Who is beating the market YTD (2014) and how?

[LOL!]

Yep, no one calculates these things the same way. I have several positions that have not changed since early 2009. They are Vanguard products, so they have the exact same return YTD as the numbers on the Vanguard web site. I calculate the performance using MS Money, so I believe it is reasonably legit.

That said, I am about 0.5% YTD behind one of my benchmarks, but about 0.3% ahead of another. Now why is that? Some tinkering suggests it is drag from cash and short-term bonds.

Benchmarks that I like to use are the Vanguard Target Retirement funds, LifeStrategy funds and some DFA balanced funds like DGSIX (a 60/40 global fund). The Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth fund has a 60/40 asset allocation, too. My portfolio has fewer equities than that and more short-term fixed income, so it is not an exact match.

And yes, I can pull out the account with the 20% annualized IRR which is a completely valid number, but it isn't the full portfolio nor is it a YTD number. (Actually I think Quicken makes it difficult to do a YTD number, so the IRR always looks better. I think they do this on purpose so that folks think they are doing better than reality and thus have a warm feeling for Quicken.)

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

It's been so much fun working in the oil & gas industry now that things have gone ballistic! Clients are just so great to work with. I feel like I spent the best years of my working career working in a depression before this.

Yeah, ain't it great?

I could keep going for a while myself, but I have had irrational premonitions of death and there are some things I would like to do yet on my own time. I don't want to die at my desk or a hotel lobby as has happened.

 

[aja8888]

Yeah, ain't it great?

I could keep going for a while myself, but I have had irrational premonitions of death and there are some things I would like to do yet on my own time. I don't want to die at my desk or a hotel lobby as has happened.

I hear you, Ed. Last night DW and I were visiting her older brother (Shell retiree) who is in the hospital with a severely failing heart. He is 4 years older than me and I think the light came on for me. My portfolio is up for the year and we have "enough" as our needs are not great. This is my last year at working, even part time.

 

[REWahoo]

I hear you, Ed. Last night DW and I were visiting her older brother (Shell retiree) who is in the hospital with a severely failing heart. He is 4 years older than me and I think the light came on for me. My portfolio is up for the year and we have "enough" as our needs are not great. This is my last year at working, even part time.

Why wait until the end of the year? Or are you suffering from TMQ*?


*Two more quarters

 

[aja8888]

Why wait until the end of the year? Or are you suffering from TMQ*?


*Two more quarters

I think I am suffering from the "not being able to convince yourself to hang it up syndrome" (or something like that)

 

[BTravlin]

Glad to have helped--I think .

I bought TurboTax to try to make a plan, but it was too complicated to get quick results. Try the on-line tax estimator in my post. (The TurboTax on-line estimator is good, but it recognizes you and after a while refuses to run your cases. The other one keeps going.)

Try deleting any TurboTax cookies from your computer and it should work again.

 

[robnplunder]

OP here. This is the 1st year that I am tracking my investment return closely. Before, I tracked total asset increase (savings from work, equity increase, investment return). Based on investment return so far, I believe I've got more work to do before RE. Market YTD has done well but my YTD investment return barely would cover my RE expense. If market has not done well, I am sure the return would not cover my expense. I need to continue with OMY and/or rethink my investment strategy.

 

[pb4uski]

..... (Actually I think Quicken makes it difficult to do a YTD number, so the IRR always looks better. I think they do this on purpose so that folks think they are doing better than reality and thus have a warm feeling for Quicken.)

You can calc a YTD number by [(1+irr)^n] -1 where irr is the Quicken YTD irr and n is a decimal for the portion of the year to date.

 

[Rustward]

Somehow I suspect we are not all calculating this in the same way.

Yep, guys standing around the campfire comparing . . .

 

[Brat]

I have a bit of cash to invest. When I look at the ETFs and mutual funds that I am considering they track the S&P, have lower dividends and are higher risk (so says Vanguard and Morningstar.) They don't seem to me to have the potential for a home run.

Sigh....

 

[steelyman]

I have a bit of cash to invest. When I look at the ETFs and mutual funds that I am considering they track the S&P, have lower dividends and are higher risk (so says Vanguard and Morningstar.) They don't seem to me to have the potential for a home run.

Sigh....

Sometimes it's good to play "small ball"?

 

[Lsbcal]

I would rather have a very high batting average!

 

[steelyman]

I would rather have a very high batting average!

So would the Cubs, but look at their record vs. the Cards!

 

[robnplunder]

Still up but only slightly (1.4% vs S&P's 2%).

 

[TallTim]

Just slightly ~ 3% YTD.

 

[SVHoper]

Shocked to see still positive: 6.7% YTD... REITS the saving grace (due to bad 2013)... small caps, emerging and emerging small taking a bit of a recent pounding.

Would like to work out an oil play but can't see any that i can buy and hold.

 

[Fermion]

Paid off our house this year so I guess we are beating the market considering I am now putting what once was our mortgage payment into a falling market (averaging down).

 

[kgtest]

Got pounded by Airlines, Oil and Smallcaps. Losing to the S&P now and only up 2.43 on the year in the market. I am about to put a big cash equity deposit into a nice home though so that if only subliminally balances out my losses IMO. I need some tax loss harvesting this year anyways. I am hoping my Healthcare rail and AAPL pull through and save my portfolio this year lol.

 

[clifp]

Schwab's portfolio tool tells me I'm up 6.27% for the year. I am crushing my target moderately aggressive portfolio of .33%. In part because my International exposure has varied from 15% to 7.5% (today I just sold a bunch of international ETF this month) vs the 20% weighting. But my risk level is the same as the benchmark.

 

[pb4uski]

I'm up less than 1% for the year, 5% for last 1 months. Both annualized rates.

At a quick glance it looks like international and small-caps are dragging and emerging markets and international bonds are helping pick up the slack.

 

[eytonxav]

Only up 2.3%, but still sitting on big cash position. I tend to like corrections when I have dry powder.

 

[HFWR]

Up around 2% after the recent beating...

 

[MichaelB]

Schwab's portfolio tool tells me I'm up 6.27% for the year. I am crushing my target moderately aggressive portfolio of .33%. In part because my International exposure has varied from 15% to 7.5% (today I just sold a bunch of international ETF this month) vs the 20% weighting. But my risk level is the same as the benchmark.

Do you have a specific allocation and price target in mind for the international investment?

 

[imoldernu]

Only IBonds... up 4.1% thru Sept.

Hardly ever look, so had no idea.

 

[BBQ-Nut]

I'm up less than 1% for the year, 5% for last 1 months. Both annualized rates.

Same here.... 0.7% YTD