Join Early Retirement Today
View Poll Results: What percent is cash of your invested assets & cash?
Less than 0.5% including negative cash 10 5.56%
Less than 1.0% 5 2.78%
Less than 2.5% 13 7.22%
Less than 5.0% 23 12.78%
Less than 10.0% 46 25.56%
Less than 20.0% 42 23.33%
Less than 50.0% 23 12.78%
50.0% or more 17 9.44%
Something else, but I wanted to answer anyways 1 0.56%
Voters: 180. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Poll:Percent of your cash+invested assets in cash?
Old 11-24-2016, 10:48 AM   #1
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,252
Poll:Percent of your cash+invested assets in cash?

Let's try another "how much cash?" poll with more options to choose from.

What is the amount of cash you have as a percent of your invested assets plus any other cash hanging around?

The idea is not to count net worth, so leave out cars, houses, other real estate (even if you count real property as part of your invested assets). The idea is to count cash in savings, checking, CDs as part of invested assets like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, variable annuities, and those cash instruments.

Also a short-term bond fund or other bond fund is not cash, but something where the NAV does not fluctuate and are easy to get in a week or so like a stable value fund or I-bonds or E-bonds are cash.

It is your call whether you call something like TIAA Traditional Annuity cash or not. It can take a while to get money from TIAA for some folks.

Things like pensions and other income streams (SPIAs) don't get included.
LOL! 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 11-24-2016, 10:58 AM   #2
Dryer sheet wannabe
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Austin
Posts: 10
15%
boaski is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2016, 11:03 AM   #3
Moderator Emeritus
W2R's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,474
I changed my vote because while the TSP "G Fund" doesn't lose value, and is sort of like cash, it is not easy to get one's hands on all of it in a week or so. This is because of all the withdrawal rules.
__________________
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 11-24-2016, 12:04 PM   #4
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
DrRoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,962
Now at 3%, after putting 1.1% to bonds this week.
__________________
"The mountains are calling, and I must go." John Muir
DrRoy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2016, 12:55 PM   #5
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Alberta/Ontario/ Arizona
Posts: 3,393
2.6% . Really just "operating cash" to smooth out big purchases or dividends.
Danmar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2016, 02:06 PM   #6
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,342
I prefer to be under 5% but I just sold some stock for tax-loss harvesting and have not reinvested the money yet so I am a little over 6% cash currently.
aaronc879 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2016, 02:19 PM   #7
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Austin
Posts: 375
I am at about 75% now.

I was at 25% one year ago. I sold more than half of my biz last year; and my mega was aquaired in cash recently, which I had considerable stocks and RSU.

Looking forward to deploying my cash, starting early next year.
HillCountry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2016, 07:51 PM   #8
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
harley's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,764
Your requirement to leave out investment real estate skewed my answer severely. It would have been <20% had I been able to count the RE, but moves to (barely) <50% without it. Not sure how useful the poll is when disallowing a major investment option.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
harley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2016, 08:25 PM   #9
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
MooreBonds's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 2,179
Quote:
Originally Posted by harley View Post
Your requirement to leave out investment real estate skewed my answer severely. It would have been <20% had I been able to count the RE, but moves to (barely) <50% without it. Not sure how useful the poll is when disallowing a major investment option.
I also wonder the differences between those still w*rking, and those retired. I have about 10 years until FIRE, so I'm in the "Under 0.5%" group. But if I were retired, I'd have probably 2%-3%. And that amount would be relatively low because my fiance is a teacher, and would have a steady eddy pension coming in each month. If she didn't have a rock solid pension, I might lean towards 5% cash when retired.
__________________
Dryer sheets Schmyer sheets
MooreBonds is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 05:58 AM   #10
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
donheff's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 11,318
Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R View Post
I changed my vote because while the TSP "G Fund" doesn't lose value, and is sort of like cash, it is not easy to get one's hands on all of it in a week or so. This is because of all the withdrawal rules.
Same here. I clicked on 2% reflecting actual cash but the TSP G Fund would bring that up to around 10% which is how I subjectively view my cash position. This is a bit like the net worth discussions - it depends on what you are including.
__________________
Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
donheff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 07:03 AM   #11
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
jollystomper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,135
Not retired yet, have 23% in cash.
__________________
FIREd date: June 26, 2018 - "This Happy Feeling, Going Round and Round!" (GQ)
jollystomper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 08:02 AM   #12
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 1,372
Quote:
Originally Posted by MooreBonds View Post
I also wonder the differences between those still w*rking, and those retired. I have about 10 years until FIRE, so I'm in the "Under 0.5%" group. But if I were retired, I'd have probably 2%-3%. And that amount would be relatively low because my fiance is a teacher, and would have a steady eddy pension coming in each month. If she didn't have a rock solid pension, I might lean towards 5% cash when retired.
This.

Might be interesting to do a poll for those in the accumulation phase.

Steady state, I would be 3-4% for emergency fund + working cash, but I'm in the on-going process of diversifying away from company stock concentration as options/shares vest so I generally have a cash pile of varying size that I'm dollar cost averaging into the market that skews my %age at any given time.
__________________
Luck is when Preparation meets Opportunity.
FIRE'd 1/1/24
Closet_Gamer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 08:11 AM   #13
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,682
It's 1%-2.5% for me. Most of that is the cash component of mutual funds, with maybe 0.5% in actual bank account cash. I receive a cash dividend from my big bond fund every month to replenish my bank account's cash. I also take a cash dividend every ~quarter from a stock fund to supplement the monthly cash. I leave a small buffer in my bank account to cover small, unexpected expenses.
__________________
Retired in late 2008 at age 45. Cashed in company stock, bought a lot of shares in a big bond fund and am living nicely off its dividends. IRA, SS, and a pension await me at age 60 and later. No kids, no debts.

"I want my money working for me instead of me working for my money!"
scrabbler1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 09:06 AM   #14
Full time employment: Posting here.
racy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 881
Less than 0.3% by your definition. Interestingly, my Vanguard Flagship Services rep told us that our Short Term Investment Gr. Bond Fund works fine as a cash substitute after I told her we are OK with some principle fluctuation. We have 22% of our total in this fund. It's a Wm Bernstein thing for us, "If you've won the game, stop playing". But, I don't want my cash to get eroded away by inflation.
__________________
"It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating". Oscar Wilde
racy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 10:19 AM   #15
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Castro Valley
Posts: 788
15%
jkern is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 11:23 AM   #16
Full time employment: Posting here.
Happyras's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Redmond
Posts: 892
I was just surprised by my own % cash. I thought I had a bit of cash, but as a percentage its nothing. We are in 45% bonds, with <1% cash but still plenty to cover a year of spending.
Happyras is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 02:51 PM   #17
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
MooreBonds's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 2,179
Quote:
Originally Posted by racy View Post
We have 22% of our total in this fund. It's a Wm Bernstein thing for us, "If you've won the game, stop playing". But, I don't want my cash to get eroded away by inflation.
Exactly - when you quit the game, you don't want to find out that you have to go back and play some more because the inflation boogey man caught you!
__________________
Dryer sheets Schmyer sheets
MooreBonds is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 05:05 PM   #18
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Lsbcal's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: west coast, hi there!
Posts: 8,808
Just because something is liquid does not make it cash. For instance, older high yield Ibonds are cashable but who would cash them when they are excellent long term holds? So for me, they are not cash and represent 7% of the portfolio.

I personally only think short term CD's are cash. A 5 year CD is a bet on interest rates. Sure you can take the early withdrawal penalty but will you time it right or will you take a bit of a hit before cashing out? To me it is not the same as 3 month Tbills or savings accounts. A minor point, I admit.
Lsbcal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 07:14 PM   #19
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: 38,008
In spite of our multi-year expenses cash buffer, cash set aside earmarked for other near-term spending purposes, and allowing unspent withdrawn funds to accumulate in cash each year, we are just under 10% in cash compared to our total investable assets.

It drops down to just a little over 8% if I take out cash from some recent company stock sales that I plan to reinvest in equities longer term.

It drops almost another 3% if I take out iBonds and CDs > 1 year from maturity. I have been counting these as cash inside my retirement portfolio.

So - maybe the answer is about 5.5%. Somewhere between 5.5% and 9.75% (or 8.25%).

I have another 5% of investable assets in short-term bond funds, but I don't count those as cash.

Frankly, I would have more in short-term bond funds and less in cash if I felt the risk reward ratio was better. But short-term bond funds don't compete that well against high-yield cash and short-term CDs these days, and I won't touch ultra-short term bond funds.

Retired. When I was working in accumulation mode I was almost 100% equities, most of it company stock, with an emergency fund in cash and a mortgage which I paid off about 3 years before retiring.
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
audreyh1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2016, 08:15 PM   #20
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: North
Posts: 4,031
Well at first I didn't include the emergency fund and voted >5 but it's actually around 8.5% with the Emergency Fund. My DW debates that I won't retire for another 20, I give it 15 more yrs as my sig states in 2031. Why work once you have <3Mil?
__________________
Time > $$$ ~ 100% equities ~ FIRE @2031
kgtest 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
Top One Percent? Half a Percent? Tenth of a Percent? medved FIRE and Money 153 06-21-2016 01:02 AM
Your invested assets: taxable vs TIRA/401k vs Roths haha FIRE and Money 119 02-01-2014 08:09 PM
Poll:Have $5 million invested assets? haha FIRE and Money 71 07-25-2013 11:57 AM
Poll: How are your fixed income assets invested? Midpack FIRE and Money 37 02-07-2012 01:56 PM
Poll:For retirees- what is your cash income as % of (.04*Invested Assets) haha FIRE and Money 16 11-25-2010 10:50 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:01 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.