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401K choices?

mclaugh
edited April 2011 in Fund Discussions
Just received the updated list of available funds for my company's 401k program.

My options (no-load; there are a number of stinker load funds that I'd rather steer well clear of) are:

DODBX - Dodge and Cox Balanced;
DODFX - Dodge and Cox International Stock;
DODGX - Dodge and Cox Stock;
FAIRX - Fairholme;
MACSX - Matthews Asia Growth & Income;
MAPIX - Matthews Asia Dividend
PRPFX - Permanent Portfolio
RYVPX - Royce Value Plus;
anything in the Fidelity and T Rowe Price stables;*

and the ever-popular CASHX.

* I currently own FBALX - Fidelity Balanced, FCNTX - Fidelity Contrafund, PRIDX - T Rowe Price International Discovery, PRNEX - T Rowe Price New Era, and TRMCX - T Rowe Price Midcap Value.

Anything stand out as winners or stinkers?

I currently own at least a little bit of each of the named funds except MAPIX and PRPFX (new additions to the list this year).

At least one of the Matthews funds is pretty much a given, and I'm leaning toward adding a bit of Fairholme.

Any reason to have both MACSX and MAPIX in a tax-deferred account? If not, would one be a better choice than the other?

PRPFX is intriguing, but I wonder about asset bloat from all the hot money flowing in, and how well it's position to survive the hit if/when the hot money move on to the next big thing?

Anything in the Fidelity or TRP portfolios worth considering? (I'm pondering FICDX - Fido Canada, based on David Snowball's and BobC's comments.)

Thoughts? Comments?

Thanks.

Comments

  • InvestorInvestor
    You have a pretty decent choice of funds above. I think your company is getting pretty good advice for fund selection.
  • fundalarmfundalarm
    i think his company read fundalarm -- pretty much spot on with their list.
  • Sven
    They could add few bond funds (domestic, foreign, local currency and etc). Also a stable value fund would be good.
  • 00BY
    Better than my employer's offerings.

    MACSX vs. MAPIX or both has been debated a bit. And I don't think there is one right answer there. MACSX has been around much longer and has a good record as a more conservative Asian fund. It has done so with a mix of it's holdings dividend-paying common stock, preferred stock and other equity securities and convertible securities, of any duration or quality. Andrew Foster just left MACSX which in itself is not a good thing, but adding Madsen as co manager is good. Madsen also manages MAPIX so maybe we will see more similarities b/w the two funds.

    MAPIX will invest in income-paying publicly traded common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks, and other equity-related instruments of companies located in the Asia Pacific region. Doesn't sound that different, but there is a bit more emphasis on stocks that have the ability to increase dividends over time. MAPIX seems to have a little more leeway to invest in any stocks and so it may be a more nimble fund. MAPIX was able to position itself defensively during the last downturn. But they did have much less AUM at that time and it may be more difficult going forward.
  • Art
    One big difference between MAPIX and MACSX in that the latter is Aisa Ex/Japan while the former is Asia.

    Many good funds to pick from you are fortunate.


    `A
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