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jerry pinkard

I am a retired IT executive with 44 years of experience in IT. I am originally from Virginia and have lived in North Carolina the past 60 years. My wife Judy and I have been married 56 years, and we have 2 children and 3 grandchildren. I volunteer with my church and serve on the board of 2 retiree associations, one of which has more than 50,000 members. I still enjoy golf, travel and taking care of our home and 2 acres of land.

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Forum Posts:

Benchmarks for our non-profit portfolio

11 replies

AUTHOR: jerry pinkard on 1/25/2025
FIRST: Randy Dobkin on 1/25   |   RECENT: Michael1 on 1/26

Comments:

  • I would rather Vanguard have used that money to improve their website and fix their awful customer service. I was a Vanguard customer for 30 years and was able to do most transactions online. I was forced to use their customer service on a transaction 2 years ago and they messed it up, which cost me money. A few months later I had to use their customer service and it was another mess. I became convinced Vanguard really did not care about their customer service. I switched to Fidelity and could not be happier. I still have my Vanguard etf's but I get great customer service, and their staff are very competent and are US based, thus no language barrier like I encountered at Vanguard with their Philippines'' staff. They also work weekends.

    Post: Some Good News

    Link to comment from February 4, 2025

  • Although I would benefit from no tax on SS, I do not agree that everyone should benefit from such a change. I could accept some relief on the lower end, more affluent people, myself included, should still pay. They could increase the taxable income level subject to taxes to provide that relief on the lower incomes. Of course, as always when we are talking about tax cuts, who is going to pay for it?

    Post: Should Social Security benefits be income tax free?

    Link to comment from February 1, 2025

  • I used to invest the fixed income part of our portfolio into intermediate bond funds or etfs. Due to attractive CD rates, I shifted mostly to CDs with 3 to 7 year terms a few years ago. In an effort to simplify our portfolio and reduce the number of accounts, I have been shifting CD funds when they mature to TIPS. I have been able to buy intermediate TIPS (4 to 6 years) at 2% yield over inflation which is attractive to me. I buy these on the secondary market using Fidelity. Fidelity has an excellent website for purchases and bond experts if you need help. Fixed income seems cyclical as to what is favored at any point in time. As that occurs and TIPS no longer offer a good yield, I may switch back to intermediate bond etfs. FWIW, my portfolio is presently 57/45 and I need to rebalance back to our target AA of 50/50. I am 80 years old and wife is 82. We live off SS and my pension. We view our investments as more of an inheritance for our two children and grandchildren.

    Post: Bond Index Funds or Something Else?

    Link to comment from January 31, 2025

  • Whenever it gets really cold in NC, Florida may not be as cold, but it is not warm either. We have experienced this a couple of times when we tried to escape to warm, sunny Florida.

    Post: Seeking Shelter From The Cold – RCC

    Link to comment from January 26, 2025

  • Thanks. Good comments and suggestions and you are talking to the choir. I am going to discuss with others and see how receptive others are to a different, less costly approach.

    Post: Benchmarks for our non-profit portfolio

    Link to comment from January 26, 2025

  • Thanks. Adviser gets .80% for AUM. I will take a look at how that would have performed, although I think the adviser would say their allocations will vary depending on market conditions.

    Post: Benchmarks for our non-profit portfolio

    Link to comment from January 26, 2025

  • Good questions David. Bylaws do not require us to use an adviser. We were already using one before when we had half the assets we now have due to the sale of real estate. My sense at the time was that an adviser was the preferred approach. Our staff finance manager is already overworked and I think we need to avoid adding more responsibility to her work load. The adviser gets .80% for AUM. There are fees on funds they hold. I do not recall what they are but they did not seem exhorbitant when I researched that last year. I do not feel we are getting anything special from the adviser. I analyzed our returns over a multi year period, and they seemed in line with the major stock indexes. Last year was complicated by getting a large infusion of cash mid year. They dollar cost averaged into the markets over several months. Based upon the limited data I have seen, they underperformed the market but I do not know if they annualized our returns. Thanks.

    Post: Benchmarks for our non-profit portfolio

    Link to comment from January 26, 2025

  • When I retired, I said that I no longer wanted to work for a paycheck, but that I would give back by volunteering. I worked part-time for a Christian global ministry for a few years as a management consultant, and currently serve on 2 retiree organizations, one small and the other very large. I also participate in ministries at our church. I still have plenty of time for leisure, but I believe I am making good contributions in the areas I serve. I believe that life should have meaningful purpose, regardless of age, working or retirement. Jonathan, I am glad you are wired the way you are. Jerry

    Post: Taking Center Stage

    Link to comment from January 25, 2025

  • 10 days with my new car, and I still have not figured out how to tune the radio. I agree with your BIL. There is such a thing as too much technology.

    Post: Ok HD community I need car advice

    Link to comment from January 25, 2025

  • Dick, My 2014 Toyota Camry has some issues and I decided to replace it. It only has 108k miles, and probably can get to 200k without major problems. But as I get older, reliability is really important for a car. I bought a new 2025 Camry. I considered low mileage cars but, at least for Toyotas, it is better to buy new. They have an excellent warranty with free oil changes for the first 4 years. They also now have a lifetime powertrain warranty that is honored by all Toyota dealers. If I bought a used Toyota, even with only a few thousand miles, I would lose the lifetime warranty. I researched Carmax, Cargurus and others and it was clear that new was the best way to go. My new Camry has all the safety features that used to only be on premium cars which is another reason to purchase it. I hope this helps and good luck in your car quest.

    Post: Ok HD community I need car advice

    Link to comment from January 25, 2025

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