need help with choosing ira fund

Looking to transfer three years of roth ira funds from cds to a a
mutual fund, that adjust by time. Looking for a 2040 or 2045 fund.
Looking for suggestions on what is best company to use.
Vanguard, fidelity, t rowe, etc. I will be adding all future contributions
to this one fund also. I need a fund, I cant be constantly concerned with,
and will be in for the long term.
Would like a good track record, company thats fair on expenses,
and good communications by web site, phone or mail.

Thanks to
all.

Re: need help with choosing ira fund

j.lef wrote:

> Looking to transfer three years of roth ira funds from cds to a a
> mutual fund, that adjust by time. Looking for a 2040 or 2045 fund.

And what's your risk tolerance? Let me rephrase that: How much are
you willing to send to me in cash?

> Looking for suggestions on what is best company to use.
> Vanguard, fidelity, t rowe, etc.

They're all fine. Vanguard is usually the cheapest, but Fidelity has
recently undercut them on some index funds.

> I will be adding all future contributions to this one fund also.

Aggressive: 100% stock index, maybe 65% domestic (Wilshire 5000), 35%
foreign (EAFE). Maybe.

Not so aggressive: 50-70% stock indexes, the rest split among REITs
and bonds.

> I need a fund, I cant be constantly concerned with,

See above.

> Would like a good track record,

Not as important as you'd think -- see evaluations of track records of
Morningstar 5-star funds and other highly rated funds. They tend to
become 2-3-star funds.

> company thats fair on expenses,

You mean cheap. Cheap is important. Cheap is good. Vanguard and
Fidelity can be very cheap.

> and good communications by web site, phone or mail.

The three you mentioned are all fine here.

Re: need help with choosing ira fund

fund.
>
> And what's your risk tolerance? Let me rephrase that: How much are
> you willing to send to me in cash?
>
By risk tolerance, I stated that I was looking for a 2045
type fund. Which means the risk will be greater now, and then automatically
adjust while the fund ages, and I age.

thanks.

Re: need help with choosing ira fund

Looks like there are 3 of them. Shouldn't take you much time to decide.









"j.lef" <> wrote in message
news:b36Te.842$
> Looking to transfer three years of roth ira funds from cds to a a
> mutual fund, that adjust by time. Looking for a 2040 or 2045 fund.
> Looking for suggestions on what is best company to use.
> Vanguard, fidelity, t rowe, etc. I will be adding all future
> contributions to this one fund also. I need a fund, I cant be constantly
> concerned with, and will be in for the long term.
> Would like a good track record, company thats fair on expenses,
> and good communications by web site, phone or mail.
>
> Thanks to
> all.
>

Re: need help with choosing ira fund

"j.lef" <> wrote in message
news:ZE9Te.14936$
> fund.
>>
>> And what's your risk tolerance? Let me rephrase that: How much are
>> you willing to send to me in cash?
>>
> By risk tolerance, I stated that I was looking for a
> 2045 type fund. Which means the risk will be greater now, and then
> automatically adjust while the fund ages, and I age.

They are different, I think TRP is the most aggressive but I'll let you
decide. See the link I provided above.

Re: need help with choosing ira fund

j.lef wrote:

> Looking to transfer three years of roth ira funds from
> cds to a a mutual fund, that adjust by time. Looking
> for a 2040 or 2045 fund.
>
> Looking for suggestions on what is best company to use.
> Vanguard, fidelity, t rowe, etc. I will be adding all
> future contributions to this one fund also. I need a
> fund, I cant be constantly concerned with, and will be
> in for the long term.
>
> Would like a good track record, company thats fair on
> expenses, and good communications by web site, phone or mail.

> > And what's your risk tolerance? Let me rephrase that:
> > How much are you willing to send to me in cash?

> By risk tolerance, I stated that I was looking for a 2045
> type fund. Which means the risk will be greater now, and
> then automatically adjust while the fund ages, and I age.

You gave your time horizon, not your risk tolerance. There are
20-year-olds who want nothing riskier than CDs for their retirement,
and there are 60-year-olds who feel fine with all their assets in
stocks. You didn't specify what kind of person you are, and the
lifestyle funds you mentioned come in different levels of
aggressiveness.

Re: need help with choosing ira fund

> You gave your time horizon, not your risk tolerance. There are
> 20-year-olds who want nothing riskier than CDs for their retirement,
> and there are 60-year-olds who feel fine with all their assets in
> stocks. You didn't specify what kind of person you are, and the
> lifestyle funds you mentioned come in different levels of
> aggressiveness.

I can tolerate risk. I am 25 years old, and thus want one
fund, to fund all my roth ira,s every year. That is why I am looking at
maybee the vanguard 2045 fund, which changes the allocation of investment as
the fund gets older. The expenses seem reasonable also. Am I making a
mistake in thinking I can keep funding all my roth ira,s into one fund such
as this? I have 15,000 worth of roth iras already, and looking to
consolidate them to one account, with one company, plus fund my 2005 also.
The lifestyle funds, at least at vanguard, from what I
understand, are stagnant funds, in that they dont change as the fund ages,
and keeps you at the same risk factor, for the entire term of the
investment, and thus needs a higher degree of care on the investor.
I tend to be away a lot, (courtesy of our uncle sam) and want
a fund that I will dcp directly on a monthly basis right out of my pay, till
my ira is maxed out for the year.
I also invest 15 percent of my income, directly taken
out of my payroll check, right now invested at a guaranteed 8.25 percent in
a deferred compensation plan.(457) The money is guaranteed to be paid 8.25
percent, with no expense fees. A pure 8.25, which I consider not to bad, in
a very varied market right now. But I can change this investment, anytime
with no charge at a click of the keyboard, to about ten or fifteen other
type of funds. But I think 8.25 percent, with absolutely no risk, is not a
bad investment at this time. Any comments on this.


Thanks
>

Re: need help with choosing ira fund

"j.lef" <> wrote

> I can tolerate risk. I am 25 years old, and thus want one
> fund, to fund all my roth ira,s every year. That is why I am looking at
> maybee the vanguard 2045 fund, which changes the allocation of investment
> as the fund gets older. The expenses seem reasonable also. Am I making a
> mistake in thinking I can keep funding all my roth ira,s into one fund
> such as this? I have 15,000 worth of roth iras already, and looking to
> consolidate them to one account, with one company, plus fund my 2005 also.

Vanguard 2045 is made up of 4 funds:
Total Stock Market Index 71%
European Stock Index 13%
Total Bond Index 11%
Pacific Stock Index 5%

The Pacific Stock Index is 75% Japan and considered to be in the Japan
category.
All the fund does is increase the percentage of bonds as the fund ages.

For my money I would much prefer Vanguard STAR. It uses 11 funds and while
it doesn't increase bonds as you age, it is more diversified.

If STAR doesn't appeal to you then look at Wellington. Let the manager and
not time decide how much of the fund should be allocated to bonds.


> The lifestyle funds, at least at vanguard, from what I
> understand, are stagnant funds, in that they dont change as the fund ages,
> and keeps you at the same risk factor, for the entire term of the
> investment, and thus needs a higher degree of care on the investor.
> I tend to be away a lot, (courtesy of our uncle sam) and
> want a fund that I will dcp directly on a monthly basis right out of my
> pay, till my ira is maxed out for the year.
> I also invest 15 percent of my income, directly taken
> out of my payroll check, right now invested at a guaranteed 8.25 percent
> in a deferred compensation plan.(457) The money is guaranteed to be paid
> 8.25 percent, with no expense fees. A pure 8.25, which I consider not to
> bad, in a very varied market right now. But I can change this investment,
> anytime with no charge at a click of the keyboard, to about ten or fifteen
> other type of funds. But I think 8.25 percent, with absolutely no risk, is
> not a bad investment at this time. Any comments on this.
>
>
> Thanks
>>
>
>