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Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
  • Question for Girouxheads out there
    @larryb - A little late to the party, but I use a combo of SCHD and TDVG, which is the ETF version of PRDGX referenced by Roy above. Large cap breakdown is 13/43/25, so it 's more blend than value. SCHD LC breakdown is 38/31/5. That's worked well for me, although yield for the TRP fund is only 1.19%.
  • frozen markets, range-bound
    6.4% YTD. Was 50% equity for most of January; currently about 70% equity. Trying to strike while the iron is hot. 76, retired, expenses covered, investing for heirs.
  • frozen markets, range-bound
    38% stocks, 50% bonds, 12% MM, YTD up 3.83%.
  • frozen markets, range-bound
    YTD. +7% 70% stocks, 20% bonds and 10% cash. I am 65 and retired.
  • Buy Sell Why: ad infinitum.
    @PRESSmUP, what is up 2.59 today? Your portfolio?
  • Buy Sell Why: ad infinitum.
    Well! You done GOOD! Just don't hold your breath, eh? MLP ET was my best performer. But it's just 5% of portfolio, by design. Don't wanna make too-big bets with single stocks. ET +2.32% just today, Friday.
  • frozen markets, range-bound
    BHB continues to hamper results, but I'd bet it's not their fault. Lots of knock-on effects from elsewhere, and the FED's recalcitrance to reduce interest rates. I see no indication that the bank has been imprudent or foolish or careless or has stopped making money. Low P/E. Nice dividend. Is this not a "widows and orphans" stock?
    I continue to CRAWL upward in tiny, labored baby-steps. Since Jan 1: +0.7%. Pathetic. 52 stocks 39 bonds 7 cash.
  • Buy Sell Why: ad infinitum.
    +2.59% today...what could possibly go wrong?
  • Stable-Value (SV) Rates, 3/1/24
    Stable-Value (SV) Rates, 3/1/24
    TIAA Traditional Annuity (Accumulation) Rates
    Big drops! TIAA Declaration Year 3/1 - 2/28
    Restricted RC 5.50%, RA 5.25%
    Flexible RCP 4.75%, SRA 4.50%, Newer IRAs 4.75%
    TSP G Fund hasn't updated yet (previous 4.125%).
    Edit/Add. March rate is 4.375%
    Options outside of workplace retirement plans include m-mkt funds, bank m-mkt accounts (FDIC insured), T-Bills, short-term brokered CDs.
    #StableValue #401k #403b #TIAA #TSP
    https://ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/post/1372/thread
  • Healthcare
    Hi guys!
    Hope all is well with you and yours.
    So, what a run since 23, no?
    Finally, healthcare rises this year. Fido numbers say FSMEX 6.39%, FSPHX 5.49%. These funds I wanted to sell but they were so bad. So now they rise in a bad time....the election.....but this time, I hope it's different....lol. Bigger things to worry about.
    All I hear about is AI. So tired of it, really. Have we nothing else but the 7? Really, I guess not since we're back to the 2020 election. Have we no one else??? Anyway, back to topic...have any of you kept your holdings in healthcare??? I know some sold. I understand that. I stand at 11% in the space, so I hope for a turn. It's something that I thought was core to hold to the end with the aging boomers and all. Saying that, does anyone know any retirement home REITs?
    The Brown One on our walks is very pro health, saying, "You people will spend what it takes to stay alive." Yes, I said, it would stand to reason. No one wants someone to die. At that point, money is not important.
    What the Dukester said next stunned me. "Would you spend money on me to save me to live longer, Pudd?" Being out in the cold and having 2 cups of coffee, I said, "Yes" right away. With a smile looking back at me, he said, "Now, tell me why healthcare is not core forever?"
    I hate long cold walks in the morning with Brown. It tends to not end well. Drats! Drats! and double Drats!!!!
    God bless
    the Pudd
  • Sterling Capital Funds change
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/889284/000139834424004960/fp0087395-1_497.htm
    STERLING CAPITAL FUNDS
    SUPPLEMENT DATED FEBRUARY 29, 2024
    TO THE
    CLASS A AND CLASS C SHARES PROSPECTUS AND THE
    INSTITUTIONAL AND CLASS R6 SHARES PROSPECTUS,
    EACH DATED FEBRUARY 1, 2024
    This Supplement provides new and additional information beyond that contained in the Class A and Class C Shares Prospectus (the “Retail Prospectus”) and the Institutional and Class R6 Shares Prospectus (the “Institutional Prospectus”), each dated February 1, 2024:
    On February 2, 2024, Guardian Capital Group Limited (“Guardian”) announced that it had entered into a unit purchase agreement under which Guardian’s wholly owned subsidiary, Guardian Capital LLC, will acquire 100% of the ownership interests of Sterling Capital Management LLC (“Sterling Capital”) from Truist Financial Corporation (“Truist”) (the “Acquisition”). The closing of the Acquisition (the “Closing”) is subject to certain conditions and is expected to take place in the second quarter of 2024.
    Guardian has indicated that, following the Closing, it plans to operate Sterling Capital as a standalone entity, led by the current team of management and senior professionals, providing continuity, stability and continued excellence for Sterling clients.
    The Acquisition will result in a change of control of Sterling Capital effective as of the Closing. Pursuant to the terms of the current investment advisory agreement between Sterling Capital and Sterling Capital Funds, on behalf of each of its series (the “Funds”), the Acquisition may be deemed an assignment of the investment advisory agreement and result in its automatic termination. In anticipation of the termination of the existing investment advisory agreement, it is expected that the Board will consider a new investment advisory agreement containing substantially similar terms as the current investment advisory agreement with Sterling, including identical advisory fees.
    At a special meeting of shareholders of the Funds expected to be held prior to the Closing, shareholders will be asked to consider and approve the new investment advisory agreement. Shareholders of record of each Fund as of the record date will be entitled to vote at the meeting and should expect to receive a proxy statement providing more information about the Acquisition and the new investment advisory agreement.
    SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT
    WITH THE PROSPECTUS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
  • frozen markets, range-bound
    @Crash, you are right. My patience bordered on stubbornness, hoping that a professionally run portfolio was the way to go. I did make the move today to move that remaining robo money to my self managed account. Takes 5 business days for the transfer to complete. I will then, once again, be flush with cash to distribute to existing funds.
  • Buy Sell Why: ad infinitum.
    Dipped my toe into China. Just a little bit. India is getting all the attention but seems pretty expensive, and when 40% of investors in a survey believe China is "uninvestable" sentiment seems like it can hardly get worse.
    Sentiment is so negative and BABA is trading at 8 times free cash flow and it's ratio of free cash to market cap is 35%. Of course this assumes the Commies learned their lesson in the last few years that to run a modern economy you have to lighten up on market manipulation.
  • Buy Sell Why: ad infinitum.
    SOLD entire NVDA position that was BOT last week for a 20% gain.
    Coulda had BOT more shares. Shoulda SOLD last week at a wee bit higher. But hard to feel too bad about a 20% trade.
    Gonna miss holding the BIG fella individually, but still have a 5% portfolio allocation to it in funds, mostly via FSELX.
    SOLD position loosely based on IBD's concept of re-evaluating positions when UP ~25%. Would you BUY it again at the current price? To that we answered "No" as we believe NVDA, Big Tech, and in effect then, the overall market is inching closer to an overdue Correction.
    Right or wrong, what's done is done. Onto the next opportunity as IBD suggests!
  • frozen markets, range-bound
    My overall is up around +2.3% YTD, slowly creeping up. Can't complain (but I will in the next paragraph :) ). Schwab says their 'moderately conservative' benchmark portfolio is up +1.3% YTD. Another bench mark I compare to is the TRP 45% equity retirement fund (TRRAX), up +1.9% YTD.
    I'm going to give up totally on the Schwab Intelligent Portfolio, the robo. It has made 0% YTD after many years of lack luster return. At one time I split about 50:50 between the robo and self managed. I reduced the robo to ~15% by the end of 2023. It's high cash allowance, ~12%, makes fractions of a percent while the Schwab MM, which they don't use in the robo, has consistently made ~5%+ the past year. This cash allotment is an anchor. Also, it has consistently been heavy International and emerging markets which also hasn't worked out. I gave it time. I've had it for ~7 years and it hasn't performed any better than a target date fund. Worst in fact.
  • Never seen the like. Overnight Futures: TS
    5:16 a.m. March 1: pre-Market. Down -1.11%.
    ORK!!!!!
    I'm still going to grow this beast, gradually, despite all my grousing---- AFTER all of my previous rejoicing. The dividend yield on TS is at my bare minimum requirement at the moment: 3%.
    But they are wanting to pay just ANNUALLY, going forward. ADR shares receive double the normal share dividend. ADR= twice the size of the other. Logical. Pending div = .80 cents/ADR share.
    Glad I unloaded Norsk Hydro. A company with solid roots, reliable history. Bad stuff going on. Lots of current headwinds these days.
    EDIT to add: End-of-day, 01 March, 2024: TS was up on the day by 0.99%. I'll gladly take it.
  • WBALX Weitz Conserv Allocation
    Crash, When I look at BRUFX it is easy to see why the under performance of late. No TECH and overweight Utilities and healthcare. The former doing great and the latter not so. Don't be surprised if you see a turnaround in the near future.
    Thanks, Art. Yet I've also recently uncovered the fact that BRUFX is mostly Smid-caps. I am not liking the volatility of small and mid-caps. I'm in possession of quite enough of those, already--- regardless of which industry we look at. I suppose it is the SMALL-caps I particularly want to eschew.
    Portf. X-Ray shows me at 15% of total stocks in small caps. BRUFX is 4+ percent of that. well, 4+ percent of total portfolio. BRUFX carries a nice 3+ percent YIELD, but no one is in that fund for the YIELD, eh? .....Another look shows BRUFX just 26% in SMIDs. Very well. And I appreciate it if BRUFX is not heavy (or at all) into the TECH names which I love to hate. But I'm impatient with the underperformance. By the same token, I dropped PRNEX because of its utter unwillingness to go anywhere. I think BRUFX has served its purpose by now. Time to move on from there. :)
  • WBALX Weitz Conserv Allocation
    Crash, did you come to a final decision regarding WBALX?
    Yes. We are moving (T-IRA) BRUFX under Schwab's umbrella, along with the taxable brokerage account and my own IRA. That was not going to be what we originally had decided to do. BRUFX is wife's IRA. After the move, we'll exchange BRUFX for shares of WBALX. It's not going to shoot the lights out, by design. But that's OK. It's about 50/50 stocks/bonds. More tame. That prospects might serve to counteract the volatility of the single stocks in the portfolio. Single stocks = 14% of portfolio now.
    Also looking for a seat at the table for (bonds) Weitz WCPNX.