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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.
  • Schumer says Congress might consider more Covid relief depending on how long pandemic lasts
    "that income level [to qualify for a 2021 Covid recovery rebate check] is based on their 2019 tax returns"
    There's a lot of conflicting information floating around, including from news organizations, so don't be surprised if any particular description, including this one, is not quite correct.
    Here's HR 1319, The American Rescue Plan of 2021. You can find the relevant text in Subtitle G, Part 1 - 2021 Rebates to Individuals, starting on p. 441.
    https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr1319/BILLS-117hr1319eh.pdf
    In general, initial checks ("Advance Refund and Credits", p. 447) are based on 2019 returns. But if at the time the IRS figures out how much to send you, it has your 2020 return, the initial check amount will be based on your 2020 return. ("Application to 2020 Returns Filed at Time of Initial Determination", p. 449.)
    Regardless, if your 2020 return indicates you should get more (and you've filed it within three months of the tax filing deadline or Sept. 1 whichever is earlier), you'll get an additional check. ("Additional Payment", p. 449.)
    But wait, there's more. This third payment, like the other two is merely an advance against a refundable tax credit. If your 2021 income qualifies you for a larger credit, you'll get the difference when you file your 2021 tax return.
    To summarize:
    1. Initial check based on 2019 return unless IRS has 2020 return in time to base amount on that return.
    2. Second check based on 2020 return to make up the difference if your first check was based on a higher 2019 income.
    3. Whatever you receive from #1 and #2 you get to keep.
    4. If on your 2021 income you qualify for a larger credit, you get that as well.
    Effectively, the amount of your check and/or credit is based on the lowest income in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
    Ron Johnson made sure that it was all read out loud because "we should know what's in the bill." What, you mean you weren't watching C-SPAN for ten hours?
  • Integrity Energized Dividend Fund is no longer energized (to be liquidated)
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/893730/000089373021000004/supplement_20210308.htm
    497 1 supplement_20210308.htm
    SUPPLEMENT DATED March 8, 2021
    TO SUMMARY PROSPECTUS, PROSPECTUS AND
    STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (“SAI”)
    Integrity Energized Dividend Fund (the “Fund”)
    Class A: NRGDX
    Class C: NRGUX
    Class I: NRIGX
    Summary Prospectus, Prospectus, and SAI dated November 30, 2020
    The Board of Trustees of the Integrity Energized Dividend Fund (the “Board”) has determined that it is in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders that the Fund be liquidated and terminated. The Board has determined to redeem all outstanding shares of the Fund and then close the Fund on or about June 30, 2021 (the “Termination Date”).
    Effective immediately, the Fund may no longer pursue its stated investment objectives, will begin liquidating its portfolio and may invest in cash equivalents such as money market funds. The Fund remains closed to additional purchases.
    You may redeem or exchange your shares, including reinvested distributions, prior to the Termination Date, and you will not be subject to the Fund's contingent deferred sales charge. Additionally, if you are exchanging into a different Integrity Viking Fund you will not have to pay any initial sales charge. Any shareholders who have not redeemed or exchanged their shares of the Fund prior to the Termination Date will have their shares automatically redeemed at the net asset value per share as of that date, and proceeds will be sent to the address of record. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your financial advisor or call the Fund's Shareholder Services Department at (800) 601-5593.
    A redemption or exchange is generally considered a taxable event. You may wish to consult your tax advisor about your particular situation.
    PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
  • Digging into Ark Innovation's Portfolio
    When you wish upon a star.....
    Then came another sort of awakening. Wood was raised Catholic and considers herself a person of faith. She reads devotional literature and attends church. In 2006, when the housing bubble was not yet at its peak, Wood thought it was about to burst. She dramatically reduced the risk in her portfolios, and lagged behind the market. “A thousand basis points of underperformance was embarrassing,” she recalls.
    When she spoke to her spiritual advisers, however, it came to her: “You cannot worship any idol, and the benchmark has become an idol.” The next year, she made back much of the loss. But in prayer and meditation, she had the following revelation: “Benchmarks are all about successes in the past. God doesn’t want us to be stuck in the past. He wants us to move into the new creation.” That’s when she knew she had to start her own company: “I felt that a start-up could go out there and spread that message very loudly,” she says, “We were putting all our chips on the table.” In 2014, Wood left Alliance Bernstein and launched her firm.
    Wood named it for the Ark of the Covenant, a chest that in Jewish and Christian tradition holds the tablets bearing the Ten Commandments, although she told clients later that it was an acronym for Active Research Knowledge. She was on a mission to allocate capital to its best use—transformative technologies.
  • ETF Buyers Prefer Emerging Stocks Over U.S. Shares, Gold, Bonds
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-05/etfs-show-balance-is-shifting-in-favor-of-emerging-market-stocks
    ETF Buyers Prefer Emerging Stocks Over U.S. Shares, Gold, Bonds
    **Fund buying EM stocks heads for biggest inflows in two years
    Earnings outlook, relative valuation back case for EM stocks
    If capital flows into U.S. exchange-traded funds are any indication, investors have begun to favor emerging-market stocks over almost every other asset class -- including U.S. equities...
    Another interesting idea, EM could be good vehicle to invest med long term
  • good allocation fund for early retiree
    I agree with @Stillers in that “conservative allocation fund” might dictate something more conservative than many suggestions here for @sma3’s sister.
    I’d begin by asking her how big a drawdown she’d be comfortable with over a 1-3-year period. If inclined to pull the money out after a 10% downdraft, than funds like PRWCX wouldn’t be a good choice. I think Giroux is a bit optimistic in his recent annual report when he states his fund’s second goal: “Preserve shareholder capital over the intermediate term (i.e., three years)” - But hats-off to a manager willing to be that specific. Not many are.
    In looking forward to the day when I may no longer want to monitor, or even think about, my investments, I have my eyes set on PRSIX. Recently opened a small position in the fund. Yes - bond holdings in any fund are concerning. The good managers, however, diversify those into varying durations, varying credit risk and EM markets. Some employ hedging tactics as well. So don’t judge the book by its cover.
  • Schumer says Congress might consider more Covid relief depending on how long pandemic lasts
    There's a bit of truth to that BUT that income level is based on their 2019 tax returns. The question becomes how many of those folks still had that level of income in 2020? How many lost their jobs and are still w/o work or are working for far less than they made before? How many are facing foreclosures or evictions, standing in food lines, going without adequate health care and stressing about which bills they shouldn't pay this month? How do you make them prove it?
    I would agree with you that a 2 person family making $100K+ probably doesn't need it but once you start to add in children where's the cutoff? I don't believe a college kid being supported by their parents needs a check either. If they are on their own then sure.
    If you have any good suggestions on how to fix the line I'm sure the government would be willing to hear from you.
  • FSD: A Stable Absolute Return Bond Fund With A Monster Yield
    Actually a closed-end fund, and how much of that yield was return of capital ?
  • FSD: A Stable Absolute Return Bond Fund With A Monster Yield
    https://seekingalpha.com/article/4411564-fsd-stable-absolute-return-bond-fund-monster-yield
    Summary
    The biggest problem facing retirees today is an inability to generate reasonably stable income.
    FSD is an absolute return bond fund that boasts a remarkable 8.7% yield.
    The fund is well positioned to benefit from rising interest rates due to its short position in US Treasuries.
    The fund appears to normally cover its distribution, although it did fail to in 2020 due to some of the uniqueness of that year.
    The fund currently trades at a fairly attractive discount to net asset value, so the price appears to be right.....
    will look at this vehicle further
  • Why do you still own Bond Funds?
    related
    Don't stop believing in bonds
    MarketWatch
    ...And once you factor in a person's human capital, which Page argues acts more like a stock than a bond, a balanced portfolio with a healthy allocation...
    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dont-stop-investing-in-bonds-2021-03-04
    Appears many folks still love bonds for diversification purpose/safety. The 20million dollars question [maybe] is how much should you be in bonds. For us about 20%, still have 15-20 yrs left before retirement.
  • Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC to acquire Diamond Hill’s focused High Yield & Corp Cr
    update:
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1032423/000103242321000063/cchysupplement-03052021.htm
    497 1 cchysupplement-03052021.htm 497
    DIAMOND HILL FUNDS
    Diamond Hill Corporate Credit Fund
    Diamond Hill High Yield Fund
    (All Share Classes)
    Supplement dated March 5, 2021
    to the Prospectus, Summary Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information
    dated February 28, 2021
    A Special meeting of Shareholders of Diamond Hill Corporate Credit Fund and Diamond Hill High Yield Fund (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”) is expected to be called on June 11, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, to approve Agreements and Plans of Reorganization (each a “Plan” and collectively the “Plans”), which provide for the acquisition of all the assets and liabilities of the Diamond Hill Corporate Credit Fund by the BrandywineGLOBAL—Corporate Credit Fund in exchange for shares of beneficial interest of the BrandywineGLOBAL—Corporate Credit Fund and for the acquisition of all the assets and liabilities of the Diamond Hill High Yield Fund by the BrandywineGLOBAL—High Yield Fund in exchange for shares of beneficial interest of the BrandywineGLOBAL—High Yield Fund. Each acquiring fund is a series of Legg Mason Partners Equity Trust.
    On February 3, 2021, Diamond Hill Investment Group, Inc. announced that Diamond Hill Capital Management, Inc. ("Diamond Hill" or “Adviser”), its independent active asset manager subsidiary, had entered into a definitive agreement to enable Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC (“Brandywine Global”), a specialist investment manager and subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc., to acquire the business of Diamond Hill’s high yield-focused High Yield and Corporate Credit Funds. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, including fund shareholder approval. Portfolio managers John McClain, CFA, and Bill Zox, CFA, will join Brandywine Global as part of the transaction.
    No sales loads, commissions, or other similar fee will be charged in connection with the fund reorganizations. Neither fund will bear any costs of the reorganizations. The costs of the fund reorganizations will be borne by Diamond Hill, Brandywine Global or their affiliates.
    The Diamond Hill Corporate Credit Fund and the Diamond Hill High Yield Fund will as soon as practicable prior to the closing date of the reorganizations, declare and pay to the shareholders of record of each respective fund, one or more dividends so that each will have distributed substantially all of the sum of (i) its investment company taxable income and (ii) its net tax-exempt income, if any.
    Only shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 31, 2021 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Special Meeting. The Proxy Statement/Prospectus, Notice of Special Meeting, and the proxy card are first being mailed to shareholders on or about April 13, 2021.
    If shareholders of both funds approve the Plans, the reorganization is expected to occur on or about July 30, 2021, or such other date as the parties may agree. If shareholders of either fund do not approve the Plan for that fund, neither fund reorganization will occur, you will remain a shareholder of your fund, and the Adviser will consider whether to recommend an alternative plan to the Board of Trustees of Diamond Hill Funds.
    This document is not an offer to sell shares of either the BrandywineGLOBAL—Corporate Credit Fund or the BrandywineGLOBAL—High Yield Fund, nor is it a solicitation of an offer to buy any such shares or of any proxy.
    PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
  • Gold down / Settles below the key $1,800 mark in 2nd day of losses
    The PM at PVCMX, Palm Valley Capital wrote a recent commentary on his investment blog. He be liking the miners...states yes, they are volatile and maybe Energy stonks getting ahead of themselves.
    FWIW, Best,
    Baseball Fan
  • Monetta Core Growth Fund to change name
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/894240/000089418921001399/monetta497e.htm
    497 1 monetta497e.htm MONETTA 497E
    Filed pursuant to Rule 497(e)
    Registration Nos. 033-54822; 811-07360
    MONETTA YOUNG INVESTOR GROWTH FUND (MYIFX)
    (formerly known as Monetta Core Growth Fund)
    a series of Monetta Trust
    March 5, 2021
    Supplement to the
    Summary Prospectus, Prospectus, and
    Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”),
    each dated April 30, 2020
    _____________________________________________________________________________________
    Effective April 30, 2021, the name of the “Monetta Core Growth Fund” will change to the “Monetta Young Investor Growth Fund”.
    There are no changes being made to the investment objective, policies, or strategies of the Fund, and the current portfolio managers will continue to manage the Fund subject to the Fund’s current investment objective, policies, and strategies.
    All references in the Summary Prospectus, Prospectus, and SAI to “Monetta Core Growth Fund” are hereby replaced with “Monetta Young Investor Growth Fund”.
    Please retain this Supplement for future reference.
  • Gold down / Settles below the key $1,800 mark in 2nd day of losses
    Technical analysis for gold futures - Can the bears be stopped?
    https://www.kitco.com/news/2021-03-04/Technical-analysis-for-gold-futures-Can-the-bears-be-stopped.html
    Technical analysis for gold futures - Can the bears be stopped?
    **The daily gold chart is showing that the price is in a strong downtrend at the moment. All hope is not lost for gold bugs as there are some decent support levels close by. The red support level at $1676.60/oz was an important level in the past. It was here that in March 2020 the price hit some strong resistance and when it did finally break it was used as a support level before a subsequent move higher.**
    Gold looks attractive again, resistant level maybe at < 1680 but who know may drop to < 1500 since we have bitcoin.
  • Why do you still own Bond Funds?
    Here’s a good article that looks into this topic: https://humbledollar.com/2020/06/farewell-yield/
    From the article:” That brings me to an idea advanced in 1989 by the late Peter Bernstein. Instead of the classic balanced portfolio with 60% stocks and 40% bonds, perhaps investors should opt for 75% stocks, with the other 25% in cash investments like money market funds and high-yield savings accounts. Bernstein found that the latter investment mix had a similar risk level to the classic balanced portfolio, but higher returns.”
  • 10-Year Closing in on 1.5% (OP) - Blows Right Past - Near 5% (30 months later) - Whee!
    Understanding a Fed tool called "Operation Twist"
    Mark Cabana, head of U.S. rates strategy at BofA Securities, wrote recently in favor of bringing back Operation Twist, saying "the Fed is simultaneously losing control of both the U.S. front end and back end rates curves." Operation Twist Part 3 "kills three birds with one stone: It pulls up front end rates, it stabilizes back end rates, and it does so in a reserve neutral way that lessens bank (statutory liquidity ratio) pressure to hold more capital."
    https://seekingalpha.com/news/3668965-fed-powell-operation-twist
  • Why do you still own Bond Funds?
    @KHaw24
    The below chart is for the 4 funds you noted. The backwards view only goes to May, 2015; which indicates one of the funds had it's inception date in May, 2015. These returns are for total return, which includes all distributions. You will note the short period around March of 2020 when the credit markets became locked up, until central bank intervention.
    Just below the graph you will see a bar indicating 1,462 days for this chart. You may right click this bar to obtain a default list of other time frames. Example: 1 year. If set at 1 year, you may drag this time frame backwards (left), too. This will let you see a view of these funds performance comparison as you travel backwards.
    ALSO, this is an active graph for your own use. You may place and/or replace any of the ticker symbols at the top entry line and then click "go" to built your own chart, which will default to a 200 day view.
    You may also toggle between line graph and bar graph for returns when clicking the "red and green" icon at the far left bottom of the time period bar.
    CHART
    Enjoy,
    Catch
    Thanks Catch22...neat tool! Much appreciated...
  • Tax Q - Remember you have two different basis-ies for the average cost method.
    There are so many possibilities here that I'm not going to try to guess what lots you sold under what conditions and what was aggregated on the 1099.
    It is worth commenting on the suggestion that "a fund or brokerage must continue to use the average price method if the client has used that method previously."
    For covered shares, " A taxpayer may change basis determination methods from the average basis method to another method prospectively at any time."
    26 CFR § 1.1012-1(e)(9)(iii)
    https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/26/1.1012-1#e_9_iii
    For noncovered shares, the fund company does not report costs to the IRS. So it doesn't matter what it thinks your costs are. Further, the fund company does not know what method you elected to use when reporting gains from noncovered shares on your tax return.
    https://fairmark.com/investment-taxation/capital-gain/selling-mutual-fund-shares/electing-a-cost-basis-method/
    What is true is that the taxpayer must continue to use average basis on the noncovered shares unless granted permission by the IRS to change methods.
  • Why do you still own Bond Funds?
    @KHaw24
    The below chart is for the 4 funds you noted. The backwards view only goes to May, 2015; which indicates one of the funds had it's inception date in May, 2015. These returns are for total return, which includes all distributions. You will note the short period around March of 2020 when the credit markets became locked up, until central bank intervention.
    Just below the graph you will see a bar indicating 1,462 days for this chart. You may right click this bar to obtain a default list of other time frames. Example: 1 year. If set at 1 year, you may drag this time frame backwards (left), too. This will let you see a view of these funds performance comparison as you travel backwards.
    ALSO, this is an active graph for your own use. You may place and/or replace any of the ticker symbols at the top entry line and then click "go" to built your own chart, which will default to a 200 day view.
    You may also toggle between line graph and bar graph for returns when clicking the "red and green" icon at the far left bottom of the time period bar.
    CHART
    Enjoy,
    Catch
  • Tax Q - Remember you have two different basis-ies for the average cost method.
    I sold BRUFX in 2020 as part of simplifying and consolidating various accounts. Previously I had sold some HCFO shares, picking the ones I wanted to sell, a method that required me to do likewise with other sales, even though I was closing the account. My final 1099 from Bruce was a challenge to figure out because of what is discussed above. Several different groups of shares, some covered, some not, some purchased outright, some acquired via distributions, some LT, some ST gave me fits at first. I finally figured it all out and assigned the correct basis to each lot, but I’d rather not do that again.