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Look at the graph rather than the numbers. This fund outperformed its benchmark (smallcap index) in 2007, 2008, and 2009, but primarily during 3/1/09-8/1/09, when it shot way up. Total return during 2009 was 264%! However, from 2010 on it has been…
VHCOX if you can get it. Otherwise, VPCCX or VPMCX. For the majority of investors who aren't mutual fund experts, and don't want to be, VTSMX or VBINX.
As of last Friday, PRHSX is up 17.8% which is 7.4% ahead of the S&P500, so it's doing ok. I bought into PRHSX just after the start of the year, and I'm willing to let it ride awhile. There are a few other healthcare funds that are doing better…
I think you mean VGTSX (Total Intl) rather than VGSTX (STAR).
Among some of the more tax-efficient international (and global) funds are: ARTRX, WGRNX, MGLBX, ARTGX, ARTHX, OAKWX, ARTKX, MPACX, UMBWX, ACFFX.
Some of them are artificially tax-effici…
Reply to @AMatMFO: I will stay the course (continue building the PRHSX position), and watch it closely to see if the manager departure has a significant effect. T Rowe Price is a big enough firm they can throw plenty of analyst support at the fund t…
Just in case you folks were wondering, I'm the reason Kris Jenner decided to leave the T Rowe Price Health Sciences fund. Here's how it happened...
Late last year, I was analyzing my position in the Vanguard Healthcare fund (VGHCX) against PRHSX. …
You're right, it does seem to be doing much better since 2009. You should also take a look at MAPOX (Mairs & Power Balanced), which is an an excellent balanced fund.
I should elaborate. My father is 87 years old. While I know that sounds old, he's really in pretty good physical shape, and expects to be around for a few more years. He wants an investment that does not vary much in price, and gives a good solid…
Reply to @catch22: Oops, my bad. I meant VWINX=60% bonds, 40% stocks. I didn't see where VWINX was referenced earlier in the conversation, and I thought you intended VWNDX. Sorry!
You may have your ticker symbols a little jumbled:
VWNDX=Windsor
VWNFX=Windsor II
VWELX=Wellington
VWINX=Wellesley, an income fund which typically holds 60% stocks, 40% bonds, yield 3.3%
Rather ironic that the funds and ETFs in the portfolio are mostly good quality, low-expense no-loads which the investor would probably do better to buy directly.
I've been investing (monthly DCA) in Vanguard's GNMA fund since December 2008, and have been very happy with it. Fidelity's GNMA fund is also excellent, but I decided on Vanguard since I already had a number of other Vanguard funds (mostly index fu…
DODBX had hands-down the most beautiful chart I've ever seen from 09/1988 to 06/2007. Definitely a buy&hold, put your widows and orphans in there. But for the next 21 months it underperformed vs. other balanced funds. For the remainder of 200…
A couple more things I've noticed about this fund, while we're waiting for someone to supply more details:
1. The number one holding is Apple
2. While this fund has done great the last 3 years, outperforming the s&p500 by almost 10% annualized, …
Can someone in-the-know give us more details on this fund? Yahoo lists an inception date of Aug 11, 2000 for this fund, but gives no dividends or capital gains, which is suspicious. Touchstone's site lists A,C,Y, and Inst shares, but not Z. I won…
Talk to your estate planning attorney. If you haven't updated your wills and other documents for awhile, it's time. Our attorney recommended we hold most large assets as tenants in common (that is, without right of survivorship), so that whichever…
I rarely dip into "off topic", but I think it would be a mistake to delete it, from a practical standpoint. If it is deleted, then the off-topic stuff will show up in the fund forum, and it will be much more of a headache for the admin to track it …
It really depends on what is the appropriate benchmark for the fund. What is in the portfolio? Which fund are you interested in? Likely in the prospectus they will tell you which benchmark they measure themselves against. It is unlikely that an …
I like GNMA funds. I've been in VFIJX, Vanguard's version, since 2008, and DCA in every month. I like the fact that in a "bad" year (when interest rates rise, such as 1994), GNMA funds will go flat, or perhaps a tiny loss, but you won't lose you s…
This fund started last August, has $5M in it, so you should discount short-term performance. It won't show its true colors for a couple years. That said, Mairs&Power's other funds (MPGFX growth & MAPOX balanced) have done a good job over t…
To my eye, the ones that offer a good balance between a steady ride (low volatility) and good performance (especially during the last few years): Parnassus EI (PRBLX), Amana Income (AMANX), and Nicholas EI (NSEIX). I'm looking in the equity-income …
Is the 5-year Tnote really below 1%? I find that to be incredible. Who, in their right mind, would be willing to tie up money for 5 years for less than 1%? Certainly not me. Do you think it's the case that the Federal Reserve - US Treasury can, by s…
There are some things about the "old" fundalarm that I miss. I liked the very compact format. All the posts were available from one web page, so there was no visiting of numbered sets of posts. All the posts were a single line consisting of the titl…
SGROX's chart looks good. It has returned almost 10% over the last 5 years annualized, which compares favorably with the S&P500, which is less than 1% over that time. SGROX's management looks stable. The only downer is the expense ratio of 1.31%…
Most new mutual funds start out with a nice round number for NAV, $10 being a very common one. I wouldn't worry too much about being cheated because of round-off error; it's very likely they figured your number of shares to the third decimal point b…
Buying the Fidelity Real Estate fund on 2/5/2007. Actually, that was more of a timing thing, buying right at the peak. Up to that point, it looked great...
Thx! That did help me extend LEI backward, though I've had to pull some tricks to smooth over discontinuous breaks where they changed the index reference point.
They are good funds. But rather than pay the 5% load, I'd find a good no-load fund. Matthews has some good ones, such as MAPIX Pacific Tiger. Others that stand out are Columbia Acorn Intl ACINX, and Manning&Napier has a couple, and Scout Intl…
Hi MJG. I welcome the opportunity to discuss TA techniques, and for the sake of keeping the ball
rolling, I'll toss in my 2-cents. I'm far from viewing TA as a religion; if it seems to work for
me I'll use it. If not, I'll move on to something el…
