Re: ability to move money around funds

I agree with you 100%.

Re: volatility

You already have that option, but you have to pay for it like everyone else. Is that the objection having to pay for it??

Re: volatility

2210, so you want HR to provide financial advice? Is that so you can blame someone when you don't get what you want? I don't think that it is the responsibilty of HR or anyone else in Federal service to give you financial advice. Go pay for the service.

Re: volatility

gs2210, from your logic we have to assume that you also want finance personnel to give you HR advice.

Re: volatility

Actually, the benefit that gs-2210 is referring is (providing free/subsidized access to financial planners) is becoming a common fringe benefit in corporate America. In the past, the company/employer invested money on behalf of the employees, using financial planner-type expertise to do so. Now, with the investment being made by the employee individually, the access to financial planning advice is lost. The trend in employee benefits has been to recognize that loss by the employee and restore the benefit by discounts prices at commercial financial planning services. No one is suggesting that the HR staff of the organization provide the advice (not part of our skill set), but instead that it be purchased from outside vendors.

The USG usually leads on benefits issues. In this case, it is falling behind.

Re: IGNORANCE LOVES COMPANY

Do your insulting, arrogant remarks make you feel superior and all better now? People make their own choices about their retirement funds, for different reasons. As of Monday the I fund was down almost 45%. What if I had all my retirement money invested in the I fund. And what if I was planning to retire at the end of this year. I wouldn't have much more than HALF of what I've saved and earned in a better market to retire on. How many years do you think it would take, once the market turns, to recoup huge losses? Is it hurting you personally in any way that these "mindless drones" are making different choices about their retirement funds than you are?

Re: IGNORANCE LOVES COMPANY

The concept is simple. The execution has been proven to be impossible. Since we can not predict the future, how do you know you are buying and selling at the correct time?

Plus, by moving your money around a lot, you are missing out on big market upswings. Those upswings happen infrequently and only 2 or 3 times a year. If you miss them, you rate of return is cut drasticly.

Buy and hold is the only strategy that gets close to market rates. Thats one of the reasons that 95% off all actively traded funds don't match the market (index funds).

Re: IGNORANCE LOVES COMPANY

Here's the problem with your thinking. No one - and I mean no one - even those PhDs who study the markets full-time with the most sophisticated mathematical models can accurately and consistently predict when the markets will go up and down. A few can be lucky in a pick once or twice - but none - none will do it consistently over long periods of time. Think about it - if you could reliably market time the market's ups and downs you would have more money than God. Many try--all eventually fail. Man simply cannot predict the market direction reliably over extended periods of time. What to do? Dollar cost average and slowly adjust asset allocation to bonds ("G" and "F") - very slowly- as you get older. At age 65 you should stand put at a 40/60 stock/bond allocation for the rest of your life. This is simple and it works -- but it's not at all fansy. It's even boring but it works. Have 30+ working years - this approach will make you a multi-millionaire. Forget your market timing.

Re: IGNORANCE LOVES COMPANY

It actualy makes a huge difference. The herd pushes all the money out of the stock market at a huge loss and that in turn leaves less money in the market for the investors to invest our money with. If employees have left their money in the I fund until it is to late then there is no reason to take it out now and put it back in when it is high again. $30 high-$15 low=$15 difference on the positive side. $15 low-$30=$15 diffenence on the negative side. I fund setting at $15 and employee was unlucky enough to have not wartched the market and taken it out at $30 a share, then why take it out of the I fund at $15 and put in the G fund for a certain loss to never go up any more than the value of a government bond.
There are many published magazines and newspapers that can be subsribed to that are usually correct to a certain percentage of what will happen within the next week or month. The good ones cost around $275 a year. Well worth it to be active in ones own retirement.

Re: IGNORANCE LOVES COMPANY

So, there are magazines that hold the secret to the market (and unlimited wealth) for only $275 a year?

How come everyone is not using them? I mean, its free money, right? Guaranteed to win?

Re: IGNORANCE LOVES COMPANY

Because employees are torn between buying a six pack and paying for their future.