Search:

Custom Search

Readers' Comments

Total Comments: 24
Page 2 of 3

« Previous | Next »

Has Your TSP Hit Bottom Yet?

School of Hard Money/Knocks

engineer
Air Force
Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:34 PM

Post Reply

Which is the better way to do it? Figure out what is happening and prepare for it, or let it happen and then look around and try to recover. Your losses are locked in regardless of what you do or don't do. The question now is will you lose more, stay the same, or gain by doing nothing or doing something? How much more will you lose before you change?

We are no longer condemned to the old techniques of buy and hold because of the information revolution. But you have to find the information and understand it. You need to daily check the news, weather, sports, and stock market.

The magnitude of these events is easily comparable to the stock market crash of 1929. Our hope is that we understand the economic dynamics better and the impact will be less severe, but we are taking a major unprecedented risk in the amount of global debt thrown at the problem. The debtor is servant to the lender. Who is our new master?

Has Your TSP Hit Bottom Yet?

Operations Officer
USAF
Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:15 PM

Post Reply

I have 10 years until I can retire from civil service. I have recently stop funding my L2030 fund and am now funding 100% in the S fund until it reaches about $24 again.

Re: Has Your TSP Hit Bottom Yet?

Tomato Grower
Oaklandon Road
Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:02 AM
Hey Bud--

You are defeating the purpose of those type of funds. Those are set it and forget it funds. When you chose them you shoulda knowed.

Re: Has Your TSP Hit Bottom Yet?

Letter Carrier
USPS
Wed Dec 24, 2008 3:15 AM
1. You should be in 2020 (in theory) considering you have 10 years until retirement. Instead of 2030.

2. Now is the time to be in G Fund. S Fund strategy is not good for 2008/2009. Buy low and sell high. The problem is market volatility. If I understand you correctly you want to buy low and sell high but this market has peaks and valleys. It will not work.

Everyone

Supervisor
MEDCOM
Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:06 AM

Post Reply

I plan, currently, to retire under CSRS May 2010 with 40 plus years. The only reason I have TSP is for taxes - lowering my income. I have seen my 10% contribution eacy pay period vanishing and my balance dwindling. Is it really worth my money to keep TSP?????? Mucho thanks.

My Decision.....

UR/QM
MEDVAMC
Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:57 AM

Post Reply

I try to ask myself, "What is going to hurt me more, jumping back into stocks and them going down even more, or sitting tight for now and missing out on a possible rebound...?" I easily decided to stay put, safely in the G fund!

Better advice this time

Electronics Engineer
FCC
Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:21 AM

Post Reply

This is a better article by Mr. Smith that his previous ones. He has pointed out some general truths. The most important one is that you can't know when the market bottom was until after the fact. What he didn't say is that then, when the market bottom is clearly in your rear view mirror, and the trend is upward, is when you should buy. But not now. Not yet. I see so many people posting the idea that, hey, the TSP stock funds are really low now, they are on sale, they are cheap, they couldn't possibly go any lower than this, etc etc. Folks were posting that kind of stuff last August and now where are they? Fact is, the trends (long-term [meaning years] and short term [meaning weeks]) are still downward, as of today, and until that changes, folks should stay in the G Fund. It's not exciting (the G Fund), but an investor just can't afford to take a huge hit when there is a good alternative.

when to buy back into the market

Electrician
DOD
Sat Nov 1, 2008 12:44 PM

Post Reply

What makes buying back into the market more difficult for us government employees is you don't know when the "buy" will actually take place. It takes "up to 2 days" before the "buy" is completed. In that amount of time, the market can move substantualy one way or the other, definately altering the direction for your portfolio.
I would like to see a system implemented that would have the "buy" take place in a matter of minutes, rather than days!!

Re: when to buy back into the market

engineer
DoD
Wed Nov 5, 2008 8:51 PM
I put in a request to transfer fund from C to G before 12:00 pm ET, only 1 percent of the fund was executed on the same day, the rest was executed on the next day which the stock market went down dramatically. Why was my fund split and executed in two different days? TSP transfer does not work in our favor.

TSP

souvanno
US Army
Thu Nov 6, 2008 12:56 PM

Post Reply

I am glad, I transfered my balance to G, and F in Feb-2008, I did not lost much, and I still maintain my monthly allocation and adjusted to more on C, S than I fund. And now I has been slowly transfering from G back to C, S, and I. Am I doing it rigth?

Re: TSP

logistician
USA
Sat Nov 8, 2008 2:05 AM
Any body, is this the right time to start transfering money slowly from G to C,S,I?

Re: TSP

IT
DoD
Tue Nov 11, 2008 3:25 PM
The unemployment rate is increasing and the stock market can't rally on good news. This suggests that it will probably be a while before the market bottom. Who knows how low the stock market goes. I would buy on the way up not on the way down. Cash is king for now.
Total Comments: 24
Page 2 of 3

« Previous | Next »

Add a Comment about this Article

** All fields are required.
Note: Your comments will not show up right away. FedSmith.com selects the most insightful comments from our readers for posting. If selected, your comments will show up in the comments section after they have been reviewed and approved. See our terms of use for more information.