Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Where to Park $400K for a Year?
Old 01-17-2017, 12:36 PM   #1
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
travelover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
Where to Park $400K for a Year?

I think I know the answer to this, but before I do something stupid, like put it all on red, I thought I'd ask.

We just sold our house and have a check for about $400K. Plan is to rent for the next 12 to 16 months*, then buy a new home for cash.

The obvious answer is to park it in a CD at some place like Ally. Any other creative alternatives? It kills me to be paying $1700 a month for rent and earning 1% on my money.



* We'll be buying in a new state and want to try it out before buying
travelover is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 01-17-2017, 12:57 PM   #2
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
haha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover View Post
I think I know the answer to this, but before I do something stupid, like put it all on red, I thought I'd ask.

We just sold our house and have a check for about $400K. Plan is to rent for the next 12 to 16 months*, then buy a new home for cash.

The obvious answer is to park it in a CD at some place like Ally. Any other creative alternatives? It kills me to be paying $1700 a month for rent and earning 1% on my money.



* We'll be buying in a new state and want to try it out before buying
You are creating optionality, which is often much more important than we realize. Nothing makes sense other than a CD or (relatively) high interest savings account.

Ha
haha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 01:02 PM   #3
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Upstate
Posts: 2,944
May I also suggest you place it in multiple institutions? This eliminates the 250,000 cap on FDIC insurance and also the hassle factor (delay) if there were to be a limit. In addition, if you did have to break a CD for some reason (e.g. you find a buy that you can't resist so you decide to cash out enough for a down payment), you won't be penalized on the entire investment.
copyright1997reloaded is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 01:05 PM   #4
Moderator
Walt34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,290
If it was me I'd do as Ha suggests. For me I'd want the liquidity more than profits for when I bought a new place.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
Walt34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 01:12 PM   #5
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Gotadimple's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,599
What Ha said. The best you can do is a CD(s) or Hi interest savings account(s). I say multiples because federal insurance only covers you up to $250k, so you'd likely want to split this into two different accounts with two different banks.

Because of the amount you have, you'd likely get a better rate (@+0.25%)in one year CDs than internet High Yield Savings account. Use an aggregator web site like bankrate.com, or depositaccounts.com to research banks, credit unions, etc.

- Rita
__________________
Only got A dimple, would have preferred 2!
Gotadimple is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 01:13 PM   #6
Moderator Emeritus
W2R's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,468
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt34 View Post
If it was me I'd do as Ha suggests. For me I'd want the liquidity more than profits for when I bought a new place.
+1
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.

Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
W2R is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 01:27 PM   #7
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Hyperborea's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Silicon Valley
Posts: 1,008
You don't have to put it into different institutions if you don't want to. FDIC will cover multiple accounts in the same institution if you title them right. You could put half in your name and half in your spouse's name. Other options include adding a payable on death, joint accounts, etc. A married couple could use various combinations to put well over a million into one institution FDIC insured.

https://www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposit...s-english.html
Hyperborea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 01:37 PM   #8
Full time employment: Posting here.
Earl E Retyre's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 537
Synchrony Bank has an online savings account that yields 1.05%. Don't think a 1 year CD will be too much higher and you would have the flexibility to withdraw whenever you decide/find your new house.
Earl E Retyre is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 01:48 PM   #9
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
RetireAge50's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,659
May not be available to you but you could put it in stocks and then transfer the same amount from stocks to a stable value fund in 401k. Might get 2% or something.

You might find you like the freedom of not owning (so renting might not be so painful).
RetireAge50 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 02:09 PM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
euro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,301
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt34 View Post
If it was me I'd do as Ha suggests. For me I'd want the liquidity more than profits for when I bought a new place.
+2 - I'm not usually that conservative and don't mind some risk, but this particular purpose I would go with a high-yield savings account (well, split it into two for FDIC purposes).
euro is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 03:05 PM   #11
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Near Sacramento
Posts: 488
A joint account has $500K of coverage. No need to put it in multiple institutions.

:O)
Chris7 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 03:18 PM   #12
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
euro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,301
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris7 View Post
A joint account has $500K of coverage. No need to put it in multiple institutions.

:O)
I don't think that is correct - those funds will need to be spread over two or more separate "types" of accounts. So you can have a joint savings and a joint checking (or joint CD, etc) which can give you a total of 500K, but not ONE joint account for 500K.
Or each of the spouses can have a savings in their respective names, or one spouse can have a savings, and then an additional joint savings - all for a total of 500K.
That's MY understanding of it anyway.
euro is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 03:44 PM   #13
Dryer sheet wannabe
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover View Post
I think I know the answer to this, but before I do something stupid, like put it all on red, I thought I'd ask.

We just sold our house and have a check for about $400K. Plan is to rent for the next 12 to 16 months*, then buy a new home for cash.

The obvious answer is to park it in a CD at some place like Ally. Any other creative alternatives? It kills me to be paying $1700 a month for rent and earning 1% on my money.



* We'll be buying in a new state and want to try it out before buying
You could park it in a trading account and sell Cash-secured Berkshire Hathaway January 2018 puts for $130. You'll make 2.65%. Berkshire has an aggressive buy back in place to repurchase stock when it sells for less than 1.2x book value. Current book value is 109.19, so Berkshire would repurchase stock at $131 which is above your put price.
Yachi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 03:45 PM   #14
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Hyperborea's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Silicon Valley
Posts: 1,008
Check the FDIC info - https://www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposit...s-english.html

A husband and wife could put in $1.5 million and be covered without bringing in other parties.

$250K each = $500K
$250K each POD to the other = $500K
$500K in a joint account

Total = $1.5 million
Hyperborea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 04:03 PM   #15
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
euro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,301
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hyperborea View Post
Check the FDIC info - https://www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposit...s-english.html

A husband and wife could put in $1.5 million and be covered without bringing in other parties.

$250K each = $500K
$250K each POD to the other = $500K
$500K in a joint account

Total = $1.5 million
Thanks Hyperborea - you are right and I stand corrected!

Only a single joint account would be required for 400K, according to the FDIC website. I was told differently by an employee at SACU, but maybe they didn't have it right, or maybe each bank can have more restrictive rules than the FDIC itself?

PS: the FDIC link you provided is dead for some reason
euro is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 04:34 PM   #16
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
audreyh1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 37,931
You can get 1YR CDs for 1.25% to 1.36% APR. Is it worth the extra 0.20-0.31% to buy CDs? Or just leaving it in a high yield account at 1.05% for a year.

I do usually buy CDs when I know the money is going to be sitting around for 1 year to 18 months.

I believe that if the accounts, and as long as the FDIC member bank has a signature card with both your signatures, your joint accounts are insured up to $500K per institution as each account holder is insured up to $250K. I believe that if you have additional separately titled accounts, then half you joint accounts as well as your individual accounts are added together to determine your coverage. The FDIC link above did not work.

https://www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposit...s-english.html
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
audreyh1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 06:00 PM   #17
gone traveling
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 733
mattress in 20's. Nothing better then sleeping knowing you have plenty of cash supporting you so you can rest easy.

Seriously though you know if you need it you need it, and there are no high yielding liquid investments without tons of risk.
Luck_Club is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 06:48 PM   #18
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
travelover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
OP here. Looks like PenFed at 1.41 % APR for 15 months would be perfect. Not much, but better than losing it to inflation.
travelover is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 06:54 PM   #19
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Hyperborea's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Silicon Valley
Posts: 1,008
Quote:
Originally Posted by euro View Post
PS: the FDIC link you provided is dead for some reason
Fixed the link. I had copied it from my first post in the thread and the board had shortened it for display.

The page linked gives an example similar to the one that I used near the bottom of the page.

I had been looking at this issue myself late last year as I was planning for where and how to hold the proceeds from the sale of my own house.
Hyperborea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2017, 07:00 PM   #20
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
When it gets close to "buy" time, like when you are looking and well before you make any offers transfer the funds to a large national bank.

Real estate deals can get financially "funky" and a big bank with lots of branches will be an asset.
RobbieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Scrambling to get by on $400K/Yr in NYC NW-Bound FIRE and Money 73 04-10-2009 09:39 AM
Park Model RV's Al Life after FIRE 3 04-02-2005 01:34 PM
National Park Visit today................ Cut-Throat Life after FIRE 9 03-11-2005 11:11 AM
Best Place To Park Some Cash rsboone FIRE and Money 15 09-09-2004 09:55 AM
Best place to park cash for 1-?? months cute fuzzy bunny FIRE and Money 61 01-04-2004 06:20 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:23 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.