First Portfolio

SlowHabit · #1 03-22-2007, 03:40 AM

Get these from Vanguard while you learn more:

45% Total Stock Market
50% Total International
5% REITs

Trencherman · #2 03-22-2007, 04:12 AM

Jeff, what alternatives to DODFX have you considered? I assume the Fidelity Spartan International Index Fund (FSIIX, ER 0.10%) was high on your list? For international index funds, it and the Vanguard ETF offerings VGK (Euro) and VPL (Pac) (ER 0.18%) seem highly regarded.

Jeff W · #3 03-22-2007, 04:30 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Jeff, what alternatives to DODFX have you considered? I assume the Fidelity Spartan International Index Fund (FSIIX, ER 0.10%) was high on your list? For international index funds, it and the Vanguard ETF offerings VGK (Euro) and VPL (Pac) (ER 0.18%) seem highly regarded.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I mentioned all those in this post. I'm not sure what I'm going to go with, but I'll probably just gamble with DODFX. I don't really know how to pick the best one--nor do I see how I can possibly figure out which one is best EV.

I just wish there were so many good options for small cap international. Hell, ditto for small cap domestic.

Jeff W · #4 03-22-2007, 04:36 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Get these from Vanguard while you learn more:

45% Total Stock Market
50% Total International
5% REITs

[/ QUOTE ]

I shouldn't buy REITs for a taxable account, yes? Taxes add effectively 2% ER there(for the Vanguard fund last 10 years).

I'm tempted to do some KISS allocation like that, but I figure I should just bite the bullet and pick an allocation in the next day or so. I've already done 30 hours of research or so the last few days and I'm just not sure how much more I have to gain by further research(aside from some nuances like bid-ask spreads for ETF and tax loss harvesting). The research is really distracting me from my poker.

I'm leaning towards the allocation I posted in the other thread here possibly with DODFX in place of FSIIX. Alternately, I'll do something simple with primarily Vanguard funds even the probably suboptimal smallcap and value funds, possibly with DLS (International Small Value ETF) and DODFX for International Large Value.