I got an umbrella policy many moons ago when my teens started driving and kept it after they flew the coup since I then had a boat. I needed to have a certain amount of base coverage (which I had) before I could get an umbrella policy. I was told at the time usually if you are sued they look at your coverage and sue for that amount. If you have 1M you'll probably get sued for 1M If you have 2M you'll get sued for 2M. I agree the larger the policy the more defense you'll get from your insurance company to save themselves that money.
I stayed with one insurance company (my first) for a long time thinking loyalty and being a good customer mattered until I found out I was just a number. I then went to a local broker that searched and saved me about 1K/yr on all policies. I liked the companies they recommended so I went with them. It's been about 5+ years now and I'm debating having them do another search to get a new picture of current rates. Maybe do that every 5 years or so. It's a little bit of a hassle switching but as they say, it's not personal, it's just business. Heck I switched internet/cable service back and forth several times between the same companies over the years because they wouldn't meet what was offered by their competitors. Maybe I can do the same with insurance although insurance is a bit different as you need to be comfortable with your companies reputation.

Interesting thread. Our auto insurance rose 33% in January, from $270 to $360 a month. I was led to believe that it was because we had made several claims over the past couple years— all accidents in which we were not at fault. I probably should start shopping for a new insurance company, although I’ve been satisfied with the service provided by State Farm. Our previous insurance company (Kemper) refused to pay for damages to our house caused by a severe thunderstorm and hail. I never such problems with State Farm.

"I've always liked the American balanced fund."
@MikeM - yes, we did well for many years with the American Balanced.

Yes. M* is accessible through most US local libraries.
I checked and they had no one asking for it but when I inquired, the Adult Ref Library Manager responded and turned it right away and they've been renewing it for the last 5+ years.
All M* current Investment Newsletters are accessible from a laptop @Home to download/review.
I do not know if the newer M* Platform is accessible.
My old or new portfolios can now be created and tracked on the latest M*,
as I have not visited their forums.
Thanks.
Majick

I have some investments in these funds and lately they have been performing very poorly. I know they have hot years that return outsized returns and some really cold years. Robert Gardiner has exit management for a sabbatical and while the remaining management has experience on the paper, I wonder how active they were managing the fund. Anyone has insights? I have been simplifying my account portfolio, these could be the next subject to simplification.

Let us get back on track.
"The higher umbrella coverage you have you can bet your arse that your insurance company will fight like tooth and nails to defend you....the senior attorney's will work the case...they don't want to pay up..."
May be the group can weigh in with their views on the merits and demerits of getting as much coverage as the insurance company is willing to offer (within the limits of your total assets) without a lot off paper work and qualifications.

I carry a large umbrella. When I switched from GEICO to Erie a few years ago, I made the request, and b/c I asked for an amount somewhat more than they usually expect, it took the company an extra few days to (I guess) check me out and give my local agent the go-ahead. I probably could've asked for more, but let's not get too crazy.
My umbrella, as part of my home/auto/umbrella package was not an expensive policy. In fact, going from GEICO to Erie (when notifying me my auto rate was goin up 30% in 2022) I saved probably 40% ... and probably should've switched a loooong time ago.

Innovator recently issued "AAPR" which is capped at 18% gains, and supposedly offers 100% "buffer" protection against losses (for 2 years, until April 2026).
There are a lot buffer funds flooding the market.

Modelling TIAA Traditional (SV) as a combination of fixed-rate annuity & T-Bills is also possible with MFO Premium. This example shows the CLASSICAL portfolio of 50% CREF Stock & 50% Traditional SRA as “QCSTIX [50] RATE0400 [37.5] TBILL [12.5]”, for the years ending on 03/2024,
1-yr APR 14.0%, SD 7.0%, yield 1.5%; reference VFINX/SP500 SD 13.6
3-yr APR 5.6%, SD 8.5%, yield 1.5%; reference VFINX/SP500 SD 17.6
5-yr APR 7.8%, SD 9.2%, yield 1.5%; reference VFINX/SP500 SD 18.4
10-yr APR 6.6%, SD 7.6%, yield 1.5%; reference VFINX/SP500 SD 15.2
https://ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/thread/606/tiaa-traditional-modelling-portfolios

Hi Ron,
Thanks.
Have you compared this with the Innovator ETFs?
https://www.innovatoretfs.com/define/etfs/
I have not looked at them in nearly two years but my recollection is they carry similar flavor to this. I am hoping this being a newest one, it is better and improved for the consumer over all the earlier ones. With so many ETF launches these days, I can not keep up with the ETF universe. May be we should start an ETF thread! Look forward to what you learn when you finish reading the literature.
"aims to match the price return of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (ticker SPY) up to a cap of 9.65%"
Before or after fees and expenses?
I like the 0-9.65% collar.

I used to hold FRESX and FRIFX in my portfolio with excellent returns during my period of ownership. Several years ago (before the COVID real estate crash), I sold both funds. Instead, I have much larger holdings in FSDIX, which typically has about 15% of its assets in REITs.

Via BBG:
"Calamos Investments filed Monday for so-called “structured-protection” exchange-traded funds that will track a portion of the returns of the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 and Russell 2000 while hedging 100% of the downside via the options market, according to a Monday filing.
The first fund launching within the suite is the Calamos S&P 500 Structured Alt Protection ETF, which aims to match the price return of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (ticker SPY) up to a cap of 9.65%.
The catch: Investors looking to reap the full protection will need to buy it on launch day — May 1, 2024 — and hold it, come rain or shine, through April 30, 2025. After that, a new defined period of cover kicks in.
CPSM, like others in the upcoming ETF lineup, will primarily invest its assets in derivatives by buying and selling a combination of call and put options to cushion against market volatility, according to the fund’s prospectus. A regulatory filing notes there’s no guarantee the fund will be successful in providing the much sought-after downside protection."
I'll need to read the prospectus to fully understand the mechanics, but this sounds kind of like those 'Principal Protection Notes' that Wall Street was foisting on retail investors in the years just before the GFC. Back then, with those products, if the index closed even ONE day outside of the collar, you forfeited everything but your principal -- so it became more like an unsecured loan to the issuer. But that said, if someone could guarantee (key word!) that vaunted zero downside and a 9.65% cap on the upside, I'd probably take it.
... of course if/when treasuries get back to 8% or more, that'd be a different story and I'd probably pounce on that. :)

T. Rowe Price overhauled its investor benefits a couple of years ago. The newer Summit program provides "Complimentary Morningstar Premium membership" at the Select Services ($250K) level and above. The old program used to provide this perk at $100K; I don't know whether this has been grandfathered in.
https://www.troweprice.com/personal-investing/about/client-benefits/index.html
(Scroll about half way down for a table of benefits vs. investment amounts)
M* has so crippled its search engine (how can one search for funds with more than 10% in EM now?) that there seems little left of benefit. Portfolio tracking can be done elsewhere (e.g. Fidelity), and as @Sven commented, reports are available at the library (which I read online). They're also available from Firstrade if you have an account login. (Years ago, Schwab provided them for free.)

Thanks @yogibb and @crash, We sold VNQ awhile back. The small position in FRIFX we had was swapped for short term HY bonds which did much better. For now, we will watch on the sideline.

Yes, my HY bonds have done rather well for me. Duration is about 3 years. Also started a position in the ETF, FALN. What's it done since I got in? It's FALLEN. What else??? Crappy snotty.

In a post above @Catch22 mentions that even if a vehicle is low-mileage and only a few years old insurance companies may consider it "totaled" if the air bags have deployed. Exactly that happened to a good friend of mine here in CA- his wife ran their SUV off the road and into a tree- no injuries, not too much front-end damage... not worth repair mainly because of the air bag deployment.

We left REIT investment when the interest rates rose. In the past, when the rate was kept artificially low, REIT did ok until recently. We have had success with FRIFX and VNQ. Think Devo covered this topic a year ago. Since the pandemic, the commercial RE market has not fully recovered with many empty buildings in prime real estate. Some smaller towns are recovering more slowly based on our travel experience.

Yes, of course: higher rates are no good for Real Estate. But before the sector rallies when cuts begin, I'm thinking this is not the time to exit for good. Still have a paper loss with PSTL. Their div. Schedule is end-of-month Feb May Aug Nov. I'm betting it will be worth it for me to hold on until after the May divvie. I'm taking a trip off-island in late May, too. First time off Oahu in 5 years.

RLBGX returns were greater than VWENX returns for the trailing
1 year, 3 year, 10 year, and full periods ending March 2024.
RLBGX returns were higher in 9 out of 14 full calendar years.
During this period, there were two years (2018, 2022) where both funds experienced losses.
The 2018 and 2022 losses were greater for VWENX.
Both funds are appealing.
RLBGX has a minor advantage based on past risk/return data.

When entire large contiguous communities are at risk because of one single loss situation (especially weather or fire related) that model simply doesn't work.
ISTM dental insurance is a similar situation - there the insurance operates more like prepayments (you don't get much more out of it than you pay even when you make claims) because "everyone" gets dental care. At least everyone who buys insurance. It gets you negotiated rates and does spread some risk of catastrophic events. But even that risk sharing is limited because dental insurance payouts are usually capped at $1K - $2K.

@Old_Joe , you noted:

Absolutely- we've had this coverage for over fifty years. I wasn't aware of the need until a friend was sued over a comment that his wife had made publicly. I don't recall the details of that situation, but their insurance did cover the lawsuit claim.

I wasn't aware umbrella insurance could be had for what reads like 'slander'.

Neither was I, but there it is right in my umbrella policy:

"Personal injury" means mJury arising out of one or more of the following offenses, ...
Oral or written publication of material that slanders or libels a person or organization or disparages a person's or organization's goods, products or services;

One often hears that one should buy as much coverage as one has in assets. I don't have a better guideline, but that never sounded right to me. The supposed reasoning is that a plaintiff will look at the assets you have and sue you for that amount. But if you have insurance, wouldn't you be sued for the value of your assets plus the amount of insurance you have?
FWIW, the incremental cost of each $1M coverage above the base $1M amount is much smaller than the base premium. Some insurers won't issue an umbrella policy unless you have other coverage with them - I've wound up working with an independent agent to get a standalone policy (at a better rate!). And how much you pay can depend on underlying policies: Are you covering a home or are you a renter; how many cars do you have; what other things are you covering (e.g. motorcycle, RV)?
I just got renewal quotes for umbrella (up 24%) and homeowner (up 0.2% sic). I'm about to get my auto quote which I'm dreading.

...Looking for the new Real Estate-oriented destination for the PSTL $$$, once I do sell PSTL.
This morning, I'm focused on just 2 prospects, trying to keep it simple, and not lose my shirt.
One is Ryman: RHP.
Per M* it's today at a -6% discount to NAV.
4.2% dividend.
Per Stock Rover: 2.4% of float is Short. Doesn't seem like an awful number.
For 2023, the company reported a blow-out year, utterly amazing profits. Record-breaking.
https://www.morningstar.com/stocks/xnys/rhp/quote
***************************
Starwood: STWD
Reads like more of a R.E. finance outfit. But they do directly own properties, too.
Per M*: right now priced at -17% discount to NAV.
Div yield = 9.91%, but no raise in div, going back several years.
Per Stock Rover: "Short of Float" =4.9% looks concerning.
https://www.morningstar.com/stocks/xnys/stwd/quote
...Just mulling and thinking. No rush.

@Old_Joe , you noted:

Absolutely- we've had this coverage for over fifty years. I wasn't aware of the need until a friend was sued over a comment that his wife had made publicly. I don't recall the details of that situation, but their insurance did cover the lawsuit claim.

I wasn't aware umbrella insurance could be had for what reads like 'slander'.
@MikeM
We have a $1 million umbrella policy, that applies to extra 'liability(s) that may come forth in a law suite, etc. I believe $1 mil is the common starting number. This policy is in effect for only home and auto extra coverage and is $386/year. I don't know how state and/or location in a state may affect this cost.

@MikeM asked- Question for the group, I just purchased an umbrella policy. Do others have this insurance? It isn't that expensive, and it keeps you from losing a bundle in a law suit, for example someone badly hurt on your property or in a car accident. Regular HO and car insurance cover to a point, but if God-forbid you are at fault and sued for more than that coverage, it could hit hard on your life savings.

Absolutely- we've had this coverage for over fifty years. I wasn't aware of the need until a friend was sued over a comment that his wife had made publicly. I don't recall the details of that situation, but their insurance did cover the lawsuit claim.