Recent content by Marcretire

Thanks! I can live fairly comfortably on $2,000/mo.

Thanks, in advance, for your kind advice. At 52, I have left a career with $500,000 in an IRA, all of which is in the Vanguard Wellington fund, VWELX. It's unlikely I will find employment in my field and am seeking any sort of job, even if part-time. Most of my mortgage is paid off and the...

Vanguard Wellesley : Shelter From The Storm

I see your point, although, from my newbie vantage point, Wellesley performed relatively well last year because of its dominant bond holdings. I'm considering Wellesley to combine with my Wellington holdings but am also considering Vanguard Total Bond Index, which was +5% last year.

Wellesley was fown 10 percent last year and is down nearly 5 percent this year, so, why is Wellesley so great?

Hi, some seers are forecasting a bond market crash due to the heavy influx into bonds and, so, I'm wondering if TIPS are a better way to go than a total bond index fund because at least with TIPS, your principal is protected. Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

One word: TIPS

One gotcha that has kept me away from ETFs,at least in my taxable acct, is that you pay a commission on each transaction. If you dollar cost average, as I do, those commissions add up and detract from your returns, esp. over time.

Thanks for the helpful insights. In doing my due diligence on the retail version of the fund, PTTAX, I learned it has a pretty high ER of .90%, which I might swallow given the successful trackrecord of the fund, but, the dealbreaker for me is they charge a load, around 3.5%, which I can't...

I'm looking at the option of TIPS for my IRA, but, wonder, as someone still working toward retiring one day, if TIPS are appropriate over, say, a total bond index fund. Given the modest inflation rate, the interest on the TIPS bonds would be fairly modest, too,and, so, I wonder if a total bond...

I've been considering various fixed income options, which members of this forum have kindly given their feedback on, and a friend has given me yet another option to consider in the PIMCO Total Return bond fund. As a Vanguard customer, I had been considering the VG Total Bond Market index fund...

I'm beginning to agree. I also feel that the market is rigged in favor of institutional investors and the individual investors are just along for the ride whether the ride is up or all the way down. I admire John Bogle immensely for his integrity and for providing a wonderful way for the...

A friend of my family is a very conservative, safety-minded investor, and, he puts most of his investment dollars in Savings Bonds and has built up a pretty good retirement fund that has helped enable him to retire early. Wondering what your thoughts are on them. Thanks.

Thanks, everyone, for the helpful replies. Would a municipal bond fund from a reputable firm, like Vanguard, be worth considering for a taxable acct? Thanks.

Interesting, but, what of the tax advantages of munis, which are free of federal or state taxes? Also, aren't CDs insured only up to $100K? I'm looking at a taxable acct where I can grow it as much as possible.