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What is your favorite mutual fund that is still open and why?
I am curious what is your favorite mutual fund that is still open and why? I appreciate all the combined wisdom on this site between David and the rest of the regulars here.
CWGIX - slow and steady, great long-long term performance.
VMVFX - skews midcap, about 50-50 US/ROW split, low-cost while still hedging currency exposures. I ike it for that, not b/c of its name. Bought it the month it launched.
TCMPX by far. Inefficient space (int'l small cap) so active makes sense and the team is extremely high quality. Not only is this my largest active holding, it is my largest holding altogether (>13%).
VSCIX will never light the world on fire. It's an index-hugger. But consistent, for many, many years. Nothing here to complain about at all. Small-caps, domestic.
As long as Will Danoff stays as the manager, FCNTX if you're looking for a large cap growth fund that acts as semi-proxy to the S&P 500 index but beats it year after year after year. POAGX for it's go anywhere style and management team.
Edit: Sorry, I forgot POAGX is closed to new investors.
In the hybrid fund area the three oldest and largest fund positions within my portfolio are Franklin Income Fund (FKINX) ... Income Fund of America (AMECX) ... and, Capital Income Builder (CAIBX).
I have owned FKINX since the 1960's ... AMECX since the 1970's ... and, CAIBX since the 1980's. Combined these three funds make up just short of 20% of my overall portfolio. Through the years they have provided both capital appreciation and income. They now provide a good percent of the income that I now draw from my portfolio in retirement.
Since retirement I have been growing my position in some other hybrid type funds as well. Three of these that I favor are J P Morgan Income Builder (JNBAX) ... Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Income Fund (HWIAX) ... and, Thornburg Investment Income Builder (TIBAX).
There are some others that I have been establishing minor positions in as well. Three of these are Franklin Convertible Securities Fund (FISCX) ... AllianzGI Income & Growth Fund (AZNAX) ... and, Pioneer Multi Asset Income Fund (PMAIX).
I am also looking to add KCM Macro Trends Fund (KCMTX) in the near term. Some may remember Parker Binion, one of its managers, who has posted on the board from time-to-time. David also did a writeup on this fund in his February newsletter.
VSCIX will never light the world on fire. It's an index-hugger. But consistent, for many, many years. Nothing here to complain about at all. Small-caps, domestic.
For me, its Columbia Contrarian Core SMGIX ( A shares LCCAX available load free and ntf at Fidelity).it is my second largest holding. Have held this fund since David Williams retired in 2010 when he ran UMBIX part of this fund family. About 50% of the time it bests the S & P, and over 90% of the years since Pope has managed fund (2005) it has beat its large blend category. Negative is how many changes parent company has gone through but no changes in the last few years.
VWINX is my top pick. I'm too young (and aggressive) to use it for retirement savings, but for all of my other mid-range financial goals, there's no beating Wellesley.
It is pretty simple ... I have no one favorite fund.
C'mon Old Skeet. Play along. You are being downright curmudgeonly. It's like when my little sister insisted that my dad tell her which of The Monkees was his favorite. Her favorite was Micky Dolenz, so I believe he finally settled on Micky Dolenz as well.
"If you HAD to pick!!" was her probing question.
I'm going to go with the Yacktman Fund. It is one of the relative few that truly invests in a way that maximizes the odds of not losing money.They have ultra low turnover and a compact portfolio that is diversified but not over-diversified.
Currently it is pretty much a large cap quality value fund, but that is only because the managers felt that that is where the best values were. They have the flexibility to morph into a different style box if they find the valuations to be better there.
The current team is carrying out the retired Donald Yacktman's strategy well, and I am sure they get good input from him as well. Lastly, I will mention that I believe the Yacktmans are Mormons, which is a plus as to their integrity, sense of responsibility to their investors and work ethic.
They don't advertise or promote the fund as being "socially responsible" but if one examines their holdings, I believe one will find that they eschew stocks of alcohol, tobacco, or gambling companies -- in keeping with their religious convictions. Personally I wouldn't care about the alcohol or gambling particularly, but I am glad not to be making money off of cigarettes.
I built my portfolio around the sleeve system with each sleeve having a different risk profile and objective. Funds held within each sleeve vary somewhat from one another in how they go about achieving their goal(s) through their varying strategies. Each sleeve holds between three to nine funds. By holding more than one fund in a sleeve helps manage fund manger and fund risk. Sould one fund, or funds falter or their strategies go out of favor as the market cycles, then there are the other members within the sleeve that can offer support and continue to propel the sleeve.
I listed some funds I considered to be note worthy funds that are held within my hybrid sleeves. For my income area, growth & income area and growth area different funds (income and equity funds) would have been listed.
So, again ... I have no one favorite fund. But, a bunch of funds I favor.
I used to answer this question by citing the Mutual Series funds, but they have been on a slow train lately. I'm thinking of selling. I miss Michael Price.
My favorite closed funds are PRWCX and POAGX. Both funds get lots of mentions in these forums.
So now my favorite funds, that are open and aren't often mentioned, are the Meridian Funds. I own all 4, and have held them from long before the change in ownership. The new fund managers are kicking butt. I believe I saw recently on this website that this family group is the leading fund family.
Comments
CWGIX - slow and steady, great long-long term performance.
VMVFX - skews midcap, about 50-50 US/ROW split, low-cost while still hedging currency exposures. I ike it for that, not b/c of its name. Bought it the month it launched.
Ooops, I forgot. Sorry!!
Edit: Sorry, I forgot POAGX is closed to new investors.
Regards,
Ted
I have owned FKINX since the 1960's ... AMECX since the 1970's ... and, CAIBX since the 1980's. Combined these three funds make up just short of 20% of my overall portfolio. Through the years they have provided both capital appreciation and income. They now provide a good percent of the income that I now draw from my portfolio in retirement.
Since retirement I have been growing my position in some other hybrid type funds as well. Three of these that I favor are J P Morgan Income Builder (JNBAX) ... Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Income Fund (HWIAX) ... and, Thornburg Investment Income Builder (TIBAX).
There are some others that I have been establishing minor positions in as well. Three of these are Franklin Convertible Securities Fund (FISCX) ... AllianzGI Income & Growth Fund (AZNAX) ... and, Pioneer Multi Asset Income Fund (PMAIX).
I am also looking to add KCM Macro Trends Fund (KCMTX) in the near term. Some may remember Parker Binion, one of its managers, who has posted on the board from time-to-time. David also did a writeup on this fund in his February newsletter.
In answer to your comment.
It is pretty simple ... I have no one favorite fund.
"If you HAD to pick!!" was her probing question.
I'm going to go with the Yacktman Fund. It is one of the relative few that truly invests in a way that maximizes the odds of not losing money.They have ultra low turnover and a compact portfolio that is diversified but not over-diversified.
Currently it is pretty much a large cap quality value fund, but that is only because the managers felt that that is where the best values were. They have the flexibility to morph into a different style box if they find the valuations to be better there.
The current team is carrying out the retired Donald Yacktman's strategy well, and I am sure they get good input from him as well. Lastly, I will mention that I believe the Yacktmans are Mormons, which is a plus as to their integrity, sense of responsibility to their investors and work ethic.
They don't advertise or promote the fund as being "socially responsible" but if one examines their holdings, I believe one will find that they eschew stocks of alcohol, tobacco, or gambling companies -- in keeping with their religious convictions. Personally I wouldn't care about the alcohol or gambling particularly, but I am glad not to be making money off of cigarettes.
In response to your comment ... to play along.
Again, I have no one favorite fund.
I built my portfolio around the sleeve system with each sleeve having a different risk profile and objective. Funds held within each sleeve vary somewhat from one another in how they go about achieving their goal(s) through their varying strategies. Each sleeve holds between three to nine funds. By holding more than one fund in a sleeve helps manage fund manger and fund risk. Sould one fund, or funds falter or their strategies go out of favor as the market cycles, then there are the other members within the sleeve that can offer support and continue to propel the sleeve.
I listed some funds I considered to be note worthy funds that are held within my hybrid sleeves. For my income area, growth & income area and growth area different funds (income and equity funds) would have been listed.
So, again ... I have no one favorite fund. But, a bunch of funds I favor.
Gotta love the underdog
My favorite closed funds are PRWCX and POAGX. Both funds get lots of mentions in these forums.
So now my favorite funds, that are open and aren't often mentioned, are the Meridian Funds. I own all 4, and have held them from long before the change in ownership. The new fund managers are kicking butt. I believe I saw recently on this website that this family group is the leading fund family.
Anyone else invested in the Meridian funds?