401k rollover optimization

[Jacob1234098]

Hey guys,

I am in the process of making some very large financial transactions. I want to make sure I optimize them! I just rolled over $160k from my 401k to IRA money markets. Now I need to rebalance it all inside Vanguard. My current target and actual allocations can be seen in the attached current_portfolio.png.

The Vanguard funds I am invested in and plan to rollover the 160k to are:

STOCKS:
Domestic   VTSMX
International   VTIAX

BONDS:
Domestic   VBTLX
International   VTIAX

Of the 160k, 72k is in a Roth IRA. 90k is in a standard IRA. I plan to do the following:

Inside Roth IRA:
sell 72k money market
buy 22.5k international stock (VTIAX)
buy 50k domestic stock (VTSMX)

Inside Standard IRA:
sell 90k money market
buy 46k domestic bonds (VBTLX)
buy 14k international bonds (VTIAX)
buy 30.5k domestic stock (VTSMX)

My main question is should I be buying the bonds inside the standard IRA like I am, or in the Roth IRA? I hear to leave the Roth IRA for higher growth tax-poor investments, but I don't know what those are or if I will ever have them (REITS, etc?).

[secondcor521]

I keep my bond allocation in my traditional IRA.  My Roth is 100% stocks.

There is a Bogleheads wiki entry on how to allocate your investments across IRAs and taxable.  I am too lazy to find it and link it right now, but I bet you can google it.

[Proud Foot]

Bonds within the traditional IRA is the better of the two options.  Bonds typically have lower growth than stocks and will result in less taxes* when you either take distributions from the account or rollover to a Roth.  *obviously this depends on how much you take in a taxable year as well as other amounts of taxable income.

Tax-poor investments doesn't really apply when comparing the two as distributions from the IRA are all treated as ordinary income.  Tax treatment of investment comes into play when you have a taxable account.  And tax free growth (Roth IRA) is better for higher growth investments (like stocks)