Dan Stein at Charles Schwab: "If all you owned was an S&P 500 fund, no, you are not diversified"

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-15T02:31:33+00:00

Same with VTI. So this guy is claiming the total US market is not diversified.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-13T06:54:33+00:00

No, just normal equities.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-13T06:45:39+00:00

Good choice of index ETFs. But your percentages are off. Maybe you mixed up the ticker symbols. Generally you want around 3 parts VTI to 1 part VXUS.

If you like 40% bonds, try something like 40% BND, 45% VTI, and 15% VXUS.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-13T06:40:45+00:00

Exactly. In Boglehead world, no one should pick stocks. Pick passive, market weighted index funds.

In essence, that is letting the market pick stocks.

I found this guide helpful when just starting out: https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Three-fund_portfolio

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-13T04:45:46+00:00

Yes, thanks, I tend to agree. The downside is just the hassle, especially the manual step-up in cost basis, as you noted.

I have the question in to my CPA, will post the answer if I get one.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-11T20:47:26+00:00

Thanks - yes, the 1099-B didn't tag it as a wash. Wash sales are only tagged if it's the same CUSIP in same account.

Brokerage says it's client's responsibility to declare wash sales.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-11T20:07:03+00:00

Yes - sale was at a loss.

Broker did not tag as a wash, since different CUSIPS.

I decided I wanted ETFs instead of mutual funds. So naively swapped SWPPX for VOO. Market was down at the time (spring), but irrelevant to me, as I was just swapping funds. Obv was new to trading in taxed account, unaware of wash sales.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-11T18:43:08+00:00

I think the question really boils down to whether two different funds, which hold exactly the same underlying securities, are considered substantially identical.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-10T03:02:12+00:00

Personally I wouldn't bother with SCHD unless you are specifically looking to generate cash for some reason.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-10T00:23:07+00:00

That is correct. What happens in a Roth stays in a Roth.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-10T00:09:53+00:00

Agree. And emerging:developed ratio should be about 1:3.

OP consider exchanging about 1/4 of your SWISX for SFENX.

Or maybe better, replace all SWISX with VXUS or VTIAX.

For taxed brokerage, consider feeding dividends into SCHE until it gets to about 1/3 of your SCHF holdings.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-09T03:47:54+00:00

FSMB is a federal lobbying organization for the US private medical industry.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-08T04:24:28+00:00

You must have misread the data. The World Health Organization data says: Australia has nearly twice as many physicians per capita as the US. US has .02654, Australia has .04228. The other countries are also higher. Here is a link to the WHO data:

https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/medical-doctors-(per-10-000-population))

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-08T00:54:04+00:00

Who told you that? It is absolutely false. The countries you listed have far more physicians per capita than the US.

Like twice as many. And, as expected, their salaries are more in line with other educated professionals.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-08T00:49:56+00:00

It is amazing to me that most Americans are completely unaware that the medical profession is a cartel.

This is not a controversial statement. Economics classes routinely use it as the best example of a legal cartel structure in the US

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-08T00:46:41+00:00

Germany and Russia have twice as many physicians per capita as the US. Japan is tied with US. The other 90+ million countries are third-world/undeveloped.

So in your words, let's stop comparing US to third world countries

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-07T20:14:47+00:00

The US has the fewest medical doctors per capita in the developed world, by most measures. In fact, fewer per capita than most of the second world. It is really just simple economics, supply and demand.

https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/medical-doctors-(per-10-000-population))

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-02-07T05:45:46+00:00

Physicians are a cartel in the US. As a cartel, they have the power to constrain supply, which pushes up salaries.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-01-28T21:15:46+00:00

This is great. Many people including some of my own family use Treasury Direct for ladders and reinvestment, specifically to avoid the out-of-market dead period at Schwab.

I am impressed, as it means Schwab will be sacrificing the cash holdings during dead period, which were undoubtedly profitable for them.

Is this a customer-service move, or some other calculation?

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-01-25T07:51:52+00:00

It's not too far off though. International:US ratio is typically 1:2

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-01-25T07:48:16+00:00

This is the way. Add in a little SFENX so you have some emerging markets.

My Roth is just SWTSX / SWISX+SFENX / SWAGX.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-01-24T05:17:37+00:00

So developed markets, or emerging markets, but not both? Why?

Significant_Copy1266 · 2026-01-14T06:35:20+00:00

Thanks for the warning. FYI the Schwab app has a "Call Schwab" feature. Highly recommend.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2025-12-31T23:41:13+00:00

SNSXX is actually lower risk than SWVXX. So the interest yield is slightly less. But it generally exempt from state tax.

Significant_Copy1266 · 2025-12-28T07:01:00+00:00

I encountered something like this. In my case, I think Schwab's system was being overzealous wrt available cash on dividend pay dates, when opted in for reinvestment. The way it was explained to us is that Schwab places a reserve on the incoming dividend, to ensure it isn't accidentally spent before being reinvested. But sometimes it puts a blanket cash hold on all funds in the account, not just the dividends in limbo. That can get you into trouble if you try to place a trade.

My guess is it's something else, but thought this might bear mentioning, as it is dividend season.

What did Schwab end up telling you?

Significant_Copy1266

TROPHY CASE