The Unexplained "Fix" Is In

Elmer J Fudd

12 years ago

I frequently choose to steer clear of certain threads, for a variety of reasons. I know that sometimes novice users may have an incomplete or even mis-understanding of what they're doing, what the issues are, and so may be unable to diagnose or communicate anything more than "it isn't working". Others may show stubbornness in their views, resistance to change, or even sometimes an inability or lack of interest to understand the good advice they receive.

I leave such threads to others with more patience than I have. I suspect that many of the regular and helpful participants who contribute here similarly pick their spots.

acraftylady

12 years ago

I help out on amazon in the general help and kindle forums and sometimes people post 2 words and we are supposed to use our psychic abilities to guess what model kindle they have and we have to play 20 questions to drag more info out of them to help them then they come back and say thanks all fixed but won't tell what fixed it so it may help the next person with that problem that sees the post. That is my one big gripe is please tell us what finally fixed the problem as it may help other people to know. Mary

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I have watched the TSP quarterly. I'm not totally sure of the % of the total goes to which fund, but I believe we are fairly diversified and have some funds in 4 or 5 of the different funds (not sure that's the right word). Our pay goes into each according to the % that we alloted the last time we did it. =0) You're doing yourself a disservice to your future retirement if you don't know in what funds your money is allocated, how the bi-weekly pay is allocated and especially how much growth you've had. I only say this because you have recently put your retirement planning to the forefront of your brain and that should include monitoring and learning about the TSP since it will be the vast majority of your husband's retirement. BTW is he under CRS or FERS? Since I started watching the TSP several months ago, I learned that this is not the best time to be in the "F" fund because the USD is constantly down. The domestic US economy is 39th in the world with many of the countries in the "I" fund way higher and close to the top. I originally had everything 20% into each fund, but have since moved things over to the more profitable funds since I"ve learned alot about how the TSP works. 1. Is there a max on the TSP? Hubby says it "used to be 10%", but he thinks that changed. Max amount for 2007 is $15,500 or 20,500 if you're over 50. The max contribution does not include the matching, so that is over and above the limit. We allocate a specific number, not a percentage. We put $425 per pay period into the TSP and that is nowhere near the max, but is over 20% of dh's pay. The more you put in, the more matching you get. If your husband has received any pay increases, then it might be a wise option to increase the TSP contributions. That's what we do whenever dh gets a raise. It allows for a greater tax benefit and more matching dollars. No, I don't mind differing opinions, it helps my brain entertain new ideas and learn something. =0) I know that I am focused on the rental properties and mortgages on them, because at the moment, those are closer to paying off, than the IRA or TSP. I believe in diversification, so the rental properties are currently part of my "retirement plan". They are a part that will begin to pay off long before we retire, and continue once we do retire (or at least that's the plan). I am learning the IRA and TSP world and language (and remember we're looking at 27 years before taking anything out of them, and we are already putting funds into both), but I already understand the houses. =0) It's good that you're looking to diversification and that you're open to look at all avenues. I think what you're missing is the tax benefit to the TSP, especially if you can afford higher deductions because it reduces your taxes that could be offset by the additional tax you pay with your rental properties and paying them off early. Having said that, I prefer to have a home paid for, which goes against many other people's belief here that the funds should go to investment vehicles. I try to diversify that as well by having money in a high yield account plus pay a bit more to principal. Sorry, I thought you were closer to retirement than 27 years to take out of the TSP. That gives you a long time to make the most of your investment opportunity there and is even more reason to learn everything you can about it. If your funds are diversified btwn the 4 or 5, that means you're losing a strong growth opportunity because you would have some money allocated to the G and/or F fund, which aren't producing very well these days. I was extremely overwhelmed when I first started paying attention to the TSP. It's definitely a long learning curve, but I am learning. It is imperitive that you know in what funds you are invested, how much is going into each fund and how they are doing - an not just quarterly. At minimum, you would be best served by checking weekly.

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DA_Mccoy

12 years ago

Not focusing on the aforementioned threads just speaking to general observations, it has always appeared to me a lack of proper terminology, and a lack of information sure makes things a lot harder.

Except on rare occasions I have retired my crystal ball.

Having no deep seeded interest in sticking my name on every thread, I have always been selective as to which threads I respond to. I especially like leaving the basic content ones alone so members who are novices can actively contribute, and enjoy the feeling of participating.

DA