In large part thanks to what's been available over the years RIGHT HERE, and going back to the predecessor iteration, yours truly discovered MAPOX and MSCFX and bought it, and I have been a happy camper, since.

Just look at the chart. These kind of finds should be bought with timing. It starts rolling over earlier and then when the turn comes it shoots up in massive outperformance at which point everyone starts noticing. If the market goes down, I bet it goes down. It's a low turnover fund. Look at its top holdings. You think they will hold well in market downturn?
Be patient until everyone starts cursing the fund. Yes, those people who you asked if they owned it will come and tell you :-). Then buy, hold for 2-3 years and then sell. I've done this twice with MXXVX. Did I buy perfectly? No. Did I sell too soon? Absolutely. One shouldn't dream of buying perfect lows and selling at perfect highs.
Needless to say I sold SFGIX too early. I didn't think it would become the fund it has. I figured dollar would stay strong and EMs wouldn't do well. I also didn't have as much gains in WAEMX so I chose to sell SFGIX. Did I leave money on the table? Yes, I don't regret it. Now I know it is closing. I bought a fraction, and will wait patiently for the trough.
You like SMVLX, you should do the same. I'm waiting on BVAOX right now. Also waiting on WGRNX, but I'm getting worried that wait will never end, the point being it's all right if that happens.
Love is not for Mutual Funds. For everything else there is VFINX, etc.

FYI: (Click On Article Title At Top Of Google Search) "Investing From The Ground Up"
Bob Mitchell and Joe Monahan have visited enough companies over the years to know what gives them confidence in a potential investment—and what makes them leery.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.google.com/#q=Investing+From+the+Ground+Up+Barron's
M* Snapshot CCASX:
http://www.morningstar.com/funds/XNAS/CCASX/quote.html
Lipper Snapshot CCASX:
http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/Fund/CCASX
CCASX Is Ranked #10 In The (SGC) Fund Category By U.S. News & World Report:
http://money.usnews.com/funds/mutual-funds/small-growth/conestoga-small-cap/ccasx

Because of, or in spite of, localization?
From M, via SFGate: The main argument for regional funds is that managers gain an edge by being close to the companies they own.
But from CS Monitor (1998): Many years ago, regional investing might have made sense. ... But with the proliferation of data sources and telecommunication, I can be just as close to a company in California as I can to one down the street.
It went on to observe that out of thousands of stock funds, there were only "about two dozen [regional funds] (whose combined assets total $3.3 billion)" . At least back then I could name a handful of those two dozen - Safeco NW, Franklin Calif. Growth, M&P Growth, and Golden Gate Fund GGFDX (SF Bay Area). Name any regional fund management company today other than M&P. I can't (which doesn't mean they don't exist).
All these regional funds falling by the wayside. I think that qualifies as odds stacked against the genre. Which brings me back to my lead sentence - is M&P doing well because of, or in spite of, its regional focus?
Most might indeed agree that M&P trounced the odds decade after decade. I suppose it did in the sense that it managed to survive while most regionals didn't. But in terms of performance, it was decidedly mediocre for the three decades between 1970 and 2000. (From 1/1/70 to 12/31/99, a $10K investment in MPGFX grew to $349K, compared to $345K for the average LCBlend fund, and $513K for the S&P 500.)
This lends credibility to the thesis that it is the fund's management and not its regionality that had given it more recent success.

So I've sold part of my position in SCMFX. FWIW, I have concluded it is not better / worse than any other fund of its kind. It is indeed a bull market fund, so I've a little bit of tax loss harvesting and will wait patiently.
Now SEEDX. It seems to have loaded up on healthcare AFTER its big run up in past years, and this seems to have been its undoing. I might sell part of its position, but that's less likely. What is more likely is I conclude the manager's theory is just wrong (like I correctly did with MUHLX and got out at right time several years back), sell all and never look back.
FWIIMH

I also own SFGIX, since 2012. Very pleased. It is my only EM equity fund.

Same here. I've owned it for a few years and it's my only EM fund.

BobC and VF each highlight interesting questions, as there are at least two different perspectives on each of their issues.
What is the responsibility of a corporation? Corporations owe their legal existence (shielding shareholders from personal liability, etc.) to the state, and as such have traditionally been regarding as having some public obligations. Over the past 30 years or so, that perspective has shifted toward viewing corporations as answerable solely to their shareholders.
The two perspectives are not entirely incompatible, as VF suggests by mentioning an obligation to do right by their employees. Either because that's part of an implicit agreement with the state that grants corporations legal status, or because companies that treat their employees well tend to be more profitable and thus benefit their shareholders.
Either way, there is a third leg to this stool - the customers. Corporations have an obligation to do right by them as well.
Which brings us to spin - a question applicable to all media companies, not just Morningstar. There is one line of thinking (implicit in BobC's comment) that all publishers pander - so let's give up on any pretense of objectivity. You see this in some press internationally, and it was widespread in the US a century ago.
The pendulum may be swinging back that way. Not just Fox News, but CNN where the "talent" has to add disclaimers on air that they are still on outside payroll.
But that doesn't mean objectivity is a fool's errand. Some publishers build firewalls between content and advertising departments. Never 100% effective (IMHO), they nevertheless do (or at least can do) a good job in keeping the content fairly objective.
M*'s firewall: http://discuss.morningstar.com/NewSocialize/forums/t/251837.aspx
(I readily acknowledge that M*'s 2010 statement that it was investing in its infrastructure undermines its credibility regarding its firewall.)

Hi @jerry
I recall the choices for the TIAA Michigan 529 were limited 10+ years ago and the fees were much higher for a direct purchase (which we use, no advisor stuff).
I checked MI 529 today and find the fees are now competitive.
NOTE: Much has changed during the past 10 years in the 529 marketplace. I recall quite a few vendor changes in numerous state plans; as well as significant fee reductions.
MICH 529 TIAA This links to multi-fund choices, with single fund choices clickable on the right side page edge. The multi-funds (I read) are funds of funds. These appear to be suitable enough for most folks.
UTAH 529 plan choices, individual selections This is the "build your own" list. The recent adds of the DFA funds have "high" expenses, relative to the Vanguard choices.
'Course the bugger with any of the choices are the restrictions on changing the investment choices; which, until 2015 was limited to 1 switch per calendar year and is now 2 allocation changes each year. This is now sufficient, IMHO.
Anyhoo..........Utah's plan was more appealing to us a number of years ago, and still is; and we find no need to transfer from this into Michigan's current offering. Don't know that I implied a negative towards TIAA, just not the best choice at the time and wouldn't likely be the choice today.
K...........back to house painting here.
Regards,
Catch

Regarding bond funds - Vanguard funds will always merit consideration, because for bond funds the correlation between cost and performance is quite strong. Why another bond fund? Because one rarely gets an actively managed bond fund at this low a cost and this small a size.
What makes me queasy about the fund (at least going by the description) is that this sounds like what Vanguard did with its total bond index fund in 2002 (when it managed to underperform its benchmark by about 1%). See this old M* thread:
http://socialize.morningstar.com/NewSocialize/forums/t/69530.aspx
Regarding the equity funds - M* star ratings provide objective summaries of past (risk adjusted) past performance. 4* and 5* performances may not indicate future results, but they do say that these funds have done well relative to their peers. HRSRX (4*), MVSGX(4*), DPIEX (5*), WCMRX (5*). Likewise, these funds' returns (not risk adjusted) over 3, 5, and 10 years are all above average (4) or high (5).

Make sure to fund your Roth annually while working (as noted by Bee). If you are going to give money to (lucky) relatives you can bequeath the Roth IRA to them and their withdrawals will be tax free; they will have to pay taxes on Traditional IRA distribuitons. I also own sfgix/mainx and some of the VG funds mentioned but in IRAs.
BTW push back SS as late as possible. I think every year of delay adds 8%ish to the SS money annually. There is much literature on this; Sam Lee laid this out in a M* article several years ago but it might only be available to newsletter subscribers.

Thanks for the question. It made me rethink and remind myself of the importance of having a plan when it comes to the use of discretionary money.
If the goal is to meet future retirement needs (income) I suggest the following:
Year one:
-Consider using some of this money to "treating" yourself and others with a "gift". You would be amazed at how great it feels to give to a charity or a loved one.
-If you haven't yet funded an emergency fund:
Determine what 6-12 months of living expenses would be and create an emergency fund (cash/near cash).
-If you have earned income, fund retirement accounts:
1st - Match employer contribution (401K/403b/457/etc)
2nd - Fully fund a Roth IRA (Roth IRA)
3rd - Max out employer offered retirement plans or, if self employed, max out SDIRA
-Health insurance wise, Are you eligible to contribute to an H.S.A (Health Savings Account). If so. use some of the money to max out your contribution?
Make it a point to continue funding the above accounts until you are no longer eligible. The remaining balance could be divided in three investment pools.
1-3 years
-The goal with this money is to meet the needs of what was laid out in year one each year going forward, but could also serve as a good plan for supplementing retirement income needs. It should be invested conservatively and replenished (re-balanced) using funds from the other two pools once a year. ST bond, IT bond, and MS bond funds work well here. Maybe even conservative allocation funds like VWINX.
4-10 years
Find a few good Balance funds...CBALX, VTMFX, VWELX, FBALX, etc. Re-balance once a year by redeeming some of these shares and replenishing your 1-3 year pool funds.
10 years +
This pool is home Moderate Allocation funds like (PRWCX), Aggressive Allocation funds like (POAGX) and well as any Alternative Allocation (RE, Utility, PM, HY Bonds, etc) funds. It will serve the purpose of long term growth as well as the occasional place to re-balance with the other two pools.
What is the purpose of your goal of achieving dividend and interest?
Good Luck!

PCI can still be had at a discount.

Thank you, I will look into PCI
I also agree that dividend and interest instruments have gotten ahead of themselves. And with the FED talking a raise I can wait for a pull back to the end of the year. But, I still feel that over the next 5 years at least they will be a good investment.
"From 1945 to 2001, and 10 cycles, recessions lasted an average 10 months and expansions an average of 57 "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recessions_in_the_United_States
The Great Recession ended June 2009, so maybe we are due for a recession when interest rates will fall again. This is something I have not read about anywhere - that this expansion is getting old. That could be because most do not feel like a robust expansion.
From reading some of the posts on this board I've become less fearful of general inflation. The factors just don't seem to be there; except for an oil embargo or war.

@MFO Members: Very impressive short-term performance results for a fund only a little over a year old. However, it has a very highly concentrated portfolio, just 19 stock, and is a damm the torpedos, full speed ahead long-term capital appreciation fund. Before I can claim it a winner, winner, chicken dinner, I'd like to see a couple of more years of performance results.
Regards,
Ted

Not unlike the recent uptick in Bank of Japan continuing to add more purchases via custom etf's in equity sectors in their country and also more foreign bond purchases.
@bee Question: Are we really investing in what were traditional markets prior to the last melt? Don't fight the Fed has taken on a new meaning the past few years, eh?
Hey, you don't have to answer the question. More of a thought here; as I continue to question the "quest" for helping monies at least stay ahead of inflation and future taxation.
Take care,
Catch

@VF
>> Monthly, Weekly if possible.
>> We have to make decisions in the present. Someone will always come along and tell me 3 years after I sell what an idiot I am. Can't make decisions in hindsight and foresight. Important for me to know how fund is doing at present - how is it handling current market conditions.
Well, they're not magicians. They take their best shot, like all of us. If you want to daytrade or weektrade, go for it, though it will not do your stomach any favors. There is no present for investing, only decisions based on past, present, and imagined future, all baked into one mess.
Always ignore anyone who tells you you're an idiot unless they are personally significant to you.

At Morningstar the capture ratios are under the tab for risk and ratings

Yup, but I wanted them over a narrower time frame than 1 year. I wanted to do YTD, Monthly, Weekly if possible. Numbers are already bad for longer durations on M*.
For instance, SEEDX has obviously bad numbers 1 year for D and U. 3 year they are better for D, but given fund always owns cash, and was even less fully invested at inception, its not surprising both D and U numbers are less than 100%, and even then D is higher than U.
We have to make decisions in the present. Someone will always come along and tell me 3 years after I sell what an idiot I am. Can't make decisions in hindsight and foresight. Important for me to know how fund is doing at present - how is it handling current market conditions. I'm thinking data is out there and someone is capturing it.

Invested in this fund years ago (in my "novice dumb luck" days). Always respected "Ab". Bailed on 2nd gen, but wish I'd given them a break....

@Crash TRPrice indicates two distributions,too; in Sept and Dec. of 2015 since your purchase.
We do our numbers every week and have for many years. We do the most simple process. So, for your TRGRX; if you purchased $10,000 on your noted date and the dollar value is now $11,469 (example only), one arrives at about +14.69 return noted.
I don't pay attention (other than checking) what distributions have taken place, (say over a 1 year period); but what is the total return during a given period.
I did see that TRP had return numbers, but were set for one year from July 31-July 31.
Anyhoo......have to get outside again before the rain arrives.

More details on Seafarer Oversea Value fund is available on Seafarer website. Their thesis of value investing is new and unproven in a highly volatile and risky area. For now I will stay with Growth and Income fund until the new fund has been running for several years.

Oppenheimer's investors (529 participants) took a sizable loss in their "Core Bond" within a conservative portfolio. Oppenheimer settled out of court and a new administrator, TIAA-CRAF was named afterward
doj.state.or.us/releases/pages/2009/rel111909.aspx
It paid to get to know these companies prior to commit your 529 $ to them. Strong funds was charged with 2002-2003 mutual fund scandal, actually the worst offender charged among others. The founder of Strong fund, Dick Strong was banned for life from security exchange business afterward, and the mutual fund business was sold to Wells Fargo.
We considered Utah and decided to stay with States that Vanguard would manage the underlying portfolio and bookkeeping (i.e. all $ reside at Vanguard) for full transparency. In the end we picked Iowa over Nevada and New York based on the portfolio makeup with added exposure to emerging market. Thing may have changed since then.
https://personal.vanguard.com/us/whatweoffer/college/finda529Popup.jsf?cbdForceDomain=false
Other states including Utah use low cost Vanguard index funds and other mutual funds. I am glad to heat that Utah 529 is able to fulfill your need. Recently we changed our 529 portfolio since our kid will be attending college in less than 3 years.