Author Topic: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?  (Read 5910 times)

JustGettingStarted1980

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 377
So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« on: August 02, 2015, 05:33:28 PM »
So I took 60 minutes from my weekend today that included making breakfast with the family, 3 hours with the kids at the park (walking, of course), and a 90 minute soccer game, in order to make a spreadsheet that calculates my current asset allocation according to plugged in data from both mine and my wife's retirement account (while the young tikes were taking their afternoon naps).... and it made me happy. Anyone one else in Mustache Land do behavior like this fully realizing it is not in the norm? Please provide examples, as I'm baring my sole here!

Zaga

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2903
  • Age: 44
  • Location: North of Pittsburgh, PA
    • A Wall of Hats
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2015, 05:48:37 PM »
Sounds normal to me!  I also collect the data twice a month and plot it on a graph.  That way I can see account balances go up and also see trends in the allocation %.  Oh, and something to consider, conditional formatting so that you know when your %'s are far enough off to need rebalancing.  I do green (all in target range), yellow (getting out of target range), and red (time to rebalance).

fb132

  • Guest
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2015, 05:59:41 PM »
I made an excel sheet that basically calculates my investment rate % that also includes the money deducted automatically from my pay. I do alot of stupid crazy things with excel when it comes to finance.

forummm

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7374
  • Senior Mustachian
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2015, 06:30:55 PM »
I have one too. It even breaks out the percent for size and value.

MDM

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 11477

johnny847

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3188
    • My Blog
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2015, 06:37:12 PM »
Please provide examples, as I'm baring my sole here!

I have no desire to see your feet or shoes.


Hey I have had kinda serious thoughts about building my own YNAB. It lacks certain features and has some bugs that I would like in my ideal budgeting software. You're not alone!

As for an asset allocation calculator, I have no need of one because I have no workplace retirement plan and all of my assets are at vanguard, so their portfolio analysis tool is an analysis of my complete portfolio.

JustGettingStarted1980

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 377
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2015, 06:40:28 PM »
Please provide examples, as I'm baring my sole here!

I have no desire to see your feet or shoes.

At least I didnt say I was bearing my soles...

mrpercentage

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
  • Location: PHX, AZ
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2015, 07:47:42 PM »
I love doing this kind of stuff a lot. I track return % from dividends alone. Return on sold positions. Asset allocation. Pie charts of mutual funds in Roth, 457, Scottrade positions, Robinhood positions. Total invested money vs value today graph. Trending growth of different accounts. The I make in depth battle plans. Lists of companies I want to acquire. Divend payout charts and what they will purchase. It's cool beans

Tyler

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1198
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2015, 10:01:26 PM »
Please provide examples, as I'm baring my sole here!

I also love spreadsheets way too much.  You're not alone!  ;)

Check out the link in my signature line for a few of my own.  Perhaps you'll find them helpful as well.

dungoofed

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 661
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2015, 07:31:12 PM »
"Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another"

mccullough

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2015, 11:25:19 PM »
Please provide examples, as I'm baring my sole here!

I have no desire to see your feet or shoes.


Hey I have had kinda serious thoughts about building my own YNAB. It lacks certain features and has some bugs that I would like in my ideal budgeting software. You're not alone!

As for an asset allocation calculator, I have no need of one because I have no workplace retirement plan and all of my assets are at vanguard, so their portfolio analysis tool is an analysis of my complete portfolio.
Funny you mention building a spreadsheet based off YNAB. I attempted to do exactly that. I think I got pretty close and it has helped me out a lot this past year.

johnny847

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3188
    • My Blog
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #11 on: August 03, 2015, 11:28:31 PM »
Please provide examples, as I'm baring my sole here!

I have no desire to see your feet or shoes.


Hey I have had kinda serious thoughts about building my own YNAB. It lacks certain features and has some bugs that I would like in my ideal budgeting software. You're not alone!

As for an asset allocation calculator, I have no need of one because I have no workplace retirement plan and all of my assets are at vanguard, so their portfolio analysis tool is an analysis of my complete portfolio.
Funny you mention building a spreadsheet based off YNAB. I attempted to do exactly that. I think I got pretty close and it has helped me out a lot this past year.

Haha well I don't want actually want to use a spreadsheet. I want to build my own web based YNAB tool. Mostly so I can learn some web development, but also because I want something like YNAB but I just don't like a plain old spreadsheet.

Mississippi Mudstache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2171
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Danielsville, GA
    • A Riving Home - Ramblings of a Recusant Woodworker
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #12 on: August 04, 2015, 07:30:18 AM »
Here's the worksheet I built. I got all of the fund investment mixes from Morningstar, so the source would be consistent, and about twice a year I just enter the dollar values for each fund. Then I play around with the numbers a bit to get the whole thing re-balanced with a minimal number of moves. Works like a charm.

grettman

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 84
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #13 on: August 04, 2015, 08:08:16 AM »
Normal for Mustachians or Bogleheads - YES.

Normal for average Joes/Janes - NO.

I track, plot and tweak things almost daily in my spreadsheets. 

Indexer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1463
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #14 on: August 04, 2015, 05:05:34 PM »
I use spreadsheets for a lot of things.  I have my own financial plan that is a series of spreadsheets, but I don't have one for asset allocation.  It seems kind of a waste given the data already available on the Vanguard website.

If you use Vanguard just click on 'my accounts' and then 'portfolio watch.'  It will even pull outside accounts.  For returns I just go in once a year and plug the 1 year return information from the Vanguard website into my personal financial plan spreadsheets. 


JustGettingStarted1980

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 377
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #15 on: August 04, 2015, 07:26:16 PM »
Normal for Mustachians or Bogleheads - YES.

Normal for average Joes/Janes - NO.

I track, plot and tweak things almost daily in my spreadsheets.


I agree, and I'm VERY cautious who I mention this shit to IRL. I don't want to become a social pariah, now

Stache-O-Lantern

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 121
  • Location: Northern California
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #16 on: August 04, 2015, 10:27:43 PM »
I think it's safe to say it's normal around here.

I have some spreadsheets with different portfolio allocations using Vanguard funds, with historical return data, and average return/deviation, and their correlations with each other.  I used a free online portfolio optimizer program to help me arrive at the asset allocation %'s i use with my actual 'stache.  I would be embarrassed to admit how much time I have spent on this if I even knew.  But I had a lot of fun.  I mean, what the hell is more fun than historical portfolio optimization hypothesis testing!  Yeah!

Olórin

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 22
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Carrboro, NC
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #17 on: August 05, 2015, 08:23:59 AM »
Agreed! Totally normal, for a group of frugal financial geeks. I've got linked excel sheets for Budget, Investments and Asset Allocation, Taxes, and Charitable Giving.  Admittedly, my Taxes sheet needs some serious work, but for that I need to get a better grasp of Tax law, which I don't find nearly as fun as playing with asset calculators within excel. Other than having fun, the Investment sheet is most practical for calculating what I need to do to rebalance (which I do through investments as I'm in the accumulation phase). It also automatically changes my allocation with my age, as I've determined in my written investment plan.

JustGettingStarted1980

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 377
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #18 on: August 05, 2015, 10:41:15 AM »
Agreed! Totally normal, for a group of frugal financial geeks. I've got linked excel sheets for Budget, Investments and Asset Allocation, Taxes, and Charitable Giving.  Admittedly, my Taxes sheet needs some serious work, but for that I need to get a better grasp of Tax law, which I don't find nearly as fun as playing with asset calculators within excel. Other than having fun, the Investment sheet is most practical for calculating what I need to do to rebalance (which I do through investments as I'm in the accumulation phase). It also automatically changes my allocation with my age, as I've determined in my written investment plan.

Whoa, automatic allocation changes over lifetime? That's hardcore!

johnny847

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3188
    • My Blog
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #19 on: August 05, 2015, 12:11:39 PM »
Agreed! Totally normal, for a group of frugal financial geeks. I've got linked excel sheets for Budget, Investments and Asset Allocation, Taxes, and Charitable Giving.  Admittedly, my Taxes sheet needs some serious work, but for that I need to get a better grasp of Tax law, which I don't find nearly as fun as playing with asset calculators within excel. Other than having fun, the Investment sheet is most practical for calculating what I need to do to rebalance (which I do through investments as I'm in the accumulation phase). It also automatically changes my allocation with my age, as I've determined in my written investment plan.

Whoa, automatic allocation changes over lifetime? That's hardcore!

Not really. Age in bonds is commonly given advice.

devan 11

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 54
  • Location: Iowa, USA
Re: So I made an Asset Allocator Spreadsheet...is this normal?
« Reply #20 on: August 10, 2015, 06:43:01 AM »
   Spreadsheets were created to keep track of finances.  At a certain point of the path towards fi, if you are computer literate, you will use a spreadsheet.  For me, it was instrumental to knowing when I needed to switch from TIRAs and 401k's to Roths.  That will save me a small fortune in taxes.  How would I be able to see that Roths are better without running numbers. Even our tax man initially gave us incorrect advice. Being outliers that save and are frugal puts us in a catagory that can really make use of financial tools.

   I need spreadsheets even more, now that I made the jump to independence.  Very mustachean!