Axa Equitable

[mannyahles]

Hello,

I met with an advisor with AXA and I am able to start a 403b thru my school. He gave me pamphlets of rates of returns for many investment options. It was a spreadsheet of large, mid, small, International, Bonds, and other stocks. I invest $550 a month for 11 months each year.

His recommendation was the moderate plus model:

28% Large Company stocks
19% International
10% Small
13% Mid
30% Bonds (I chose 6% EQ/Global, 6% Multimanager Core, and 18% Ivy Funds VIP High Income)

Does this look like a good model? I chose how the bonds would be dispersed and I saw that the Ivy Funds have had a great return for the past 10 years. And the International Lazard retirement emerging markets equity performed extremely well the past 10 years.

My second question is: Since I know which stocks and bonds etc I want to invest in, should I pay for an advisor? How much would I save if I ran my portfolio by myself?

Sorry for so many questions. Perhaps I should have made seperate threads! Thx, Manny

 

[travelover]

Run from AXA. They will kill you with fees.

 

[mannyahles]

It seems like I do not have many good choices thru my district. I am going to investigate Nationwide some more since I already have a 457b in place. It is advised by Meeder and I will call my rep to see if I can understand why he has invested my protfolio so high (82%) in Large Cap companies. I want to see a rate of return on the different stocks and funds I can invest in.

 

[travelover]

If you haven't found the Bogleheads forum yet, hang out there a while, then ask specific questions. They are quite willing to give specific advice, especially if you post in the recommend format.

Bogleheads Investing Advice and Info

Getting Started - Bogleheads

 

[ikubak]

Take a look at the fees. DW has a 401K through Wells Fargo. They have an assortment of funds to choose from with fees ranging from .06% to 1.1%. Through her work, WF is our only option, so we select the funds that work best for us. Also, take a look at how the fees are imposed. Some funds charge while you are invested with them, others charge when you buy or when you sell or some combination of all of the above. Bottom line is...know what they are charging you and how they are charging you. As a general rule, lower fees are preferable to higher fees. As Bogle says, in this business, you get what you don't pay for.

 

[73ss454]

It seems like I do not have many good choices thru my district. I am going to investigate Nationwide some more since I already have a 457b in place. It is advised by Meeder and I will call my rep to see if I can understand why he has invested my protfolio so high (82%) in Large Cap companies. I want to see a rate of return on the different stocks and funds I can invest in.

Manny, the rate of return is no guarantee of future earnings. You need to check on expenses, indexing may keep your fees down so check to see what's available.

 

[chinaco]

Manny,


What options do you have available to you in the 403b?

Only insurance company products or can you invest directly in mutual funds?

 

[mannyahles]

Code*Authorized Investment Company Name1164American Century Investments1062American Fidelity Assurance Company1035Americo Financial Life and Annuity Insurance Company1041Ameriprise Financial Inc.1096Annuity Investors Life Insurance Company (Great American Life Insurance Co.)1067AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company1097CalSTRS1018Commonwealth Annuity and Life Insurance Company1104CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (***)1133Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Com.**1077First Investors Corporation1025Franklin Templeton Investments1167General American Life Insurance Company1092Great American Life Insurance Company (Annuity Investors Life Insurance Co.)1113GWN Securities, Inc1014Horace Mann Companies1135Industrial-Alliance Pacific Life Ins Co, US Branch1060ING Life Insurance & Annuity Company1059ING - ReliaStar Life Insurance Company1052Legend Group, Inc., The1036Life Insurance Company of the Southwest1068Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc.1029Lincoln Nat'l Life Ins Co (Lincoln Fin Grp), The1074MassMutual, through its subsidiary, C.M. Life Insurance Co.1015Modern Woodmen of America1073MetLife Insurance Company of Connecticut (formerly Travelers Life & Annuity)1024Metropolitan Life Insurance Co -aka- MetLife, MetLife Investors, MetLife Resources1043Midland National1188National Health Insurance Co (NHIC)1144Nationwide Life Insurance Company -- SDCOE/Fringe Benefits Consortium 403(b)/457(b) Program 1083New York Life Ins. & Annuity Corp.1472North American Company for Life and Health1121Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc1030PFS Investments Inc1127PlanMember Services Corp1022Security Benefit1087Symetra Life Insurance Company1038Thrivent Financial for Lutherans1066Thrivent Investment Management Inc.1160Transamerica Life Insurance Company1090United Teacher Associates Insurance Company1117VALIC1042Waddell & Reed, Inc
I will ask if I can invest directly into mutual funds when I meet with my districts 403b planner. He is a paid salary not a FA.

 

[U1964]

Manny,


What options do you have available to you in the 403b?

Only insurance company products or can you invest directly in mutual funds?

As mentioned in this thread there is a limited number of funds available via the Pension2 (CalSTRS) plan. Including some core Vanguard funds.

 

[mannyahles]

I will definitley speak with our districts rep about the Vanguard funds. He isnt a paid FA so he will be unbiased.

 

[chinaco]

I can tell you what I would do...

I would stick with large reputable mutual fund companies like Vanguard and Fidelity. I would try to use good (long-term) performing funds with low fee funds.

In general I would avoid insurance companies... and their subsidiary mutual funds... the fees are often high.


IMO - The strategic allocation... depends on many variables including age. Not know all of the details... Your FA's allocations does not look out of line... but it depends on your tolerance for risk, how close you are to retirement, how you intend to manage retirement income and a slew of other factors.


You need to get some books on investing and retirement planning and begin the education process so you are confident about what you are doing.

 

[travelover]

.........
I would stick with large reputable mutual fund companies like Vanguard and Fidelity..........

Double check Fidelity's offerings . If they also offer access to their low cost funds (as opposed to their Advisor funds), it could be a winner.

 

[target2019]

You may be better off investing your after-tax dollars in Roth, and also doing a limited 403b. I think you need to do a whole lot more reading and investigating before jumping in with insurance companies.

My point of reference is wife's AXA Equitable 403b - her only choice. We selected the only two funds with expense ratios under 1%. One is S&P500, the other is Small/Midcap.

 

[target2019]

Code*Authorized Investment Company Name1164American Century Investments1062American Fidelity Assurance Company1035Americo Financial Life and Annuity Insurance Company1041Ameriprise Financial Inc.1096Annuity Investors Life Insurance Company (Great American Life Insurance Co.)1067AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company1097CalSTRS1018Commonwealth Annuity and Life Insurance Company1104CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (***)1133Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Com.**1077First Investors Corporation1025Franklin Templeton Investments1167General American Life Insurance Company1092Great American Life Insurance Company (Annuity Investors Life Insurance Co.)1113GWN Securities, Inc1014Horace Mann Companies1135Industrial-Alliance Pacific Life Ins Co, US Branch1060ING Life Insurance & Annuity Company1059ING - ReliaStar Life Insurance Company1052Legend Group, Inc., The1036Life Insurance Company of the Southwest1068Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc.1029Lincoln Nat'l Life Ins Co (Lincoln Fin Grp), The1074MassMutual, through its subsidiary, C.M. Life Insurance Co.1015Modern Woodmen of America1073MetLife Insurance Company of Connecticut (formerly Travelers Life & Annuity)1024Metropolitan Life Insurance Co -aka- MetLife, MetLife Investors, MetLife Resources1043Midland National1188National Health Insurance Co (NHIC)1144Nationwide Life Insurance Company -- SDCOE/Fringe Benefits Consortium 403(b)/457(b) Program 1083New York Life Ins. & Annuity Corp.1472North American Company for Life and Health1121Oppenheimer Funds Distributor, Inc1030PFS Investments Inc1127PlanMember Services Corp1022Security Benefit1087Symetra Life Insurance Company1038Thrivent Financial for Lutherans1066Thrivent Investment Management Inc.1160Transamerica Life Insurance Company1090United Teacher Associates Insurance Company1117VALIC1042Waddell & Reed, Inc
I will ask if I can invest directly into mutual funds when I meet with my districts 403b planner. He is a paid salary not a FA.

Fidelity or Franklin Templeton are worth investigating. With either, do you have access to their entire selection of funds?

 

[mannyahles]

Fidelity or Franklin Templeton are worth investigating. With either, do you have access to their entire selection of funds?

I have a meeting set up for Feb 9th with my districts salaried rep. He is an advisor for our district upon all our vendors. He does not represent any one vendor. So he is unbiased. I am making a list of questions I will ask him!