Picked a bad week to move funds :(

[dixonge]

After a little experiment with Motif for investing, I'm moving 2 IRA accounts and our main taxable account back to Schwab. Had to sell everything in the main account and am waiting for the funds to settle so I can transfer it over. So I'm 2/3 in cash watching the market skyrocket. *OF COURSE* it does this on this week.

*sigh*

 

[Montecfo]

Yes that is unfortunate. I wonder why you had to sell? I have transferred funds in-kind except from 401(k)'s.

Having said that, you just might wait and see if NKorea continues to heat up, or if the government gets shut down. Could get a selloff then.

I did some rearranging this week also, but it was with bond funds. I think i come out a bit but these of course are not volatile. Like you, I wanted to get more money into the market but will tiptoe in with those funds, hopefully after a selloff per above.

 

[DrRoy]

I hate it when that happens.

 

[Golden sunsets]

I had something similar happen when I did a partial 401K rollover to my IRA last year. It totally wiped out the $1,000 bonus (by a factor of 10) I earned for the transfer. When I did the final Rollover closing out the 401K earlier this year and earned a similar bonus I arranged for an "In Kind" rollover. It felt like pulling teeth though to get the institutions to make this happen.

 

[CardsFan]

Sometimes it does work the other way. I had a co-worker who was retiring just before the recent recession. All of her 401k was sitting in a MM fund, waiting to be re-invested, when the markets went crazy. Not sure if/when she got back in.

 

[Fedup]

It reminds me of when I transferred from my 401k to Vanguard IRA. Feb 11, 2016 was the lowest point. The money got into Vanguard Feb 11 but sitting on money market. So I couldn't do anything. When I finally could do anything it was up. Arghh!

 

[joeea]

Had to sell everything in the main account and am waiting for the funds to settle so I can transfer it over. So I'm 2/3 in cash watching the market skyrocket. *OF COURSE* it does this on this week

It happens. And it's not much of a skyrocket this week.

But in a year, you'll look back and won't even notice this little blip.

 

[jazz4cash]

Where'a the thread with details on the experiment with Motif? Hoping you're willing to share the experience.

 

[dixonge]

Where'a the thread with details on the experiment with Motif? Hoping you're willing to share the experience.

Haven't written anything about that. I kinda like the idea of it, the ease of rebalancing. But unless you rebalance your entire portfolio quarterly I'm not sure if it saves you money. Perhaps if your portfolio is larger than mine. They have interesting products, and I guess if you use those services the monthly flat rates beat paying for every trade individually. Definitely nothing there for a buy-and-hold indexer.

And the more social aspects are rather klunky and not something I care that much about. So it was interesting, but not something I need.

 

[dixonge]

Yes that is unfortunate. I wonder why you had to sell? I have transferred funds in-kind except from 401(k)'s.

The IRA's are transferring directly, no selling required. My taxable account - I don't know if I had that option to begin with, on either broker. If I did, it would probably have involved dealing with people over the phone, which I hate. So I am bitching about it, but I'm not really particularly upset.

[EDIT] looks like I *could* have transferred the whole account, staying invested the whole time. *sigh*

 

[erkevin]

IMHO this run-up is emotional-based. It is going to come down very soon!

 

[Fedup]

You need to pray for that Whee sound.

 

[dixonge]

Funds settled, transfer initiated. So by Thursday...............wheee?

 

[easysurfer]

IMHO this run-up is emotional-based. It is going to come down very soon!

Also, some folks follow the sell in may and go away strategy.

 

[street]

I can feel your pain and hope all funds recover for you. I have had some of that myself through the years. Now I do nothing and has served me well.

 

[CaptTom]

 

[hsmom4]

We did the same thing this week. Moved the kids 529s from stocks to bonds/money market accounts. SMH. The market volatility had me worried, but sadly, I'm not sleeping any better, watching stocks go up.

 

[kaneohe]

Can you do it a number of smaller chunks next time? That will you will be less subject to
a short time market performance but should be more likely to average things out.

 

[tmm99]

Something similar happened to me too but in my case, the transfer of my money was from Fidelity US and to a brokerage firm in Canada. The Fidelity's check never got to Canada, so Fidelity had to do another transfer. The whole thing ended up taking over two months and you know a lot can happen in the market in two months. That was over 1.5 years ago and the numbers look very good now so in the long run, this will most likely be just a small blip in your radar.

 

[Fedup]

You got a very tiny whee today.

 

[karen1972]

I just moved my parents money. I told them at the end of the day i planned to dollar cost average in this year as I don't have a crystal ball and I assume it will work out, ie ups/downs, long term its a wash.

now my parents had a terrible investment, so by investing just 1/12th of it, they are up $225 over what they would have had in their old investments.

Maybe an opportunity to relook at funds.. rebalance.. still opportunities for a win.

(And yes N Korea and everything else going on, made me stick with my 1/12th plan.. if it goes up and they loss some on the upswing is less painful than I put it all in and the market drops 15% next month.)