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Any one tracking HY fixed income? Why did the HY prices jump so much relative to change in rates and equity prices for the past two weeks? Is HY loaded with Energy companies, the recently lagging equity sector did very well the past two weeks.
Any one care to share Energy fixed income ETFs or OEFs?
Planned early January annual chunk taken from the portfolio. This year, it's bigger: sending the (foreign) niece to go to school (and eventually permanent immigration) in Australia. Nice to be able to do it. The satisfaction is worth more than the money. I wanted to spread it out, so:
Small-ish bites from: PRWCX PRCPX TUHYX WCPNX (in taxable.)
The tax lady assures that I STILL will not reach taxable income level necessary to BE a federal taxpayer, again, for 2025. Nice. RMDs must start in 3 years at age 73. But in a backhanded way, these yearly withdrawals keep the portfolio from appreciating too much, thus reducing the amount of future RMDs. In the meantime, good things get done with the "green."
Planned early January annual chunk taken from the portfolio. This year, it's bigger: sending the (foreign) niece to go to school (and eventually permanent immigration) in Australia. Nice to be able to do it. The satisfaction is worth more than the money. I wanted to spread it out, so:
I did my PhD at a uni in Perth, and still consider Australia my second home given the # of times I've been down there over the many years then and since ...
Rick, Why did you decide not to become a dual (Aussie + US) citizen? Australia would have happily given you a permanent residency under their point system. It is a nice place to retire if you have access to it.
I know a couple of Aussies who moved to the US and work in Finance. They do not want to work in Australia.
I am told that the police in Australia is so much community friendly than the cops in the US (the Aborigines might disagree with that statement).
Rick, Why did you decide not to become a dual (Aussie + US) citizen? Australia would have happily given you a permanent residency under their point system. It is a nice place to retire if you have access to it.
I know a couple of Aussies who moved to the US and work in Finance. They do not want to work in Australia.
I am told that the police in Australia is so much community friendly than the cops in the US (the Aborigines might disagree with that statement).
I'm not close to 'retirement age' but yes, the the thought has crossed my mind and is on my plate as a possible destination. I know at a holiday party a few years ago the Oz ambassador was joking about how they "could always use people like you" and that having an Aussie degree was a great thing. So ... who knows what the future holds? (They've got their own political crazy happening, of course ... but it's nowhere as bats---t insane as ours is, that's for sure.)
Full disclosure: There was a moment back in mid-Nov 2016 when I was coming back from a consulting trip in Melbourne and was really really reaaaallllly tempted to walk out of the airport, crash with friends for a bit, and do exactly that ... but being a professional, I knew I had too much going on work-wise back home to do that in the middle of a semester --- and it wasn't an existential crisis for me (yet). Darn you, professional ethics! (The uni was actively trying to recruit me for an interesting position, too ... but the job had too many weird 'hooks' from its industry benefactor that didn't sit well with me.)
Rick, what do you teach? Anything to do with Western Australia Economy? Do not wait until you retire to start your retirement. As to craziness, put it on smart phones and social media. Not going to get better anytime soon. Take it as a constant.
I oversee a cybersecurity graduate program and related research institute - was quoted in that BBC article you posted the other day about the Treasury hack, actually
(back to Buy/Sell now!)
Order placed on a zero-cost protective options collar on my TRP position thru February - just to ensure gains ahead of any post-coronation/annointment tariff drama.
@Crash: kudos to you for helping your niece get an education. My hasty reading the first time through had me wondering if sending money to Australia was a new idiomatic expression for kissing money goodbye. Au contraire! I, too, will fund education, but I become very stingy when relations want dough for something else.
@rforno: way back in the late sixties when my wife and I were building castles in the sky, we heard of an Aussie scheme that would pay us to settle there in return for teaching for two years. Naïve at the time, we had no idea that trying to attract « people like us » was part of a plan to populate the country with whites as opposed to Asians. It’s quite ironic now because Madame and I ended up with 5 Asian adoptees. When we lived in Berkeley, a friend told me we fit right in because no one looks like their parents there. Sadly, I can’t say that level of tolerance can be found just anywhere in the US of A.
Held back one-tenth of the scheduled January withdrawal and put up a limit-order on the Latam commercial bank I just switched into. Today's rally blew past me. Nice to see, but I'll have to cancel or adjust the Order. BLX was up just today by over 3%. (Out of BHB now. It dropped even MORE again, today. Like someone threw a switch. Nothing but negatives for weeks!)
Sold SCHD, JQUA and BIMIX. Decided that we weren’t going to build on them. Used part of the sale for starter positions in ICMUX and CBLDX. Like the horsepower in the former and the smoothness in the latter.
Really conflicted with a long time, large position in VWIAX (Wellesley). The last 3 years have been troubling even with the slight uptick in 2024. Looking for an exit there…
Sold a little VOO, added to ICMUX and also purchased a new 5 year Goldman Sachs 5.375% bond, matures 01/22/2030, callable 1/2027 so at least I'll get 2 years of 5.375%.
I think fixed income is looking better (perhaps fairly valued) as the 10-year closes in on 5%. Added a bit to WEA, GGN & INCM. / Some CEFs with leverage may benefit from a sharp decline in rates should it occur (not a prediction). Sold the smallish amounts of NSRGY & FLO held at slight loss to raise funds, wanting to hold cash steady at 10%.
The funds mentioned above comprise my “equity & income” sleeve - about 18% of portfolio combined. It’s the only sleeve that contains more than a single fund.
Added - At some point I may move the entire sleeve into OAKBX. However, I think the metals (GGN) have a little more life left in them, so would not want to vacate them completely. A sharp correction in equities would be nice and would speed the plan along.
Good thinking, @hank. ....I thought I might just express this: I'm allergic to taxes. With profits on domestic investments, I can choose zero withholding and it's simple. My foreign holdings (from time to time) all wanted to grab a percentage from me, even with routine dividends. So, I swore off any foreign stuff. When I sold out of BHB because it was flailing and falling for two weeks straight, I wanted another bank to replace it with. I searched and dug and investigated. I could find none that made me happy, so I ended-up with BLX out of Panama. It trades on NYSE. We'll see if foreign tax will be withheld... Performance has brought a smile, but I've been in it just for a couple of weeks. Its dividend is juicier than BHB, too. That will take the pain away from any unwanted, unwelcome withholding.
Sold DODIX and invested in ICMUX with the funds. In October ‘24 I had thought DODIX would be an appropriate place to re-enter intermediate bonds in 2025. After the last few years in bond fund land, my patience is short (as will my bond fund duration).
Sold DODIX and invested in ICMUX with the funds. In October ‘24 I had thought DODIX would be an appropriate place to re-enter intermediate bonds in 2025. After the last few years in bond fund land, my patience is short (as will my bond fund duration).
Sold my starter position in UTG for tiny profit. Didn't want to, but a sudden 60% in ROC after a long period of relatively little was something worth noting.
"If you're first out the door, that's not called panicking." - John Tuld, 'Margin Call'
Sold INCM (not a bad income play). Leaped into RLTY. Gives me 3 equal weight CEFs in the equity / income sleeve, which is something I’d hoped to achieve, It’s a risky bet on rates falling and real estate turning up. Most of my other stuff is pretty conservative, so can play a bit here.
Sold INCM (not a bad income play). Leaped into RLTY. Gives me 3 equal weight CEFs in the equity / income sleeve, which is something I’d hoped to achieve, It’s a risky bet on rates falling and real estate turning up. Most of my other stuff is pretty conservative, so can play a bit here.
BIG swaths of the L.A. basin are going to have to be rebuilt, like N.O. after Katrina. Domestic Marshall Plan will be required. But federal budget is stretched already so far, you can feel it in the 51st State. (LOL.)
Spectating today, as Mr. Market falls due to GOOD news about jobs. Divorce between Wall St. and Main St.
There's often a disconnect between Main St. and Wall St. Perhaps minor setbacks will allow U.S. markets to rise further this year while climbing a "wall of worry" ? I wouldn't bet on another 25% return for the S&P 500, though.
Comments
Any one care to share Energy fixed income ETFs or OEFs?
May be @Junkster would not mind chiming in.
I signed up for some dry powder today also.
Small-ish bites from:
PRWCX
PRCPX
TUHYX
WCPNX (in taxable.)
The tax lady assures that I STILL will not reach taxable income level necessary to BE a federal taxpayer, again, for 2025. Nice. RMDs must start in 3 years at age 73. But in a backhanded way, these yearly withdrawals keep the portfolio from appreciating too much, thus reducing the amount of future RMDs. In the meantime, good things get done with the "green."
I know a couple of Aussies who moved to the US and work in Finance. They do not want to work in Australia.
I am told that the police in Australia is so much community friendly than the cops in the US (the Aborigines might disagree with that statement).
Full disclosure: There was a moment back in mid-Nov 2016 when I was coming back from a consulting trip in Melbourne and was really really reaaaallllly tempted to walk out of the airport, crash with friends for a bit, and do exactly that ... but being a professional, I knew I had too much going on work-wise back home to do that in the middle of a semester --- and it wasn't an existential crisis for me (yet). Darn you, professional ethics! (The uni was actively trying to recruit me for an interesting position, too ... but the job had too many weird 'hooks' from its industry benefactor that didn't sit well with me.)
(back to Buy/Sell now!)
Order placed on a zero-cost protective options collar on my TRP position thru February - just to ensure gains ahead of any post-coronation/annointment tariff drama.
@rforno: way back in the late sixties when my wife and I were building castles in the sky, we heard of an Aussie scheme that would pay us to settle there in return for teaching for two years. Naïve at the time, we had no idea that trying to attract « people like us » was part of a plan to populate the country with whites as opposed to Asians. It’s quite ironic now because Madame and I ended up with 5 Asian adoptees. When we lived in Berkeley, a friend told me we fit right in because no one looks like their parents there. Sadly, I can’t say that level of tolerance can be found just anywhere in the US of A.
Really conflicted with a long time, large position in VWIAX (Wellesley). The last 3 years have been troubling even with the slight uptick in 2024. Looking for an exit there…
Mag 7 showing strength today after coming off the highs. Maybe a full market correction is just not in the cards.
Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee!
Some moves to the upside might make it easier for me to dump some of the smaller holdings still in my IRA. I'm looking at you GGSYX and BUFSX.
Opened starter position in AES as a global renewable/independent power producer with every intention of buying more lower.
The funds mentioned above comprise my “equity & income” sleeve - about 18% of portfolio combined. It’s the only sleeve that contains more than a single fund.
Added - At some point I may move the entire sleeve into OAKBX. However, I think the metals (GGN) have a little more life left in them, so would not want to vacate them completely. A sharp correction in equities would be nice and would speed the plan along.
....I thought I might just express this: I'm allergic to taxes. With profits on domestic investments, I can choose zero withholding and it's simple. My foreign holdings (from time to time) all wanted to grab a percentage from me, even with routine dividends. So, I swore off any foreign stuff. When I sold out of BHB because it was flailing and falling for two weeks straight, I wanted another bank to replace it with. I searched and dug and investigated. I could find none that made me happy, so I ended-up with BLX out of Panama. It trades on NYSE. We'll see if foreign tax will be withheld... Performance has brought a smile, but I've been in it just for a couple of weeks. Its dividend is juicier than BHB, too. That will take the pain away from any unwanted, unwelcome withholding.
Me too.
"If you're first out the door, that's not called panicking."
- John Tuld, 'Margin Call'
LOL. Then there’s …
- ”You have to pay to play …”
- ”No pain … No gain”
- ”Rules #1 & 2 - Don’t lose money …” (WB)
Perhaps minor setbacks will allow U.S. markets to rise further this year while climbing a "wall of worry" ?
I wouldn't bet on another 25% return for the S&P 500, though.
If you like the sector and the managers take a look at UTES. However if it's the income you were after don't bother. DNP might be an income source.