10 year VWIAX:
Something about drops: if you have the stomach for it and can bull your way through, a drop is a perfect time to buy. The fund's per share price drops, you buy it at the low point, the dividends start coming back in, profit. OTOH if there's a drop, you freak and sell well you just turned a paper loss into a real one.
I was told they could possibly wire transfer the money from SunTrust to vanguard. I would have my account set up with vanguard prior so the money goes directly into the funds I've chosen and the % I want.
I don't mind when the markets take a dump as long as they bounce back before I retire. In '08 I saw my 401k lose 30k but didn't panic and kept money where it was and continued contributing. My money rebound and then some.
I opened my Vanguard with a QDRO (Qualifying Domestic Relation Order) so I had an account to drop it in immediately. Not sure of the non-QDRO mechanism.
The VWIAX is an Admiral fund so it has a minimum dollar amount required to start it. The QDRO wasn't enough so I started with the VWELX that is a step below the Admiral fund, the only real difference is the fees are higher, .026% vs .018%. Same stocks/bonds/etc. but you can start with $3k. It parallels the VWIAX or VWENX which both need $50k to start.
wbjones
UltimaDork
8/23/14 12:56 p.m.
as Curmudgeion has said (and you also) Vanguard is highly thought of …
but FWIW my American fund is growing faster than I'm taking it out …
Hal
SuperDork
8/23/14 2:11 p.m.
@wbjones: American Funds has many different funds. Which one are you using? I have money in two of their funds and they are both doing well.
Free John Corzine!!! Oh, wait....
For the OP: Take the 401K, roll it into a conventional IRA at the broker of your choice.
Read an interesting article the other day on that insurance our stock brokers carry for our accounts. You know, the "your funds are protected up to X million dollars..." stuff. Turns out that the insurance costs the brokerage something like $150. Yeah, a bill and a half. Not per account, per brokerage. They write a check for a bill and a half and all their clients are insured for x billion or million or whatever dollars. Think that insurance is worth anything? MF Global had that insurance. They "found" a loophole and didn't pay the clients a penny. Not that there was a penny to pay out anyway, much less almost a billion. Under oath, I believe Corzine described the client's money as "vaporized" when asked where it went. Corzine, of course, was a big bundler for our current president. I'm sure that's not the reason he is still walking free after "vaporizing" a billion dollars.
wbjones
UltimaDork
8/23/14 3:17 p.m.
Hal wrote:
@wbjones: American Funds has many different funds. Which one are you using? I have money in two of their funds and they are both doing well.
yes they have several different funds just like Vanguard
I have a Roth fund (from which I'm drawing now) and a regular IRA
the Roth is the American Funds …. an equally weighted investment between
Investment Company of America (AIVSX), and the Growth Fund of America (AGTHX)
Hal
SuperDork
8/25/14 9:05 p.m.
wbjones wrote:
Investment Company of America (AIVSX), and the Growth Fund of America (AGTHX)
I just started in March with AIVSX and ABALX and am already up 5 1/2% so I am very pleased.