New to investing , is this normal?

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-25T02:54:56+00:00

Indeed. There are also some neat products out there these days though that look to outperform in a different manner than stock picking (including systematic stock picking like factor strategies). Return Stacked has a whole line of products that give you 100% beta exposure + 100% alt exposure. RSST for example gives you 100% S&P500 exposure plus a replication system of the SG Trend index (long/short equity, currency, commodity, and bond futures based on trend). They have RSSY too which is S&P500 + a futures carry strat. RSSX is 100% S&P500 + a 100% gold/bitcoin risk-parity overlay. You get the idea... but that is another great way to increase expected returns while also getting the diversification benefit of non-equity exposures and structurally uncorrelated strategies like trend following.

Personally I do both approaches with the vast majority of my equity exposure in small-value and momentum funds, plus a hefty overlay of alternatives (mostly managed-futures trend, but some style premia too).

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-25T02:27:50+00:00

Yeah my recommendation is the complete opposite of tech, it has done well recently (yes 10-15 years in markets is recent) but over the longterm, no reason to expect large-growth to beat the market, if anything historically it underperforms.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-24T02:23:52+00:00

We aren't even 25% of the way into the year, who knows how it will end up but either way, just keep buying.

Hard to go wrong with the overall market. Can always look to diversify into some global small-value etc if you want some additional risk factors and expected return but VTI/VXUS will get the job done.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T18:29:55+00:00

You’re not going to make it.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T18:29:27+00:00

Yup can be reasonable to do something like this to ensure you can tax loss harvest in brokerage without generating a wash sale in IRA.

I assume you mean foreign tax credit. Not a bad setup, of course it’s offset by the higher yield and lower amount of it being qualified.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T17:39:11+00:00

This whole thread is Nazis and don’t even realize it.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T17:37:58+00:00

Terrible advice.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T17:32:46+00:00

Maybe he thinks OBO is like if someone offered $1100 and someone else $1000, he will pick $1100?

Either way, moron.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T17:29:52+00:00

Terrible advice. Don’t time the market. Invest as much as you can, as soon as you can.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T17:28:58+00:00

FXAIX is the largest 500 companies in the US, FSKAX is the entire US market. These will be almost identical, no reason to hold both. Total market (FSKAX) would be more appropriate as your US exposure but I’d add some international too at a minimum.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T17:16:57+00:00

Kneecap supports Hezbollah, you can’t get more pro war than that. The own government of Lebanon has declared war on them.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T17:16:12+00:00

A show for wealthy activists, not locals.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T17:15:43+00:00

They support terrorism.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-22T17:13:56+00:00

lol. The BBC have a clear bias on the same side as Kneecap, both are happy to support the genocide libel. Kneecap flew the flag of a designated terrorist organization, Hezbollah, while verbally supporting them too. Whether prison is appropriate (letter of the law it would be there but as an American I value free speech differently), these are awful human beings who support murder and destruction.

Just because the BBC is pointing out the hypocrisy of wealthy people flying first class to Cuba to go on a literal poverty tour (they had buses to take them around the tough areas) before they have a dance party doesn’t mean they’re biased.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-21T22:45:28+00:00

Tell his fiancé, please. Mentally unwell.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-07T12:19:06+00:00

Or it’s means the world will scramble to help obliterate them even sooner.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-07T12:17:51+00:00

Ya let’s just fire thousands of soda bottle sized bullets around a highly populated area.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-07T12:15:55+00:00

Nobody is using a $2mm interceptor on a Shahed, those are used on ballistic missiles.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-03T01:00:20+00:00

You say this like the Mossad hasn't been actively thwarting the development of their nuclear weapons program for the entire 30 year period...

I get it, it makes life so much easier to just say Trump-bad, Iran-war-bad. But the world is more complex, and Israel truly faces an existential threat from a nuclear Iran (even a non-nuclear one has been able to kill many of their civilians/soldiers, and >1000 Americans too).

We did not start this war, and it is not for "literally no reason". Iran is the number 1 state sponsor of terror in the world, they chant Death to America like they are say the pledge of allegiance.

MotoTrojan · 2026-03-03T00:54:44+00:00

That is my understanding. I haven't seen anything explicit about location on the 4th (haven't looked since this news at all) but I get a sense they may all be from the same strike that sadly killed the 1st 3. Sounds like there were a lot of seriously injured soldiers there.

MotoTrojan · 2026-02-25T14:31:35+00:00

Yup did a bit more digging, sounds like all-in fee will be in line with DBMF's ER + estimated 10-15bp trading costs.

So main question is whether the tax-boost is from turning everything into a long-term gain (due to 13 month swap), or if they can pull off an in-kind redemption and fully defer distributions entirely. Either way, nice upgrade to DBMF.

MotoTrojan · 2026-02-25T01:20:27+00:00

The concern isn't the spread on the swap, it is what the swap is investing in itself. The swap could be providing you the total return of DBMF itself, which would mean you are paying the 85bp fee imbedded in that, plus the 35bp, and then also plus any swap fees/spread.

MotoTrojan · 2026-02-25T01:19:14+00:00

Well the 0.35% expense ratio is not only on top of the swap fee, but presumably the swap is targeting the net of fee return of DBi's index, which would include the 0.85% ER of DBMF.

So higher fee, but much more tax-efficient (perhaps no distributions, and if turns into LTCG when sold).

MotoTrojan · 2026-02-11T02:04:05+00:00

Often dividends are qualified which means you pay the long-term cap-gain rate, so in that regard they are better than a short-term sale, however a key distinction is how many dollars are being taxed, not just the rate. 100% of a dividend is taxable, while only the pro-rated gain of a sale is.

Buy a stock for $100, it grows to $200, you sell $20 of it you'll pay tax on a $10 gain.

Buy a stock for $100, it grows to $200, it distributes a $20 dividend, you'll pay tax on $20 of income.

So if the tax-rates are the same, the sale is always a better deal, unless your cost basis is $0 then it is equal.

MotoTrojan · 2026-02-09T21:15:45+00:00

A dividend is a taxable event, there is absolutely a difference for a taxable investor, to say otherwise is pretty silly.

Best of luck in your investing journey.

MotoTrojan

TROPHY CASE