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Investment Thread - For all your money needs

On the topic of credit scores, I highly recommend CreditKarma (truly free credit score, in good standing with BBB, etc. I trust them with my info). Kinda like Mint (which I also use) but for credit.

I've got a 752. Considering I only have a 5-6 year credit history and nothing but a few credit cards I'm pretty happy with that.

I'm going to check this out. Thanks for the heads up. I'd rather not pay for this stuff.
 
I'm going to check this out. Thanks for the heads up. I'd rather not pay for this stuff.

+1, thanks for the info. I came across CreditKarma a few weeks ago and I wasn't sure if it could be trusted - especially since looking up your credit score usually involves your social security number. I ended up just signing up for a free trial at myfico.com since I was more comfortable with that.
 
+1, thanks for the info. I came across CreditKarma a few weeks ago and I wasn't sure if it could be trusted - especially since looking up your credit score usually involves your social security number. I ended up just signing up for a free trial at myfico.com since I was more comfortable with that.

My creditkarma score is significantly lower than my myfico equifax and transunion score.
 
Weird... I thought creditkarma would be higher? If I am recalling correctly, I thought it was not a FICO score but rather a FAKO score, which is on a slightly higher scale?

I'm not sure how much I'd trust CK anyway, but that's just me.
 
Weird... I thought creditkarma would be higher? If I am recalling correctly, I thought it was not a FICO score but rather a FAKO score, which is on a slightly higher scale?

I'm not sure how much I'd trust CK anyway, but that's just me.

Yeah, I'm not sure either. It was about 100 points lower.
 
Yea I guess I don't know for sure how they come up with their score. You do give them your social and stuff, but read up on them around the internet and I couldn't find one story of an identity theft or anything like that. The stuff they showed on the credit report part seemed pretty accurate based on what I've seen from the yearly free report from the three unions. It may not be perfect, but it's good enough for my purposes. Plus, it seems like it should at least be an easy/cheap way to monitor changes to your score over time.
 
Promising start to the market today. It's been a rough past 7 days or so.
 
yes it has.

anyone have any thought on vanguard precious metal index fund versus vanguard reit? i feel adequate with stock/bond funds.
 
I work for Vanguard, so I guess I'm biased. Vanguard funds come with no loads and low expense ratios. Most funds do require 3k, but you can get into the STAR for 1k which was already discussed. Also, Vanguard ETFs held through our company are commission-free for trading. I'm going to open up a Roth IRA once I get my funds completely in order.

yes it has.

anyone have any thought on vanguard precious metal index fund versus vanguard reit? i feel adequate with stock/bond funds.

I wish corgasm would revisit this thread for both of our sakes.
 
OK. Roth IRA or Traditional? For background, I will be getting married in summer of 2012 and have no intentions of working more than 45 hours a week for any sustained period of time, excepting the past couple months but it really hasn't been by choice. Basically, a way of saying that I don't think I'm in danger of hitting any sort of income ceiling for any type of retirement account.
 
OK. Roth IRA or Traditional? For background, I will be getting married in summer of 2012 and have no intentions of working more than 45 hours a week for any sustained period of time, excepting the past couple months but it really hasn't been by choice. Basically, a way of saying that I don't think I'm in danger of hitting any sort of income ceiling for any type of retirement account.

Max out your traditional IRA and put whats left in the Roth?

I'm pretty sure that is the strategy.
 
I wish corgasm would revisit this thread for both of our sakes.

not to be an ass, but they are both index products so I doubt corgasm has any more insight that just about anyone else.
 
Max out your traditional IRA and put whats left in the Roth?

I'm pretty sure that is the strategy.

opposite. if you have a company 401k you should take advantage up to the full match. beyond that put any leftovers in roth. a taxed dollar that goes into a roth will never be taxed again no matter how big it grows.
 
opposite. if you have a company 401k you should take advantage up to the full match. beyond that put any leftovers in roth. a taxed dollar that goes into a roth will never be taxed again no matter how big it grows.

Ugh, I always mix up IRA and 401k. This is what I meant.
 
opposite. if you have a company 401k you should take advantage up to the full match. beyond that put any leftovers in roth. a taxed dollar that goes into a roth will never be taxed again no matter how big it grows.

This.

Max out Roth IRA each year ($5k for single) if possible. You can contribute for the prior year's tax year up until April 15th of the following year, in case that helps.
 
opposite. if you have a company 401k you should take advantage up to the full match. beyond that put any leftovers in roth. a taxed dollar that goes into a roth will never be taxed again no matter how big it grows.

Negative (although that will be changing at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later). So Roth all the way for me and TeacherFianceeDeac? Well, me. She has some sort of retirement thing through teachering that I would think should be maxed out first, unless it's a defined contribution thing.
 
this morning's gains have been taken back. today's a wash.
 
Negative (although that will be changing at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later). So Roth all the way for me and TeacherFianceeDeac? Well, me. She has some sort of retirement thing through teachering that I would think should be maxed out first, unless it's a defined contribution thing.

Yes, do the Roth for you (full 5,000 if you can, and if you have savings you have until Monday to contribute for 2010). For the fiancee, as a teacher she maybe has a 403b? Find out what if any kind of matching there is and make sure she contributes enough for all of that free match, then go to a Roth for her. Chances are you guys aren't going to be able to put away more than $10K/year at this point in your careers anyway, so that should take care of you.

Here's why you want to put your money in a Roth rather than a traditional IRA. As was previously mentioned, any money you put in there now gets taxed now and never again. All of those capital gains are tax free. Really, though, the big thing is that right now you're probably in a 15 or 25% tax bracket. In theory, we all expect to be making more money later in life, resulting in being in a higher tax bracket. With a traditional IRA you'll be taxed on your withdrawls later in life at that higher tax rate, rather than your lower tax rate now.

So yea, go with the Roth.
 
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