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.
@Observant1, which portfolio manager at BISAX used to work for David Samra at ARTKX?
Hi Mona,
I was referring to ARDBX portfolio managers but should have been clearer.
My post was updated to improve clarity.
[snip]
what are the advantages of converting OEFs to their ETFs? Tax? Lower expense ratio?
Can Vanguard do the conversion by themselves online or this can only be done with Vanguard agents?
Thank you
Daniel Wiener or Jeffrey DeMaso from the In…
FWIW, our choice in that Cat is BISAX, available NTF at VG.
It's arguably Best in (That) Class since its inception on 01/31/12.
Growth of $10K since ARDBX inception** on 05/16/22:
BISAX: $12,361
ARDBX: $10,609
** = See also (albeit very dated…
Hi Derf,
ARDBX has an inception date of 05/16/2022 so it does not yet have a 3 year history.
2023 performance - top 8% return in Foreign Small/Mid Blend category
2024 performance - top 11% return in Foreign Small/Mid Blend category
https://www.mor…
Michael Cembalest covers many topics which may affect market performance in 2025.
The historical context Michael provides was appreciated.
His presentation was very thought-provoking.
I've read Eye on the Market previously but somehow forgot about …
Since 1928¹ there have only been three other instances of 25%+ returns in back-to-back years:
1935 (+47%) and 1936 (+32%)
1954 (+53%) and 1955 (+33%)
1997 (+33%) and 1998 (+28%)
So what happened next?
Something for everyone:
1937: -35%
1956: +7%
19…
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 climbi…
There are a whole lot of voters who don't feel that either major party is representing them.
And that alienation is increasing by the month.
I've felt this way for some time even before Trump came on the scene.
Trump does exacerbate the situation tr…
It's been a long time coming that "Teflon Don" was convicted of a felony.
Pity that incarceration and substantial fines were not on the table as they normally would be.
I understand why the court needed to be extremely lenient with the despicable Pr…
The Year in Charts (01/07/25)
The charts and themes that tell the story of 2024, including...
00:00 Intro
00:58 Low Expectations
02:37 Goodbye Bear, Hello Bull
04:07 Japan's Black Monday
05:59 Fed Easing Again
11:03 The Least Affordable Housing Mar…
On a related note, more shenanigans from team Trump...
"President-elect Donal Trump’s legal team made a last-minute push Monday to block the release
of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on the two dismissed criminal cases against Trump."
…
This depends on your specific 401(k) plan.
As YBB mentioned, some plans allow in-service withdrawals while others do not.
You may want to check the 401(k) Summary Plan Description or contact your HR department.
My 401(k) Summary Plan Description s…
My vehicle manual specifies synthetic oil that meets certain VW specs so that's what I use.
Synthetic oil generally provides superior engine protection compared to conventional oil.
Although synthetic oil is more expensive, it's a small cost to pay …
Very interesting commentary, FD.
The administrator for another investing forum recently wrote:
"FD1000 I am getting complaints that repeated, gloating posts are obnoxious.
Would you please think twice before posting, whether you haven't already sa…
FYI - This Vanguard link in the OP no longer works.
The Vanguard link in the OP works for me.
https://advisors.vanguard.com/content/dam/fas/pdfs/FYEEST.pdf
Guys,
You have to give FD credit for his brilliant trading scheme and impeccable hindsight analysis.
He remains humble and open-minded despite his apparently very prosperous investing career.
This is not the demeanor typically associated with someo…
"So the question remains do you continue to ride large caps (mainly Tech) indefinitely,
or do you see a rotation back to other sectors.
Large cap Tech ('Magnificent Seven') as market leaders - current trend or new normal?"
This is the $1,000,000 (U…
"Buffett said it a lot better 'Diversification is protection against ignorance.
It makes little sense if you know what you are doing'".
This attribution lacks proper context.
Below is an actual quote from a Warren Buffett speech to MBA students.
…
@catch22
I'm glad you found the current episode worthwhile.
Charlie utilized numerous charts (considerably more than usual)
to educate investors about common misconceptions and myths.
The corresponding data could be very beneficial for many invest…
The Week in Charts (12/23/24)
Put These Charts on Your Wall For Reference The Next Time You Think:
00:00 Intro
00:23 "All-Time Highs Are a Sell Signal"
01:39 "Investment Returns Are Linear"
02:41 "Overbought/Oversold!"
04:20 "Credit Card Rates Can'…
I haven't been active in M* Discussions for several years.
It was previously a good investing forum until M* started making "improvements."
Tis a shame...
I don't know all the details regarding the ABC/Stephanopoulos lawsuit.
Based on the merits of the case, some were surprised that ABC (Disney?) settled so quickly.
As Crash stated, the incoming president is now deliberately trying to intimidate the …
The Week in Charts (12/13/24)
The most important charts and themes in markets and investing, including:
00:00 Intro
00:40 Topics
01:41 Inflation Is Warming
05:44 Free Wealth Path Analysis
07:48 Easing Into a Mania
19:27 Is Free Money the Cure For H…
For several years I've used Symantec VIP for 2FA at Fidelity.
I also started using Symantec VIP at Schwab several months ago.
The app works as expected and I haven't experienced any problems¹.
¹ I use the desktop app exclusively and have no experi…
Cannabis is legal to possess/consume in WA state but smoking on public streets is illegal.
This doesn't stop certain marijuana aficionados from sparkin' up on the sidewalks.
To the powers that be: I'll give you my pizza when you take it from my cold…
"I've wondered for some time if active management will die out pretty rapidly
or be replaced by a smaller number of active managers driven by AI wars."
Here's my opinion on what may occur to firms who actively manage funds.
https://www.mutualfundob…
I liked some of the older BMW models.
The BMW 3 series was the sports sedan benchmark for many years.
Newer BMW models have become larger and heavier and in my opinion not as visually appealing.
From my prior research, BMWs were not known to have a…
@Crash and @Old_Joe
ABALX has a front load of 5.75%. For American Funds, does this indicate that this share class is for use only with an advisor?
Fidelity doesn't waive the front-end load for ABALX.
Fido does offer BALFX sans load with an expense …
I agree with Mark.
Three CGBL portfolio managers (out of five) are also managers of ABALX¹.
Both funds have very similar objectives and characteristics.
Looking at the funds' quarterly Fact Sheets may be a good place to start.
CGBL Fact Sheet
ABALX…
