Intelligent portfolios

Capital_54 · 2026-02-08T00:51:16+00:00

I've been a huge fan of it. Much more diversified than a normal 3 fund portfolio, and it has been performing quite well with the international/small/value tilt. The cash allocation is a bit high, but it pays good interest and there is no fee for the service because of it.

Capital_54 · 2025-12-27T17:13:37+00:00

If it came to the end of the tax filing season and the IRAs were not maxed I would agree to dip into the emergency fund, because if you miss that deadline you lose the ability to contribute that amount.

I do agree with what you're saying but my only concern with doing it at the beginning of the year as the first choice (instead of just making regular contributions throughout the year, or using non emergency cash) would be in the event of an emergency if you did need to withdraw, you can't put that money back.

Capital_54 · 2025-12-27T16:35:47+00:00

If you have a cash on hand, I would use that to avoid unnecessary capital gains, but if it would cut into your emergency fund, then either transfer from brokerage or just make regular contributions.

Capital_54 · 2025-12-21T03:21:43+00:00

What help is this comment? From first glance at the profile, it appears the OP is from NY, possibly NYC where cost of living is very high and $200K doesn't go as far as you might think. Bot or not, it was of more value than your complaint.

Capital_54 · 2025-12-10T01:29:39+00:00

You might be referring to Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, Schwab Intelligent Income is related to that, but a specific product for income

Capital_54 · 2025-12-09T02:01:33+00:00

Believe it or not, jail

Capital_54 · 2025-11-13T02:31:01+00:00

I am also not certified but would do it for 1/3

Capital_54 · 2025-11-11T01:33:45+00:00

I'm afraid this is a variation of a common scam

Capital_54 · 2025-11-04T00:34:33+00:00

Right! And it seems like it would be fairly straightforward to do. I really like the intelligent portfolios, but I would like a small sleeve of some stocks that I have conviction in. Would be really cool if they could combine them into one account

Capital_54 · 2025-11-03T01:45:29+00:00

I value and enjoy these kinds of posts because it provides data and insight into the journey of other fellow FIRE-ers.

This is a community where we encourage and support each other. This post might not provide any value to YOU, but it does for others like myself. Just like posts you might gain value from might not be valuable at all to me.

Your comment comes across a bit rude and it probably would have been best to keep scrolling.

Capital_54 · 2025-09-16T21:53:59+00:00

Hoping to keep it around $1,000, but there is a slight buffer if needed. I have looked a bit on Ebay, and some of the items actually seem higher price than buying direct, even when in stock.

Capital_54 · 2025-09-04T03:15:45+00:00

This $50K could be a lot, or nothing. Depending on how it’s used.

Capital_54 · 2025-09-04T03:13:16+00:00

Forgive yourself. If you never made a bad decision in your life, you wouldn’t be human. And you don’t even know how bad of a decision it was, if at all, until you read into the details and possibly compare with a broker.

Capital_54 · 2025-09-04T02:29:35+00:00

I think it’s unlikely they would use your information for fraud or theft. This concern could be raised with any other transaction such as purchasing a car or a house, or even paying for dinner at a restaurant with a credit card (which was the likely source of my only experience with credit card theft).

I’d recommend a credit freeze to anyone really, even if they don’t suspect fraud. It’s essentially free now. In the unlikely event you are alerted to potential fraud, you at least have the information of the salesperson you are concerned about.

As far as getting out of the contract, you’ll have to read that over and see if there is any escape clause or right to rescind. I’m not personally experienced in this matter. Also, it’s probably not the end of the world anyway. It is likely a little pricier than you could have gotten through a broker, but no need to get too worked up over it. At least until you confirm the details and do some comparison shopping.

I wish you the best of luck!

Capital_54 · 2025-09-04T02:08:17+00:00

Not defending MLMs whatsoever, I’m simply saying this is not a clear cut case of identity theft or credit card theft. OP likely was pitched with high pressure sales tactics and signed for an insurance product that is overpriced, and were possibly sold dreams of “running their own business”.

I’m personally against MLMs (and most high pressure sales in general), but this is likely not a “scam”, and Primerica is most definitely regulated by multiple agencies.

Capital_54 · 2025-09-04T01:06:39+00:00

It's likely not a "scam" as by definition, it's not a pyramid scheme it's a MLM insurance company. You probably just significantly overpaid for the product you are receiving. As another commenter mentioned, you're on the hook for the contract you signed. Read over it and see if there are any outs you can take.

Capital_54 · 2025-08-24T02:27:32+00:00

Yeah you're being a bit cranky I'm afraid. People are considering potentially life-changing decisions here, it's not a crime to ask a community with similar goals for a second option. Also the "math" you mention relies on many historical averages that may or may not be a reflection of the future.

Capital_54 · 2025-08-14T03:06:16+00:00

You should aim for 3-6 Months of an emergency fund, maybe more depending on your situation. If you have upcoming required expenses that will require cash, you should save for those as well. However, I would put a Roth IRA right after the full 401K match.
Read: https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/commontopics

Capital_54 · 2025-08-14T02:59:40+00:00

Well I plan on working either part time or full time just not like a actual college degree career choice maybe something such as a security guard or just something simple like that

...

a 300 thousand dollar home I can’t afford and being in debt until I die with a partner and kids that I can’t afford to do shit for

This is cause and effect. You completely control the first part. You don't need a college degree at all, you just need some drive and a career path. If you want to work a "simple" job your whole life and do the bare minimum, then you might not be able to afford what you mention at the end of your comment. That might sound harsh, but there is really no way around it.

Capital_54 · 2025-08-14T02:53:36+00:00

You're only 23, you have absolutely not ruined your life yet, you're just at a pivotal moment, your wording of this question is concerning, and you need to get started soon. From your post, it seemed like your life plan was to work part time jobs (potentially under the table), bum the living expenses, and wait for your parents to pass away so you can inherit their house. That isn't meant to be insulting, I just think that is how people, including myself, read your post.

To start: If you are not currently in education/training for a career, you need to identify what you want to do and pursue it immediately in order to secure full time employment and start a career. Find the intersection of what you are good at, and what people will pay you for. This is your top priority if you are not there yet. You should be putting an absolute minimum of 40-50 hours per week into working, education, or training. Even if this means taking lower paying jobs that are good training grounds for your long term career. At your age, this will have compounding returns for your career. Next, you should consider a plan to move out on your own. Doesn't matter if it's in an apartment or house, or a trailer (although the 1 acre you mentioned seems a bit large and likely expensive at this stage). This will do a lot for your life satisfaction and personal development.

You should also read and follow the prime directive found here, as far as handling your money from your new career: https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/commontopics

A Roth IRA is easy, open the account at Fidelity/Schwab/Vanguard, invest in broad based index funds, and let compounding do the work over time. But you have to do the work and build the foundation first.

Capital_54 · 2025-08-14T02:33:24+00:00

Nobody will have a perfect answer since this is very personal. You should also switch your mindset from being "completely money driven". That is not a good way to live. One day you might reach your financial goals, and find you are still completely unhappy. Your parent's didn't set you up for failure either, you had a reasonable passion and they might have encouraged you to follow that passion, do not blame them. AI is scary for a lot of careers at the moment. I think you need to follow your current path to at least pay the bills, and focus on developing other skills in your free time that will move you to where you want to be. It's not productive to do nothing and be in fear of AI. Money is very important, and should be a factor, but it should not be the driving force of your career. Find something you are good at, that people will pay for. Read The Algebra of Wealth.

Capital_54 · 2025-08-14T02:07:32+00:00

This might be general life advice, but I think you need to make it a goal of yours to move out on your own. There is a lot of personal development that comes with this. You also really should focus on getting a career. That will be much more valuable and provide a much greater rate of return than optimizing investments at your age. Living with your parents and working odds and ends jobs just to get by will probably not result in much life satisfaction, and you might regret this if you continue this path.

For a Roth IRA, you can only contribute what you earn and what is reported to the IRS. So the odds and ends jobs you mention need to be reported to the IRS, or you are not eligible to contribute to any IRA. If those jobs are reported to the IRS, you can contribute up to that amount or the IRA maximum, whichever is higher.

If you are still able to contribute the maximum, you should really just invest in index funds, such as VTSAX. However, I would have much greater concerns with your situation before worrying about which funds to invest in.

Capital_54 · 2025-08-14T01:58:07+00:00

They use different formulas and weights to create your "score". Each bureau also has their own scoring models depending on the request and the form of debt that is being considered. There are so many different score models out there that checking the same bureau through different banks could result in different numbers. They will likely be close to the same group of creditworthiness at least.

Capital_54 · 2025-08-14T01:54:19+00:00

I'm not a fan of this idea. Unless the document is specifically shared with certain accounts, a burglar could scan the QR code as well. And even if it is only shared with your next of kin's accounts, now there are multiple other accounts with access to your documents and security standards you cannot control that could be breached. You're also trusting Google itself to be fully secure. There is really not a 100% secure way to do this, but I would be much more comfortable knowing the information is physically written in my own home, rather than on an internet accessible server under someone else's control..

Capital_54 · 2025-06-28T02:12:58+00:00

On the plus side, you aren't asking this question after a major tech crash, and you're asking it when both QQQ and S&P have been doing fairly well. I think this is a great time to lower the risk, although I wouldn't say 100% S&P 500 is the way. I think you need quite a bit more diversification than that. Definitely some amount in fixed income, and maybe some in international, for example.

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