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.
These days, 5 years isn't a useful metric at all ... since the GFC all fund performance returns have been goosed by QE 1-4 and related artificial support around the world. When 5 years passed since 'the bottom' fund managers and their PR folks wer…
I remember the old Stein Roe Young Investors Fund in the 80s and 90s ... was "the" thing parents would gift to their kids and/or many people owned as their first investment, and I owned some myself. It owned the things a "young investor" would be i…
My fund selection logic includes --
Do I need it? Why?
Does it invest in sectors / companies I believe in and/or are opportune times to do so? Or are they just following the herd and buying the hottest things and latest fads?
Are their sector/su…
@kevindow Check out some of the closed-end funds from Tortoise (TPZ, TYG, NTP, etc.) I've owned some of them off and on over the years but now just hold a few individual MLPs.
Sigh. Another one-size-fits-all broad-brush headline that distracts from the fact that there are several good MLPs that are safe/fairly safe and viable holdings for long term investors. EPD, SEP, MMP come to mind -- I own the first 2 in large qu…
I own several TRP funds and appreciate their investing style, philosophies, and low costs. That said, I'm sad to see TRP feeling the need to roll 'me-too' niche funds that capitalise on a the latest investment fad of 'smart beta' or 'quantitative' …
Agree that AF goes nuts with the # of share classes. However, they run pretty good funds with low recurring costs ... I hold several of them both in taxable and retirement accounts.
I'd like them even more if they nixed the 12(b)-1 fee and insane…
I have a hard time buying into a 'defensive' fund that hasn't really encountered a 'hostile' market for it to prove its name. I also think it's kind of expensive and (speaking for myself) I don't like its financial exposure. So I'd take a pass on…
Very true. People freak out during market drops, but longer-term, that's the best time to buy, and on a purely capital appreciation basis, indeed, the downside risks are lower then than at any other time -- unless the stock goes lower, obviously. …
It's PBS spring fundraising telethon time. They always run repeats of CM's shows during those, and knock out most of their best programming for "specials" and nostalgic music shows. How that works as a fundraising mechanism, I can't fathom.
Good p…
Most fund managers also need to show performance in order to attract more AUM. Even if they wanted to hold more cash for a rainy day, they don't dare show 'drag' in a rising market lest potential customers put their $$$ into a competitor's fund ins…
I use it for the GLOBAL sector exposure in infrastructure, with a nice diversified portfolio that seems fairly conservative....since I'm youngish (43) and still accumulating, the income just lets me snap up more shares when the dividends are paid, …
Lemmings following news of where the herd WAS before moving on. Nice way for hedgies to sell out of positions to a bunch of clueless buyers who think they're following the smart money ... which they are, but not in the way they expect.
Too expensive for my tastes on both ER and 12(b)-1 fees but I do like many of its holdings. If you want ESG fund, maybe look at PRBLX which has done better than this one for the past several years and is cheaper, too. It's more US focused, thoug…
I remember reading many posts on *M about how Arnott was the best thing since sliced bread. I bought into it. Luckily, I didn't lose a lot of money but the fund was very stagnant and didn't sit well with me over time. I'm glad to have bailed out.
S…
But no worries, when it comes roaring back 40% (at some point TBD) and gets you back to breakeven, Arnott will crow about how, see? Dogmatic adherence to a strategy come hell or high water is a good idea and see -- I was right. No thanks.
I bail…
It's never their fault. Because they are the alleged self-proclaimed "smart money" in finance. HAH!
[wipes tears away from eye after fit of laughter]
One beef w/the article, though. Yes, a 2/20 profit structure is atrocious. But I presume say…
Sorry, Chuck ... but you're no Jason Zweig. His 2015 "Devil's Dictionary of Finance" is a must-read. This was a thinly-veiled homage to that at best. Useful, sure -- but clearly trying to horn in on his work.
Added to PRBLX last week, PRHSX on Tuesday, and picked up some preferreds that hit my desired yield/price point to buy. I have other stock orders resting and may add to some OEFs as opportunity presents, too. So yes, I'm carefully buying accord…
True.....
I'm also a bit of market technician, so I feel obligated to remind folks that "markets can remain overbought/oversold for longer than a person is solvent --- or sane." ;)
Sigh. More investment 'vehicles' peddled to the public based on (emotional) marketplace 'demands' ....all these me-too funds remind me of the old saying about asset managers, "it;s not how much money your clients can collect from the market, it's ho…
Quoth @TMFOtter: "Bloomberg describes 2015 as a year nothing worked in investing. Know what does work? Having a timeframe more than 1 year."
I couldn't agree more!!!
Financial crisis has left me w/bad taste in my mouth for holding BANK stocks. Plus their preferreds are rarely cumulative on the dividend, which in my view is a giant "f-you" to retail investors who want the stability of income.
One ETF that's no…
Many thematic (not sector) ETFs like those mentioned in the article are, in my view, mainly short-to-near-term fads. Their being 'successful' comes down to how much AUM they can gather by people who fall for their marketing. An ETF that launched …
Good riddance to bad rubbish. I wonder what punk pose he'll strike for his mugshot?
And, in a moment of mature sanity, for those who know the cartoon reference, may I add a Nelson-esque "Ha-Ha!"
Do these people have some kind of secret sauce?
Yep - they get people willing to pay 1.25% per year to own their Large Growth fund. Paying more than .60 is highway robbery for a domestic stock fund, in my view. ;/
Of course it looks good -- it …
