worse. One of the changes effective July 1 is: VBS reserves the right to resolve Non-Trade Inquiries exclusively on its website or other available channels as opposed to providing such information by…
  • if Marcus offers a different term (not 20 mo) RBCD at a higher rate after one invests in a RBCD, can one still request a bump in rate or does the term of the newer RBCD have to be the same as the RBCD initially invest in? You wrote: "'Prior to mat…
  • Not sure where you live but I'm guessing you had to Google that info yourself. Half right. Yes, I searched for this, but not because I had to. Rather, I searched because I often check data before I post. My recollection is that I was offered…
  • Currently, only a 20 month rate bump CD is offered. How is the rate increase implemented? The rate offered on a 20 month bump CD is currently 4.4%. Suppose that come July 2, Marcus changes the rate offered on a new 20 month bump CD to 4.8%. You…
  • How do we solve / decrease the burden of rising insurance costs through targeted investments? Any ideas and discussion would be great. OJ wrote: When entire large contiguous communities are at risk because of one single loss situation (especially w…
  • my question really is, is it possible to have a $50,000-100,000 deductible HO policy with any of the insurance companies available to you? Clearly someone who has never looked at earthquake insurance (10%-20% deductibles) :-( https://content.naic.…
  • Thanks. We already knew the variable rate, the question was whether the fixed rate would change, up or down. Since it didn't go up, it would be (or would have been) better to buy in April. It may be too late to buy now. A year ago, the Treasu…
  • It's pretty certain that if an insurance company finds out about a loss it will affect your rates (unless you have accident forgiveness). Except for the smallest of collisions, an insurance company will find out about an accident even if you don…
  • This doesn't help explain why M*'s ticker search can't pull up the ETF, but CCOR (Core Alternative ETF) is available on this investor.morningstar.com webpage: https://investor.morningstar.com/quotes/0P00019XXB (login required) That page seems to ha…
  • Funds, even "pure" Treasury funds, have some wiggle room to hold some other assets. As noted in the Boglehead thread (see below), WisdomTree doesn't make it easy to find the numbers. But last year, "only" 99.9868% of the income was state tax exem…
  • PS - If I remember correctly, The AC zero-coupon funds I played with 2 decades ago terminated at a set dollar price per share. The U.S. backing of Treasuries made such precise forecasting possible. Corporates (zero or not) occupy a different playing…
    in BSCP Comment by msf April 2024
  • It's not as though it costs the same amount for each rung of protection - that the first 10% of protection costs $X, the next 10% of protection costs the same amount, and so on. As the risk declines, so does the cost of incremental protection. T…
  • Taxes (in taxable accounts): - short term (12 mo or less) zeros are taxed only at maturity, so a 9 month instrument purchased in May 2024 will not be taxed until the 2025 tax year. This goes for T-bills and short term CDs that pay interest at mat…
  • Volatility reduction tactics can improve long term performance. It depends on how long the term is. As you imply, in the withdrawal stage long term is decidedly shorter. Two quotes come to mind. Keynes: In the long run we are all dead. Economist…
  • the Fed continues it's rate reductions Continues? I'm not counting on rates dropping soon. Around 70% of the economy is driven by consumer spending, which "grew at a still-solid 2.5% rate, slowing from the [previous quarter's] 3.3% growth pace". …
    in CD Comment by msf April 2024
  • Good: Fido Screener finds both mutual funds and ETFs. Bad: Fido Screener only finds funds supported at the Fido platform. Good: Fido suggests similar funds to a given one and makes it easy to compare Bad: Selected funds are only funds offered NTF by…
  • Like rforno, our umbrella (I think that Chubb calls it "excess liability") is part of the home and auto policy. I understand its purpose as relates to extended home and auto liability protection. If someone sues us for reasons not related to our hom…
  • It seems I am using I bonds differently from several other people. So far, I haven't sold any, though I suggested a "swap" (buy new one with higher rate than an older one I would sell). I regard them as long term cash, since they only accumula…
  • T. Rowe Price overhauled its investor benefits a couple of years ago. The newer Summit program provides "Complimentary Morningstar Premium membership" at the Select Services ($250K) level and above. The old program used to provide this perk at $…
  • You are on the board of your HOA and of course the one knucklehead in your neighborhood doesn't like the decision the board made...and sues.... That's what D&O insurance is for. NOLO, What HOAs Need to Know About D&O Insurance If you have…
  • When entire large contiguous communities are at risk because of one single loss situation (especially weather or fire related) that model simply doesn't work. ISTM dental insurance is a similar situation - there the insurance operates more like pre…
  • Unfortunately, no. AFAIK, only Fidelity lets you pay for transactions out of "non-core" (non-settlement) funds.
    in CD Comment by msf April 2024
  • I don't worry about government m-mkt funds with $1 NAV. Without the fear of gates, retail-prime m-mkt funds with $1 NAV will be fine too. For the most part, I agree with Yogi. My qualification is that liquidity is somewhat in the mind of the beho…
    in CD Comment by msf April 2024
  • VUSXX has virtually the same yield as VMFXX (this has been true for several months), and is mostly state tax exempt. In a moderate (5%) to high (10%) income tax state, the fund can save 20-40 basis points in taxes (assuming the fund is 80% inves…
    in CD Comment by msf April 2024
  • There was indeed confusion in early-2021 and there were revised versions of IRS Publication 590-B [ As you wrote in the cited link, "So, this new 590-B dated 3/25/21 makes things clear." Hence the original two year transition waiver through the end…