My 401k

[BIGOSUFAN]

I manage my own money. I recommend everyone learn how to do this as it involves 1) simple concepts and 2) is easy to do once you learn about the market and various investment modalities. It can be intimidating at first but the concepts are very simple and once you learn it you won't waste tens of thousands of dollars and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime on "financial advisors" which is throwing money away. Anyhow, I finished at 18.1% return for the year. Reminded me of how the markets were supposed to crash if President Trump was elected. Quite comical in hindsight.

 

[jkosu]

You're rich and therefore, evil.

 

[Marshal Jim Duncan]

Very nice return. It's hard to argue with the results in this regard, and only idiots like Krugman and the dude who got caught with a porno anime tab on his web browser really doubted this was coming (although in Krugman's case he probably did see it coming and chose to go political and lie about it).

I have 3 accounts. In the largest, my return was 16.5%. In the other two it was 13.1% and 11.6% respectively.

 

[JohnVoight]

I finished at 17.9% for the year and am surprisingly somewhat disappointed it wasn't higher as the DOW increased ~27% for the year. Damn bonds.

 

[BIGOSUFAN]

I'm about 30 years away from full retirement and my portfolio is thus probably much more aggressive than you guys. I use TIAA and I have 65% in their total stock market index tracker (largely S&P 500/large cap with a little bit of mid-cap and small-cap built in since it tracks the entire market), 25% in Dodge and Cox International equities (it is actively managed which I try to avoid but they have a great track record, their symbol is DODFX) and the remaining 10% in the TIAA Traditional which guarantees around a 3.5-4% return per year. I use the Traditional as my "bond" allocation.

 

[Bitter Creek]

I wonder how Sys and CScott did.

 

[purkey]

17.49%...I don't do anything....trump has made everyone, for now, look very smart.

 

[Medic007]

My 457 with Prudential finished the year at 22.36%. My trust account with Schwab finished at 18.79%. Both are allocated aggressively.

 

[BIGOSUFAN]

My 457 with Prudential finished the year at 22.36%. My trust account with Schwab finished at 18.79%. Both are allocated aggressively.

Is your 457 100% equities?

 

[EvilPOKES]

I wonder how Sys and CScott did.

I am guessing doggy? Maybe reverse cowgirl?

 

[Medic007]

Is your 457 100% equities?

Yes. There are low risk income options but I don't have any money in them. I also have money in all of the equity funds they have to limit exposure to any single one doing poorly. I have 9% allocated to each of their highest risk growth funds and then 6% to the remaining value and blend funds. If you want, I can give you the exact allocation by fund type.

 

[aix_xpert]

I did 21% in my 401k for 2017 (was very pleased). Made almost 35% in my IRA where I selected choice stocks, but that was nicely inflated thanks to NVDA. Its usually fairly balanced between growth and value stocks.

 

[CSCOTTOSUPOKES]

I wonder how Sys and CScott did.

I had to withdraw my 401K. Aforementioned medical issues, I needed the money.

 

[Medic007]

I had to withdraw my 401K. Aforementioned medical issues, I needed the money.

Did you have Obamacare?

 

[CSCOTTOSUPOKES]

Did you have Obamacare?

At the time of my injury? No, I had employee insurances. I had to sign up for it in order to get physical therapy covered later. I also have it now.

 

[Bitter Creek]

I had to withdraw my 401K. Aforementioned medical issues, I needed the money.

fair enough. that is a difficult situation.

 

[Medic007]

At the time of my injury? No, I had employee insurances. I had to sign up for it in order to get physical therapy covered later. I also have it now.

Gotcha. I know the time off work was a financial killer. Did you get hosed with medical bills too?

 

[CSCOTTOSUPOKES]

Gotcha. I know the time off work was a financial killer. Did you get hosed with medical bills too?

Oh yeah...

- Surgery
- 6 days in hospital contact isolation
- antibiotics
- picc line
- month of outpatient infusion

60K +

 

[wyomingosualum]

Oh yeah...

- Surgery
- 6 days in hospital contact isolation
- antibiotics
- picc line
- month of outpatient infusion

60K +

Others seem to know more about this than I do. Maybe I’m not the only one, so what the hell happened?

 

[CSCOTTOSUPOKES]

Others seem to know more about this than I do. Maybe I’m not the only one, so what the hell happened?

Hit my left hand on a sharp corner or table, ended up with a MRSA infection and almost totally lost movement.

 

[wyomingosualum]

Hit my left hand on a sharp corner or table, ended up with a MRSA infection and almost totally lost movement.

Sucks, obviously. What’s the outlook now?

 

[CSCOTTOSUPOKES]

I still have a pretty wild scar, will always be there. Movement’s back, but I still have tender finger joints, especially in this cold weather. I imagine I’ll have some sort of chronic pain from it forever. The whole hand was swollen, and post-surgery the top layer of skin peeled off. It was a crazy couple of months lol

 

[wyomingosualum]

I still have a pretty wild scar, will always be there. Movement’s back, but I still have tender finger joints, especially in this cold weather. I imagine I’ll have some sort of chronic pain from it forever. The whole hand was swollen, and post-surgery the top layer of skin peeled off. It was a crazy couple of months lol

Sounds like it. Sorry, dude. Hang tough.

 

[Medic007]

Oh yeah...

- Surgery
- 6 days in hospital contact isolation
- antibiotics
- picc line
- month of outpatient infusion

60K +

Were you insured at the time or sign up during?

 

[cableok]

Biggest advice I can give to people with mutual funds in their retirement account is to utilize low fee funds. Amazing the number of people losing 150 to 200 bps a year paying huge fees for management.

Those that chose an index fund did very well in 2017. And Buffett just won a $1M bet because he said an index fund would outperform a managed fund over a ten year period.

 

[squeak]

Biggest advice I can give to people with mutual funds in their retirement account is to utilize low fee funds. Amazing the number of people losing 150 to 200 bps a year paying huge fees for management.

Those that chose an index fund did very well in 2017. And Buffett just won a $1M bet because he said an index fund would outperform a managed fund over a ten year period.

I agree, but some 401k plans don’t offer index funds.

 

[BIGOSUFAN]

I’m up $7,000 this past week alone. We must RESIST economic prosperity!

 

[poke2001]

My 401k returned 15% for 2017. Would have been higher, but my company stock (O&G service) was down 20% for the year and I’ve got about 20% in it. Company is up well over 10% this week so good start.

My 5 year is 12% which is great.

Add to this that I get 9% for putting in 6%, I’ve got a nice little balance in it.

 

[squeak]

I’ve got a decent amount of apple and visa stock, so it was a good year to say the least.

These days, though, you have to be an idiot not to have a good return on your portfolio.

 

[Medic007]

These days, though, you have to be an idiot not to have a good return on your portfolio.

Like Kurt Eichenwald who sold all of his stocks because Trump? LOL.

 

[trapped_in_tx]

401k A: 19.2%
401k B: 21.51%
IRA A: 14.9%
IRA B: 9.92%
IRA C: 9.29%
IRA D: 9.29%

Not too stoked about the IRAs, and IRA C has the most assets. Need to consider some more aggressive allocations. Too much Bond focus last year in those IRAs.