Newbie onsite

[glacierbut]

Just found this great site. Lots of great information.

I would like to ask all of you pros out there if I am on track. Have been a fed for about 17 years. I have around $130,000 in my TSP. Most of the time I have been in theC fund, and the last couple years equal split of C,S, and I funds. Heading your advice I pulled money out ofC and S and put in G. 50% G, 50 %I.

Am I on track?

[Spaf]

glacierbut wrote:
Just found this great site. Lots of great information.

I would like to ask all of you pros out there if I am on track. Have been a fed for about 17 years.Most of the time I have been in theC fund, and the last couple years equal split of C,S, and I funds. Heading your advice I pulled money out ofC and S and put in G. 50% G, 50 %I.

Am I on track?

Some of us are playing, some just watching from the sidelines. The market has been in a trading range, tried to breakout but failed. Lately it's been very choppy!

How you play depends on your risk tolerance. F has not been good, nor has C and S as of lately. There is some money in I, and pennies in G. Over 30% in any one stock fund is to me aggressive. Buy the way, your TSP balance is your own business. We mainly talk in percentages.

Welcome and have fun! You should be hearing from the administrator Tom when he gets up from his G-fund nap!

Rgds! :) Spaf

[TEUFEL HUNDEN]

Spaf wrote:


You should be hearing from the administrator Tom when he gets up from his G-fund nap!


HAAAAAA buuuhhaaa hhaaa hahaaa.

Just kidding Tom.

You have a very good point as to why you are where you are. If I was not in the I fund then I would also be all in G. I wonder about the F,C, & S. Maybe it stands for FUNDS CAN'T SURVIVE

HA

[tsptalk]

Spaf wrote:
You should be hearing from the administrator Tom when he gets up from his G-fund nap!

:zz Did we get our penny already Spaf?

Welcome glacierbut!
Your allocation is a very personal choice and depends on may factors. If you don't want to try to get cute like some of us that move our money around, you may just want to stick with what you are doing, or something close. Check out my 2005 longer term allocation considerations at the bottom of http://www.tsptalk.com/longer_term.html.

Keep watching the site and you'll get afeel for what we do and why and it will help you determine how you'd like to manage your account.

This for everyone: I don't recommend that anybody do exactly what I do. I can and do lose money all the time. Iget aggressive and conservative at various times depending on the situation. I may lose money when I could have stayed on the sidelines in the G fund. I maybe in the G fund when stocks are going up. It happens all the time. This is a marathon, not a sprint and no one is right all the time. Find a strategy you are comfortable with and take responsibility for your own decisions. Thanks!

Good luck!
Tom

[Spaf]

tsptalk wrote:
:zz Did we get our penny already Spaf?


Yea! We got our pennies!

Declines are rather steep and advances are a creep. That two day transfer time is a buggar!
Glacierbut....If we could bail (quickly) on a decline, like with a discount broker, it would be a lot better.
My strategy is not to take a hit more than 5% in any onefund, and definitely not more than 2% of total funds. With TSP I try to use some paper stops, at best. Right now the market has some weak legs, and we appear to have returned to a trading range. So be careful, but have fun here.

Rgds :) Spaf

[Rolo]

Welcome, GB!

"Am I on track?" is a good question. Have a premeditated strategy, whatever it may be. Ask yourself, "What circumstances would get me out of the I fund?" and "What would get me out of G and into equities?" Most of us start out with reasons to buy, but no reasons to sell. Having a clear-cut strategy is essential for high locus of control and will keep you from feeling like things are running away from you. However things play out, good or bad, you know you made the best decision at the time with the information you had.

I think 50I/50G is a fine choice atm. Think about what you want to do depending on how the market goes. I am 75I/25C and am thinking 100%I next week if C breaks down and 100%F if they both break down and AGG looks like it is reversing trend, and 100%G if everything looks crummy. However, this is my timing strategy; Mike, for example, sees these dips as a buying opportunity since he has a positive outcome for the year. Which is better? It depends on the person, really.

hehe, Tom, "get cute with our money" ehehehe.