How to Classify VTSAX in your asset allocation

[Manguy888]

Hey all - For years I've been breaking down my asset allocations like a good investor to see what I own. Large Cap, Small cap, international, bonds etc.

My question is: what do I classify my Vanguard total Stock market index (VTSAX) as? If it's the total stock market, it's both large cap AND small cap - am I right in saying that? Should I just call it US Equities?

I sort of feel dumb asking the question, but this small point is tripping me up. What does everyone else do?

[Retire-Canada]

Should I just call it US Equities?

I would, but I don't break my AA down further than that.

-- Vik

[Runge]

Should I just call it US Equities?

I would, but I don't break my AA down further than that.

-- Vik

I do the same as you, Vik. I just keep it as US Stocks, but I also go by Boglehead's Vanguard 4 fund portfolio.

[Manguy888]

Thanks guys - I wish I only had 4 funds. Like a lot of people I have a bunch of old cat-and-dog investments. 10k in S&P 500 over here, 5k in small cap over there. Some taxable with gains, so no real incentive to sell and consolidate. And my current 401k vehicle, the government TSP, doesn't have a VTSAX equivalent, you basically have to split your money between a large cap and small cap fund.

The OCD part of me hates having the following lines in my asset allocation spreadsheet: small cap, large cap, us equities (both cap?)

[PathtoFIRE]

The Morningstar portfolio tab gives you the breakdowns that you might or might not need. I like making spreadsheets, and so I did this for each of my holdings, and occasionally update as the percentages change a little.

[forummm]

VTSAX also has mid cap. It's 72% large, 19% mid, and 9% small using Morningstar's criteria. If you're a spreadsheetaphile (like me) you can break it down that way. If you're generally trying to follow the market cap weights anyway, you don't need to break things down at all--it is the market. If you're trying to take some tilt on something, you also don't really care about having extra VTSAX, because it's the market, and whatever other funds you own are the tilt.

[Manguy888]

Great info everyone - forummm especially, that's exactly what I needed to know, put very succinctly.

[forummm]

Great info everyone - forummm especially, that's exactly what I needed to know, put very succinctly.

Always glad to be of service <tip of the top hat>

[El Gringo]

Have you used Personal Capital? If you put your investments in there, it will break everything down, including VTSAX.

[Manguy888]

El Gringo - I haven't, thanks for the tip. When I first looked into it, I had a 401k that PC couldn't automatically see, which made the whole thing too much work since it was most of my money. Now that I've changed jobs and rolled the 401k into Vanguard, I bet this would make sense.

Now...which of the 30 bloggers shucking PC do I give the referral to...