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I plan to keep muni's at about an 8% allocation within my income sleeve. My muni fund (FLAAX) is off it's 52 week high by about -7.6% and year-to-date it is down -3.1% ... but, making a come back.
I'm thinking that the 4% rule might still work. However, it will depend on how one is invested. For me, I'll take up to a sum of what one half of what my five year total return has averaged. Generally, this leaves money for new investment opportu…
Hi @msf, Thanks for making comment and posting information on TEQIX.
The underperformance of HWIAX and TEQIX is why Old_Skeet employs and uses my sleeve management system which usually holds three or more funds in each sleeve. In this way, when on…
Thanks for posting. HWIAX is one of Old_Skeet's laggards. It was a deep value fund which had been faltering. Thankfully, it was a very small position within my portfolio which I establised a few years ago when the good times were rolling. I neve…
Hi guys ...
My comment made on May 10th in an eariler post in this thread was "First, know that it has a 31 day trading rule and it can not change position direction once established until 31 days have expired." And, I should have added from last …
Hi @wxman123,
My above comments come from the First Quarter 2020 Commentary. On page 3 of this Commentary you will find that the baseline asset allocation that the fund adjust its equity allocation begins at 10% equity allocation with the S&P …
@wxman123, The new baseline asset allocation can be found on The fund's Fact Sheet. As of 5-1-20 it is 50 percent. Under the old Fact Sheet it was 10 percent.
The 31 day trading rule is to prevent the fund from having wash sales. The fund's 3…
@Puddnhead,
My take is that fund has been now positioned in a more aggressive posture. I'm thinking that this is because of recent FOMC's interest rate and easing policy. Plus, the Fed's have and will probally continue to inject money into the …
Hi @Level5, For someone that has not followed the fund I can understand why one could become confused. It took me, years back, a while before I fully understood how the fund works. Know, I am not trying to change your thoughts on the fund ... Just…
Energy accounts for about eight percent of my equity allocation. Since collectively my mutual fund managers are overweight Energy I'm doing nothing to overweight the sector myself.
Hi @linter, Recently as of May 1, 2020 COTZX & CTFAX changed it's equity weighting scale. With this, I am now rethinking just how much of it I am wanting to hold as it has now become more aggressive. This may help increase long term fund perfo…
Last call = more volatility coming. With this I changed the wording. And, last call is a term used by many restruants and bars in the Carolinas for patrons to order their final drinks, ususally about a half hour, before closing. I'm also thinking…
Hi guys ... The S&P 500 Index keeps climbing and as of today's close of 2930 puts it up about 31% from its 52 week low and down 13.5% from its 52 week high. For the barometer, it keeps dropping and scores the Index as extremely overbought based…
Hi @WABAC, On the MFO Quick Search Tool ... Main Search Criteria(Category, MFO Rating, MFO Risk) from there some of my sub search criteria is APR%. Yield & MAXDD. Why yield? Income never goes out of fashion.
@Old_Joe and others ...
For those that would like more information on the new American Funds' Multi Sector Income Fund MIAQX below is a link that you can follow to the fund's web page which just recently became available.
https://www.capitalgroup.…
Another perspective ... With S&P projecting S&P 500 TTM earnings to be in the $115.00 range for the next six months or so and based on current valuation for the Index at a 2850 valuation produces an earnings yield of about 4%. From this per…
Hi @ MrRuffles: You are correct sir ... about the 2020 IRA distrbution. My 12/31/2019 IRA valuation, I'm thinking, will be higher than my 12/31/2020 valuation. But, the govt. does not give something to you for nothing. My RMD factor will be high…
Hi again @Old_Joe.
Thus far this year ... and, I'm thinking that the only money I'll pull from the investmets is the required RMD from the retirement accounts and some of that will get repositioned back into investments. What I'm doing with most…
Hi @Old_Joe:
I was able to speak with my advisor yesterday and discussed several things. On the subject of MIAQX my broker, after speaking with American Funds, explained to me that this new fund was designed to fill a void in their fixed income …
@Derf. S&P revised their TTM earnings projections for the S&P 500 Index moving form the mid 130's to the mid 110's. Since, the barometer is comprised of both fundamental and technical feeds the earnings revision changed the readings within…
Hi guys: Today, I received an earnings update for the S&P 500 Index and made changes in the earnings data used in the barometer. In addition, changes have taken place in the two other primary feeds from market movement. The barometer now score…
@Old_Joe,
You have asked for my thinking on fixed income. Here goes ...
My ability to review funds has been compromised by M*. Part of my quick and dirty review matrix is no more through M* Portfolio Manager. In portfolio manager I have been a…
@Bobpa: You sure do ask a lot from others. The answer to your question is yes. Why don't you share, with us, your findings? I know of three ... and, I'll make post of these once you come forward with your findings. Skeet
Hi guys, For those that hold American Funds ABNDX (Bond Fund of America) is listed at MFO as a core bond fund. It has a MFO Risk Rating of 1 (Very Conserative) and a MFO Rating of 4 (Above Average). I don't currently own this fund; but, I just mig…
Hi guys. With Friday's stock market decline the S&P 500 pullbacked 81 points, from 2912 to 2831, resulting in a 2.8% loss. With this, there was a numerical reading change, in the barometer's metrics, from 136 to 138. However, this still leave…
Hi @johnN,
Thank you for your question(s). Through April 30, 2020 my year-to-date total return was -7.6%. Funds that I have put new money into over the past twelve months are many. They follow in no certain order. They are CTFAX ... DIFAX ...…
Take a look at LBNDX. It has worked well for me through the years ... but, it gave up more ground than I thought it should during the recent market swoon.
Hi @bee. Thank you for your question. Have I ever considered using other funds and/or etf's as a benchmark? Yes, but I have not found a conserative asset allocation fund that generates the income stream that my master portfolio kicks off. And, b…
Hi guys. For the period of March 27th to April 30th Old_Skeet's market barometer which follows the S&P 500 Index moved from a high reading of 180 (Extremely Oversold) to a reading of 136 (Overbought). Generally, a higher barometer reading indi…
@MikeM, I hold a good slug of it in my taxable account and a little slug in my self directed IRA. There are a couple of reasons that I'm holding off until CTFAX makes it June distribution. One, I feel as though I'd be buying the distribution as it…
For those that have been following my post about CTFAX. It trimmed it's equity allocation again yesterday and it's allocation is now 65% bonds and 35% stocks. Since, the stock market swoon it did reach a 30% bond and 70% stock allocation before it…
Hi @johnN. Thanks for posting this piece on municipals. The only loser I have so far this month is my muni fund. Everthing else is up. I was going to add some money to it; but, after reading this article I'll ride for a while longer as muni's mi…
Hello and Good Morning. It looks as though today stocks will open down in the States this morning and they are currently down abroad as well. According to Old_Skeet's stock market barometer stock valuations are now streached and we are due for a l…
Hello ... and, Good Mroning! Here in the States, as I write, stock futures are up across the board along with oil. Could be a good day for stocks. Treasury yields are up which means bond prices have declined as yields and prices generally move in…
Hi @Crash, I'm thinking that S&P 500 pushing 3000 streaches things a bit. With this, I'm looking for it to trade sideways and range bound for a while. Again, earnings are going to have to come in around the $150.00+ range to support a 3000+ va…
Hi @Derf, Thaks for stopping by and reading along with your question concerning stock picking (active management) vs. Index funds in which you seek a yes (or no) answer. For me ... the answer depends ... and, I'll explain. Some actively managed f…
Good morning. As I write, stocks are set to add to Monday's gains as the futures are up across the board both here in the States and abroad. As stocks have moved upward the VIX has been in decline and now resides in the low to mid 30's. In additi…
@kings53man, I have been retired for more than five years and I may use my HSA to cover medical, dental, eye, prescription meds and most recently over the counter meds not covered by my Medicare PPO.
Hi @Crash, I'm thinking that the fund can be bought somewhere as a No-Load - NTF fund. In checking Schawb's site it looks to be a No Load / NTF fund. Perhaps there other places it can be purchased to avoid the sales load. And, I agree it would be…
