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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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Survey - Top 3 fund holdings

2

Comments

  • @redwing: Nothing wrong with the funds, but you need to start using high-octane instead of regular. You need to get you fund allocation to at least 5%+
  • TIBIX 32.0% but possibly on it's way out the door
    POAGX - 28.1%
    FCNTX - 14.2%

    All held more than 10 years, FCNTX more than 20. TIBIX was bought for the "income building" feature. It was working well up until about 5 years ago when it began to lose its way. I can't really complain about the performance I've enjoyed but my own dividend/income growth portfolio of 25 stocks exceeds it by any financial metric save for the investing knowledge of the portfolio management team.
  • @Mark said,
    my own dividend/income growth portfolio of 25 stocks exceeds it by any financial metric save for the investing knowledge of the portfolio management team.
    Would you care to share your thoughts as to this strategy. I would like to consider this for a taxable account where I would glean dividends for income (@ reasonable tax rate) and hold shares for the long term.

    Thanks.
  • Thanks for all the responses! IMO this is one good way to generate and bounce ideas of each other.
  • @Ted: Thanks, I've taken a lot of chips off the table right now, being in a bond CEF and cash (60% combined total), the rest is invested in individual stocks. My fund %'s were higher at the start of the year. My concern isn't current earnings nor short term rising interest rates, but many stock valuations priced for high growth and perfection. I pay attention in particular to the current price to historical free cash flow ratio.
  • @bee - the best introduction to a Dividend Growth Portfolio is in the link below. Not knowing your feelings about SeekingAlpha I can tell you that David Van Knapp is the real deal. My portfolio is quite similar (10 of his holdings) and I make use of MLP's for the growing dividends (EPD, MMP, and until recently TRGP) along with more REIT's than he does.

    Link: http://seekingalpha.com/article/4033646-dividend-growth-portfolio-2016-review-2017-preview?uprof=46&isDirectRoadblock=false

    At its basis, the idea is to build a portfolio of dividend champions/aristocrats/contenders (companies who raise their dividends regularly) and are expected to continue doing so. Another SeekingAlpha contributor, David Fish, maintains a list of these companies. If you don't like to, or feel confident about individual stock selection Mr. Van Knapp has also created a DG portfolio using ETF's.

    http://seekingalpha.com/article/4049850-dividend-growth-couch-potatoes?uprof=46&isDirectRoadblock=false
  • @Mark,

    Thanks for the link and the write up. Interesting that your investing experience has lead you to holding individual securities for income. What have you found the challenges and the surprises with this approach?
  • How does this work compare with OUSA, NOBL, DVY, their ilk, and (different metric) CAPE?
  • hijacked
  • >> a portfolio of dividend champions/aristocrats/contenders (companies who raise their dividends regularly) and are expected to continue doing so.

    Seemed a reasonable comparison request of similar portfolios and construction methods.
  • VTSAX 33%
    VPCCX 10%
    MWTRX 7%
  • Three fund families is an easier means for me to categorize my investments:

    Mutual Series Funds.
    T Rowe Price (mostly PRCWX)
    Meridian Funds.

    [The later has gone through a change of ownership which has me a bit uneasy. Their Equity-Income fund, for example, has short positions, which is a bit aggressive for that type of fund.]
  • VMNVX 15%
    VWELX 10%
    GPGIX 5%
  • Top four, because 2, 3 & 4 are so close:

    American Funds New Economy Fund / ANEFX / 10.7%
    IShares Minimum Volatility USA / USMV / 7.5%
    American Funds Smallcap World Fund / SMCWX / 7.4%
    American Funds American Balanced Fund / ABALX / 7.3%
  • edited March 2017
    VDIGX
    VPMAX / VPCCX / VHCAX (I'm going to call that one investment)
    VWIUX

    If I were to include the 401(k), an S&P 500 fund would come in second, with RERFX, company stock, and (different company) stock options making strong showings.
  • Top three OAKBX, FPACX, SGENX
    Together constitute about 50% of my portfolio. All have been long term holds > 10 years minimum.
  • VINIX
    VWINX
    VEXMX tied with TEDIX
  • VDIGX
    VPMAX / VPCCX / VHCAX (I'm going to call that one investment)
    VWIUX

    If I were to include the 401(k), an S&P 500 fund would come in second, with RERFX, company stock, and (different company) stock options making strong showings.

    Stock options are like icing on the cake...
  • POAGX, HSCSX and FMIJX
  • edited March 2017
    Deleted post. I am old, single, debt free, live in rural America, and have more than enough for future needs so my holdings (now down to just two) would have little value to anyone else.
  • PONDX 10.7%
    TWEIX 9.6%
    WFPAX 8.4%
    % of entire portfolio which includes individual stocks and money market funds. PONDX is high % because I only have 4 bond funds.
  • Junkster said:

    Deleted post. I am old, single, debt free, live in rural America, and have more than enough for future needs so my holdings (now down to just two) would have little value to anyone else.

    Please do share. There is always something to learn. Thing about it this way. Your situation may apply to someone else. Even if it does not, you are thinking a certain way, and then when you share you choice of funds - after all you selected the 2 you selected and not some other 2 - provides insight into what these funds mean to you or are doing for you.

    I hope you will "edit" your post:-)
  • edited March 2017
    @Junkster- I agree with VF. There's always something to be learned!
  • PRWCX 11%
    PRHSX 11%
    PRMTX 10%
    VWINX 10%
  • Old_Joe said:

    @Junkster- I agree with VF. There's always something to be learned!

    +1

  • Junkster said:

    Deleted post. I am old, single, debt free, live in rural America, and have more than enough for future needs so my holdings (now down to just two) would have little value to anyone else.

    Junkster....those of us who are old, single, debt free and living in rural America would certainly be interested. Well, WAS debt free before I thought tearing my kitchen down to the studs and replacing everything was a good idea.
  • @PRESSmUP- Just been there and done that. If you haven't yet purchased your new sink, we found this one to be very high quality 16 guage S/S (nothing like the crap at Home Depot or Lowes), and at a price that no one could match locally. We've used it for a year now and it's really a decent piece of equipment.
  • @Old_Joe: More questions for you. Who made the choice of sink? One bowl or two? Why no cast iron with a color choice?
    Retired Plumber,

    Derf
  • edited March 2017
    @Derf- A mutual decision re S/S and one bowl. (Mutual, with my wife having the deciding vote, since she does most of the work in that area.) Once she had given me her general preferences I then tried to find the best quality/best price. I realize that cast iron/color is a perfectly fine alternative if that's the way you want to go. The page that I linked has a great many alternative S/S styles with respect to layout, bowls, etc. I was primarily concerned with the S/S grade, gauge, and soundproofing. It also came with some neat extras, like the bottom protective rack, at no extra cost. When I unwrapped the stuff the observation was: very good quality/very nice finish. As a plumber, you know what I mean... you know it when you see it.

    Personally, I would have preferred two bowls, but we found a fine compromise: a restaurant quality S/S steam table bowl, about 10x20 that fits perfectly across one end of the sink and is easily removable any time the full sink capacity is needed.
  • edited March 2017
    PRESSmUP said:

    Junkster said:

    Deleted post. I am old, single, debt free, live in rural America, and have more than enough for future needs so my holdings (now down to just two) would have little value to anyone else.

    Junkster....those of us who are old, single, debt free and living in rural America would certainly be interested. Well, WAS debt free before I thought tearing my kitchen down to the studs and replacing everything was a good idea.
    Sorry, turning 70 in a few weeks must have me in a mood. So here goes one of those "mood" rants. I keep noticing all these celebrities, musicians, etc. dying off a tad older and a tad younger. I mean Alan Thicke? I just saw him in a Hallmark movie and he looked pretty healthy. Bill Paxton? And don't get me going on all my high school and college classmates that are now 6 feet under.

    I want to leave some money to the Blue Ridge Conservancy as well as my local National Park and a little to two grand kids. So what to do with the rest? Watch it grow as I get even older and get to the point where I can't enjoy it and have to spend it for health related issues?

    I read all these posts over at that other forum and seems everyone has 5 million or more in investable with six figures pensions to boot. Do they really need that much in old age? Of course they all think they are going to live to 100. My puny 2.2 million and no pension makes me feel like some type of peasant over there. It's like what did I do wrong that I am so poor? Then again, I guess never holding a regular job will do that to you. That or the divorce many years ago. OK getting too personal here. I guess the rampant narcissism over there must be rubbing off on me. I mean how many threads do I have to read that begin " I have 10 million dollars. Do you think that is enough to retire....."

    From daytrading stock index futures, to swing trading sector funds, and then bond funds to now just wanting something I don't have to monitor all the time. IOFIX has been a wonder to behold since its inception. But being superstitious will mentioning it here be the kiss of death? I have seen very few groupthink funds work out here but what is there not to like about PONDX and the best bond manager on the planet. My friend Slow Lane here gave me a real nice tight rising channel bond but will let him mention that if he so desires. There are a lot of hidden gems out there.

    But regardless of my age, I will still cut and run. I was loaded all up with bank loans and some junk corporates coming into the year. All double digit gainers in 2016. Bank loans looked like a sure thing thing with rising rates. But we know how "sure things" work out and bank loans haven't performed well at all this year. Here is something from Barron's on why they may now not be such a sure thing. And under the radar screen junk munis are outperforming junk corporates in 2017. Just like they did in 2014 And 2015. Will the big story in 2017 be not how high 10 and 20 year Treasury yields rise (another sure thing) but how much they decline??

    http://blogs.barrons.com/incomeinvesting/2017/03/22/libor-climbs-to-new-high-leveraged-loans-get-pricier/

    Enough of the rant. I will blame it on that ever increasing forest fire in Linville Gorge that has me so unsettled. Will definitely have an impact on my off trail explorations this summer.

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