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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.
  • Municipal Bond Outlook
    The time between retirement and taking Required Minimum Distributions (Age 72) is often called the "Golden Years" because income for retirees is lower than in the future. Deferring Social Security increases this effect. Federal Taxes cuts in 2017 are set to expire in 2026 which means taxes are likely to be a little higher in the future increasing the benefit of a Roth Conversion.
    Below are the Income Adjustments (2023) based on the Modified Adjusted Income including tax exempt income for Medicare known as IRMAA. Couple is calculated on an annual basis. Note that if one's MAGI crosses the $194,000 threshold, IRMAA for a couple goes up by $1,874 for a couple for that year. Crossing the $306,000 and $366,000 thresholds increases a couple's IRMAA by $5,669 for the year.
    Part B Part D
    Individual Individual Couple Incremental
    0 $164.90 $ 0.00 $ 3,958
    194,000 $230.80 $12.20 $ 5,832 $1,874
    246,000 $329.80 $31.50 $ 8,671 $2,839
    306,000 $428.60 $50.70 $11,503 $2,832
    366,000 $527.50 $70.00 $14,340 $2,837
    750,000 $560.50 $76.40 $15,286 $ 946
    Below are the Federal Tax thresholds (2023). There is a jump from 24% to 32% by crossing the $340,100 threshold.
    Lower Upper Marginal
    $ 0 $ 20,550 10%
    $ 20,550 $ 83,550 12%
    $ 83,550 $178,150 22%
    $178,150 $340,100 24%
    $340,100 $431,900 32%
    $431,900 $647,850 35%
    $647,850 + 37%
    Optimizing a Roth Conversion probably means converting as much as possible because the IRMAA decreases above $750,000 and the federal tax rates increase by small increments above $340,100. However, when you take into account the additional taxes that have to be paid for both Federal Taxes and IRMAA it becomes more of a cash flow constraint. As a recent retiree, I have three years before Federal Tax rates sunset, and four years until reaching 72. This three-to-four-year window is the optimum time to do Roth Conversions. Using municipal bonds, tax-efficient accounts, tax loss harvesting, and deferring Social Security are useful methods for targeting Federal and Medicare thresholds.
  • Stable-Value (SV) Rates, 9/1/23
    Stable-Value (SV) Rates, 9/1/23
    TIAA Traditional Annuity (Accumulation) Rates
    No changes.
    Restricted RC 6.75%, RA 6.50%
    Flexible RCP 6.00%, SRA 5.75%, Newer IRAs 5.20%
    TSP G Fund hasn't updated yet (previous monthly rate was 4.125%).
    Edit/Add, 9/2/23. September rate is 4.25%.
    Options outside of workplace retirement plans include m-mkt funds, bank m-mkt accounts (FDIC insured), T-Bills, short-term brokered CDs.
    #401k #403b #StableValue #TIAA #TSP
    https://ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/post/1161/thread
  • What is the highest percentage you’d ever allocate to a single stock?
    A real story: in 2000, 2 retirees from GE and Lucent came to work on my team just for another 3-4 years.
    Both invested all/most of their money in their company stocks. The GE guy had about $360K in GE stock and the Lucent guy had about $300K. The market started going down and they started losing a lot of money, I begged them to sell but they didn't.
    The GE kept saying that GE is diversified and the other guy couldn't believe it will go longer.
    The Lucent guy lost everything. The GE guy lost a lot too. 10 years later they still worked and postponed their retirement. GE lost about 60% from 2000 to 2010(https://schrts.co/HEVxxEdE)
  • Vert Global Sustainable Real Estate Fund reorganization into an ETF
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1359057/000089418923005902/vertetfconversion497e.htm
    Filed pursuant to Rule 497(e)
    Registration Nos. 333-133691; 811-21897
    VERT GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE REAL ESTATE FUND
    a series of Manager Directed Portfolios (the “Trust”)
    Supplement dated August 21, 2023 to the
    Summary Prospectus, Prospectus, and Statement of Additional Information
    dated October 31, 2022, as supplemented
    At a meeting held on August 17, 2023, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Trust approved an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan of Reorganization”) which provides for the conversion of the Vert Global Sustainable Real Estate Fund (the “Fund”), a mutual fund series of the Trust, from a mutual fund to an exchange-traded fund (an “ETF”) through the reorganization of the Fund into the Vert Global Sustainable Real Estate ETF (the “Acquiring Fund”), a newly-created ETF series of the Trust (the “Reorganization”). Because applicable legal requirements do not require shareholder approval of the Reorganization and the Board has determined that the Reorganization is in the best interests of the Fund and the Acquiring Fund, shareholders of the Fund are not being asked to vote on the Reorganization.
    Vert Asset Management, LLC (“Vert”), the Fund’s investment adviser, recommended the Reorganization to the Board and has agreed to assume all of the costs of the Reorganization. Vert believes the Reorganization will provide numerous benefits to Fund shareholders, including lower expenses, enhanced investor and financial intermediary access to the Fund as an ETF and the potential for greater tax efficiency. The Reorganization is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2023.
    A combined Form N-14 information statement/prospectus (the “Information Statement”) providing information on the Reorganization, and including the Plan of Reorganization, is anticipated to be mailed to shareholders of the Fund during the fourth quarter of 2023. Under the Plan of Reorganization, shareholders of the Fund will receive shares of the Acquiring Fund having the same aggregate net asset value as the shares of the Fund they hold on the date of the Reorganization. The Reorganization is expected to be treated as a tax-free reorganization for federal income tax purposes. Shares of the Acquiring Fund are not issued in fractional shares. As a result, some shareholders who hold fractional shares of the Fund may have such fractional shares redeemed at NAV immediately prior to the Reorganization resulting in a small cash payment, which may be taxable.
    Prior to the Reorganization, Vert and Dimensional Fund Advisors Fund Advisors LP (“DFA”), the Fund’s investment sub-adviser, will continue to manage the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies. After the Reorganization, Vert will serve as investment adviser for the Acquiring Fund and DFA will serve as investment sub-adviser for the Acquiring Fund. Mr. Samuel Adams, of Vert, is a portfolio manager for the Fund and will serve as a portfolio manager for the Acquiring Fund. Mr. Jed S. Fogdall, Mr. Allen Pu, and Mr. William Collins-Dean, each of DFA, are currently responsible for providing portfolio management and trading services for the Fund with respect to securities identified as eligible for the Fund by Vert, and will provide the same portfolio management services to the Acquiring Fund. Joseph F. Hohn, also of DFA, is not currently a portfolio manager of the Fund but will be added as a portfolio manager of the Acquiring Fund.
    The Acquiring Fund will have the same investment objective and fundamental investment policies as the Fund nearly identical investment strategies and substantially similar risks as the Fund, all as set forth in the Fund’s current Prospectus and SAI. The Acquiring Fund will also be subject to certain risks unique to operating as an ETF. A comparison of the investment policies, strategies and risks of the Fund and the Acquiring Fund will be provided in the Information Statement.
    Shareholders who hold Fund shares through an IRA or other retirement plan whose plan sponsor does not have the ability to hold shares of ETFs on its platform may need to redeem their shares prior to the Reorganization, or your broker or intermediary may transfer your investment in the Fund to a different investment option prior to or at the time of the Reorganization. If you hold shares of the Fund in an account with the Fund’s transfer agent, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the “Transfer Agent”), or another financial intermediary that only allows you to hold shares of mutual funds in the account, you will need to contact the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary to transfer your shares to a brokerage account that permits investment in ETF shares. Please contact your broker or intermediary for additional information.
    Fund shareholders may continue to redeem shares of the Fund until several days prior to the closing of the Reorganization. Shareholders may purchase shares of the Fund in a brokerage account through a broker, until several days prior to the closing of the Reorganization, which date will be included in the Information Statement mailed to shareholders.
    1
    Filed pursuant to Rule 497(e)
    Registration Nos. 333-133691; 811-21897
    Effective immediately, shares of the Fund are no longer available for purchase directly from the Transfer Agent. All references in the Fund’s Prospectus and SAI to purchasing shares directly from the Transfer Agent are hereby removed. After the Reorganization, shares of the Acquiring Fund may only be purchased and sold in a brokerage account through a broker who will execute your trade on an exchange at prevailing market prices.
    Please retain this Supplement for future reference.
  • What is the highest percentage you’d ever allocate to a single stock?
    One only needs to consider GE to see the risk of only holding one or a few stocks. This was the only stock we owned for many years, a gift from my wife’s grandfather.Twenty-five years ago, it was the largest company in the world by stock value. Now, it’s worth a small fraction of that. Fortunately, we sold portions of it during its heyday, for down payments on houses. Plus, we’ve only invested in stocks through mutual funds in our retirement savings. GE was by far our largest asset when we married; now it’s less than 0.5% of our savings.
  • What is the highest percentage you’d ever allocate to a single stock?
    ERISA/DOL no longer allow limiting company retirement plans to company stocks.
    Companies may still use their stocks in special profit sharing and incentive plans, etc. They may also require high-level executives and board members to have sufficient skin in the game. But for most employees, it's good advice NOT to use much of company stock in their retirement plans.
  • Treasury FRNs
    I want to own funds+MM that I can trade any day when I see an opportunity.
    Treasuries are just as liquid as funds. Though convenience can be subjective.
    You can see below that each one of us got a $65K Retirement Income Exclusion.
    Actually from what you posted I can't see that you're not being taxed on marginal SCOXX income (well, the non-Treasury part of it anway). That's because you put in just a $1 placeholder for your conversions. If you're really converting more than $7100, then each marginal dollar of SCOXX income got taxed at 5.75% x (1 - 18.2%) as I described previously.
    If this exclusion works for you, great. That doesn't mean it works for most people.
    In the end, this exclusion applies to a sliver of a sliver of a sliver of taxapayers. As stated in the piece you cited, they are those taxpayers who are (i) lower income (ii) retiree households (iii) in Georgia.
    https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/602202/taxes-in-retirement-how-all-50-states-tax-retirees
  • Treasury FRNs
    a married couple filing jointly may exclude twice the given limit.
    This makes it sound as if a couple gets a combined exclusion that's double the individual exclusion. That's not quite accurate.
    The exclusion is available for the taxpayer and his/her spouse; however, each must qualify on a separate basis.
    From instructions for GA state income tax Schedule 1 subtractions.
    https://dor.georgia.gov/document/document/2022-it-511-individual-income-tax-booklet/download
    More importantly, the Feb 3, 2023 report puts this tax break in perspective by identifying the taxpayers targeted for this benefit:"PUBLIC BENEFIT  The exclusion provides relief to lower-income retiree households..."
    No matter. There are lots of people who don't benefit from this break - because they're not lower income, or because they're not over age 62 (retired or not), or maybe they don't live in Georgia all the time if at all.
    Even if the difference is 0.2-0.4% annually why bother?
    Good question. Why bother making a point of such a small difference?
    Looking at treasuries at Schwab with a maturity of 9/15 to 9/30 and I see YTM of 4.09 to 5.066. I will stick with my Schwab Treasury Obligations Money Fund – Ultra Shares (SCOXX) that pay "only" 5.2%
    The idea is to make meaningfully more money and not concentrate on 0.2-0.4% more per year. I just don't like the inconvenience of CD and treasuries. I want to own funds+MM that I can trade any day when I see an opportunity. Several days of investing in my bond mutual funds on one trade can make much more than 0.4%. If I wanted to use treasuries I may consider something like TBIL where it's easier to trade.
    I used my real tax software. I entered $140K as capital gains, no other income(just kept $1 for SS and $1 for conversion since I want to keep these entries), and both of our ages 65.
    You can see below that each one of us got a $65K Retirement Income Exclusion.
    When I entered $140K capital gains, Fed taxes came at $15,720...GA taxes=0. Basically, $140K FEDERAL ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME (AGI) = $10K GEORGIA ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME (AGI)
    When I entered $150K capital gains, Fed taxes came at $17,920...GA taxes=$48. Basically, $150K FEDERAL ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME (AGI) = $20K GEORGIA ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME (AGI).
    Looking at big numbers shows that it's a sweet deal, most retirees filing jointly with age greater than 65 wouldn't pay GA taxes on income close to $150K.
    image
  • Treasury FRNs
    (https://www.audits2.ga.gov/reports/summaries/retirement-income-exclusion/)
    Published: February 3, 2023.. QUOTE: "In 1981, Georgia enacted an income tax exclusion for retirement income received by taxpayers aged 62 years and over. Currently, taxpayers aged 65 and over may exclude up to $65,000, while those 62 to 64 (as well as those permanently and totally disabled) may exclude up to $35,000. The exclusion applies to retirement income such as capital gains, interest, and pensions, as well as up to $4,000 of earned income. Limits apply to individual taxpayers, so a married couple filing jointly may exclude twice the given limit. The exclusion is intended to induce retirees to live in Georgia and provide a boost to economic growth."
    =================
    Even if the difference is 0.2-0.4% annually why bother? I look for an easy way to trade without any hurdles. MM is a great holding place until the next trade and when I'm in, I invest at 99+%.
    Most of our money is in IRAs (Roth+Rollover) anyway.
  • A Closer Look At 'Cut Your Losses Early; Let Your Profits Run'
    "Cutting losses quickly and letting profits run" is the right way.
    1) It took me about 18 years (1995-2013) to get it until I got to a nice-size portfolio. In those years I was invested at 99+%. When the funds I owned lagged, I just switched to better-performing risk/reward funds.
    2) In 2013, I added 2 new rules based on quicker market movements. Sell any stock/allocation fund if it loses more than 6% from the last top and sell any bond fund with more than 3% loss.
    3) In 2017, one year prior to retirement, I implemented a new system, trading mostly bond funds. I would sell any bond fund before it reaches a 1% loss from the last top. Trading in/out is based on the big picture(risk is very high=out, otherwise=in) + uptrends.
    Basically, I could be 99+% in or out. It's not about relative performance anymore, it's about protecting my portfolio first.
  • Doubline Funds liquidates two funds
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1480207/000119312523215984/d505325d497.htm
    DoubleLine Multi-Asset Growth Fund
    DoubleLine Funds Trust (the “Trust”)
    DoubleLine Multi-Asset Growth Fund (the “Fund”)
    Supplement dated August 18, 2023 to the Fund’s Summary Prospectus (the “Summary Prospectus”), Prospectus (the “Prospectus”) and Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”), each dated August 1, 2023
    This supplement provides new and additional information beyond that contained in the Summary Prospectus, Prospectus and SAI and should be read in conjunction with the Summary Prospectus, Prospectus and SAI.
    The Board of Trustees of DoubleLine Funds Trust has approved a plan of liquidation for the Fund. The liquidation of the Fund is expected to take place on or about October 31, 2023 (the “Liquidation Date”). Effective after the close of business on September 1, 2023, the Fund’s shares will no longer be available for purchase by new investors or existing investors (other than qualified plans). Dividend reinvestments (where applicable) will continue until the Liquidation Date.
    The proceeds per share to be distributed to each shareholder of record on the Liquidation Date will be the net asset value per share of the relevant class of shares of the Fund less any required tax withholdings, after all expenses and liabilities of the Fund have been paid or otherwise provided for. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the receipt of liquidation proceeds will generally be treated as a taxable event and may result in a gain or loss. At any time prior to the Liquidation Date, shareholders of the Fund may redeem or, subject to investment minimums and other applicable restrictions on exchanges, exchange their shares of the Fund for shares of the appropriate class of another DoubleLine fund (if available) pursuant to the procedures set forth under “Other Account Policies—Exchange Privilege” in the Prospectus.
    In anticipation of the liquidation of the Fund, DoubleLine Capital LP, the Fund’s investment adviser, may manage the Fund in a manner intended to facilitate its orderly liquidation and the Fund’s portfolio may be reduced to cash, cash equivalents or other short-term investments on or prior to the Liquidation Date. As a result, during this time, all or a portion of the Fund may not be invested in a manner consistent with the Fund’s stated investment strategies, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
    The sale of portfolio holdings will result in the Fund realizing gains or losses, and the proceeds payable to shareholders will generally be subject to federal (and state or local, if applicable) income taxes if the redeemed shares are held in a taxable account and the proceeds exceed your adjusted basis in the shares redeemed. The Fund may also make a distribution of undistributed net income or capital gains prior to the Liquidation Date.
    If the redeemed shares are held in a qualified retirement account, your account may not be subject to tax withholdings if you take certain actions. For example, if you hold your shares in an individual retirement account (an “IRA”), you have 60 days from the date you receive your proceeds to reinvest or “roll over” your proceeds into another IRA to maintain their tax-deferred status and avoid any required tax withholdings. You must notify the Fund’s
    transfer agent at 877-DLine11 (877-354-6311) prior to the Liquidation Date of your intent to roll over your IRA account to avoid the automatic deduction of tax withholdings from your proceeds. If you do not notify the Fund’s transfer agent of your intent to roll over your IRA account prior to the Liquidation Date, the Internal Revenue Service requires that U.S. federal income tax of 10% be withheld from your account proceeds, and your account may also be subject to state or local required withholdings. You should consult with your tax advisor on the consequences of the redemption to you and any actions you may need to take.
    Please contact DoubleLine Funds Trust at 877-DLine11 with any requests for additional information.
    INVESTORS SHOULD RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
    -2-
    ==================================================================
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1480207/000119312523215986/d514005d497.htm
    DoubleLine Real Estate and Income Fund
    497 1 d514005d497.htm 497
    DoubleLine Funds Trust (the “Trust”)
    DoubleLine Real Estate and Income Fund (the “Fund”)
    Supplement dated August 18, 2023 to the Fund’s Summary Prospectus (the “Summary Prospectus”), Prospectus (the “Prospectus”) and Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”), each dated August 1, 2023
    This supplement provides new and additional information beyond that contained in the Summary Prospectus, Prospectus and SAI and should be read in conjunction with the Summary Prospectus, Prospectus and SAI.
    The Board of Trustees of DoubleLine Funds Trust has approved a plan of liquidation for the Fund. The liquidation of the Fund is expected to take place on or about October 31, 2023 (the “Liquidation Date”). Effective after the close of business on September 1, 2023, the Fund’s shares will no longer be available for purchase by new investors or existing investors (other than qualified plans). Dividend reinvestments (where applicable) will continue until the Liquidation Date.
    The proceeds per share to be distributed to each shareholder of record on the Liquidation Date will be the net asset value per share of the relevant class of shares of the Fund less any required tax withholdings, after all expenses and liabilities of the Fund have been paid or otherwise provided for. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the receipt of liquidation proceeds will generally be treated as a taxable event and may result in a gain or loss. At any time prior to the Liquidation Date, shareholders of the Fund may redeem or, subject to investment minimums and other applicable restrictions on exchanges, exchange their shares of the Fund for shares of the appropriate class of another DoubleLine fund (if available) pursuant to the procedures set forth under “Other Account Policies—Exchange Privilege” in the Prospectus.
    In anticipation of the liquidation of the Fund, DoubleLine Alternatives LP, the Fund’s investment adviser, may manage the Fund in a manner intended to facilitate its orderly liquidation and the Fund’s portfolio may be reduced to cash, cash equivalents or other short-term investments on or prior to the Liquidation Date. As a result, during this time, all or a portion of the Fund may not be invested in a manner consistent with the Fund’s stated investment strategies, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
    The sale of portfolio holdings will result in the Fund realizing gains or losses, and the proceeds payable to shareholders will generally be subject to federal (and state or local, if applicable) income taxes if the redeemed shares are held in a taxable account and the proceeds exceed your adjusted basis in the shares redeemed. The Fund may also make a distribution of undistributed net income or capital gains prior to the Liquidation Date.
    If the redeemed shares are held in a qualified retirement account, your account may not be subject to tax withholdings if you take certain actions. For example, if you hold your shares in an individual retirement account (an “IRA”), you have 60 days from the date you receive your proceeds to reinvest or “roll over” your proceeds into another IRA to maintain their tax-deferred status and avoid any required tax withholdings. You must notify the Fund’s
    transfer agent at 877-DLine11 (877-354-6311) prior to the Liquidation Date of your intent to roll over your IRA account to avoid the automatic deduction of tax withholdings from your proceeds. If you do not notify the Fund’s transfer agent of your intent to roll over your IRA account prior to the Liquidation Date, the Internal Revenue Service requires that U.S. federal income tax of 10% be withheld from your account proceeds, and your account may also be subject to state or local required withholdings. You should consult with your tax advisor on the consequences of the redemption to you and any actions you may need to take.
    Please contact DoubleLine Funds Trust at 877-DLine11 with any requests for additional information.
    INVESTORS SHOULD RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
    -2-
  • Is Fidelity hiding something (Dodge and Cox funds)
    Nonretirement stuff at TIAA is only for those with retirement accounts that WANT to stick around for consolidation of accounts.
    Fer sure, mostly. Though TIAA does have a product or two that some without retirement accounts might want to buy. I've mentioned TREA (one only has to be related to someone with a retirement account, not be a retirement account owner to be eligible).
    Another is TIAA's vanilla deferred VA, "Intelligent Variable Annuity", especially if one likes Vanguard funds. Vanguard no longer offers its own VA - it outsourced it to Transamerica. The Transamerica VA has base M&E expenses of 0.27%. The TIAA VA charges 0.35% for $100K-$500K, 0.25% for AUM above that. While that may be initially a bit higher than Transamerica, the kicker is that after 10 years, the wrapper fees drop to 10 basis points.
    The TIAA VA offers most of the same Vanguard and DFA portfolios as Transamerica, while also offering a variety of TIAA portfolios (obviously) plus portfolios from Franklin, Janus, PIMCO, T. Rowe Price and others. All are low cost share classes (as opposed to other providers like Fidelity that may offer the same portfolios with higher ERs).
    Transamerica VA offerings (see p. 3)
    TIAA VA offerings
    Fidelity VA offerings (compare PIMCO VIT Real Return 0.77% admin class E/R with TIAA's 0.52% inst class E/R)
    Not that these are for most people. Just suggesting that TIAA products are not only for those with existing retirement accounts at TIAA.
  • Is Fidelity hiding something (Dodge and Cox funds)
    TIAA Brokerage is via Pershing/BK. So, things are clunky.
    Nonretirement stuff at TIAA is only for those with retirement accounts that WANT to stick around for consolidation of accounts. TIAA hasn't made serious efforts to attract general investors. Even some non-plan accounts require TIAA-eligibility.
    TIAA is complicated, to say the least. I have started a "TIAA Group by YBB" on Facebook for those with TIAA needs and/or interests. Elsewhere, TIAA is misunderstood and may remain so.
  • Is Fidelity hiding something (Dodge and Cox funds)
    Try finding information on other funds at the beginning of the month at Vanguard.
    Poke me on Sept 1 and I'll give it a try (and also look at data available on other sites then).
    Try finding information on other funds at the beginning of the month at Vanguard.
    That's a bug in the screener. If it were a feature, it wouldn't show a fund category criterion. The tool fails to populate the category selections for all fund types, not just domestic funds. Whether that is a software bug or a data bug (Vanguard failing to supply the categories for each fund type) isn't clear.
    Similarly, Fidelity failing to include D&C in its screener's fund family selection box is a bug.
    And the [TIAA retirement] choices are strictly limited.
    On the retirement side investment choices are limited by what the employer plan (e.g. 403(b)) offers, just as they are with most employer plans. OTOH, your wife has access to TIAA Trad and TREA which are unavailable on the retail side. Access to TREA makes opening an IRA on the retirement side almost worthwhile.
    I can't imagine opening a brokerage account there based on my experiences logged into my wife's account.
    TIAA has undoubtedly one of the worst sites I've ever seen. Trying to find something like the annuitization rate for a specific Trad annuity is nearly impossible. Last time I tried I think it took me around an hour.
    All that said, TIAA does seem to provide access to some appealing funds that are difficult to find (NTF and low min) elsewhere. I haven't done a detailed comparison with E*Trade to see if the latter has everything that TIAA has. It does offer GLIFX with the same terms as TIAA - NTF, $10K min.
    But unless one has a TIAA account (and is willing to navigate its website), one will never know what's there. Stupidity, ineptness, but not malice by TIAA.
  • Is Fidelity hiding something (Dodge and Cox funds)
    Try finding information on other funds at the beginning of the month at Vanguard.
    For old time's sake I tried to do a search for LC value funds. If you choose domestic funds you are now stuck with all fund categories. They're breaking it M* style.
    I have been exploring Nuveen as an easier way to get readable information on TIAA funds than by going through TIAA. No screener at Nuveen. But I don't think they hold themselves out as a broker where you can buy other companies' products.
    We are stuck with TIAA due to some of my wife's retirement assets. And the choices are strictly limited.
    I can't imagine choosing to open a brokerage account there based on a drive-by of their website. I can't imagine opening a brokerage account there based on my experiences logged into my wife's account.
  • MOVEit Data Transfer Breach
    @Anna and @sma3 Dinging the thread a bit per Austin. I visited U-T friends there in 1972 for a few weeks, and Austin was an amazing city. I do believe I wouldn't want to live there now at my/our ages. In hindsight, if one had the monies and foresight at the time; purchasing 40 acres of land here and there around the city limits at that time would have provided for a handsome retirement nest egg. :)
  • MOVEit Data Transfer Breach
    PBI tracks down people & verifies if they are dead or alive without being obvious about it. So, it isn't a matter of - why they didn't just call me?
    You may have heard of stories about people defrauding insurance & annuity co & retirement plans by continuing to collect payments when the legal recipient is dead.
    A reverse problem is when these co don't determine when people have died. Of course, death benefits/claims must be initiated by executors and/or beneficiaries (who may not be aware in some cases).
    This requires specialized knowledge & databases.
    https://www.pbinfo.com/
  • MOVEit Data Transfer Breach
    List is useful but a rather odd setup
    Fidelity is listed but link is only to Maine retirement Plan
    Schwab only through TD Ameritrade
  • RMD-QCD-Annuity
    SECURE Act 2.0 Section 307 (see p 2237(!) here) amends IRC Section 408(d)(8) by adding a new subsection (F).
    This new tax code provides for a QCD to any "split interest entity" (408(d)(8)(F)(ii)) including (I) a CRAT, (II) a CRUT, or (III) a charitable gift annuity. I haven't yet searched for mix-and-match restrictions, i.e. whether one can contribute to more than one gift annuity or, say a CRAT and a gift annuity. Fidelity seems to think that one cannot mix and match, though it is silent on making QCDs to two entities of the same type.
    https://www.fidelitycharitable.org/articles/secure-act-2-0-retirement-provisions.html
    Fidelity's page on charitable gift annuities says that they may have mins as low as $5K but depending on the annuity the min could be much higher. OTOH, it also says that CRTs typically have mins of $250K which would exclude most of them from this new section of the tax code.
    https://www.fidelitycharitable.org/guidance/philanthropy/charitable-gift-annuity.html
    A QCD donation to a split interest entity can only be done in one tax year, similar to the restriction about using an IRA to fund an HSA. You're allowed to make multiple contributions in the same tax year. Keep in mind that if you want the QCD to apply to an RMD, then it must be made before other distributions (standard QCD/RMD rule).
    I can understand the loophole about treating the full amount as a QCD even though one receives a taxable benefit later (what Yogi labeled as (i)). Any other treatment would make this whole thing too complicated - that you would get only a partial QCD exemption from taxes. And that would defeat the objective of using a QCD for RMD purposes.
    QCD decision flowchart (showing where CGA, CRAT, CRUT fit in, and a paragraph on each).
  • Fidelity account holders, FidSafe, free data/documents storage
    Thanks for clarification that FidSafe wasn't hacked. I am aware of similar digital-lock-boxes for important personal documents/data but I haven't use any. Looks like glorified Dropbox or OneDrive - I use both.
    But Fido retirement plans were hit by MOVEit data transfer breach. As I mentioned in my related OP, we have been contacted only on behalf of PBI, and by no one else so far on the MOVEit breach list.
    https://www.plansponsor.com/moveit-data-breach-hits-fidelity-via-vendor-pbi/
    https://www.thewealthadvisor.com/article/moveit-data-breach-hits-fidelity-vendor-pbi