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.
Watching PBS election coverage.
Electoral vote count as of 1:00 AM ET: Trump 246 to Harris 210.
Harris really needs the "Blue Wall" states!
AP has not called following states yet: PA, MI, WI, NV, AZ, MN, NH, ME, AK.
With numerous personnel departures at Matthews Asia Funds over the last few years,
I'm not considering investing in any of their funds.
As a former MAPIX and MAPTX investor, it's sad to see what has transpired at this once estimable firm.
This is a suggestion and not a recommendation.
You may want to consider Avantis funds.
Avantis selects companies trading at lower valuations with higher profitability ratios for their value funds.
https://www.avantisinvestors.com/avantis-investmen…
"This column is named after that book, which I edited in a revised edition published in 2003.
A newly revised version comes out Oct. 22. (Graham’s original text remains intact;
I’ve written commentaries that put each chapter in context for today’s…
"Am I incorrect that Fidelity limits passwords to 20 characters - if anyone knows?"
You're correct that Fidelity passwords are limited to 20 characters.
Here are the password requirements:
Use 8-20 English alphanumeric characters.
Use at least one…
@msf
Thanks, I was not aware of this and will investigate further.
Edit/Quick Take: non-replaceable batteries, larger footprint than Yubikeys,
will not work with any MFA provider besides Symantec VIP Access
"I have also noticed 'prepared food Tax' or 'Meal tax'... as much as 12%."
I live in the Seattle area and frequently dine at restaurants.
I scanned the Tax Foundation article and discovered Seattle
has the fifth highest combined tax rate on meals -…
@Derf
Several sources indicate surcharges can only be added to credit card transactions
and not to debit card or prepaid card transactions.
However, assessing debit card surcharges is a commonly broken rule according to Hancock Whitney Bank.
http…
@bee
If merchants neglect to mention surcharges for Mastercard or Visa purchases,
they are not following defined rules for surcharging.
Visa
I am a U.S. merchant who intends to surcharge. What is the process I need to follow?
• If you intend to …
@hank
The Symantec VIP app is used for Two-Factor Authentication.
I've used it for years at Fidelity and recently with a new Schwab account.
I haven't had any issues with the app - it works as expected.
Since Symantec VIP is only installed on my de…
"I probably could do more / get more from my cards, but I don't want to open a bunch of cards
and/or play rotating-benefits/perks and keep track of all that stuff."
Same here.
That Verizon credit card is appealing for Verizon cell phone customers
with it's 4% credit for gas and all food-related purchases.
I use my Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi for gas, restaurant, and travel purchases.
This card offers 4% cash back on gas …
From Extra login security FAQs section - "What transactions require extra security steps?"
https://www.fidelity.com/security/extra-security-login
"You will be prompted to verify your identity when you perform highly sensitive transactions such as …
I've used Fidelity's Rewards Visa for approximately 8 years.
I appreciate that it offers 2% cash back on all purchases so that the cardholder
doesn't have to contend with varying cash back rates in "revolving categories."
The Week in Charts (11/01/24)
The most important charts and themes in markets and investing, including:
00:00 Intro
00:55 Topics
02:04 A Cooling Labor Market
08:17 The Expansion Continues
10:31 All Roads Lead to Inflation
17:49 Market to Fed: Slow …
"Does GMO offer any funds that incorporate Grantham’s pessimistic views?"
Don't know if GMO has any such funds.
Several years ago an article stated investments in his foundation* did very well.
Edit/Add:
"Grantham's foundation is about 60% investe…
@msf
Good points!
I realize this is "financial popcorn" but I sometimes read these articles for entertainment.
Perhaps I should pursue a different hobby? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The average IRA balance could be skewed much higher if Peter Thiel's IRA was incl…
Yes, this does not compute.
Possible explanations include:
a) Americans have saved huge amounts in taxable accounts.
b) Americans will sell their businesses for large profits and use proceeds to fund retirement.
c) Americans will sell their price…
An online cash transfer was initiated
Presumably initiated from the Schwab side. If it were initiated from the credit union side, Schwab wouldn't know about it until the money hit. At that point it would be immediately available.
Yes, online tra…
It works w/o margin. I placed a test order (not entered, just reviewed) in my Schwab IRA (no margin with IRA accounts). I got a warning about potential freeriding:
1. Caution: This buy order was accepted without sufficient settled funds to trade …
The Week in Charts (10/25/24)
The most important charts and themes in markets and investing, including:
00:00 Intro
00:35 Topics
02:00 How Everything Could Change over the Next 10 Years
17:52 The AI-Driven Multiple Expansion
28:29 Reaching for Yiel…
"No idea, but most prices are stale at M* Legacy, M* Investor portfolios AND M* website.
So, there must be some IT issue there."
I concur with your observation.
I login to M* and stay logged in for a while.
Recently started frequently receiving "Let's confirm you aren't a bot"
challenges where I must choose all the hats, chairs, beds, buckets, bags, etc.
M* may be "improving" their website again!
Many of these posts have absolutely nothing to do with solid-state batteries. ;-)
But that's ok - there are some interesting stories from Old_Joe and catch22!
The Astron Aerospace H2 Starfire hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) is rather interesting.
Corresponding infrastructure/support would be needed for hydrogen ICEs to become viable.
https://www.topspeed.com/h2-starfire-engine-promising-disrupto…
Trump has been escalating his threats recently.
He stated Democrats are "an enemy from within" that would create havoc on Election Day
and speculated the National Guard may need to get involved.
As we all know, members from the other major political…
"Hopefully people learn their lesson and build a portfolio with these products for the long term but thats not how it seems it goes. people will still pile into good performers and then sell when it doesn't go their way."
'Twas ever thus.
The Week in Charts (10/11/24)
The most important charts and themes in markets and investing, including:
00:00 Intro
00:16 Free Wealth Path Analysis
00:54 Topics
01:41 Rising Prices at a Slower Pace
06:05 Market Expectations = Fed Expectations
13:24…
"They've got an interested project, for example, on quality factor investing and the funds that seem to excel at it."
@David_Snowball
Are you referring to the following article?
https://research.leutholdgroup.com/section/of-special-interest/articl…
Benz's new book appears to examine retirement holistically.
Non-financial considerations which may lead to improved retirement outcomes
are covered in addition to the financial aspects of retirement.
I haven't yet read Benz's book, but have a librar…
I'd like to know how the creation of two customer accounts allowed access to other
customers' information including Social Security numbers and driver's licenses.
Perhaps we'll never know due to the sensitive nature of certain data breaches.
It's im…
