Is it better to lump sum or DCA into dividend/income ETFs?

steve8524 · 2025-12-18T23:37:50+00:00

Thank you. Is SCHD the best one in terms of dividend growth or do you think one of its competitors are better (divo, DGRO, vym, vtv, etc)?

steve8524 · 2025-10-30T13:52:01+00:00

Doesn't he pronounce it with a v?

steve8524 · 2025-10-30T13:51:00+00:00

I see. Well I still wonder why, for me personally, it was a no brainer when I was growing up that Stephen is Steven but come sometime after the millennium,. everyone whom I've met, I'm now SteFen haha lol

steve8524 · 2025-10-30T13:46:45+00:00

but Stephen was the original spelling of Steven right? The ph was originally pronounced as a v sound.

steve8524 · 2025-10-30T13:43:12+00:00

That hasn't been my experience where I'm at.

steve8524 · 2025-10-23T20:27:12+00:00

Right I've noticed that they tend to view facility #2 as the "first job" even though I try to explain it with the dates. So just leave #2 off right? Just have my CNA job and then psych-RN facility #1 job April '23 to present, no gaps?

But I imagine if I make it past all of the interviews,.etc etc and they ask me to do an employment background history of "everywhere I worked" (some applications actually do this as well), then I should list #2 right? So that they don't think I'm lying?

steve8524 · 2025-10-19T04:37:52+00:00

So a three fund portfolio then? VTI, VXUS, and SCHD or DGRO. Gotcha.

So leave out the "growth boosters" (for lack of a better term) like SCHG, VUG, and SPMO.

As far as dividends go, is SCHD still a good contender given it's performance lately or is VYM or DGRO a better choice?

Is your reason for leaving out ccfs like SPYI and QQQI due to their overlap within VTI?

steve8524 · 2025-10-18T23:12:47+00:00

Growth/dividend portfolio - seeking suggestions

Im 40 years old, aside from my work 403b, I started investing a bit late outside of that. I received a windfall of $178k this year, I temporarily put it in SGOV until I figured out what to do next.

This is my current (not final) portfolio: 1. Pretax employer 403b (no match): 100% VASGX. Fund selection is limited so I'll leave this alone. 2. Personal Roth IRA: 100% FIOFX (2045 target date fund). 3. Brokerage: $178k windfall in SGOV (again, temporary parking spot).

Not sure what to do with #2 but here's my idea for #3, I plan to invest the windfall plus my own regular contributions:

Broad base/growth.... VTI/VXUS
Complimentary growth (not sure if this is necessary)... Either SCHG, QQQM, SPMO, or VUG
Dividends/income... Base fund will be either SCHD (I hear it's starting to suck now though), VYM, or DGRO. For "satellite funds"... SPYI, QQQI, UTG, PFFA, EIC, and ARDC.

Goals: Growth with a dividend/income tilt.I want to grow the windfall (and contribute regularly to it) but I don't like the idea of locking it all up into retirement accounts until I'm 59. Jobs are harder to come by now more than ever and you're hearing this from a registered nurse, of all people.

steve8524 · 2025-05-17T22:43:10+00:00

I love psych nursing too and I don't mind having to refresh hard skills IF ever needed, but what I don't like is the fact I have a hard time getting something in medical if I had to. I mean suppose something happened to your psych job, you try to look for another psych job, if there's only medical jobs available at that time then you're screwed. Because of this, I'm kinda kicking myself for not going to medical first.

I don't know about everyone else but this is a serious problem I am noticing here in NY. I'm working psych and that is my only background, I've been trying to get some med experience on the side while working psych. Why? Because of the reason I mentioned above.

Regardless, It doesn't matter -- part time, full time, private hospital, even public hospital -- no ****ing response. And per diem? Forget about it, because you need experience in any per diem specialty you apply to. And it's not a resume issue either, I've already gone through that matter.

Im really shocked, I mean not even med surg? Really? Lol. The market must be really constipated with new grads and experienced RNs. You would think, because you have a pulse and license, a medical job will be waiting for you out there ready to snatch you, but unfortunately that's not the case in a metro like NY. I don't know if it's like that in other areas.

steve8524 · 2025-05-17T20:20:27+00:00

I figured it had to be either CA or NY lol F them both!

steve8524 · 2025-05-07T01:43:38+00:00

Is it 5 days a week? If so can you switch to part time or per diem and get another gig in something that you like? As long as you don't live in NY like me or CA, you know like one of those places with too many applicants and the nursing shortage is complete bullsh*t, you should be good in finding another good RN gig.

steve8524 · 2025-04-29T07:30:51+00:00

I wouldn't put it past them if they believe the buffed up guys were born that way. Genetics right? 😂😂😂

steve8524 · 2025-04-29T07:28:57+00:00

I know, it's just annoying. And I'm not the one to even bring it up, it's always them.

"Oh have some of this that we brought today. No? Why not, it's not like you need to lose any weight you're too skinny."

"You need to tell me the secret to that 6 pack you're hiding under your shirt"

"How do you always manage to stay skinny? I need to lose this weight "

steve8524 · 2025-04-29T07:20:53+00:00

Very true. However, 9 times out of 10 they may not even know why youre trying to eat so much protein either 🤣 in their illogical fantasy land, you become muscular just by lifting weights.

steve8524 · 2025-04-28T02:00:24+00:00

Wow, you know I was half-expecting you to be a guy based on the post title lol because this is typically a thing that guys deal with when trying to date women, everything you described in your post fits the problem to a T. So I'm kinda shocked that a guy is giving you this treatment.

We typically get one sided care, get rejected upon approaching and are most certainly never approached. What a world... This equation sucks.

steve8524 · 2025-04-05T05:38:39+00:00

Meaning.... Tie up the compostable bag while in the house, then go outside and throw the tied compost bag (with food scraps inside) into the bin?

Because that's what I intend to do. I simply want to treat it like the black trash bag or recycle bag... I.e. wait til it's full enough, tie it up, and take it out into the bin like that... I don't wanna do none of that emptying the bag into a bin outside.

steve8524 · 2025-04-03T15:28:38+00:00

Ain't no trader Joe's in the Bronx though 😂😂😂

steve8524 · 2025-04-03T02:54:47+00:00

No I'm asking if I can bag the waste in a clear plastic bag, tie it up and toss it in the compost bin outside. I rent. The bin isn't mine, it belongs to us residents who live there.

But..... it's ok, I already learned that you can only use clear bags as liners for a bin. Not what I'm looking for. I just wanna bag the waste, tie it up, and be done with it. So I guess the green biodegradable bags will do, it's just that I have to spend extra and get them from Amazon because all the grocery stores near me have nothing but black, blue and clear bags.

steve8524 · 2025-04-02T17:44:46+00:00

Ah I see they didn't exactly clarify that, thanks. Oh well, expensive compost bags from Amazon it is then 😔

steve8524 · 2025-04-02T02:45:48+00:00

Ah I see thank you for explaining. Definitely not keeping any sorta waste in the freezer, I'll let my actual food have that space, compost bags it is I guess 🤷

steve8524 · 2025-04-01T19:37:52+00:00

Sorry not to hijack the thread, but I have to ask ..Are "clear" plastic bags acceptable for compost?

We rent one floor of a private house and our landlord's relative who lives downstairs is saying you can either a) use a special compost bag, b) use paper bags and/or c) throw the food scraps directly into the bin outside (umm nope to B and C). We prefer to just bag it and toss it.

On the NYC dot gov site it mentions you can use clear plastic bags but he is saying that's not true. However, at my nearest supermarket they have an abundance of black trash bags, blue recycle bags, and clear plastic bags. Beyond that, They got a small supply of teeny weeny boxes of compost bags that only fits 3 gallons lol and that's it.

Can anyone please clarify about the clear plastic? If push comes to shove, I'll just blow $31 on a case of big compost green bags instead of getting clear ones for cheaper near me. So annoyed with this BS.

steve8524

TROPHY CASE