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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MikeM
I know you are not a fan of his, Mona (understatement :) )
Another Bills fan!!! Junkster just sent me a note saying the same. GO BILLS! They will be right down the road from me when training camp starts next week at St. John Fisher College. But tickets sold out in hours, so I won't be going. Are you from the area, Western NY?
Hi @Charles , what don't you like about AQR management? You have said that in other posts too, but I don't recall if you said why. FWIW, I'm not invested in any AQR funds myself.
@AndyJ Can't disagree with those great returns, albeit a very short life span. Time will tell. But I can remember other tactical/LS funds that became darlings on this board for a brief moment, like that Catalyst Hedging fund, Whitebox, Marketfield, …
Here are couple ideas through a Google search. Just Google "Quicken alternatives" and quite a few option come up.
And, Excel is just an extension of what you would do with a pencil and paper (columns and rows). Fun actually when you get used to it…
@catch22 , I agree with you. Not my cup of tea either. I don't see how these funds can do anything but stunt the growth of an already well diversified portfolio. But on the other hand, building a portfolio is a personal thing and if they bring more…
Valuations suggest a pull-back in stocks anyway, so an incoming-president's collusion with Russians may be just the stimulus needed for a major correction. Even if it couldn't be proven DT was directly involved it still would be market-affecting tur…
As far as the CD - ZEOIX comparison, ZEOIX has averaged about 3% return over the last 5 years, 2.8% over the last 3. You can now get a CD through Goldman Sachs Bank at 2.4%. Personally, if you are working outside a brokerage, I would ladder 5 year …
I see pluses and minuses for the fund. I looked at it a couple years ago in my IRA and decided it wasn't worth the cost, high exp. ratio and TF at Schwab. If you are using it as a "superior mattress fund" outside a brokerage, wouldn't buying a 5 y…
Alright!!!! A 7% tax break!!!!!!!!!!! (per the market watch chart).
Oh, wait... that's for people making a million a year or more. Darn it, looks like it "trickled down" to me at a little over 1%. Hmm, I'm wondering, is that fair or should I just b…
Hi @slick, didn't mean to come across as critical. Sector funds just aren't my cup of tea. I definitely can appreciate the enjoyment with investing though. With what I call my play money, I get enjoyment from playing specific stocks - so I guess not…
Added to Target (TGT) on the 10% beatdown today. I guess Black Friday is coming earlier and earlier.
@Mark, I see holiday shopping forecasts are down which caused the Target drop. Pretty big 1 day drop.
I have a different approach to consumers buy…
Hi @slick, my 'observation' was not about small caps, but on all the sector funds/etfs you own, 11 of them. Just looks from the outside that you're throwing bets against the wall and hoping something sticks. My question will always be, why not pick…
Hi Slick. Not to be negative but I am a proponent of lean and simple. Hell, I believe a Retirement fund from TRP would do just fine, but what fun is that.
Way to may funds for my taste and many at such low percentage - what's the point? . I think …
Thanks for sharing @Hank. Believe it or not, you are one of the people here that helped me establish my portfolio thinking, simpler is better and buy a good fund and stick with it. 10 years ago I had a collection of funds with lots of category dupli…
@Puddnhead , being a portfolio in progress, it is impossible for me to comment. Do you have a final allotment you are working towards? For me that would be more helpful to understand your plan. Are you aiming towards a portfolio of funds that will b…
...but you can’t invest looking in the rear view mirror. I know the results have been impressive (and own the fund), but desire some logical compelling reason to think that that performance should continue.
@Hank, there are no guaranties around any …
@Old_Skeet, why are you fixated on American funds? Plenty of comparable funds in every category out there. The tax thing would certainly be a show stopper though.
You are an astute financial guy. Your decision will no doubt be the best one for you.
If I could only hold 1fund, it would be a fund I don't own today, a TRP Target Date Retirement fund. If it is one fund to hold for 10-15 years in a portfolio of funds - PRWCX.
Not sure I can say it any clearer @Old_Skeet, there are no additional charges or account fees for purchasing A-shares available on Schwab's mutual fund platform!!!! There may be some not ono their NTF list, I don't know. There was no transaction fe…
Pretty good Hank. I see a few 18m options between 1.75% - 1.8% according to Bankrate.com. 1 year isn't far behind. I'm happy right now with money market accounts at about 1.3%
http://www.bankrate.com/partners/sem/cd-rates-v9?gclid=Cj0KCQiAlpDQBRD…
@Old_Skeet , sorry, that is work you will have to do yourself.
I get the sense you are being facetious in your request. I personally don't care what you do, but I think it is prudent to suggest to other MFO readers (which I'm sure isn't news to …
Thanks for the response on wrap fees @Old_Skeet, but I believe you are mistaken to believe a wrap fee is involved in purchasing a mutual fund A-share when available at a brokerage like Schwab. A wrap fee is paid IF you are getting a service from the…
Hi Crash. I don't follow PREMX or many EM bond funds so I haven't noticed tanking. Is PREMX acting like the rest of the EM sector or is the fund unique? I own MAINX and like you, PRSNX, and no tanking going on with either. Not apples to apples thoug…
I'd have to open another brokerage account that charges a wrap fee inorder to hold these no load funds.
@Old_Skeet, I don't really know what this wrap fee is that you have mentioned a few times. Can you explain? Schwab has a ton of A shares availa…
As I read some of this, my 1st thought is the portfolio's plan or goal is much more important then a list of funds. @jafink63, how do you corral that list into a vehicle that takes you to your goal with risk tolerance you are comfortable with? TRP a…
Seems you don't have to read any more then the last paragraph.
Nothing is impossible but the longer I’m in this game the easier it is to see that there’s no perfect strategy to game the system.
Thoroughly confused on this post. You want people to discuss their portfolios - you don't want more portfolio discussion. Have the long neck's taken control?
Thanks Lewis. Nicely written article. For me though, just another "investment opportunity" I see no reason to buy - ever. But I feel the same about the equity side of L/S too.
Why do we keep on talking about this... They aren't going to change 401(k) limits and are not going to reneg on Roth IRAs tax-free growth.
And how can you be so confident in that statement? Is your crystal ball infallible?
My crystal ball says whe…
About 15% of my self managed portfolio has been in DSENX. I decided to start moving some of that money to the International (Europe) fund, DLEUX. I started the process last week.
DSENX has made me a believer in the Shiller CAPE method. I've done we…
Thanks @catch22 and others for the information. Catch, I won't be 65 until January of 2018, but my wife is a few years older so we have done the research. There are plenty of seminars by the providers explaining their policies every enrollment perio…
Just checked the NY State HC exchange and my silver plan for 2018 looks like it is increasing 13%. I guess that isn't too bad considering all the turmoil that has been generated by you know who.
One more year until medicare kicks in. Unless of cour…
Can our great grand kids some day be learning in their 3rd grade history books the phrase; "speaks loudly and carry a little stick".
Not necessary but so predictable.
@sma3, what does this mean:
There is a little consistency Five star funds averaged 3 stars in 10 years, 4 stars ave 2.8 three stars 2.5 and two stars 2.2
It is not clear to me what you are saying.
I just checked my Schwab account, and I have nothin…
:) :) :) @PRESSmUP, that's funny. Being a Bills fan, I have a soft spot for the Browns. Even in the worst of Bills coaching and management debacles, I can look across Lake Erie and realize it could be worst. Actually the Browns were my dad's favorit…
I agree with old skeet here. Not sure where this term 'cash alternative' came from. Most of the investments being disused in this thread are more accurately "equity alternatives" if you think about it. They're bonds. Calling any type of bond 'cash a…
@bee, The '3 degrees of bad' illustrated and explained exactly my thoughts. Especially this paragraph:
Research by Wade Pfau[4] shows that purchasing fixed annuities can actually lead to larger final estates for this reason. "Though SPIAs [single-p…
