401k Choices and investments

**tripods68** · 12-30-2016, 12:58 PM

That's a lot. We have 16 funds between myself and wife employer sponsored retirement plan.

We started consolidating few years ago, cut down from 22 down to 16, but i'm also looking to cut down this further 6-10 funds when we rebalance next year. They all carry cost as individual fund eats so much any potential return.

Our Vanguard brokerage account is the only one we used, and 1 bank.

**MooseBucks** · 12-30-2016, 12:59 PM

Originally posted by LivingAlmostLarge View Post

I am trying to right now clean up our accounts we have so much overlap and we've been really bad lately just throwing money into anything.

I also want to streamline everything to one place. We have fidelity, TD ameritrade, Firstrade, sharebuilder, and capitol one and bank of america. I'm feeling stressed out.

If anyone wants to suggest a company to consolidate I appreciate it.

I've used Sharebuilder and Merrill Edge/Bank of America. I liked Sharebuilder when I used to have free trades and now I like Merrill Edge because of my free trades.

Henry

**LivingAlmostLarge** · 12-30-2016, 01:04 PM

I'm going to post everything later when I figure out where everything is. It's awful. We've been really bad lately.

**AnotherReader** · 12-30-2016, 02:05 PM

Fidelity for the choices, the low fee offerings in funds and ETF's, the website, and the customer service.

**Jluke** · 12-30-2016, 02:16 PM

If you believe in the bogleheads way you need these types of funds below. The key is to know the Expense Rate.

1a. Total stock market (if available)

OR

1b. S&P 500 (81%), mid cap (11%), small cap (9%) to mimic a total stock fund.

2. international (optional)

3. Bond fund

Any other funds and you're not really diversifying; you're tilting.

**scfr** · 12-30-2016, 02:44 PM

Vanguard earned my loyalty many, many years ago and has not done anything to lose it.

**Petunia 100** · 12-30-2016, 06:38 PM

Originally posted by LivingAlmostLarge View Post

I also want to streamline everything to one place. We have fidelity, TD ameritrade, Firstrade, sharebuilder, and capitol one and bank of america. I'm feeling stressed out.

If anyone wants to suggest a company to consolidate I appreciate it.

Which of the companies you currently use suits your needs best? Consolidate with that one.

**Jluke** · 12-30-2016, 08:22 PM

Originally posted by LivingAlmostLarge View Post

I also want to streamline everything to one place. We have fidelity, TD ameritrade, Firstrade, sharebuilder, and capitol one and bank of america. I'm feeling stressed out.

If anyone wants to suggest a company to consolidate I appreciate it.

my setup is: credit union for banking; CapOne360 Savings and Sharebuilder for taxable and Roth; fidelity for 401k.

pros to sharebuilder: I can buy partial shares on Tuesdays ($3.95 per trade), which makes it easy when I just want to invest $500 to a fund (I put it at $504 to cover the transaction cost). very easy to invest all the $5500 Roth contribution. Immediate transfers from CapOne to Sharebuilder; so cash isn't sitting in a brokerage account money market that has fees.

cons to sharebuilder: no free trades that I'm aware of other than they give you one for your birthday and I got a few other free trades this year b/c of website glitches. No access to admiral shares of vanguard funds. If I wanted to transfer in kind to vanguard or fidelity, I believe the partial shares would be a headache for them, but it's manageable somehow.

otherwise fidelity or vanguard seem to be the go to's for investing. If you invest in their funds, the transactions are usually free. currently buying ITOT in my wife's fidelity account (Roth) with no fees.

not sure that will help at all, but figured I'd say something.

**Nutria** · 12-30-2016, 09:02 PM

He's in 50% VITFX, 25% VIEIX, 25% VINIX.

VITFX: Target Retirement 2035 Fund

80% Broad US and international equity funds
20% Broad US and international bond funds

VIEIX: Extended Market Index Fund

"about 3,000 stocks ... full exposure to the mid- and small-cap markets"
"a complement to Vanguard 500 Index Fund. Together they provide exposure to the entire U.S. equity market."

VINIX: Standard & Poor�s 500

Thus, he's 90% equities and 10% bonds, with a good deal of overlap between VITFX and VINIX.

I'd control the equity:bond ratio myself by converting some of VITFX into VIEIX+VINIX and the rest into a short-term bond fund.

**feh** · 01-01-2017, 05:09 AM

Originally posted by LivingAlmostLarge View Post

If anyone wants to suggest a company to consolidate I appreciate it.

Fido or Vanguard. Since you already have a Fido account, that may be simplest.

401k Choices and investments