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.
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STB65
Is RNCOX worth holding?
After looking at the M* 1 and 3 year numbers on this fund with its ER of 2.22%, I wonder if it's time to give up on it. It was once recommended as a core holding, but I'm not sure it's worth its cost.
Is anyone holding it with confidence?
D***, wish I were rich enough to retire and buy a Vanguard annuity. Since my father's alive at 100, guess I'll work a bit longer.
Does this mean the European multinationals are or will soon be a buy?
Any defensible guidance appreciated. I really don…
Holding VGHCX, VPMAX & FBIOX, I have to agree with Jerry. Health care funds will be important for the 30 years that it takes the boomers to move from retirement to interment (I think that's an original phrase), but I don't know which companies t…
I'm usually wrong according to varying (high) percentages of observers, but I thought part of the problem with SS was that the money wasn't kept in the trust fund, but was spent to fund other popular programs, that would otherwise have required inc…
The later comments on this thread are not relevant to "Fund Discussions."
While I agree that cheap birth control should be available world-wide, it has little to do with retirement with $1 million.
Depending on the area of this country in which …
As a Vanguard client/owner, who is paying a portion of the defense costs, this looks like someone trying for lottery level money after abusing a position of trust. Even as a taxpayer, I don't feel cheated by Vanguard. If the Vanguard management empl…
Considering how little bond funds and cash return, it seems investors can only choose between investing in index funds or waiting in cash for a recognizable move in the stock market.
If money pours in, it's usually a bad sign for the short term fut…
Ahhhh, the "Big Dogs" again. ARIVX at 74% cash, YACKX at 17% cash; but AKREX under 2% cash. Tough call, but I'll keep rockin' on the porch for a bit. Looks like a traders' market to me.
May make a small index US stock play in November, since I thin…
In my gradually expanding experience, buying 5* funds in fund categories (not including sector funds, where one has to get the sector plus the manager right), adds a bit to performance. Must admit that the health care sector seems a lock, and I thin…
Lacking Prof Shiller's TIAA-CREF account for my old age, I passed on the Spain and Italy funds, already hold Vanguard Health, but did put in a limit order for VIS, albeit at 86. YNCT (you never can tell)
Having now read Wikipedia and being as informed about groundhogs, whistle pigs, and woodchucks as I plan to be, the only unanswered questions is: "Are they tasty?" I've heard their squirrel relatives are.
If so, converting the symbol to a comestibl…
Looking at game films is no where as useful as spying on closed practices before Super Bowls, though. Seeing the new plays sure beats relying on past patterns.
Hard to apply that to making money - oops, guess that would be insider trading.
In a similar vein
http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/60/6056/599D100Z/posters/charles-barsotti-there-there-it-is-again-the-invisible-hand-of-the-marketplace-giving-us.jpg
@jlev
I'm only parroting what I read several years ago: 10-15% bonds in a portfolio will not produce significant protection, since the percentage is too small. Made sense to me then, and now. (This begs the question whether a 29 y.o. needs portfolio…
XX beats XY.
St. John Bogle says Social Security is your bond fund.
Check the ER of your bond funds against yearly return and quit investing like a geezer (unless you have some chronic illness or a bad genome - I think you can get your DNA sequence…
Absolute drivel now follows: After a few decades of observation, I think the "stock picker's market" refers to a directionless plateau where a small fund can make a few dominant picks, which must be held long enough to reach the five- or ten-bagger …
@rjb112
This is late, and by now irrelevant, but the comment about the cost of EVBAX referred to the ER.
(I tried to send a private message, but couldn't find the relevant buttons. I don't visit daily, which is the other reason for the late respons…
Sometimes, when you have nothing to say, that's what you should say.
But, I guess that's what he said.
Seems "Off topic" to me, since there is no "Entertainment" category.
After listening to the interview, I considered reducing my FAGIX and SPHIX holdings since they represented the majority of my high yield bond funds (my 403b is in Fido); but I checked the graph at M*, where they regained their return slope in about …
@rjb112
Level of confidence is moderate based on Schiller's comments and the presidential cycle (granted that the drop had better hurry, since it usually occurs in the 2nd or 3rd quarters of this year).
I was looking for 7 to 10%, but it may be impo…
While I like the phrase: "It's time in the market, not timing the market," I can't ignore Schiller's assessment of the market. My children's IRAs spring contributions languish in cash, earning far less than the 3+% quoted in the article, but I think…
As I lose neurons, myocytes, and fast twitch fibers, I slowly realize that the age of mega-data means that the areas of inefficiency which smart people with lots of research time to exploit "the market" become smaller. That allows smart managers of …
FWIW, I forewent (if that's a word) the annuity and still have the TIAA real estate fund in my 403b at a prior university employer (St Louis U). Perhaps they think I'll roll over eventually into an annuity, but I didn't have that understanding. In f…
Since the comments on the merits of Indian bonds seemed intriguing, I Googled for an ETF or mutual Indian bond fund without success aside from those apparently limited to residents of India.
Does anyone know of one I missed?
I've been in MAINX wit…
I agree the commentary is worth more than one pays for it, but the Gross and Double-Line sections could have been covered by a link to one of the many articles in the past month covering the issues, although I did check out the Disneyland employee l…
@heezsafe: I must have missed something in the RSIVX info. I didn't think they were buying bonds above par. If so, there is obvious risk. OTOH, if they are buying at par or below, I assume they will be made whole at maturity, so one only needs to ma…
When I compared the decline and recovery of my high yield bond funds at Fido to my stock funds, Contrafund and Low priced Stock, from 2007-9, the declines were less and the recovery a year sooner. Perhaps this reflects Fido's bond expertise (suppose…
"Lies, damned lies, and statistics." If one wants a quote.
While I agree that close is probably good enough for hand grenades (that's the whole point with them, after all), one gets 3 points for a ringer in horseshoes and one point for being close, …
Is there a reason why there are not more comments about defined maturity bond funds? Is it the need to pay a premium at times? They seem to offer downside protection and return your capital at a defined date. ERs vary. This article describes the ris…
Canada Bill Jones, "It's immoral to let a sucker keep his money."
If all the land has been stolen from the Indians (or you may select your preferred aboriginal), and you don't want to accept the low salary of a teacher or other public servant, you'…
Although I had never given any real consideration to the phrase: "20/20 hindsight", which really only means normal vision, I now realize that hindsight is at least 20/10, perhaps 20/5, maybe even 20/2. In the future, I will claim at least 20/10 even…
Agree.
Back reasonably heavily in FNMIX. Never left MAINX.
Vaguely recall that Rosenberg (back when he was free for access) said that HY bonds return exceeded their risk. Have bought Fidos HY funds in my 403b.
Depends on age and anticipated retirement age. 20 to 50 y.o. with retirement at 70 (probably the new normal for the younger generation): 10% short term bond and 10% high yield bond and remainder in stock funds. Would include mid-cap blend or value a…
Like many of those commenting on the original site, I found little utility in this article. I have no company pension plan and don't expect my progeny to have one.
It might be titled "How the retired middle class with pension plans saves". ("Sorry a…
Don't know if Ted posted it, but he always pushed index funds, which makes MFO superfluous. (I still hope that new small funds can beat their index for a while.)
Considering MFS's location on the graph of the first link, they probably want part of t…