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.
Some people view Social Security primarily through the lens of break-even amounts.
I look at it mostly as longevity insurance.
Social Security provides an annual COLA which makes it more attractive than
most (all?) single premium immediate annuities…
Whisky In the Jar. Love it.
AND Peter Gabriel.
I watched a vid of his "Secret World" Concert.
Gotta mention Paula Cole!
You may remember she sang the theme song for "Dawson's Creek" on tv.
I really like this version of "In Your Eyes."
Although I …
@Observant1 Are BBBIX state tax free?
BBBIX is a taxable bond fund with only 0.3% in muni securities and 0.2% in U.S. Treasuries as of 09/30/25.
I'm not familiar with the tax policies of various states, but it seems likely most of the fund's return…
Thanks, bee!
By chance I stumbled upon this video yesterday.
Stefan Sharkansky provides an interesting take on portfolio spending strategies.
I've downloaded his research paper but have not read it yet.
T-Bill matured on 01/02/26.
Placed an order to buy additional shares of BBBIX.
BBBIX provides potentially higher returns than VMFXX without much additional risk exposure.
What do you think of this capital preservation portfolio?
MRFOX just finished 10 year run with 15.8% annual return.
1. Marshfield Concentrated (MRFOX) — 25%
• Role: US Growth / Quality Compounder
• Target: High-quality US companies (e.g., AutoZone…
"Morris notes that a December CBS poll showed that 75% of Americans, including 58% of Republicans,
correctly believed a president must get approval from Congress before taking military action
against Venezuela. The president did not get that approva…
"At Strength in Numbers, G. Elliott Morris noted that military intervention in Venezuela
is even more unpopular with the American people 'than Trump’s tariffs and health care cuts.'
In September, only 16% of Americans wanted a 'U.S. invasion of Vene…
"That lack of preparation appears to be in keeping with the overall post-raid planning.
Trump told reporters today that administration officials were 'designating various people' to 'run' Venezuela,
'and we’re gonna let you know who those people are…
"After World War II, the United States and its allies and partners put in place a rules-based international order
to prevent future world conflicts. Under that order, the members of the United Nations agreed
they would not threaten or attack another…
"And then, on New Year’s Eve, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee
released a 255-page transcript of former special counsel Jack Smith’s December 17
closed-door testimony before the committee.
The fact they chose to release it at a time when…
"Trump has taken a hit on his domestic policy lately, as well.
After the Supreme Court on December 23, 2025, rejected the administration’s argument
that it had the power to deploy federalized National Guard troops in and around Chicago,
Trump announ…
"Today was the legal deadline for the Department of Justice to submit to Congress
a written justification for any documents from the Epstein files that the department
had redacted or withheld. But it seems unlikely the Justice Department met this de…
I don't know how anybody could successfully argue against that take on the situation.
They can not.
So they resort to whataboutism and propaganda to "validate" their preconceived notions.
These feeble attempts are often pathetic!
With Donald J. Trump it often is about the money.
The sheer amount of corruption within the Trump regime is astounding!
Whatever happened to draining the swamp?
I don't often agree with Marjorie Taylor Greene but agree with most of her comments below.
I'm not sure what impact this will have regarding U.S. jobs moving south.
"Former Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Georgia) told NBC’s Meet the Pr…
A follow-up on Western Digital (WDC) and Seagate (STX).
WDC returned 282% in 2025 while STX returned 219%.
These two stocks had the largest and third-largest price gains respectively in the S&P 500 last year.
Jack Hough from Barron's discusses W…
Trump emphasized an "America First" approach and promised to reduce U.S. involvement
in foreign conflicts during his campaign.
First there was Iran, now there is Venezuela.
Perhaps extralegal attacks against Cuba, Colombia, or Mexico are forthcoming…
@racqueteer,
Go to your first post in this thread and click gear in upper-right corner to Edit.
The Edit Discussion page will be displayed.
Click drop-down arrow next to Category and select Other Investing.
Click Save button.
@Observant1
Sorry to hear that.
Their loss, I am certain.
I hope you are/were able to parlay that into improved circumstances, better job, better pay, early retirement...
Thanks!
I can't really complain about the situation.
My employer was a good…
@racqueteer,
I don't have any specific advice regarding this particular topic.
As catch22 suggested, you may want to move this thread to "Other Investing" for increased exposure.
Nice — 45 years with the same corporate entity is extraordinary nowadays!
I was with the same company for 21 years, 8 months before my employment
was terminated due to a "reduction in force" which occurred Feb. 2025.
@DrVenture,
Congratulations!
It sounds like you have a nice agreement with your employer to remain as a SME.
You work in the telecom industry, correct?
@fred95,
You have an interesting portfolio.
QLENX had an outstanding year with a 34.06% return according to M*.
This fund has performed very well since 2021 with a 5-year trailing return of 27.38% as of 12/31/2025.
I wish you continued luck with it!
We lost Steve Cropper not long ago, in early December.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Cropper
Somehow I missed the news of Steve Cropper's death on Dec. 3.
Mr. Cropper was a member of Booker T. & the MGs which was the "house band" for Stax…
Drugs are being used as a pretense for these boat attacks.
Trump dislikes President Maduro and may be trying to topple his regime.
Venezuela has the largest known oil reserves in the world.
Trump and his accomplices may use military operations
to ul…
Those who appreciate American Funds mutual funds may also like the Capital Group ETFs.
https://www.capitalgroup.com/content/dam/cgc/shared-content/documents/session-docs/Capital_Group_ETFs_compared_to_popular_American_Funds_mutual_funds.pdf
"The last 10 years have been an ugly era for facts, marked by a drumbeat of untruths
and near-constant charges of 'fake news' from the decade’s most influential player,
President Donald Trump."
"I understand why the outlook feels hopeless, but it’s…
I received a follow-up email from Vanguard ~1 hr. ago:
Dear Observant1,
Earlier this morning, we sent an outdated tax planning email.
Our apologies for any confusion that may have caused—we got a little ahead of (or behind) ourselves.
We plan to …
