Re: above: I note that SFGIX (Andrew Foster) has their single biggest holding in a Vietnam ETF.
http://quote.morningstar.com/fund/f.aspx?t=sfgix

SFGIX and SIGIX are now available at Fidelity brokerage.

Not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison, but YTD chart of SFGIX vs MACSX:
http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=SFGIX+Interactive#symbol=sfgix;range=ytd;compare=macsx;indicator=volume;charttype=area;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=off;source=undefined;

MAPIX and MACSX both have considerably lower expense ratios. SFGIX is clocking in at 1.60% last time I checked. The Matthews funds seem like the way to go for me.

I do not own it (yet) but do track it. I'm not looking for any fund to be the single, miraculous exception, when things are melting-down, generally. If it can manage to lose considerably less than the others during downturns and be a steady earner otherwise, I'm happy. That description might apply to MACSX, come to think of it. Foster was there before. SFGIX holds a big chunk in Asia, and the top holding right now is a Vietnam ETF or closed-end fund, not sure which. But it will make me more comfortable when it is further diversified beyond east and southeast Asia. I'm not distressed by its performance, yet.

Seafarer Overseas Growth and Income Investor
Any comments on its recent performance? Has it changed your opinion of it?

Reply to @David_Snowball: Hey, some progress. SFGIX now available on-line at Schwab, and as a OneSource offering (no load, no transaction fee)...see below. That said, symbols SFGIX and SIGIX not supported by Goggle Finance, which seems weird.

Reply to @scott: I guess the thing I wonder about the initial portfolio is why the fairly long startup process for the fund (after he'd gotten Seafarer Capital organized) wasn't enough time for him to do at least some DD to come up with a somewhat more geographically diverse portfolio.
So I don't own it now, but would love to see Sfgix move toward becoming a solid, broad-based, core EM fund - and I'd likely be a buyer if/when that comes about.

Reply to @Kenster1_GlobalValue:
Hi Kenster:
I totally agree that each investor should do their own due diligence prior to purchasing SFGIX. I was merely expressing my opinion that I have yet to be convinced that I should add SFGIX to my portfolio.
As for comparing SFGIX to ARIVX, this is definitely an apples to oranges comparison. Eric Cinnamond managed ICMAX from 10/3/2005-9/2/2010, and he absolutely crushed VBR during this time period. Since inception, his new fund, ARIVX has outperformed VBR. Note that both ICMAX and ARIVX have the exact same investment strategy and space --domestic SCV. Mr. Cinnamond merely took his defined expertise to a new money manager, and has proven to be a skilled investor in the domestic SCV space. IMO, he deserves whatever popularity/fanfare he has received.
On the other hand, Andrew Foster has done an outstanding job managing the Asian funds -- MACSX, MAPIX, and MINDX -- but has, in fact, never managed a diversified EM balanced fund. This is a new space for him, unlike Mr. Cinnamond, who continues to operate in the domestic SCV space. Will Mr. Foster's expertise in Asia translate into expertise in the broad EM space, with regards to equities, preferred stocks, convertible bonds, and fixed income securities ? I don't know, and it is really hard to predict. That is why SFGIX is on my watch list and not in my portfolio.
Take care.
Kevin

Reply to @scott:
Hi Scott,
I had read the linked explanation prior to writing my post. And I honestly cringed when I read this statement, " I have emphasized Asia in the initial portfolio because I know it best." That may be true, but it is not what I want to hear from the manager of a diversified EM balanced fund that I am considering adding to my portfolio. I would like my manager and his/her team to "know" the global emerging and frontier markets.
Again, my default in this space is MACSX until SFGIX becomes more globally diversified and proves itself performance-wise. I have yet to be presented with compelling reasons to be an early buyer of this fund.
Kevin

This fund is very young (inception: 2/15/2012), and has a whopping 81% exposure to Asia, which is way too high for a diversified EM balanced fund. So far, the larger, more established, and lower cost MACSX has outperformed SFGIX during all periods since its inception.
I am in no rush to buy this fund. When SFGIX develops a longer track record which equals or preferably beats MACSX, and increases its exposure to non-Asia EM, then I will consider buying this fund over MACSX. I see no benefit to being an early buyer of this fund, as it only has $2.8M in AUM per M* and will likely not close to new investors any time soon. Although there is a lot of excitement about this fund here and over on M*, right here, right now, I have placed this fund on my watch list, but I am not a buyer.
Kevin

Hello. Among others I'm considering are SFGIX and BERIX. You'll laugh, but due to the fact I'm married (hee hee hee) I'm always "cash-poor," though not technically nor statistically poor. It was a portion of a chunk of inheritance money that went into those two funds: DODIX and MSCFX. The only, single, solitary other RECENT move I've made was to reduce my MAPIX holding by transferring just a few thousand into MAINX, thus opening a position there. So the portfolio holds SIX, up from four, funds, at the moment. However, three are with Matthews Asia: MAPIX, MACSX and MAINX.
I "settled' on MSCFX because it IS so new. Wanna get in on the ground floor. The M & P house carries a good reputation. I "looked before I leapt." I did not want to go BACK into PRSVX, now that I am not "married" to TRP, as I was with the 403b---which has been morphed into a Rollover (Trad.) IRA. PRSVX felt stale to me. Along with the Market, it's had a good run-up. So has MSCFX. So I'm catching the wave maybe just before it breaks. But I'll be "in" for the NEXT wave.....I have a liking for small-caps. Yes, this is the first M & P small companies fund. With my holding in PFE, it is my only DOMESTIC holding.
So now, in order of size, here's what the portfolio looks like:
-PREMX
-MAPIX
-PFE (also inherited.)
..............................These three represent 89% of the total.
-MACSX (the only regular, taxable account. All other mutual funds are Trad. or Rollover IRA.)
-MAINX
-DODIX and MSCFX
"Break a leg," everybody!---------Jack. ("Max.")

Hi msf. I suspect few people are more motivated than I to like Schwab. At one point I've had every account in our household at Schwab: 2 IRAs, a rollover, a Joint Savings/Brokerage, a checking, a Visa Signature, and through my work a Personal Choice Retirement Account (PCRA). All these accounts were linked on a convenient on-line summary page.
Hands-down, the PCRA is best account with diverse fund selection, low fees, fast settlements, and very responsive staff that really takes pride in the select service they offer. Maybe because of the first-rate PCRA, I have recognized the short-comings of some of the other services. For example, the $50 fee to buy or sell a fund not on the OneSource list. This applies for IRA accounts as well, which have limited yearly deposits. The $50 fee was effectively a 1% load each way on a $5000 transaction, making the option a non-starter.
OneSource is a good service offering, I agree. A few times I noticed fees appeared higher than advertised on MS. For example, Parnassus Equity Income PRBLX, TCW Select Equities TGCNX, and Matthews Asia Dividend MAPIX are 0.04-0.05% higher. But after double-checking, that difference may just be a manifestation of reporting source. MS publishes expense reported in annual report, while Schwab uses the prospectus. So I stand-corrected, which is good thing in this case. Now Schwab does up the redemption fee period to 90 days for OneSource funds, which is longer than the 60 days typically used by the fund houses.
As for WGRIX, the institutional class of Wintergreen WGRNX, it was not available at Schwab shortly after it was established. Since I own WGRNX, I checked right away. But it is available now, as you point out, and that availability is a good thing too.
Today, I just maintain the PCRA and brokerage accounts at Schwab. I recently transferred the 401 and IRAs directly to the fund houses, Dodge & Cox, Fairholme, and Seafarer. Schwab stopped offering its Visa, which was a disappointment, after which I closed the checking account also.
Trust all that provides a better perspective of my early post.
Thanks, Charles
PS. Schwab website still says Seafarer SFGIX is not available.

I think you make sense, Scott. Yes. Nevertheless, I just got into MAINX, and the position fills just 2.72% of my portfolio....... SFGIX, MSCFX, and DODIX are soon in the offing for me. Surely not in that order, though.

SFGIX, from what I've read, is a global allocation fund, and has done fine in the little time it's been out. MAINX and the Asian Bond ETF (forget what the heck the ticker is for that) are, I think, the trend of EM bond products going a little too far at this point. It'll probably be much worse though, given how much people want yield. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Kazakhstan bond ETF at some point (and I think keeping rates low and creating this race for yield is going to cause an s-storm sometime down the road, but we'll see.)

SFGIX comes to mind. More global, but not exclusively bonds, either.

Reply to @MaxBialystock: MAINX and SFGIX belong to two different asset classes - one being largely an Asia focused bond fund while the other is a global allocation fund. As much respect I have for Andrew Foster, I don't want to take on another fund without eliminate an existing one.

And SFGIX is diversified geographically, moreso than MAINX.

Let me just mention the very new SFGIX with the former Matthews Fund Manager. If you like his record from over at Matthews, then what's not to like with him at the helm of the new Seafarer fund? (Andrew Foster, together with another fellow I am simply not familiar with.)

I've recently opened a couple accounts directly with Seafarer. Very easy website to use and responsive staff. I’m tired, once again, of Schwab's high fees…$75 transaction fee for non-OneSource Funds, which is a non-starter for yearly IRA contributions and small account holders. I've also noticed that Schwab’s OneSource fees are higher than direct fees with funds, though not sure this is case with SFGIX. Also, they will often not carry institutional class on such funds, like SIGIX and WGRIX. As for Scottrade, beware, they take a week to settle funds upon sale, even for trading. All that said, glad to see more purchase outlets available for SeaFarer. Thanks for timely info. Charles