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.
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How Did Members First Find MFO? IOW What Got You Here?
I can't remember how I did and am wondering how members did (many of whom have been here far longer than I have.) When I search for websites that offer mutual fund research, I find MFO listed along with others but no more prominently or frequently.
Was it due in part to FundAlarm friends, which certainly antedates my discovery here. Thanks.
In my case it started in the way back era of Roy and FundAlarm. I held only a 25- fund portfolio and was choosing those funds on a performance mo-mo basis by and large. I read an article mentioning FundAlarm and the 3-Alarm rating which suggested considering selling such a fund and I was hooked. Roy's biting monthly commentary was worth the price of admission. Today I hold a 5-6 fund portfolio, none of which I held back then, and in total they account for possibly 10-12% of my total portfolio value.
Hi Dennis- I first heard of Fund Alarm from a complimentary article in the WSJ many years ago. @Mark tried to blackball me but I got in anyway.
Add- Our Dean of Discipline, @David_Snowball, assures me that at the rate my behavior is improving I may get off probation in three or four years. Hope springs eternal!
Like Old_Joe I found FundAlarm through WSJ. The 3-alarm was very useful to avoid the hits and miss approach I was using. The monthly commentary was always informative. I run across MFO being referenced in other financial articles.
Same experience as others, saw the 3-alarm rating system used by Fund Alarm mention in an article in either Money or Kiplinger magazines. Soon found that the discussion board was not only interesting and knowledgeable, but very entertaining too. Been hooked ever since.
I stumbled into the fund alarm rating system first and then into the fund alarm board. I followed everyone to the new platform when the old fund alarm died and came out of the shadows. It's an addiction now. I can't imagine Christmas without MFO.
I was in a “fret” over some problem with American Century funds some time around year 2000. In searching for an answer (or perhaps just some comfort) I came across Fund Alarm. I bravely posted my concern and Maurice was the first to respond in a friendly supportive manner. Turned out he was typical of so many other denizens of this revered old habitat. (The names / leadership have changed, but the spirit lives on)
I found it years ago via a M* forum mention or ten. I became a regular poster here 2 years ago when M* forums went to hell with the software update and (at the time, what seemed to be) heavy-handed moderation. I'd *heard* about it for years but wasn't a big MF investor so I never joined up, or I'd have been here in the mid-00s or earlier.
I am VERY VERY impressed and appreciative of David's monthly commentaries and the (mostly) quality discussion that takes place in the forums.
Cannot recall how I heard about RoyW and FAalarm, but was an avid reader by the mid-1990s, which must be about when it started. So almost from the getgo.
I think I found it after trying to figure out where an M* writer got off to.
Mike Lee? Stan Lee? Used to cover ETF's at M*. Wrote a couple of pieces here.
I don't follow ETF's. But I always enjoyed reading his stuff.
I believe you are referring to Sam Lee who is a talented writer. Like you, I also enjoyed reading his articles. After he left Morningstar, he founded SVRN Asset Management.
@Anna- I had to check the dictionary to insure that the word meant what I thought it did. Yes, this is a great place to learn lots of things besides the primary focus on investments.
msf is probably correct on the news net news group. Geez I haven't been there in decades. Please note, for the record, that I'm referring to the Unmoderated version [for the sensitive types]..filled with Trolls and flame wars.
FWIW, there are a few remaining free Usenet (nntp) servers (for text groups, not binaries). I still find misc.taxes.moderated one of the best places to go for arcane and not so arcane tax issues.
As rono said, many of the unmoderated groups like misc.taxes and misc.invest.mutual-funds are worthless. Another good moderated group, misc.invest.financial-plan seems to have effectively vanished.
Thanks @bee. I would never in a million years remembered till I saw it in your link. Back in those days I was Dateliner. Those were the days and datelining was the closest thing ever to a free lunch on Wall Street.
Joined fundalarm after finding website information on Kiplinger's when started investing in 2007. Met many old friends here [too many to name here]. I did learnt great amount of information. I appreciate many great investors/masters/gurus here whom taught me great amount of investing wealth and kearnt many important lessons regarding investments. My old tsp portfoliowas once all in G fund/now it is completelydifference and well diversed.
Sad things are many folks also has left (either retired and no longer desire to contribute or have gone to heaven -we do pray for them). We did loose many but slso gained many new friends
Imho it is a great site to discuss new investments ideas [mf stocks etf cef commodity products etc] Many willing to give advice if you give respect/ civilized and ideas posting neutral thoughtful questions about investments. .without hitting each other with biases and political issues. I learnt over the years that the more you read the less you know compared to masters of investors here.
Thank you all for keeping MFO one of best sites we keep coming back too [especially if we have massive downturns recession heavy bear markets when you will see many new posts/what to do/heavy fleeing ideas blood baths/and comforting MFO members]
Please do consider continue contributing to Mr Snowball to keep site running [he will surely appreciate quarterly checks]
The monthly MF reads are exceptional/excellence readings...
I am sorry if I did hit any nerve[s] previously. Will be very Mindful careful postings moving forward
Thank Mr Snowball/Moderator to keep site running...we appreciate all you do and limitless energy/being fair neutral minded/heavy work and dedication toward MFO.
Kind regards
johnN
We did held JAOSX early 2007 but sold that lemon later after taking heavy loss...lesson learnt
Helen Young Hayes, manager of JAOSX and its older sibling JAWWX (Worldwide) was a headliner in the 90s.
The once-vaunted Janus Worldwide has seen a remarkable reversal of fortune. It was once one of the most well-known growth funds around, and with good reason. From its May 1991 inception to the peak of the tech/media/telecom mania in March 2000, it nearly tripled the cumulative return of the typical world-stock fund. The fund's asset base peaked at close to $45 billion then--a close second at Janus to flagship Janus Fund (JANSX), when the firm was the hottest shop in the fund industry.
It's been all downhill for this fund in the past 12.5 years [i.e. the whole span from 2000 to the date of this piece in 2012], though. Like many Janus funds, Worldwide fell sharply to earth in the 2000-02 bear market as its portfolio of growth darlings was hammered. Just as the market and the fund began to rebound, longtime lead manager Helen Young Hayes retired in mid-2003.
This brings back memories. As @msf mentioned, Helen Young Hayes was a "star" manager back in the '90s. She received the 1997 M* International Stock Manager of the Year Award. I owned Janus Worldwide for a while until selling it to buy Janus Overseas sometime before April 1998 (my records are sparse before then). The fund performed very well from inception until the 2000-2002 bear market arrived. Like so many other Janus funds, it was crushed in the bear market.
19, 20 years - were has it gone. As for Janus, I tell myself I wasn’t caught up in the 90s tech mania because we didn’t have cable and it wasn’t a topic of discussion at work but in reality I had money in 4 or 5 Janus funds. Worldwide, Special Situations, Janus, Janus 40.
Comments
Add- Our Dean of Discipline, @David_Snowball, assures me that at the rate my behavior is improving I may get off probation in three or four years. Hope springs eternal!
Mike Lee? Stan Lee? Used to cover ETF's at M*. Wrote a couple of pieces here.
I don't follow ETF's. But I always enjoyed reading his stuff.
I didn't start participating on the board till I bought the data subscription. And there was no baseball to keep me distracted.
I am VERY VERY impressed and appreciative of David's monthly commentaries and the (mostly) quality discussion that takes place in the forums.
I believe you are referring to Sam Lee who is a talented writer. Like you, I also enjoyed reading his articles. After he left Morningstar, he founded SVRN Asset Management.
Before FundAlarm was FundVision (I recall) run by Salil Gangal. Before that it was the UseNet News Group - misc.investment.mutualfunds
and so it goes,
rono the old timer
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/investment-faq/mutual-funds/
@Anna- I had to check the dictionary to insure that the word meant what I thought it did. Yes, this is a great place to learn lots of things besides the primary focus on investments.
Take care-
OJ
web.archive.org/web/20011205080443/http://64.45.57.12/wwwboard/wwwboard.html
msf is probably correct on the news net news group. Geez I haven't been there in decades. Please note, for the record, that I'm referring to the Unmoderated version [for the sensitive types]..filled with Trolls and flame wars.
And so it goes,
Peace,
Rono
As rono said, many of the unmoderated groups like misc.taxes and misc.invest.mutual-funds are worthless. Another good moderated group, misc.invest.financial-plan seems to have effectively vanished.
Joined fundalarm after finding website information on Kiplinger's when started investing in 2007. Met many old friends here [too many to name here]. I did learnt great amount of information. I appreciate many great investors/masters/gurus here whom taught me great amount of investing wealth and kearnt many important lessons regarding investments. My old tsp portfoliowas once all in G fund/now it is completelydifference and well diversed.
Sad things are many folks also has left (either retired and no longer desire to contribute or have gone to heaven -we do pray for them). We did loose many but slso gained many new friends
Imho it is a great site to discuss new investments ideas [mf stocks etf cef commodity products etc]
Many willing to give advice if you give respect/ civilized and ideas posting neutral thoughtful questions about investments. .without hitting each other with biases and political issues. I learnt over the years that the more you read the less you know compared to masters of investors here.
Thank you all for keeping MFO one of best sites we keep coming back too [especially if we have massive downturns recession heavy bear markets when you will see many new posts/what to do/heavy fleeing ideas blood baths/and comforting MFO members]
Please do consider continue contributing to Mr Snowball to keep site running [he will surely appreciate quarterly checks]
The monthly MF reads are exceptional/excellence readings...
I am sorry if I did hit any nerve[s] previously. Will be very Mindful careful postings moving forward
Thank Mr Snowball/Moderator to keep site running...we appreciate all you do and limitless energy/being fair neutral minded/heavy work and dedication toward MFO.
Kind regards
johnN
We did held JAOSX early 2007 but sold that lemon later after taking heavy loss...lesson learnt
Where she is now: https://www.activatework.com/about/our-team/