Hi, Charlie,

Thanks for all your posts on bonds. Super great. Appreciate the generosity.
I know you know what you're talking about, but I'm a bit like a deer in headlights.

I guess I'll start with Wright's book and see what happens.

You provided so much info and wisdom in these posts but it's so beyond me. For instance, 'Meanwhile, be careful out there. The bears are getting hungry. ' I don't even know if that means, the market will drop further or ' I have no idea because I have no context.

I realize I'm going to need to get into the water before I can learn to swim, so that's what I'll do.

For instance, after noticing that I kept getting notices from Schwab that they 'swept' funds into the bank account, I thought I needed to look into how to handle those funds. Coincidentally, or not, the WSJ just posted an article on how some brokerages (like Schwab) swept those funds into low-paying vehicles, while funds like Fidelity and Vanguard automatically swept them into higher interest money market funds.

So, I wrote this and posted it to the 'Investing Beginners' board:

'This morning I had an interesting chat with GPT about which cash funds I could purchase through Schwab in my untaxed accounts. They suggested, SWTXX*, SWGXX, SWUXX, SWSBX and SWPXX.

The Schwab website lists the following funds:

Prime Money Funds (Taxed):
SWVXX, SNAXX

Government and Treasury Money Funds (Taxed):
SNVXX, SGUXX, SNOXX, SCOXX, SNSXX, SUTXX

Municipal Money Funds (non-taxable)
SWTXX*, SWOXX, SWKXX, SCAXX, SWYXX, SNYXX, SWWXX, SCTXX, (*SWTXX was the only one listed by GPT)

Variable Share Price Money Funds (Taxed): SVUXX

It looks complicated. Tax, not taxable? Expense ratios, 7-day yield, 30-day yields? (w or without waivers (?). Bonds? Treasuries?'

When I asked what the interest rates were, GPT drew the line and stopped chatting. I was hoping they'd do the typing for me so I wouldn't have to set up the chart myself. Oh well, public AI will have its fences and limitations.

Meanwhile, I've read your bond posts again'this time, the TMF one.

Now, I wonder if these Government and Treasury Money Funds, sold by Schwab, are funds of funds and should be avoided?

SNVXX, SGUXX, SNOXX, SCOXX, SNSXX, SUTXX

Is that even a question to ask?? I don't know anything.

I want to be a defensive investor, a know-nothing investor, but the more I think about things, the more I need to know and then I'm not taking a walk or making a pot, or sewing something. Trying to get enough knowledge is like reaching for the pencil that keeps rolling a little further out of reach every time you touch it.

I am thinking about stuff. And maybe I just move some cash around so I can put some taxable bits from my bank cash into short term Treasury Direct. And figure out which fund vehicle would be a reasonable expense/interest ratio for my tax-exempt accounts, with a short enough time-line (maturity?) to test it out. All new to me, but I'm getting in the pool.

Thanks for everything, esp. the philosophy.

Elizabeth