Jan 3rd, 2009
December Was Up! Finally!
After months and months of negativity, December 2008 was a positive month for my model portfolio (finally!). It didn’t make up for an awful year, but it certainly helped.
The Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSMX) ended the month up 11.39%! That’s the first time in a long time I can say that. The T. Rowe Price International Discovery Fund (PRIDX) was also up, showing a double digit return of 10.00%. Finally, the Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund (VBMFX) was also up, 2.31%, as well as continuing to pay that nice yield of 5.04%.
For the year, VTSMX was down 32.88%, PRIDX sank an astonishing 48.59%, and VBMFX was down 1.90% (they all pay dividends, which helps to cushion the blows, particularly the bond fund’s 5.04%). The Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund (VGTSX), which I hope to switch my international exposure to tomorrow with Vanguard’s brokerage option, was down 44.85%–not great by any means, but a bit better than PRIDX.
When Vanguard publishes numbers (which I think will be tomorrow night) on performance of my portfolio for 2008–which will look a bit different from what has been posted here due to the effect of money being contributed throughout the year–I’ll blog about them. It’s not going to be pretty, but it’s what happened in 2008. I’m hoping that 2009 will build on December’s successes.
