@Crash- just curious- at your branch do you really need an appointment to do ordinary stuff, or just to reserve a time slot with the manager or an account specialist?
Thanks- OJ

Surely for more lengthy conversations, an appt. is called for, like my very first visit in there. There is a further, follow-up item: I must get a TRP statement printed, but I own no printer. So he just asked what time I'd like to come in, and I'll simply login at TRP while I'm sitting there with my guy at Schwab, and he can take a screen grab or print the pertinent info. He's telling me that in about 5 years, this can all be done more seamlessly, online. But not yet. And we did need my wife's signatures on the joint brokerage account and also her IRA, to get it under the Schwab umbrella, anyhow.

@hank. Looks bleak. And way too cold. I'm at 52 Stocks 39 bonds 7 cash 3 other.
After a dividend just arrived, ET is the biggest single-stock position. 5% of total portfolio. Among funds, PRWCX remains very, VERY near 40% of total.

:)
There was a fun pre-show here. Several people took part. Not cast members, just volunteers. Maybe paid volunteers? When I entered, there were two women all in red sequins. They were singing cabaret numbers, old standards. Then, boom: they broke into the Flower Duet song from Lakme. It was marvelous!

OTC trades at Schwab $6.95.
El Grande Stinko. Guess I'll be avoiding that.

@msf, series 6,7 or 112 doesn't matter that much. The facts at least for me over the years is that all the Fidelity reps who contacted me tried cookie-cutter ideas and pushed their agenda which would cost me money. Schwab never did, and my rep is willing to put the extra effort my way, still for free.
TT and the rest are peanuts...I saved hundreds and sometimes thousands.
1) Every time I buy I share funds, Schwab waives the fee which is $50 (49.95). I usually deal with I share funds. I have 5 accounts. At least 4 trades per year per account = 20 * $50 = $1000.
At fidelity, the next day I must buy the remaining 10% and that doubles the amount to $2000.
2) Every time I sell a fund, I buy the next fund on the same day, it takes me less than one minute at Schwab and I buy at 99.5% of the selling proceeds. At Fidelity, I have to call a rep, half refuse to do it. It takes 15-20 minutes with annoying reps and they finally do it. But wait, I can only buy 90% of the sell proceeds. Fidelity reps lie saying it's a SEC rule.
So, I sell at least one million, at Fidelity they will buy only $900K. Most times the switch is pretty good and I make just an extra 0.1-0.2%.
0.1% on $100K is just $100. Suppose it happened only 5 times = $500
3) This is the biggest difference. Schwab has more funds I like and most times months earlier. I invested a lot in a fund that made just 1% more than my other bond funds, it's available at Schwab but not Fidelity. Do you know how much is 1% more? in my case close to $20K. My specialty is to find small AUM newer bond funds with very smooth uptrends.
4) Over the years, every time I transferred cash from a 401K to Fidelity and asked for one time to waive the $50 fee to buy an I share fund either it was denied or I had to spend 15-20 minutes and argue with a supervisor and I'm like "I just transferred $250K and you can't waive the $50, really?" Schwab always made an effort to work with me.
5) I started using TaxHawk for at least 10 years. It has many options. Fed is always free. State is $15. If I want to save the $15 I can just copy from the software and mail it to my state. I don't care about $15. Maybe one day GA will have a free online e-file service.
Other than that, Fidelity is great, the only problem, I know about Schwab.
BTW, years ago after Charles Schwab, the LT founder and CEO, stepped down, Schwab lost its heritage after several years and fees crept up. I changed back to Fidelity. Charles came back, and mojo came back, I switched too. I keep accounts at both. I have no bone in this fight, I go where I can save/make more money for my investing trading style.

@msf "I brought in a ton of money this year as I continue to consolidate holdings."
Coinage, you're talking about. How many $1 bills to make a ton ?
I couldn't resist, Derf
Added "However, if you wanted your million in single dollar bills, that same amount of money would weigh a metric ton (2,204.623 pounds).
https://goodcalculators.com/money-weight-calculator/
© 2015-2024 goodcalculators.com

I brought in a ton of money this year as I continue to consolidate holdings. AFAIK that boosts the odds, but no one really knows how Fidelity decides to provide TT for free.
I was prepared to go to Costco while they were still selling Deluxe for $44.99 - $34.99 net after counting the included $10 credit. (The Fidelity $5 "free" download is for TT Premier, but I've never found any extra value in that.)

I was assigned a Schwab rep. The guy is a pro with vast knowledge, has Series 7, 63, 66 Securities Licenses
From Schwab: "Dedicated Financial Consultants are generally made available to clients with $500,000 or more in assets at Schwab and more complex investing needs."
https://www.schwab.com/invest-with-us/professional-advice
From FINRA: "The Series 7 exam ... assesses the competency of an entry-level registered representative to perform their job as a general securities representative."
https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/series7
Regarding Series 63, "The Series 66 is a combination of Series 63 and Series 65 and allows securities industry professionals seeking to transact securities business as a broker-dealer agent and provide investment advice for a fee as an investment adviser representative."
https://mastercompliance.com/2022/11/understanding-the-difference-series-63-series-65-or-series-66/
Much as an AA degree can be just a stepping stone to a BA, it sounds like a series 63 license can be a stepping stone to a series 6 license.
In any case, most assigned reps at Fidelity and Schwab have Series 7 and 66.
https://digital.fidelity.com/prgw/digital/faa/0/connect-with-an-advisor
https://client.schwab.com/public/consultant/find
As to free services, it really depends on what you want and how you use the services. For example:
- Schwab charges at least $15 for an international wire; at Fidelity they're free. I typically send a small number of international wires a year. Most people don't.
- Fidelity gave me free Turbotax (this year it's $5 to download). Its value more than compensates me for the few $5 auto-purchase fees I pay. Other people trade more frequently and have said they cut deals with Schwab.
- OTC trades are free at Fidelity; at Schwab they cost $6.95. But I trade stocks infrequently and never trade penny stocks. This may matter to others.
Medallion stamps - Schwab would send my paperwork over to the next county to stamp; Fidelity stamps my papers while I wait. This is another infrequent need.
Schwab and Fidelity are both fine organizations. IMHO these differences are just noise around the edges. If Schwab works for you, that's great. If you're happier with Fidelity, more power to you. If you want to split the difference and have accounts at both places, go for it.
Trekkie vs. trekker, more than you ever wanted to know:
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Trekkie
And get a life (Shatner, SNL):
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmagzq

[snip]
Saw this one LIVE here, last night. A great evening.
Money is not everything.

Visited Pagliacci here, last night. A great experience.
No clowning around!
Pizza is not everything but...
https://www.pagliacci.com/order/products/113

Photo & Article from this Week’s Barron’s
“Last week’s Investors Intelligence sentiment survey showed the highest percentage of self-described bulls since the summer of 2021. Market strategists have been raising year-end price targets for the S&P 500. The Cboe equity put/call ratio is about as low as it gets historically, meaning more bets on rising stock prices than falling. Fund flows have been strong, even with the S&P 500 trading at a demanding 20.5 times 12-month forward earnings.”
”The Stock Market Is Melting Up. Prepare for a Short-Term Correction.” - Nicholas Jasinski
Barron’s 2/19/24

Never have had a mortgage. I'll be 70 in July.
Portfolio: I survived yesterday. A juicy ET dividend due on Feb. 20 has already appeared in the brokerage acct--- still in TRP. A week and a half longer, and the expected PSTL divvie will come. I'll drop that puppy, after that money settles in the account.
Performance: down on the day on Friday, up for '24 by just a fraction, still. Just about "even-Steven" from the end of '23.
Would you kill for love? Saw this one LIVE here, last night. A great evening.
Money is not everything.

I have noted them all. Thank you very much, @Sven. Yes, don't want to be in that stuff AGAIN at the wrong time, exactly. (I got into junk at their high, before they all fell, in TUHYX, at start of '22.) Initiated PRCPX at the RIGHT time. It's about 50% of the size of TUHYX in the portfolio. Lately, I added "Fallen Angels" FALN. Previously I.G. stuff which got downgraded. It's been a good ride. I'll keep an eye out for the rate cuts.

@Ivyman, easy answer. Set at Schwab a transfer from TRP for 2-5 shares IN-KIND and see the results within days, you have nothing to lose.

But I am getting tired of people complaining about 6-7% mortgage rates. My first mortgage, in 1975, was 8.5%.

Heh, I remember being at 12%. Of course, the house

did only cost $32,000!!

My first house, with the 8.5% mortgage, was a 6 bedroom old farmhouse -- cost me $22,000 in 1975.
I bought a new '78 base Chevy pickup, sticker was a bit over $4,000. Oh well, I was earning big money then as a journeyman moldmaker at $9+ per hour.
I remember going to diners for lunch in the early-mid '70s, and a standard meal (burger or sandwich with drink) was around $1.50-1.60. We'd leave $2 and that covered the tip.
Nothing has really changed except the value of the dollar.

Yep. 11.5% in the 80s The first house we bought ($35,000) however we assumed an FHA mortgage. The house was not our first choice, on a busy street etc, but we didnt want to hock our souls and then some to the Bank
Sold it two years later for $55,000. Only house we made much on. In CT we sold our house for 30% more than we paid for it, after 30 years. ugh

But I am getting tired of people complaining about 6-7% mortgage rates. My first mortgage, in 1975, was 8.5%.

Heh, I remember being at 12%. Of course, the house did only cost $32,000!!

The mortgage on our first house was 10.5% in 1986. Our second house had a mortgage about 8%, but we refinanced to a 15-year loan at 6% a couple years later. We eventually paid it off at that rate.

With CDs maturing, it is a bit surprising (at least to me), that CDs have started ticking back to the 5+% level for the 1 year and 18 month durations. Along with 5+% level MMs, that gives a pretty attractive and safe array of investing options, with very minimal risk. I had expected to be pushed into bond oefs again, but now I am in no hurry to do that, with the principal from maturing CDs.

Doing quite well... the CDs and Treasuries keep dribbling out money like a broken slot machine. I like money!

I’m loving the higher yields. I’m in no hurry for the Fed to drop rates. Every time a CD or Treasury matures, I just buy some more — often at higher yields.

I tell people that if you don't like high (normal, actually) interest rates, then don't borrow money -- loan it. That's a bit tongue-in-cheek of course, because everybody cannot do that.
But I am getting tired of people complaining about 6-7% mortgage rates. My first mortgage, in 1975, was 8.5%.

The graphic is set for the 5 days ending February 16, Friday; for the best to worst % returns in select etf categories. One may then also select the one month column to align the one month return best to worst; or for the other listed time frame columns.
ADD an etf performance of your choosing, if you desire.
*** Requested ADD: For the week and YTD
--- EWW = -.18% / -.81% (I Shares, Mexico)
MMKT note: Fidelity mmkt's yields remained nominally steady this week, with core acct's yields at 4.97% (SPAXX) and 4.96% (FDRXX).
NOTE: Growth equity found some downward pricing, being the tech. area; as well as Blue Chip, quality/non-tech. Most U.S. bonds (funds) found higher yields this week, which, of course; results in lose of pricing performance.
Remain curious,
Catch