Howdy,
Again, a thank you to all who post the links and also start and participate in the many fine commentaries woven into the message threads.
For those who don't know; I ramble away about this and that, at least once each week.
NOTE: For those who visit MFO, this portfolio is designed for retirement, capital preservation and to stay ahead of inflation creep; if and when it returns. This is not a buy and hold portfolio, and is subject to change on any given day; based upon perceptions of market directions. All assets in this portfolio are in tax-sheltered accounts; and any fund distributions are reinvested in the fund. Gains or losses are computed from actual account values.
While looking around.....TIC-TOC, neither may this house beat the clock. We all have just those 24 hours, eh? Spring is trying to arrive in MI and that means fix up and/or clean up inside and outside from the perils of winter. We may have 2-3 months of decent weather time, when substracting the ill weather days between now and September. I am already behind on me chores; and have more than enough family and friend functions on the schedule for this summer; of which, we are pleased to have. SO, the Funds Boat report will scale back to a quarterly report; at least at this point of time allowance. We'll just have to see how things, and time move along, at this house. The next scheduled report will be at the end of June, 2011.
Such are the numerous battles with investments attempting to capture a decent return and minimize the risk.
We live and invest in interesting times, eh?
Hey, I probably forgot something; and hopefully the words make some sense.
Comments and questions always welcomed.
Good fortune to you, yours and the investments.
Take care,
Catch
SELLs THIS PAST WEEK:
NONE
BUYs THIS PAST WEEK:
NONE
Portfolio Thoughts:
Our holdings had a +.69% move this past week. And yes, we are satisfied with our risk adjusted returns YTD. If the portfolio can pull a +10 to12% for the year; you will not hear any whining from this house. GEE WHIZ....no buys or sells. In the way back days of "don't fight the FED"; I personally felt more comfortable with this statement. TODAY, the statement has the added ? of don't fight the "high freq trading machines". So, while the FED is still stimulating the money machine, this house really should be buying everything in sight that "should" continue to move up in value in equities or where ever the hot may travel. It all makes sense, eh??? Low real interest rates; I mean, what else would a fella ask for. 'Course there is the unemployment rate and a housing market that will likely be stuck in place for a few more years, at the very least. Some states are raising taxes and fees to overcome and to correct a mandatory budget balance. Assured our state folks via email, that every dollar they choose to take from this house will be one that will not be spent in the local economy...pretty much a "who cares". I guess we may just have to go with the flow and hang our monetary butts out onto the "investment clothes line" as far as we dare; and hope a big wind "market correction" does not come along and blow all of the new investment clothes onto the dirty ground. Former President G.W. Bush was the "decider" and Mr. Ben at the FED has created the world of the "riskers". Scott and others at FA mentioned/discussed a year or so ago about the possibility of the DOW going to 30,000, and other indexes moving to similar high turf. I guess all of this is possilbe; as more than ever, we really live in a world of "funny money". Our mish-mash portfolio is really getting its YTD pants beat off by the equity sectors; 'course we also do not stand to get the big face slap either, if and when the "machines" decide to go to the equity sell mode.
Good investment fortune to all in the coming months.
The old Funds Boat may make 5% or 25% this year. I expect some rough waters, changing winds and opposing currents; causing the most serious attention being given to a firm hand upon the rudder control.
How our boat's cargo is doing:
Week: = +.69%
YTD = +4.45%
And the cargo is:
CASH = 15%
Mixed bond funds = 78.4%
Equity funds = 6.6%
-Investment grade bond funds 12.2%
-Diversified bond funds 18.5%
-HY/HI bond funds 28.8%
-Total bond funds 14.6%
-Foreign EM/debt bond funds 4.3%
-U.S./Int'l equity/speciality funds 6.6%
This is our current list: (NOTE: I have added a speciality grouping below for a few of fund types)
---High Yield/High Income Bond funds
FAGIX Fid Capital & Income
SPHIX Fid High Income
FHIIX Fed High Income
DIHYX TransAmerica HY
DHOAX Delaware HY
---Total Bond funds
FTBFX Fid Total
PTTRX Pimco Total
---Investment Grade Bonds
DGCIX Delaware Corp. Bd
FBNDX Fid Invest grade
OPBYX Oppenheimer Core Bond
---Global/Diversified Bonds
FSICX Fid Strategic Income
FNMIX Fid New Markets
DPFFX Delaware Diversified
TEGBX Templeton Global
LSBDX Loomis Sayles
---Speciality Funds (sectors or mixed allocation)
FCVSX Fidelity Convertible Securities (bond/equity mix)
FRIRX Fidelity Real Estate Income (bond/equity mix)
FSAVX Fidelity Select Auto
FFGCX Fidelity Global Commodity
FDLSX Fidelity Select Leisure
FSAGX Fidelity Select Precious Metals
---Equity-Domestic/Foreign
CAMAX Cambiar Aggressive Value
FDVLX Fidelity Value
FSLVX Fidelity Lg. Cap Value
FLPSX Fidelity Low Price Stock
Comments
SDY price return is a not a good proxy for dividend-reinvested S&P 500. It is a different animal! By using it as a benchmark for your portfolio, you are possibly misleading yourself.
S&P 500 with dividend re-invested is around 9.06% YTD.
If you use a low cost index mutual fund such as Vaanguard Institutional Index (VINIX), YTD total return is 9.04%.
M* Total Market Return is 8.97%
Update: I think jumping from weekly to Quarterly would be a big change. Why not do it monthly as a compromise?