Is this a good spread for 401k, your thoughts

[Lord Xar]

I also have liquid and in hand metals. This is just for "401k". your thoughts?

Stock Investments

Large Cap
FID GROWTH COMPANY ------- 42.82%

Mid-Cap
FID LOW PRICED STK ------- 2.91%

Small Cap
COL SM CAP IDX Z ------------- 25.24%

International
THORNBURG INT VAL R5 ----- 29.03%


breaks down as follows:

domestic stocks : 66.29%
foreign stocks : 31.29%
short-terms: 1.4%
other: ~1%


Overall, I am seeing this return: Personal Rate of Return from 01/01/2013 to 11/20/2013 is 24.1%

note: I modified my percentages midyear to push more foreign and small cap.

 

[angelatc]

How old are you?

 

[oyarde]

I also have liquid and in hand metals. This is just for "401k". your thoughts?

Stock Investments

Large Cap
FID GROWTH COMPANY ------- 42.82%

Mid-Cap
FID LOW PRICED STK ------- 2.91%

Small Cap
COL SM CAP IDX Z ------------- 25.24%

International
THORNBURG INT VAL R5 ----- 29.03%


breaks down as follows:

domestic stocks : 66.29%
foreign stocks : 31.29%
short-terms: 1.4%
other: ~1%


Overall, I am seeing this return: Personal Rate of Return from 01/01/2013 to 11/20/2013 is 24.1%

note: I modified my percentages midyear to push more foreign and small cap.

What is the 3 yr , 5 yr and 10 yr return on the International ? Myself I would probably use less Large Cap , way less International and use more Small & Mid Cap. You did very, very well this year , that is one year and extremely unlikely to continue I would guess .

 

[mad cow]

How old are you?

This.
It looks all right if these are what your company offers and you are young.

It looks fantastic if your company either matches or adds to your donations and you are young.

If you are old,maybe more income than growth stocks,more bonds and maybe some PM's as a hedge against inflation.

Edit:what goes up 24.1% can go down 24.1%.Hence,the questions about your age.
You can afford greater risks for possible greater returns up until you have to rely on your savings to survive during your retirement.

 

[oyarde]

This.
It looks all right if these are what your company offers and you are young.

It looks fantastic if your company either matches or adds to your donations and you are young.

If you are old,maybe more income than growth stocks,more bonds and maybe some PM's as a hedge against inflation.

Edit:what goes up 24.1% can go down 24.1%.Hence,the questions about your age.
You can afford greater risks for possible greater returns up until you have to rely on your savings to survive during your retirement.

If all else fails I can teach him to fish and hunt squirrels

 

[ClydeCoulter]

If all else fails I can teach him to fish and hunt squirrels

Have you got a deer yet this year, @oyarde?

 

[Lord Xar]

Thanks all - I am late 30's (late late)

What I am worried about is if we have huge inflation, what will happen to my savings? Granted, I don't have a large amount in there, but I put a few hundred into every paycheck (2x month). My company throws in a bit too.

I don't want it to go to zilch if we have another crash in the next year or coming years.. so yeah, curious how I can modify these percentages to protect myself.

If i was to measure it all out, I am about:

40% liquid
35% precious metals
25% 401k (as listed above)

 

[Tod]

I also have liquid and in hand metals. This is just for "401k". your thoughts?

Stock Investments

Large Cap
FID GROWTH COMPANY ------- 42.82%

Mid-Cap
FID LOW PRICED STK ------- 2.91%

Small Cap
COL SM CAP IDX Z ------------- 25.24%

International
THORNBURG INT VAL R5 ----- 29.03%


breaks down as follows:

domestic stocks : 66.29%
foreign stocks : 31.29%
short-terms: 1.4%
other: ~1%


Overall, I am seeing this return: Personal Rate of Return from 01/01/2013 to 11/20/2013 is 24.1%

note: I modified my percentages midyear to push more foreign and small cap.

I bailed on the market this year because I am expecting it to crash. Currently the dow is about 450 points above where it was when I bailed.

 

[mad cow]

Thanks all - I am late 30's (late late)

What I am worried about is if we have huge inflation, what will happen to my savings? Granted, I don't have a large amount in there, but I put a few hundred into every paycheck (2x month). My company throws in a bit too.

I don't want it to go to zilch if we have another crash in the next year or coming years.. so yeah, curious how I can modify these percentages to protect myself.

If i was to measure it all out, I am about:

40% liquid
35% precious metals
25% 401k (as listed above)

OK,asking me for financial advise is pretty dumb,but you asked.
I would put more into the 401K,especially if your company is kicking even more into this investment,that is the definition of free money.

I also think that if you own XX% of some company,through stocks and/or bonds,that might prove better than owning 00% of any company coming out of any depression,recession or downturn or anything short of TEOTWAWKI and of course,then,we have bigger things to worry about than our stock portfolio.

If I were you,I would put much more into your 401K,maybe 20% liquid,15% PM's.
I would add XX% real estate but I see you are from L.A.,I think California real estate is pretty much a crap shoot with loaded,statist dice,but hey,if your feeling lucky...

 

[brandon]

Lord Xar,

You should be more concerned about the "40% liquid" you have. Why not invest that? Your allocations in your 401k would be too aggressive for your age if it is your only source of retirement savings. If I were you I would put your liquid savings into a retirement fund, and add a bond fond to your 401k. The expense ratios on the funds you are holding are higher than they should be (the international one in particularly at 1.3%) and you should check of you have better ones available in your plan.

 

[CaptLouAlbano]

401K's are tough because you are limited to what you can pick. Best option is usually to spread it as wide as you can. At your age you have plenty of years left.

Overall, I always chose a mix for investments:
25% stocks (broadly invested, index funds are good for this)
25% bonds (again broadly invested)
25% precious metals and/or commodities
25% cash (i.e. money market accounts, CD's, etc)

At the end of every year, I would balance it out; sell off whatever performed well and buy more of whatever was down that year. Truth be told though, I became wealthy from buying income producing assets throughout my life: real estate and businesses. My guess is that if my wife and I worked regular jobs our whole life and just saved for retirement using the above formula, we would be OK now, but not able to live life like we do presently.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

Lord Xar,

You asked for advice in this thread a while back, and I tried to give you some thoughts as best I could. Did you ever check back on that thread?

Now you are focusing on the 401k specifically. First, I think we cannot really give the most worthwhile nuts-and-bolts advice without knowing anything about the 401k. So if you could please let us know: Do you have a list of what funds and other options are available to you? Most importantly, does your plan allow you the possibility of setting up a brokerage window?

 

[oyarde]

Have you got a deer yet this year, @oyarde?

One.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

Lord Xar, are you ever coming back to this thread? Is any of the advice people have given useful to you?

 

[cubical]

I would invest in the stock funds which offer the lowest expenses. 100% of mine is in a large cap index fund with an expense ratio of around .15%.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

I would invest in the stock funds which offer the lowest expenses. 100% of mine is in a large cap index fund with an expense ratio of around .15%.

What? Shouldn't he put 100% in EuroPac?

Well, at least the index fund you're in is exclusively overseas with an emphasis in emerging markets, right?

No?

Don't you know the US equity market is headed for a bloodbath? That it's going to collapse, and the dollar is going to be literally worthless? Any day now!

Could it be that maybe, despite your giving me a hard time, you too understand that Peter Schiff is not necessarily right in his predictions nor in his advice? It sounds like in your actions you're totally ignoring his advice.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

Personal Rate of Return from 01/01/2013 to 11/20/2013 is 24.1%

I don't know if Lord Xar is ever coming back, but I just thought I'd point out that the general rate of return in the stock market this year has been exceptionally and unusually high, historically speaking. To have a fairly conservative portfolio (as Lord Xar's is) go up 24% in a single year is the exception, not the rule. You shouldn't expect a 24% average return to continue, year in and year out. You should just be thankful that you happened to get an above-average return.

 

[Lord Xar]

Hey Helmuth,

Sorry I haven't responded. I was just taking in the knowledge. So far, I kept my allocations the same but probably looking to change it up a little.

I have recently started putting monies, every month, towards some silver/gold.. about 5oz silver/2-3 grams of gold (in addition to putting into a 401k and some monies into a health savings account ~3k / year for that).

I probably should put some monies towards real estate but I know NOTHING about that.. and real estate where I live is outrageous and can't afford it. I perhaps have thought about buying property in more affordable areas on the United States. But again, that is a real risk for me. No management company to oversee the property etc..

My fear is losing much of my 401k, like I did previously, when it comes down crashing again.. so I don't know where to put my allocations as I move forward.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

Hey Helmuth,

Sorry I haven't responded. I was just taking in the knowledge. So far, I kept my allocations the same but probably looking to change it up a little.

I have recently started putting monies, every month, towards some silver/gold.. about 5oz silver/2-3 grams of gold (in addition to putting into a 401k and some monies into a health savings account ~3k / year for that).

I probably should put some monies towards real estate but I know NOTHING about that.. and real estate where I live is outrageous and can't afford it. I perhaps have thought about buying property in more affordable areas on the United States. But again, that is a real risk for me. No management company to oversee the property etc..

My fear is losing much of my 401k, like I did previously, when it comes down crashing again.. so I don't know where to put my allocations as I move forward.

Not a problem at all, Lord Xar. I was just wondering if maybe you'd forgot about this thread.

Do you have a list of what funds and other options are available to you?

Does your plan allow you the possibility of setting up a brokerage window?

 

[cubical]

What? Shouldn't he put 100% in EuroPac?

Well, at least the index fund you're in is exclusively overseas with an emphasis in emerging markets, right?

No?

Don't you know the US equity market is headed for a bloodbath? That it's going to collapse, and the dollar is going to be literally worthless? Any day now!

Could it be that maybe, despite your giving me a hard time, you too understand that Peter Schiff is not necessarily right in his predictions nor in his advice? It sounds like in your actions you're totally ignoring his advice.

Europac's fees are too high and I can't access them in my 401k anyways.

Yes, I do think the US dollar will be worthless or will approach being worthless.

Yes, I think the US economy is headed for a bloodbath.

Clearly you are trying to imply some of Schiff's positions here, but you are ignorant of them. My options in my 401k are cash, bonds, stocks. Schiff has said repeatedly he prefers stocks over cash and especially over bonds. He would rather have foreign stocks over US stocks.

I am in stocks. Of the 3 categories above, he would agree. If fees were lower and there was no foreign tax withholdings(which I can not reclaim on my taxes being in a tax deferred account), I would probably be mostly in foreign funds. My own personal account is a different story. Why do you think my 401k is 100% of my wealth allocation?

As Schiff says you need to find companies that cater to those who will have wealth. In his and my view, US is on its way out as a global consumer. Finding a company based out of Singapore who sells washing machines to India, Europe or China is a great example.