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.
Venezuela used to be the richest country in LA. The oil industry was run by Venezuelans trained by US firms. My grandfather spent most of his legal career there, working for US oil companies, negotiating these terms and got Standard Oil to agree. …
I am not sure this tells us anything other than if 40% of the SP500 is in a handful of stocks and those stocks all go up, the largest funds will do well.
Funds running Billions have very few other stocks they can invest in.
Are these funds really…
Elliott Management is owned by Singer, a major Trump donor who donated $5 million to Trump PAC and $50 million to Congressional GOP and $1 million to stop Epstein files release and an undisclosed amount to other Trump projects
Elliott Management…
old_Joe
The IRMAA cost is calculated every year based on your taxable income from two years prior. Includes Capital Gains and tax exempt income.
So if your income drops, your IRMAA deduction will also drop.
If you income drops in 2025 vs 2024, yo…
It would be a fairly easy calculus for an oil CEO to decide how much $$ he/she ( there is at least one) is willing to put into VZ to get back the value of confiscated assets. But how do you value assets confiscated 20 years ago? Trump will be ebndi…
BTW Another way to "play" this is to just buy Sprott, SII the firm behind these bullion EFTs.
They also have a Uranium ETF. Would be careful as they are all way up
I own several of these ( MRFOX QDSNX SGOVX) after spending a lot of time looking at the alternatives.
I would be cautious with "one manger" shops like Pinnacle, whose performance rests on just one brain, unless it is in an IRA where you have no tax…
Not mentioned here are
1) immediate loser is China as they get most of VZ oil, in payment for all the money they have lent VZ. Trump now controls the price, although with the maybe temporary supply excess there may not be able to crank prices up m…
I second all of above but would especially recommend 529 plans. There are dollar limits to total contributions ( or at least there used to be) but anyone can contribute and many states allow a tax deduction for the contribution.
The money can be t…
One of the most inexplicable events of Trump 1 and Trump 2 is how on earth did Navarro, a washed up lousy economist at a minor school get to have so much influence.
Especially since he fancies himself as a "China Hawk".
But then he also believed …
My wife and I hired a new investment advisor to deal with stuff if something happens to me, so the numbers are harder to figure out than usual. The jury is still out with new firm. They are very reliable and solid and I agree with almost all of thei…
I would look at Brown Advisory BAEF Flexible Equity, unless you are committed to the ESG mandate. The usual definitions are so broad you can drive a truck through it. . Lot less tech in BAEF
Given the headlines about AI , data centers vacuuming up…
David
I just read your "hero" tribute to Judge Johnson. It is a wonderful tribute to a jurist I have long admired.
He was a true giant among men, and as you point out stood his ground in the face of danger and conflict. You wonder what would ha…
I wrote a comment to this article pointing out that he neglected to mention that with the TSP "Mutual Fund Window" participants can use 25% of their balance to invest in one of 5000 mutual funds. Many are ESG funds and a lot of them avoid a lot o…
@stay_calm
I was intrigued years ago when GMO was beating the drum about Timber with similar arguments in the Barrons' article.
I found a number of timber companies but most were also paper companies and mills. PCL and St Joe's are the smaller…
@yogibearbull
Thanks. I find it somewhat basic but it does consolidate a lot of information in one place.
I too am a lifetime member but find their increasingly shrill advertisements for "platinum" services hard to take.
I find it unbelievable t…
I dumped Vanguard when their customer service fell off the cliff but still use Fidelity and Schwab.
Main reason is I do not like having all my assets at one place. what if they get hacked and are down for several days?
Schwab has better customer s…
Unfortunately he is running our economic and trade policies exactly like he ran his (many times bankrupt) businesses and no one will stop him
Make outrageous demands, stiff people on bills he owes them refuse to pay telling them
"sue me" and using…
It would seem obvious that they are loosing clients to ETfs and advisors that are not part of their networks ( I don't know if they have specific selection criteria for advisors other than $s manged) and want to attract clients without the minimums
…
@FD1000
I do not know anything about MGH PPO. My experience with the Harvard Hospitals was in medical school ( 1978) but I have kept touch with several good friends on the faculty.
As I understand it Harvard Pilgrim is pretty good, at least one o…
@larryB
I know of them but little else? Have you used them?
There are a few little odd things. For example AOM although 60/40 is 27% tech, although SP500 ( 35% tech) is only 23% of the portfolio.
Can anyone make sense of M* other methods of list…
As a physician I have seen too many people forced to see sub standard providers or hospitals to ever feel comfortable with an HMO or a Medicare Advantage Plan.
Some people in cities with spectacularly good hospitals and Medical Schools ( like Bosto…
I would avoid tech heavy funds now since tech is so high about historical valuations. Granted someone will make a lot of money ( maybe) on AI but who knows who?
I tend to shy away from index funds, even "moderate allocations" lifestyle funds as th…
@WhollyTerriers
I prefer to have no withholding on RMDs and pay estimated taxes myself. I know what I will owe next year based on what I paid last year. Turbo tax prints the vochers and you can budget for it.
My favorite MuskRat post recently
"Control of Tesla could affect the future of civilization"
He demanded door handles flush with car and that could not be opened from outside without battery power, causing multiple deaths and infants locked insid…
I think inflation is sticker than most people believe so I would stay short duration, or barbell your exposure.
CBUDX yields 4.8% and only 22% junk. 22% floating rate.
CBLDX is over 6%
David's write up of ICMUX still holds, although duration …
Bloomberg had detailed discussion of Georgia Utility Commission race where rising cost of Electricity propelled two Democrats into office, despite GOP attempts to focus on "DEI" and not costs. Much bigger turnout than anyone expected.
Guardian had…
The only thing that I think makes sense intellectually is to
1) Keep enough in cash or FI so you do not have to sell during a market crash to pay your current bills and anything else you will need in the X number of years you conservatively believe…
@MikeW
People who call the polio vaccine, elimination of congenital Rubella, almost complete elimination of massive strokes because of VA funded research into anti-coagulation and atrial fibrillation "boring" are incredibly misinformed, and appar…
Given the massive run up and the high PE etc ratios, I would not expect the SP500 to do much over the next ten years. that is certainly what has happened historically. It was dead in the water for up to 13 years or more after 1998
Much better to di…
@crash
Ignore injustice, masked gov't Gestapo violence, the ethically rudderless Fuhrer, etc.
These are the very reasons why I think the US's time as a global leader is limited. We have destroyed any credibility we had with the rest of the world …
When I offer my opinion, I present data to back it up. If I am giving someone advice on what to do, I also tell them exactly what I do or did in similar situations.
