FYI: An investor holding a simple S&P 500 index fund continues to beat major university endowments.
Yale University and other major endowments have recently reported investment performance for their fiscal years ending in June, and none have topped the S&P 500, which returned 14.4% including dividends.
Yale returned 12.3%; Harvard University, 10.0%; the University of Pennsylvania, 12.9%; and Dartmouth College, 12.2%.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.barrons.com/articles/ivy-league-endowments-1538530379

FYI: Tax-deferred retirement saving isn't forever. At age 70 1/2, you must start withdrawing funds from 401(k) and IRA accounts. Yet many retirees find the required minimum distribution rules burdensome, and surprisingly large numbers would prefer not to draw down funds at all.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.morningstar.com/articles/884105/should-rmd-rules-be-reformed.html

So yesterday I got scolded again by Ted for linking an article he had linked already.
However, here's the deal. When I link an article I make a point of scrolling through 2-3-4 previous pages of discussion topics to make sure that it hasn't already been posted thus sparing someone from getting their underwear all bunched up. I did that yesterday with the Social Security article and not seeing a previous posting I posted it.
Of course you all know what happened so I went on a search through the discussion lists once again. In fact I've done it now on 5 separate occasions and Ted's original posting has only shown up in one of those searches. I'm taken to his original post if I click on his naggy reminder that it's already been posted but I only have a 20% success rate if I go scrolling through all the previous posts manually my own self.
So my question is: is this a glitch in my computer and browser (Mac laptop w/Safari) or with the hosting site or software? Thanks for any input.

@The Shadow: Good Morning !
Regards,
Ted :)
https://www.mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/44085/loomis-sayles-small-cap-growth-reopens-to-new-investors-lssix#latest

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/872649/000119312518288720/d629055d497.htm
497 1 d629055d497.htm LOOMIS SAYLES FUNDS II
LOOMIS SAYLES SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND
Supplement dated October 1, 2018 to the Prospectus of the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth
Fund, dated February 1, 2018, as may be revised and supplemented from time to time.
Effective October 1, 2018, the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund will reopen to new investors and will begin accepting orders for the purchase of shares from new investors.
Accordingly, all references to the Loomis Sayles Small Cap Growth Fund being closed to new investors are hereby removed from the Prospectus and Summary Prospectus.

Jurrien Timmer has been posting an interesting chart on Twitter that concerns EM:
https://twitter.com/timmerfidelity/status/1045381216080474120?s=21
What do they mean by “hard currency “. Is that US dollar denominated?

Hi @AndyJ: Thanks for stopping by and for making comment. Many of us on the board are in or near retirement. For myself, being in retirement, I have been reducing my equity allocation over the past five years, or so, from upwards towards 70% now down to the low 50% range. I am also in the process of raising my fixed income allocation (currently around 27%) up towards 30% or better over the next year or so. I plan to do this at a pace of about 1% per quarter until I reach an allocation I feel comfortable with. Even in retirement I thinking I need a good bit of equity exposure so my five year asset allocation target is to be somewhere around 40% fixed, 40% equity and 20% cash and cd's by then.
Since, you feel a good number of the threads are geared more towards equities (over income) why not become more active and start posting what you are seeing on the fixed income side of investing? Interestingly, on my buy list my 1 week and 1 month leaders, that I follow, I'm finding a good number are fixed income funds. Since, the US 10 Yr is now paying 3 percent, or better, I'm beginning to see most of my funds found in my fixed income sleeve starting to make an upward move. I'd think that now that interest rates are rising their nav's would be going the other way. Interesting? Yes.
Any way FWIW ... I'm thinking you'd draw a good following.
Thanks again for stopping by and for making comment.
Old_Skeet

FYI: Investors can defer paying capital gains taxes on profits earned on the sale of stocks and real property by participating in a new federal program that promotes investment in municipalities across the nation.
Created to encourage long-term investment of unrealized capital gains in low-income urban and rural communities, the Opportunity Zone Program was signed into law late last year under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Under the program, investors who sell appreciated assets can invest the proceeds within 180 days of the sale into qualified opportunity funds to defer paying capital gains taxes. Three new funds started this year under the program, but they aren’t without some risks.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.fa-mag.com/news/a-new-way-for-clients-to-postpone-capital-gains-taxes-41115.html?print

best 3
WWNPX +22.52 --This fund has an outrageous management fee of 1.64%, has a large cash position and an extremely high allocation to a land holding company as its top position. I really can't recommend it.
POGRX +17.50
FCNTX +16.85
worst 3
MSILX (4.46)
DODFX (6.39)
FAIRX (14.60) --This fund has a very full management fee of over 1%, has a large cash position and an extremely high allocation to a land holding company as its top position. I really can't recommend it.

Typical year really, some up, some down and many basically standing still.
FCNTX - 16.85%
POAGX - 17.35
DSENX - 13.2
MGGPX - 11.2
MTUM - 16.3
THQ - 15.4
SFGIX - (9.26)
MAPIX - (3.15)
UTG - (2.66)

DSEEX = a hair under 13.5% ytd and 6.4% since Feb 1
PCI 7.4% ytd
TRBCX 8.2% since Feb 1 (do not own)

@VF: The institutional Kopernik International fund gets 5 stars from M*; your $1M minimum buys you 36% cash and 60% basic materials (read gold and oil). The fund went to the top of the class in 2016, then promptly did a complete turn-around in 2017. Now it seems there will be an investor class of shares. I ain't tempted. Strangely, the Kopernik Global does not hold oodles of cash and has a pretty middling record.

MAPOX 4.22%
PRWCX 7.39
PRIDX (2.45)
PRDSX 15.45
VSCIX 11.05
Bonds:
PTIAX .91
PRSNX (.74)
TUHYX 1.83
.......Can't really complain. I've not held some of these for very long: PTIAX and TUHYX are new. Switched into them only weeks ago.

Interesting to read the comments about PRGTX. I'm a long term holder in an IRA (10 years) and probably won't ever sell it even after I retire because technology in the broadest sense is the only future of the human race. Most of my funds are overweight in tech, even small company funds like BCSIX. I did sell the under-performing but competent BPAVX this month (gain of about 55% over 3 years) to raise cash to sit on the sidelines for the inevitable correction. I'm looking at WSMNX in particular. I'm also very overweight in small-mid company funds. 20 years to retirement.

Fidelity spent $250M to acquire eMoney three years ago. It took almost that long to integrate it with its retail platform (FullView), and has been struggling for several weeks to simply bring it up to the level of the software it replaced.
Unlike any "real" bank, you can't set a travel notice on its debit cards online. You can't even do it via automated phone service, you need to talk with a real human being. A human being who can't see the 16 digit number you just punched in, so you have to repeat the whole thing again.
So far, the only thing I know that's come out of Fidelity Labs is FidSafe®. Wow, imagine storing files in the cloud. Sounds real high tech to me, something that you'd expect to come from an "innovation center". Sure.
"in the 1990s decided there should be a group tasked with researching cutting-edge technology."
Most of the technology Fidelity uses is fine, even very good. But cutting edge it's not.

FYI: So far so good !
Regards,
Ted
PRHSX: 20.23% (1 Mo. 2.62% since I repurchased.)
QQQ: 19.95%
TRBCX: 18.92%
MSOPX: 10.57%
IVV: 10.38%
PONCX: -(1.02)%

@Old_Skeet: I took a quick look at PCLAX. About 60% cash & bonds , 40% other. Do you have any idea what the "other" is invested in ? I'll take a peek at Chuck's place & see what they have listed on the fund.
Derf
Back at you: Sector weighting; 57% financial & 12% info tech.
Top 25% last 2 years & YTD ! Long & short cash & bonds.

Bear Martin Feldstein has another recession is a-comin' in the WSJ yesterday, I think, this time, or again, based on rising interest rates, I believe.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/another-recession-is-looming-1538088367
login, hard to get around

Related.
https://www.barrons.com/articles/no-stomach-for-stock-market-swings-consider-stable-value-funds-1538159332
https://qwiket.com/context/topic/no-stomach-for-stock-market-swings-consider-stable-value-funds
No Stomach for Stock-Market Swings? Consider Stable Value Funds
Increasing volatility and rising interest rates create a double whammy for investors who don’t have time to ride out the inevitable market ups and downs. Stable value funds might be the answer.
For risk-averse investors, there seems to be nowhere to hide these days. High volatility and high valuations make stocks an unsavory option, and bonds don’t look much better in the face of rising interest rates. And cash still pays next to nothing. But if you have a 401(k), you have an oft-overlooked option.