All this while, I'd keep maybe a couple of month's worth of usual expenses in my checking account. This does not count my son's college tuition which I am paying for myself, and also his apartment rent and other living expenses. That has made things tight.

When the market crashed due to tariffs, I found myself in a spot of trouble as I did not want to sell anything and had to resort to moving money around across different accounts to pay bills. I also had plans to buy a high end car for my wife, get my house painted, and change carpets, and maybe renovate my basement. I put all that on hold. I don't want to be in that situation again. So I plan to keep aside about $120k in liquid assets. I have an investment being "called back" soon and the money will free up.

Next question is where do I park this so I get the best bang for the buck? I have Fidelity and it just sweeps cash into SPAXX which is a "Fidelity Government Money Market Fund".

Quote:

---

7-Day Yield
AS OF 05/11/2025
+3.94%

---

This is best that comes to mind right now.

My question is, is there anything else I can do? I won't be in a situation where I need any of the money in hours so I can plan ahead. I want them to be reasonably liquid so I can get them out in a week or a few weeks and I don't lose money.

Ideas please.

CD ladder

VMFXX yield is 4.22%
Also a money market but with vanguard

ag94whoop said:

---

VMFXX yield is 4.22%
Also a money market but with vanguard

---

Is there any difference between this and SPAXX other than the higher yield?

Not that I know of

Here's the page

https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/mutual-funds/profile/vmfxx

VMFXX is closed to new investors.

1 to 3 months t-bills are 4.3ish %, you can ladder them so you have them maturing every month so unless you think you will need all 120k in one month, you can get slightly better yield than a money market knowing you are just a few weeks away from getting access to the money.

It all depends on what you are comfortable with. I have Capital One and it is paying 3.6%. I could ladder it and move money around, but it is just not worth the hassle for .06% on the amount in it. When I transfer in or out of Capital One it is in my account within three business days and I don't have to lose sleep over if I moved it or what is happening to my initial investment.

For me the peace of mind knowing it is there and gaining some interest while I have other money in the market allows me peace of mind. Good luck with whatever you decide

infinity ag said:

---

ag94whoop said:

---

VMFXX yield is 4.22%
Also a money market but with vanguard

---

Is there any difference between this and SPAXX other than the higher yield?

---

Not really. I've got money in both but favor VG because they treat it better (higher interest). Just some backup cash at Fidelity in case I need it and VG's systems are down.

I Am A Critic said:

---

Why not start buying into a high yield dividend stock like Energy Transfer? You'd still beat savings yields after taxes.

---

I am looking for something where I won't have to worry about the stock going up or down too much. I have another set of stocks to worry about for appreciation. Here I just want some place to park so I make some money while giving me peace of mind when the market goes up and down over the next year.

Whitetail said:

---

VMFXX is closed to new investors.

---

I don't show that, and several of my friends I suggested it to just parked money in it last week.

infinity ag said:

---

I Am A Critic said:

---

Why not start buying into a high yield dividend stock like Energy Transfer? You'd still beat savings yields after taxes.

---

I am looking for something where I won't have to worry about the stock going up or down too much. I have another set of stocks to worry about for appreciation. Here I just want some place to park so I make some money while giving me peace of mind when the market goes up and down over the next year.

---

SCHD is another parking place for me.
Decent stability (yes it moves but not like other ETFs) and pays a 3.7+% qualified dividend

I agree with you that it's not life changing money but putting it in a money market that earns 0.4% more than what you are talking about is an extra $40 a month for a balance of 120k with no extra effort. Taking my suggestion and rolling tbills which would be 0.7% more than the rate you quoted would be $70 a month for the 120k balance. You would have to check it once or twice a month to roll it but I personally don't mind doing that but I understand some might not. That being said,, I wouldn't passively accept 3.6% when 4% passive in a money market is easily available unless the balance was so low or really wouldn't make a difference but at 120k I would say it's worth the one time 15 minutes you use to set that up.

Consider after tax yield as well. If you're in a high tax bracket, that 4% becomes less than 3% net of taxes. Make money/pay taxes is a good problem to have, but I'd use that 3% figure in my math when considering alternatives.

We keep 2 years of cash in our online savings account currently earning 4.35%.

TMCXX currently has a yield of 4.41 percent. This is where I park my cash.

Haaa. My wife laughed when I bought a big stack of those forever stamp books when they first came out. Seems like the were .37 then maybe. Still have a bunch left.
It wasn't the price I was worried about but waiting in line each time stamps had previously gone up to get the new ones and the smaller stamps to make the old ones work. Never again

permabull said:

---

1 to 3 months t-bills are 4.3ish %, you can ladder them so you have them maturing every month so unless you think you will need all 120k in one month, you can get slightly better yield than a money market knowing you are just a few weeks away from getting access to the money.

---

Or buy BIL, an ETF of 1-3 month tbills.

You only live once, and you don't wanna spend it standing in line when you can buy forever now.

How's that for an ad campaign?

If that $120K is split between Vanguard & Fidelity why not just call them up and ask what they've got? If you're lucky you'll get a phone rep who actually knows something. I'm with Merrill and my cash is yielding +4%:

https://www.federatedhermes.com/us/products/mutual-funds/govt-obligations/sdg.do

goatchze said:

---

permabull said:

---

1 to 3 months t-bills are 4.3ish %, you can ladder them so you have them maturing every month so unless you think you will need all 120k in one month, you can get slightly better yield than a money market knowing you are just a few weeks away from getting access to the money.

---

Or buy BIL, an ETF of 1-3 month tbills.

---

I hadn't seen that one before. It's 4.76% as of today. Interesting one. Best time to buy is apparently a couple days after dividends paid.

There are also SGOV & SHV, showing 4.7%

https://stockanalysis.com/etf/shv/
https://stockanalysis.com/etf/sgov/

UNH seems poised for a leg higher, would be a good entry point.

Highest yielding money market fund is pretty consistently PCOXX. Currently 4.30%

ag94whoop said:

---

goatchze said:

---

permabull said:

---

1 to 3 months t-bills are 4.3ish %, you can ladder them so you have them maturing every month so unless you think you will need all 120k in one month, you can get slightly better yield than a money market knowing you are just a few weeks away from getting access to the money.

---

Or buy BIL, an ETF of 1-3 month tbills.

---

I hadn't seen that one before. It's 4.76% as of today. Interesting one. Best time to buy is apparently a couple days after dividends paid.

---

30-day SEC Yield is currently 4.1%. SEC yield is a better measure of return going forward than the distribution yield is.

I sold the stock yesterday (instead of waiting for auto redemption) and sent the money today to Fidelity. Will reach in a day or two. The total is $150k, which includes the 25k I already had in there as my rainy day fund.

I am thinking of:

• $50k in SPAXX - I can always transfer to my other accounts without needing to sell anything. 7d yield: 3.96%
• $50k in something that has more yield even if it is less marginally less liquid than SPAXX. Should be able to get the cash in 1-3 weeks. Treasuries?
• $50k: Might just ladder with Fidelity CDs. I don't expect I will be able to redeem before term.

Open to changing my mind, this is just my initial draft.

94chem said:

---

Forever first class stamps.

https://images.app.goo.gl/6gcr7nBEraaT9YDj6

---

I believe it was 32c when I was at A&M.

ag94whoop said:

---

goatchze said:

---

permabull said:

---

1 to 3 months t-bills are 4.3ish %, you can ladder them so you have them maturing every month so unless you think you will need all 120k in one month, you can get slightly better yield than a money market knowing you are just a few weeks away from getting access to the money.

---

Or buy BIL, an ETF of 1-3 month tbills.

---

I hadn't seen that one before. It's 4.76% as of today. Interesting one. Best time to buy is apparently a couple days after dividends paid.

---

It's essentially the same price everyday. It increases up to the monthly ex-div date, then drops after that payment. You pay a premium later in the month as you don't have to hold it as long before the next dividend. You get to buy it cheaper at the beginning of the month because you have to hold it longer.

So you can get in/out pretty much whenever you want.

goatchze said:

---

permabull said:

---

1 to 3 months t-bills are 4.3ish %, you can ladder them so you have them maturing every month so unless you think you will need all 120k in one month, you can get slightly better yield than a money market knowing you are just a few weeks away from getting access to the money.

---

Or buy BIL, an ETF of 1-3 month tbills.

---

It has an interesting chart. Let me look into it a bit more.

Another vote for TMCXX. Note that my ML advisor moves it in and out of this fund so takes about 1 business day if I need access to cash.

RightWingConspirator said:

---

TMCXX currently has a yield of 4.41 percent. This is where I park my cash.

---

looked it up, has a $3M minimum initial investment. tip of the cap to you!

https://www.blackrock.com/cash/en-us/products/282738/blf-tempcash#/

Interesting....I assure you, I did not put $3MM into that fund. Maybe it's changed over the years?? I think I got in with ~$100,000.