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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.
  • Buy Sell Why: ad infinitum.
    @Crash- I just noticed- Over 58 THOUSAND views... One THOUSAND comments... One YEAR near the top of the page...
    Great job, Crash! You deserve some sort of MFO award. Ol' Ted would be green with envy.
    Congrats-
    OJ
  • Homestead Rural America Growth & Income Fund will be liquidated
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1768447/000168386324002101/f38160d1.htm
    497 1 f38160d1.htm SAI HOMESTEAD FUNDS TRUST - MARCH 2024
    Filed pursuant to 497(e)
    File Nos. 333-229995 and 811-23429
    Homestead Funds Trust
    (The “Trust”)
    Rural America Growth & Income Fund,
    a series of the Trust
    Supplement Dated March 28, 2024
    to the Statement of Additional Information dated May 1, 2023
    IMPORTANT NOTICE
    The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”), based upon the recommendation of Homestead Advisers Corp., the Trust’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”), has determined to liquidate and terminate the Rural America Growth & Income Fund (the “Fund”). Due to the small amount of assets in the Fund and the expectation that the Fund’s assets will not grow sufficiently in the foreseeable future, the Adviser believes that the Fund cannot continue to conduct its operations in an economically viable manner and that it is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders to liquidate and terminate the Fund. After considering all the information presented to the Board, the Board concluded that it would be in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders to liquidate and terminate the Fund. To facilitate the orderly closure of the Fund, the Board has adopted a Plan of Liquidation and Termination for the Fund (the “Plan”). Shareholders who do not sell their shares of the Fund before the liquidation date set forth in the Plan, currently expected to be the close of business on June 12, 2024, will receive a liquidating distribution in cash equal to the amount of the net asset value of their shares. Thereafter, the Fund will be liquidated and dissolved, and all references to the Fund herein shall be removed.
    Effective as of the close of business on April 30, 2024, the Fund is closed and will not accept any purchase orders. In connection with the termination of the Fund and as the Adviser deems appropriate, the Fund will begin the process of liquidating its portfolio securities and shareholders should be aware that the Fund will not be pursuing its stated investment objective or engaging in any business activities except for the purpose of winding up its affairs.
    Prior to the close of business on June 10, 2024, shareholders of the Fund may exchange shares of the Fund for shares of the same class of any of the other Homestead Funds.
    For taxable shareholders, the liquidating distribution will generally be treated as a redemption of shares and such shareholders may recognize a gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. Shareholders should consult with their tax advisors for information regarding all tax consequences applicable to investments in the Fund.
    For more information, please call Homestead Funds at 800-258-3030.
    PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
  • Fund Allocations (Cumulative), 2/29/24
    Fund Allocations (Cumulative), 2/29/24
    Notable shifts into stocks. The changes for OEFs + ETFs were based on a total AUM of about $33.80 trillion in the previous month, so +/- 1% change was about +/- $338.0 billion. Also note that these changes were from both fund inflows/outflows & price changes. #ICI #Funds #OEFs #ETFs
    OEFs & ETFs: Stocks 59.97%, Hybrids 4.60%, Bonds 18.05%, M-Mkt 17.38%
    https://ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/post/1412/thread
  • Astor Macro Alternative Fund will be liquidated
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1314414/000158064224001866/astor-macro_497.htm
    497 1 astor-macro_497.htm 497
    Astor Macro Alternative Fund
    Class A Shares ASTMX
    Class C Shares ASTGX
    Class I Shares GBLMX
    (a series of Northern Lights Fund Trust)
    Supplement dated March 28, 2024 to
    the Prospectus and Statement of Information dated November 17, 2023
    The Board of Trustees of Northern Lights Fund Trust (the “Board”) has determined based on the recommendation of the investment adviser of the Astor Macro Alternative Fund (the “Fund”), that it is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders that the Fund cease operations. The Board has determined to close the Fund and redeem all outstanding shares on April 29, 2024.
    Effective at the close of business March 28, 2024, the Fund will not accept any purchases and will no longer pursue its stated investment objectives. The Fund may begin liquidating its portfolio and may invest in cash equivalents such as money market funds until all shares have been redeemed. Any capital gains will be distributed as soon as practicable to shareholders. Shares of the Fund are otherwise not available for purchase.
    Prior to April 29, 2024, you may redeem your shares, including reinvested distributions, in accordance with the “How to Redeem Shares” section in the Prospectus. Unless your investment in the Fund is through a tax-deferred retirement account, a redemption is subject to tax on any taxable gains. Please refer to the “Tax Status, Dividends and Distributions” section in the Prospectus for general information. You may wish to consult your tax advisor about your particular situation.
    ANY SHAREHOLDERS WHO HAVE NOT REDEEMED THEIR SHARES OF THE FUND PRIOR TO APRIL 29, 2024 WILL HAVE THEIR SHARES AUTOMATICALLY REDEEMED AS OF THAT DATE, AND PROCEEDS WILL BE SENT TO THE ADDRESS OF RECORD. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR DIRECTLY OR THE FUND AT 1-877-738-0333.
    IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR RETIREMENT PLAN INVESTORS
    If you are a retirement plan investor, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the consequences of a redemption of Fund shares. If you receive a distribution from an Individual Retirement Account or a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRA, you must roll the proceeds into another Individual Retirement Account within sixty (60) days of the date of the distribution in order to avoid having to include the distribution in your taxable income for the year. If you receive a distribution from a 403(b)(7) Custodian Account (Tax-Sheltered account) or a Keogh Account, you must roll the distribution into a similar type of retirement plan within sixty (60) days in order to avoid disqualification of your plan and the severe tax consequences that it can bring. If you are the trustee of a Qualified Retirement Plan, you may reinvest the money in any way permitted by the plan and trust agreement.
    This Supplement and the existing Prospectus dated November 17, 2023, provide relevant information for all shareholders and should be retained for future reference. Both the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information dated November 17, 2023, have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are incorporated by reference and can be obtained without charge by calling the Fund at 1-877-738-0333.
  • SBF gonna do big time
    Bankman Fried gets 25 years
    Judge didnt buy his argument everybody has been made whole.
  • "Market bulls won't get a 'wall of cash'"
    To achieve "absolute return" PVCMX relies on discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis. I learned that on their home page.
    Turns out that DCF is the formula behind absolute value investing.
    Does any other fund employ DCF analysis? MOAT does, for one:
    the MOAT ETF can choose to invest in a select group of about 145 companies with economic moats identified by Morningstar analysts. These companies are narrowed down based on intrinsic value, which is calculated using a long-term discounted cash flow model.
    If PVCMX helps people sleep better at night, I'm all for it. It just seems to me that the peace of mind it affords has more to do with asset allocation than stock analysis.
  • Mutual Fund Managers who Left and came Back
    In the last 15 years now, US LC are dominant, why investors MUST diversify more and/or invest in lagging categories and keep missing performance and in many cases have higher risk/volatility?
    US LC is the easiest, most common investment category, this is not a small unknown unique one.
    BTW, if you have any good analysis where to invest please share it.
  • AAII Sentiment Survey, 3/27/24
    AAII Sentiment Survey, 3/27/24
    BULLISH remained the top sentiment (50.0%; high) & bearish remained the bottom sentiment (22.4%, low); neutral remained the middle sentiment (27.6%, below average); Bull-Bear Spread was +27.6% (approaching mid-Dec high). Investor concerns: Elections, budget, inflation, economy, the Fed, dollar, Russia-Ukraine (109+ weeks), Israel-Hamas (24+ weeks), geopolitical. For the Survey week (Th-Wed), stocks, bonds, oil, gold, dollar ALL unusually up. Frothy areas include meme stocks, SPAC M&A, IPOs, ODTE options, cryptos, gold (but not gold-miners). #AAII #Sentiment #Markets
    https://ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/post/1410/thread
  • Money market funds at Merrill Lynch
    If you're thinking of redemption gates, the SEC is eliminating that. If your concern is liquidity (redemption) fees, the SEC is imposing a mandatory liquidity fee on institutional MMFs (other than government funds) if daily redemptions exceed 5% of assets. Finally, non-government MMFs can at their discretion impose a redemption fee if they deem it in the best interest of the fund (fat chance).
    https://www.sec.gov/files/33-11211-fact-sheet.pdf
    So ISTM that SEC-imposed redemption restrictions are a non-issue. In practice, these restrictions were never a real concern. MMFs managers were so focused on not triggering a restriction that they managed their funds too conservatively. That was part of the SEC's rationale in getting rid of these restrictions.
    If you're really time-sensitive, then you'll want to use funds that settle same day. The settlement date for some (not all) of the MMFs at Merrill can be found under Cash Management Solutions if you have a Merrill login.
    https://olui2.fs.ml.com/Mutualfunds/MFBDCashManagement.aspx
    Of note is that Merrill requires sell orders to be submitted well before 4PM for most of these funds, even if they don't settle until the next day. Merrill also notes that some of these funds price multiple times daily but that if you go through Merrill you'll only get the day end price. If intraday access to your cash is important to you, you'll likely have to invest in these MMFs directly with the distributor.
  • The Week in Charts | Charlie Bilello
    The Week in Charts (03/22/24)
    The most important charts and themes in markets, including...
    00:00 Intro
    00:10 Topics
    00:50 The Fed's 2% Inflation Farce
    09:59 Japan Ends Negative Rate Era
    13:42 One of the Best Starts to a Year
    20:12 The Reddit IPO
    22:58 Bitcoin Pullback
    25:00 Apple Monopoly?
    26:53 Most Unaffordable Housing Market in History
    29:09 Increase in New Listings
    Video
    Blog
  • Mutual Fund Managers who Left and came Back
    I invest where markets tell me.
    1995-2000 US LC 100% indexes
    2000-2010 Value, SC, international mainly in 3 funds FAIRX,OAKBX, SGIIX
    Since 2010 mainly US LC+ PIMIX until 2018. Then mainly bond funds.
    [snip]
    Must you post these same comments numerous times on multiple boards?
    No self-respecting Fund Daddy would ever do this.
    You need a new schtick FD!
  • Money market funds at Merrill Lynch
    Thanks for the feedback @msf!
    If you compute returns without considering all expenses, but still including the effect of the waiver, then you're increasing the yield by 0.3%.
    I was thinking of a scenario along these lines.
    Or, just look at the SEC definition as Yogi suggests.
    7-Day Yield: The average income return over the previous seven days, assuming the rate stays the same for one year. It is the Fund's total income net of expenses, divided by the total number of outstanding shares and includes any applicable waiver or reimbursement. The 7-Day SEC Yield Without Reductions is the yield without applicable waivers or reimbursements.
    https://institutional.fidelity.com/app/proxy/content?literatureURL=/9903527.PDF
    Some companies seem to be more explicit about this. Clearly, Fidelity is one of the more thorough outfits and spells this out, but I was not sure about the others. In fact, I have tried to verify this relatively recently w WMPXX. Strangely, I ended up with a number that was exactly 0.20% less than expected, which also happened to be their Net Expense Ratio and made it appear as if they were not factoring expenses into the quoted yield. But, given the N-1A requirements, I must have simply miscalculated.
  • Money market funds at Merrill Lynch
    It doesn't make any sense to include the effect of waivers (which reduce expenses), but not the effect of the expenses themselves. Say a fund has waivers amounting to 0.3%. The effect of those waivers is to boost returns by 0.3%. IOW, but for the waivers, the net returns would be 0.3% lower.
    If you compute returns without considering all expenses, but still including the effect of the waiver, then you're increasing the yield by 0.3%.
    For example, if gross yield (before considering expenses or waivers) is 5.0% and expenses are 0.5%, then net yield is 4.8% including the effect of waivers. If we include only the effect of waivers and not the effect of expenses, then the yield is 5.3%. That makes no sense.
    Or, just look at the SEC definition as Yogi suggests.
    7-Day Yield: The average income return over the previous seven days, assuming the rate stays the same for one year. It is the Fund's total income net of expenses, divided by the total number of outstanding shares and includes any applicable waiver or reimbursement. The 7-Day SEC Yield Without Reductions is the yield without applicable waivers or reimbursements.
    https://institutional.fidelity.com/app/proxy/content?literatureURL=/9903527.PDF
  • Money market funds at Merrill Lynch
    In a few states (NY, Conn, Calif), if at least 50% of the MMF's assets are not invested in state-exempt Treasuries each quarter, then none of the divs are state exempt. For taxpayers in those states, it's doubly important how much of a Treasury fund is actually invested in Treasuries.
    Government Money-Market Funds Are Hot. There’s a State-Tax Catch, WSJ, Sept 8, 2023.
    (not paywalled)
  • IRS and Identity Theft
    Level5 has posted an interesting question over in the OT section: IRS and Identity Theft
    I'm mentioning that here because it deserves to be viewed by those MFO posters who are most able to possibly provide information in the matter.
  • GQEPX question
    They cost $145 to $199 a year
    I assume you do not have to also have a M* premium membership but I am just guessing
    I have subscribed to most of them of andon over the years but never found them particularly useful
    They did have model portfolios that were reasonable but I don't remember being super excited about their results
  • Trump Media
    It will be fascinating to watch this unfold. Meme stocks have proven resilient for periods of time, and then it often falls apart.
    Purchases of DJT are really "donations" in my eyes. If you buy now and hold long-term, you don't expect to get your money back. There is no plan for generating revenues.
    I was tempted to buy some puts on it but the premiums are insane* even waaaaay OTM. I kind of still am, but leaning towards 'no' -- not even on a lark with some 'fun money.'
    More important, I view Tweety Amin similar to Elon Musk -- both will say/do anything to goose their stock prices and public images (which often are intertwined) and both have friends overseas with very deep pockets who wouldn't mind supporting the share price even if it means they only do it for a likely tax writeoff. I daresay much of the retail holders are in it just to 'show their support' for the guy because they like the spectacle and can feel part of things.
    * current price 66.50, the $20 strikes in JAN25 are 9.50 ... heck the 2.50 strikes that month are $1.14.
  • Money market funds at Merrill Lynch
    Several firms, including Fido, publish the required 7-day SEC yield and an optional daily-compounded yield. So, for FIGXX, there are 5.21% and 5.34%, respectively.
    https://fundresearch.fidelity.com/mutual-funds/view-all/316175108
    New money market reforms will eliminate the current distinction between the government and retail-prime m-mkt funds with $1 NAV. Institutional-prime with floating NAVs are another matter.
    Be careful with Treasury m-mkt funds - Treasury-only m-mkt hold Treasuries directly, but Treasury-obligations m-mkt hold lots of Treasury Repos.
  • Money market funds at Merrill Lynch
    @MikeW, fwiw, my 401k moved from TRP to Merrill last year. VUSXX, Vanguard Treasury Money Market Fund is available to me. A quick look says it has a 7 day yield of 5.29% right now. Merrill's 401k is pretty limited in options (VUSXX is my only mm choice). I'm sure if your wife's account is an IRA, she has more options.
  • Trump Media
    This was a SPAC merger. Former DWAC acquired Trump Media and post-merger, changed the name to Trump Media and ticker to DJT (holdover from now defunct Trump Casinos). No new money was raised. Trump himself owns 58% of the merged entity but has 6-mo lockup. Remaining 42% can sell and take profits.
    What would be a bull market without speculative plays? Meme stocks, SPAC M&As, IPOs, ODTE options, cryptos, gold?