Recent content by amfox1

I have done this same trade also, for the same reason.

since mid-2011 - 2.26% annualized since early-2012 - 1.87% annualized since early-2013 - 1.49% annualized since early-2014 - 1.71% annualized (includes 0.2% fixed) These investments are guaranteed and the interest may be tax-deferred at your option (Federal only - no state tax is imposed). To...

True, but DW and I are buying our $10k per year each and getting another $5k as a tax refund, so we are creating our little I bond ladder. We're up to $90k of bonds in four years. At a minimum, we'd like to accumulate ten years' worth of bonds and then review.

I do a mini tax return projection for the current year and the following year (rolling over each year). However, in my spreadsheet projection (which covers nearly 50 years), I estimate taxes at 20% of funds withdrawn from our IRAs. This will obviously get refined as time goes on, but seems...

Approximately 75% of our dividends we're qualified dividends in 2012 and 2013. We have a large carryover loss, so none of our capital gains are taxed under federal law. Sent from my VS980 4G using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

A number of my puts are tied up in long-term trades, as opposed to opportunistic short-term trades. For instance, I have sold long-term puts in three stocks to finance long-term call spreads in three stocks which I believed, when made, were near a bottom. I can only do spreads in my taxable...

Other than the VIX rule, I use cash-secured puts in much the same way as clifp, albeit only in taxable accounts. Sent from my VS980 4G using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

IBM looks like it's going to test the same 172-173 range it tested in October and December.

Non-equity portion is approx. 45.6%, as follows: 6.0% Cash/Money Markets 2.0% I-bonds (currently yielding 1.18% annualized) 7.2% VG short term corporate bond ETF (SEC 30-day yield 1.42%) 2.3% VG limited term tax exempt fund (SEC 30-day yield 0.88%) 4.7% VG intermediate term tax exempt fund...

Age 46. 54.5/45.5 as of today. Ideally, we'd like to be at 63/37.

You would need to fill out a Fidelity Options Application to add options trading privileges. Fidelity retirement accounts are eligible only for the following strategies: – Writing covered calls on equity options – Buying calls/puts on index, interest rate index, and equity options – Buying...

I think $55-60 within a year looks doable. A 2016 35 call at $12.70 would then be worth $20.70-25.70 (profit of $800-1300 per option, or 65-100% return). One alternative is to buy the stock at $47, collect four quarters of dividends ($2.25) and sell covered calls quarterly at 8% annualized...

While DLR is on my radar, I have not yet been tempted to bite. It looks like a value trap. Concerns about the wholesale data center space becoming more competitive are putting a ceiling on FFO estimates for the next year. I might bite closer to $45. I just sold IBM actually at $180 (it was a...

Sold the last of my Intel today for a small profit.

There's no real magic. Save aggressively, invest for the long term and get a little lucky. Two good years for the markets coincided with my two best earning years.