A tepid stock market did a little sideways dance during the month of June; my portfolio was up by about $2,000.
While I was doing my month-end report, I converted a recently transferred T. Rowe Price fund worth about $70,000 into Admiral shares at Vanguard. Sorry T.Rowe, love ya, but Vanguard's fund of the same type had a .26% expense ratio vs your .66% expense ratio. The conversion to Admiral shares, which you can do with any Vanguard fund once it gets big enough, will reduce my annual expenses for the fund even further.
The fund I moved was a Roth IRA, so there won't be any tax consequences. This is the reason why the 2 remaining taxable funds I have at T. Rowe will stay put until I need them as I don't want to trigger any tax liability.
I recently opted in to a lower priced electricity offer by my current provider. The lower rate is only good for 4 months and then I'll have to shop around again. As with the conversion to Admiral shares at Vanguard, just a little bit of what I call "housekeeping" chores will save me money over the long haul.
Barclay's recently informed me the interest rate on my money markets there has ticked up, as they should at any bank since the fed raised rates. The uptick is not enough to exceed the rates I locked in on my laddered (2, 3, 4 and 5-year) CDs with Barclays, but it helps.
I have two focus groups coming up in July worth $125 and $225 each. I haven't done a focus group in ages. One is in town, the other I have to travel about an hour for. I also have 3 MS drug dinners sponsored by the pharma companies in July.
I have the central air on, set at 76 degrees. It's quite muggy and damp outside and it's so much more comfortable, although a few days earlier I really enjoyed opening all the windows around here, something I hadn't done for several years due to Waldo's allergies.
I still think I'm going to see him around a corner or in his favorite spot. Luther isn't showing visible signs of missing him although it sure seems quieter around here.
Financial housekeeping
July 1st, 2017 at 02:33 pm
July 1st, 2017 at 02:49 pm 1498916992
July 1st, 2017 at 02:52 pm 1498917122
July 1st, 2017 at 05:59 pm 1498928377
July 1st, 2017 at 06:07 pm 1498928849
July 1st, 2017 at 07:17 pm 1498933061
July 2nd, 2017 at 03:48 pm 1499006891
Also note that if you are going to be in the 15% bracket this year, that would be a good time to transfer in any case as cap gains will be taxed at zero percent. One harvests cap gains in low bracket years and cap losses in high bracket years. Figure this closer to year end since you do not know what will happen with job income in the interim, but if you are in a low bracket, consider it an opportunity.
July 2nd, 2017 at 04:01 pm 1499007668
July 2nd, 2017 at 06:08 pm 1499015307
July 2nd, 2017 at 06:50 pm 1499017852
What is the advantage of doing this? I confirmed with Vanguard at the time that i would still be paying T Rowe fees.
July 2nd, 2017 at 09:15 pm 1499026501
July 3rd, 2017 at 01:13 am 1499040817
July 3rd, 2017 at 02:23 am 1499045028
If so, I don't really see the point of doing the transfer if it's not going to save me any money.
July 3rd, 2017 at 04:32 am 1499052736
July 3rd, 2017 at 03:34 pm 1499092487
But if you feel you would be happier in Vanguard funds, then if you moved them to Vanguard first, you would have fewer fees on the sale.
If this ends up being a 15% bracket year for you, that might be the time to do it to get 0% cap gains tax on the gain. Something to assess in November, not now.
July 3rd, 2017 at 03:51 pm 1499093491
July 3rd, 2017 at 04:14 pm 1499094868
1. I have a small SEP-IRA of about $4,200 which I could transfer over anytime since it's qualified money.
2. I have $52,200 in a taxable balanced fund but upon checking my accounts I see it was created 1/7/16, which means it won't be long-term money. So I guess I'll have to just leave that be.
3. I have another $58,000 in a taxable Int'l Equity Index fund, and that was opened in 2008 and there was one time I made a $4,000 purchase on 1/14/16. So I guess toward year-end if I remain in lower tax bracket I could transfer this over but keep $4,000 in the account which represents the short-term investment.
July 9th, 2017 at 05:31 pm 1499617876
Also, if you moved 70k to a Vanguard fund, you should already have admiral shares. The threshold is only 10k for most index funds. There are a few sector funds still requiring 100k, but I'm guessing your probably didn't buy any of those. If you bought investor shares, you should be able to convert them on Vanguard's website.
When we were just about home from our trip, I briefly thought how it would be so nice to see Buster on arriving home, and then of course I remembered. It's been a month, and I still catch myself doing that. I am so sorry that you have lost your beloved Waldo.
July 19th, 2017 at 04:11 pm 1500477083