+1 I missed the boat when George Gilder recommended JDS-Fitel(later JDSU) as the next Intel in a Forbes supplement I received in 1997-1998! Of course, I would have had to sell at the right time as well.

What is the average disposition for TD funds that have passed? For example TD 2010 funds or older. Is the plan to continue listing forever? Any past examples? Is liquidation a consideration? Anybody up to speed on this?
It seems like i remember reading in one fund family that the asset allocation continues to shift pass the TD until a certain limit allocation is reached and at that point freezes AA forever.
If fund families do nothing, then the number of these type funds in one fund family (passed TD) will grow resulting in many funds with different dates but same asset allocations (for new shareholders) thus incentive to discontinue operations or merge similar funds???

@davidrmoran
https://advisorperspectives.com/commentaries/2021/12/08/treasury-inflation-protected-securities-faqs-about-tips

Hi Derf. CTFAX, TMSRX, JHQAX. 8-10% each is the goal. Just about there.

Seems to be playing out that the important concept for this fund strategy is the valuation-equity exposure concept that is most important to returns more than the actual % equity exposure itself. I guess 'buy low' 'sell high' seems to work! Who knew :)
I'm using this fund as 1 of 3 alternative type funds, but I do wish the equity exposure range was more like 20:80 or 30:70 instead of 10:90 but again, it is the valuation concept I like. My saving grace in owning CTFAX (at 90% income) is I don't own any pure bond funds in my self managed portfolio anymore. I'm using these alternatives as, well... alternatives. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for the information. Here is the filing with an explanation:
https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0000747546/000119312521370745/d222404d497.htm

any negs or knocks on TIPX?

The 5 year TIPS/Treasury breakeven rate was 2.93% as of 01/04/22.
The long term average for the 5 year rate is 1.85%.
TIPS are "expensive" now.
If you believe inflation over the next five years will be greater than 2.93%,
you may want to consider purchasing TIPS instead of Treasuries.

I always have serious trouble deciding b/w VONE and VONG, as the outperforming latter ETF also has lower UI and less drawdown, presumably because of gogo tech stocks' constant bounceback and current-market invincibility of hope ...
Also trying to see where DSTL (a nontrivial diversifier for sure, plus an MFOP GO, ffs) adds real value.
Speaking of gogo, I recently asked my consultant kid if he owned any Apple, and he said 'A lot, only because it is so heavily in our funds'. Now, if I had taken a really healthy bite when he did a paper on it as an econ undergrad 19y ago (too expensive, look at the runup, said dad), or done the same 11y ago when he was in business grad school (get serious, look at the runup, way too expensive now, said dad), I would be able to give him and his sister serious downpayments on next housing. Damn.

I like CVSIX. It’s only about 4% of my total. But that’s a byproduct of being quite widely spread out. It is what it is - a “Steady Eddy” hybrid income fund with somewhat high fees. I doubt it can continue to crank out that “tepid” 4% - but it might. I was impressed that it managed to gain a bit Monday when bonds were largely hammered. Calamos is a very old house that has extensive experience with convertible bonds - their main tool in running the fund. I count it as a hybrid type income fund - somewhat riskier than a short term bond fund.
The darker shaded bars show the fund’s performance. Lighter shaded ones reflect its peer group per Lipper.

CVSIX - from Lipper / MarketWatch

I don't own it but happened to notice that Parnassus dropped its fees on both share classes of this fund by six basis points, effective January 1st.

Another fund with a nifty record, as all of its 17 (calendar) years show gains......AVEFX (Ave Maria Bond Fund). It holds a 20% allocation to equities, despite the name.
You know darn well what happens in 2022 if I buy it.

But since I use MERFX as a cash substitute, 2%-3% per year is fine with me

The problem is for me a cash substitute fund cannot have sustained a loss greater than 2% in a year, and preferably no loss ever. Why take the risk with such meager returns? My cash subs include, SNGVX (1 off year in 31, so it gets a pass on my 2% rule); BBBMX; GILPX, VNLA (ETF) and even good old BSV (ETF). You can buy with confidence that any loss will be small and temporary. Not so clear with MERFX, which suffered a 5.67% loss in 2002 and 2.26% loss in 2008.

Not picking on anyone here, just remembering the statement that SNGVX had only one losing year out of 31. It's now 2 losing years out of 34, with nearly a 1% loss last year. Not much, but something one hopes not to see with a fund used in lieu of cash.
FWIW, BBBMX stayed in the green, gaining 0.01%.
GILPX did not, losing 0.07%. Likewise, MERFX lost 0.19%, VNLA lost 0.18% and BSV lost 0.12%.
These five funds, win or lose, came so close to zero that one might as well think of them all as having broken even. SNGVX was a different story.
Meanwhile, RPHYX kept chugging away, gaining 1.8% last year. Only 11 calendar years so far, but not a single loss.
I'm also taking a closer look at VMLTX. Only 1 losing year out of 34; that was just a loss of 0.16% in 2016. It normally maintains a higher than average duration to get higher returns. But it has shortened its duration to bring it in line with its peers, showing that it can be managed conservatively if conditions warrant.
My parents used this fund in retirement. Yes, this is still your father's VMLTX.

+1

She does NOT like to pay TFs so any non-VG AA funds suggested should be NTF at VG
With $5M in this account alone, she gets 100 free trades (aside from the normally NTF funds) per year. Frenetic trader?
https://investor.vanguard.com/investing/transaction-fees-commissions/mutual-funds

The COVID drawdown was rough on many mutual funds, even treasury. Many were down 10-40% within 2 weeks. Nevertheless, this drawdown recovered quickly comparing to the 2008’s drawdown that lasted several years. Since then value funds trail their growth counterparts for a long period. Oakmark funds are no exception until last year.

@stillers: I think Vanguard Target Date funds could be used. If your friend wants maximum return and does not care about volatility, VTTHX, the 2035 fund, holds about 73% US and international stocks. 2035 is just an example; 2040 or 2045 will have even higher equity exposures. TDFs are not completely hands-off because as they approach the end date, the allocations change and become more conservative. If your friend is still doing well in five years, you could reassess her goals. In a tax-deferred account you can trade without penalty. VTTHX charges 0.14 % ER. Given the size of her account, I wonder if there is a cheaper share class.

What ever happened to indexes that actually measured something as opposed to defining investable portfolios? Oh well.
Saying that the AO* series just invest in various combinations of IVV, IJH, IJR, IDEV, IEMG, IUSB, and IAGG doesn't answer the question about why there's so much cash in these ETFs. It just pushes the question down a level: why is there so much cash in IUSB (and why is IAGG short cash)?
De facto, these underlying funds have particular cash allocations. But are those allocations what they're supposed to be? (Part of the answer may be the difference between how M* and BlackRock count cash, but I haven't looked more closely into that.)
S&P Target Risk Index Series Methodology
IUSB portfolio allocation, per M* 6.44% cash
IUSB portfolio allocation, per BlackRock 0.69% cash
(That must be net; the top holding of IUSB is BISXX, 10.07% per factsheet.)
IAGG portfolio allocation, per M* -0.24% net cash
IAGG portfolio allocation, per BlackRock 0.88% cash

Hi @bee
Wouldn't fly at this house.........too many restrictions.
IS S-mode Windows 10 already installed on a low end device you purchased? OR are you considering using this mode with a normal laptop that has a lot of ram and storage available?
Keep the MS Windows Defender and pay few dollars to to add Malwarebytes for virus protection.

S-mode, pros and cons
Remain curious,
Catch

Thanks for the replies.
I listed everything that I thought posters would need to know but based on some responses...
VHNW woman with well over $5M in this account alone who will likely never spend a dime of this money but would like it to be as large as possible for her gift to charity upon her death.
Amounts will only be w/d from this a/c because of RMDs.
There are NO required or even desired target stock/bond or domestic/foreign allocations.
She does NOT like to pay TFs so any non-VG AA funds suggested should be NTF at VG.
She desires AA funds in tribute to her beloved, deceased husband who always told her she should have "some bonds" in her portfolio after he passes, with AA funds being the simplest way for her to ensure that she does.
To repeat though...
Perhaps the most important "Particulars" to note are
Total Return investor seeking maximum TR over the next 5-??? years (via AA funds)
Tax-deferred account
Also of note...
I've been investing in OEFs since 1980 and there really aren't many (any?) GREAT AA OEFs that I am NOT aware of and/or own personally. SO I'm REALLY NOT looking for DETAIL of any given suggestions or WHY they were suggested or how they did during this/that period.
I'm REALLY just looking for poster's LISTS of 2-3 AA OEFs (NOT listed in the OP) that they believe will be amongst the BEST TR funds for the at least the next 5 years or until she becomes mentally incapacitated or passes. I can do the DD on them if I don't already know what I/she need to know about them.
Sorry for any confusion.

Fair point about the foreign allocation. A drag over the past decade, could be a plus going forward.
I did notice the cash component which is odd. One of the benefits of ETFs (including CEFs) is that unlike OEFs they don't need to keep cash around for redemptions. Though a few old ETFs like SPY and QQQ are structured as unit investment trusts that have to keep cash divs around until they distribute them periodically.