Another great resource that I actually read daily is Ed Slott's IRA Discussion Board. You can submit your own question or scan through questions already posed by readers.
Main discussion link:
https://irahelp.com/forums/ira-discussion-forum
Here's an example of a Q posed that seems close to yours:
https://irahelp.com/forum-post/28462-transferring-after-tax-ira-after-tax-401k-then-roth-ira

Correction of previous post: ICMAX cash position was at 79% - on 1/3/17 as per 4TH QUARTER 2016 COMMENTARY.
http://www.intrepidcapitalfunds.com/media/Endurance_Fund_4Q16_commentary.pdf

@LLJB. So my wife has a 401k and ONLY this 1 piddly IRA. Form 8606. Will make note thanks.
@Dolphin Can you clarify what you mean by "no other IRA assets"? Like I said my wife has a 401k and then this 1 IRA only. Not many IRAs.
I will ready up that link soon. Hopefully it answers my questions. I've been trying to get clear answer for 3 months :-(

Dolphin is correct but if I note you have a good deal of money in traditional iras + the money in a nondeductible ira you may be able to roll the traditional ira money into a 401k and the handle the non deductible ira as discussed

FNMIX has made me money, but it does move more with EM stocks (FNMIX is in my 403b offerings, and I'm back in moderately), and MCRDX was recommended here. It's Asia based and only $17M acc to M*. Looks to be up 7% since opening. I put all my uninvested $ in it several months ago to keep me from doing something (more) stupid, and I'm not negative so far. Dr. Snowball was taken with the manager's initial presentation, FWIW.
I have no idea whether you NEED an EM bond fund.
I presume I'll stay in these funds (at least MCRDX) for a decade or so; but I'm also OK with being a greeter at Wal-Mart (if I get a deal on a DRIP), so don't take this as relible guidance.

Sorry I'm not an expert but I also have after tax dollar in an IRA together with pre-tax money I rolled over from a previous employer's 401k. My understanding is that the after-tax contributions gives me, and your wife, a "basis" in that IRA. Just like when I eventually take distributions and I won't have to pay tax on everything I believe your wife would only pay tax on whatever gains are in the account if she does a Roth conversion.
Based on the research I've done about converting my rollover IRA to a Roth I also don't believe there's any penalty, just whatever tax is due on the gains you covert to the Roth.
Hopefully someone is able to confirm my opinion because I probably wouldn't want to rely on it alone.

So I have a situation I can't figure out.
I have an IRA. This IRA was invested in before there was anything like the ROTH IRA. However, this IRA was invested with after-tax dollars. In other words, my wife was eligible to invest in an IRA, not eligible to do it pre-tax since she also had 401k which was pre-tax.
Questions
1) Can we convert this IRA to a Roth IRA without having to pay any taxes now, since IRA was not invested with any pre-tax dollars?
2) Even if answer to 1 is "No", since it was invested with pre-tax dollars (and at freakin' wrong time), current value is not much higher than total invested. So if I convert to Roth IRA, perhaps I can deduct cost basis and pay penalty only on remaining amount for Roth conversion?

Hi @Bobpa
Yikes on the front load of 4.75% and the 1.02 E.R. for a bond fund.
It ranks well in the non-traditional bond area, but if I were looking for long term performance I would have to remain directed to PONDX and their management team.
PONDX remains much ahead of COSIX or any other non-traditional bond fund.
What is the draw to COSIX for you???
Regards,
Catch

@Bobpa For your information COSIX is ranked #1 in the Nontraditional Bond Fund category by U.S. News & World Report.
Regards,
Ted
http://money.usnews.com/funds/mutual-funds/nontraditional-bond/columbia-strategic-income-fund/cosix/holdings

FYI: Years of experience have taught me that to be a successful active investor requires a very specific set of characteristics, and that many investors attempting to actively manage their portfolios today lack the emotional and personality traits necessary for success.
Investors with passive portfolios—assuming they are adequately and broadly diversified—face only one real point of failure: reacting emotionally to a market selloff and selling their holdings, often near a market bottom.
But investors who use actively managed strategies face two points of failure:
Regards,
Ted
http://jimoshaughnessy.tumblr.com/post/158366040139/successful-active-stock-investing-is-hard-here

@jerry I was just trying to find funds that will go cash if they don't find value. ARIVX was one such fund. COBYX which I own is yet another. Not sure how one could "screen" for such funds. If you have a better way, please do share.
These are basically funds I will stay invested in even if 1929 occurs. When I'm panicking and selling everything else, I will buy more of THESE Funds. That's the idea.
I think people know I own HSGFX and HSTRX, while I don't own the fund cited in Prof's article. One day Hussman is going to be right. This is about THAT day.

This is exactly why I own IVA Worldwide - IVWAX - it even comes with an "owners manual" - but sorry it is closed.

@jerry I was just trying to find funds that will go cash if they don't find value. ARIVX was one such fund. COBYX which I own is yet another. Not sure how one could "screen" for such funds. If you have a better way, please do share.
These are basically funds I will stay invested in even if 1929 occurs. When I'm panicking and selling everything else, I will buy more of THESE Funds. That's the idea.
I think people know I own HSGFX and HSTRX, while I don't own the fund cited in Prof's article. One day Hussman is going to be right. This is about THAT day.

FYI: (Click On Article title At Top Of Google Search) "Finding Value in European Conglomerates"
David Marcus grew up on Long Island, where he learned about the markets from his stockbroker father and bought stock with money he earned sharpening ice skates. But his first big break came when he was a student at Northeastern University in Boston interning at a bank that provided back-office support for Mutual Series, an investment firm run by Michael Price.
Marcus’ boss recommended him for an internship with the now legendary value investor, and soon after, Price offered him a job as an assistant on the firm’s trading...
Regards,
Ted
https://www.google.com/#q=Finding+Value+in+European+Conglomerates+Barron's&*
M* Snapshot EVGBX:
http://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/evgbx/quote.html
Lipper Snapshot EVGBX:
http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/fund/evgbx
EVGBX is Unranked In The (WS) Fund Category By U.S. News & World Report:
http://money.usnews.com/funds/mutual-funds/world-stock/evermore-global-value-fund/evgbx/interactive
MFO Profile:
http://www.mutualfundobserver.com/2014/03/evermore-global-value-evgbx-april-2014/

Iit seems to me that finding a fund with 20% + in cash is NOT a valuable find unless there is evidence that in say late 2009 or mid 2013 that the fund had much less than 20% in cash. Looking at David's list of funds I could not help noticing the Hussman fund which avoided the crash of 08 but as far as I know never turned bullish.

@Derf. Just pretend you did it :-) First just buy $100 worth. Then take your profit anytime you want.

Sorry, IMO lack of courage of your convictions. I still have hope they will sell out of WFC. Trump + Low borrowing + Stock Purchases is behind most of market gains, and especially in financials. It is not due to manager prowess. So let's not say his decision to not sell WFC worked out in the best interest of shareholders. That's not different than saying he knew another stock was going to go up 100% and decided not to overdo idealism and bought that stock.
“People thought socially responsible investors were do-gooders doomed to fail,” HTF is he a do-gooder? Oh of course. Staying in WFC is also helping society.
Dodson doesn’t envision hiring a successor at the Endeavor fund any time soon.
“If you’re wondering about a precedent, I would like to point out that Warren Buffett is still managing Berkshire Hathaway and he is 86 years old,” he wrote in last month’s letter. “I’m only 73, so I have a long way to go.”

WTF? Buffett has enough successors at BH.
Just like so many articles, it is meant to excuse the manager. Finally, no mention of WFC beyond opening shot. Why even bring it up in article? Only to gloss over it?
It is wrong to sleep with your neighbors wife. Doing to the contrary once in a while is not not overdoing morality. WFC should have been sold.
PS - Cannot resist calling out the over-the-top bullshit. "The thin boyinsh looking money manager" WTF?!?!?!?! If he is boyish looking then I'm a fat 3 month old baby.

@Derf. That's what I was trying to explain. I don't think you can transfer from IRA in kind. If the fund company permits it will need to go as two transactions - a sell followed by a buy. Sell means you have to pay tax penalty and then buy fewer shares in taxable. Seems pointless to me when you can buy right now for $100.
1 taxabe to another taxable - not sure why you would want to do - that i think should be fine. But AGAIN, $100 minimum why, Why, WHY?

@Prof Snowball. Yeah I have checked that article however...
High cash stake is an accident and not part of investment philosophy and it shows in current numbers (PQUAX)
Then there is too-small-fund nuisance - small funds just close without warning (BABFX)
Then some are not available NTF at brokerages (Day Hagan I shares are $1000 but...)
Then there is manager-too-old risk (Gabelli)
Then there is too many funds in the same equity box (ICMAX,PVFIX....CUSRX too?)
Then there is not much evidence high cash stake has protected the fund in DD numbers (FRKNX)
Then there is meaningful manager ownership (I consider $500,000 a slam dunk)
I keep looking at that list if things changed. Lately I haven't. I actually was monitoring BABFX for the longest time even before you mentioned it the first time. However, no one wants that fund and assets are at $1.5MM now. At that point I just stopped monitoring the list altogether.
Needless, to say I'll now try remember to check again.

Not quite sure I follow, but I did understand the last part....just buy $100 worth.
I have quite a few funds in both taxable and IRA, but with only 1 fund in both...RPMGX, in my mind the best fund I've ever owned. Looking for more, simply for consolidation purposes, and the FMI fund is under consideration.

Ummm ... you might check the article we wrote on the subject in May and June, 2016.
When I checked the premium screener just now for domestic equity with over 25% cash, I got:
Comstock Capital Value Fund; Class A Shares
GAMCO Mathers Fund; Class AAA Shares
Scharf Alpha Opportunity Fund
Probabilities Fund;
Bullfinch Fund Inc: Unrestricted Series
PACE Small/Medium Co Growth Equity Investments;
Pinnacle Value Fund
Frank Value Fund
Weitz Partners III Opportunity Fund
Hussman Strategic Value Fund
Intrepid Disciplined Value Fund
Day Hagan Tactical Dividend Fund
Bread & Butter Fund
Port Street Quality Growth Fund
PACE Small/Medium Co Value Equity Investments;
American Growth Fund Series Two (AMREX)
Cullen Small Cap Value Fund
The list is a bit truncated because some of the Intrepid folks seem to be moving to short-term bonds rather than pure cash. ICMAX, for instance, shows as 16% equity, 18% cash, 64% bonds. That might be a more-common move now.
David