Worked for me too. I used it yesterday.
I’ll just throw this out there- do with it what you like:
After 30 years of TSP’ing, here is what I would do differently if I had to start it all over again:
1. I’d put in more - as much as I could, as early as I could.
I was lucky that I started contributing 5% within a month of my first federal paycheck. Back then you had to do it by mail, and it took a month or two before your changes to contributions showed up. I would have gone to 10% or more (in those days the limit was 10%). If I had to do it over, I would have started with 15%.
2. I would contribute to ROTH earlier.
When I started, ROTH hadn’t yet been invented. It was like six or seven years after the TSP first offered ROTH that I actually studied what it was, and the benefits it can give you. I didn’t start contributing to ROTH until 2012, and even then, it was only like 3% that I was putting into ROTH. Now that I am retired, I’ve figured out I should have done more on the ROTH side earlier.
If I had to do it all over again, I would do a 50/50 split of ROTH and Traditional, as soon as I was able, to give myself more flexibility on where to take money from when I retired.
3. I would have listened to McDuck earlier, and discovered the power of the “Last Month’s Best Fund”.
I have used that as one very important tool in my tool box. It is NOT 100% foolproof, but it IS incredibly helpful - and would have saved me $100k or more, had I given it more weight earlier in my investing. I don’t follow it 100%, but it is a very important tool that has helped me.
4. I would have subscribed to Tom’s TSPTALK PLUS sooner.
5. I would give MORE deference to the Hindenburg Omen, and used it more as a caution than I did in the past.
Again, I don’t follow any system 100% of the time.
But the TSPTALK PLUS has done very well to help me understand what others are thinking and doing. Combined with the others, I’m very satisfied with what I have learned over 30+ years.
So my landmarks I watch carefully, besides the day to day performance of the market- are the above systems - LMBF, and TSPTALK, which help me decide when to be in, and when to be on the sidelines. I’m VERY cognizant of the Hindenburg Omen, and when that goes off, it really makes me sit up and watch closely EVERY DAY.
I also have become a tiny bit more conservative as I have now retired- but I’m still willing to risk more than most.
The next hardest part, is figuring out what I really NEED to take out to live on. I am spending less than I thought I would, one year into retirement, AND I still haven’t started collecting Social Security. (I just turned 61). I just hope my health holds up long enough to enjoy some European and Asian travel, if we ever get back to “normal” travel again.
Peace- out.
Sent from my iPhone using TSP Talk Forums
Worked for me too. I used it yesterday.
Scott Harrison
Senatobia, MS
Invaluable! Gold nuggets taken, thanks much James. Godspeed on your health as you research, plan, then jump on over to that remarkably beautiful continent!
Thank you James and may God bless you. I hope you get to enjoy traveling soon.
Don't take my comments as trading advice /IFT: 4-1-24=100G/https://www.theepochtimes.com/ & http://www.ewg.org/PermaCharts@p430#5159/strategy#4918p.410
20/20 hind site in action! When I first got to start in TSP, let all my funds set in the G-fund. When I found tsptalk I only had a few years until retirement. (went out earlier than I wanted to because of health issues w/both my parents)
But, tsptalk was helpful (and I do mean all of all you all) in helping me get my money growing and being CSRS I hope I won't need it for awhile yet.
Parents left my brother and I some funds (totally unexpected that they had anything to leave) and have been trying to honor their memories and be careful/frugal with those funds. I have enjoyed some of them, and not been totally setting on them.
Everyday feeling very blessed to have worked in public service and earned benefits to make retirement life comfortable as life continues to advance (age). HAHAHA!!!
No God, No Peace. Know God, Know Peace.
Moving everything into "G" fund today- that pesky Hindenberg Omen convinced me that today is going to be "BLACAK FRIDAY" in more ways than one.
Good luck. 100% "G" fund at close of business today.
JAMES - Thank you for posting this morning & all the other times! Yes, I waded a little more in on Wednesday but holding most of my powder & rounds still in G awaiting some better entry... In my guesswork, it just seems like Markets have been over-extended and if we are to get a Santa-Rally it feels to me, with that and economic and COVID news and such, that it needs a bit of a drop or two first. Today looks like the 1st dose of that... will watch with one UP-IFT remaining & maybe go in some more on Monday or Tuesday(?).
2moryrs: Thx for sharing. You sound like an awesome person who really celebrated the Holiday with Thanks, and were already counting those blessings in your post here - as it sounds like you do every day. That is admirable, as is your quote ... No No Know Know.
... Oh, FWIW, GO OSU over Ducks (If my WAZZU Cougs can finally play a game against our rival UW today & OSU wins... we get Pac12 North).
Blessings to y'all!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with TSP! Best nugget of all is to start early and invest as much as you can! Enjoy your retirement!
Sitting in “G”. This volatility continues to scare the bejesus out of me. The swings are “not right”, and I’m thinking it’s about to tank big time.
My 2 cents.
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Note: VIX topped 32 briefly today. Still on the upswing, if you ask me. Next few days, and into next week, are likely to remain very volatile.
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My indicators told me to bail on November 22nd. No telling when I will get a buy signal.
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