MFO Members: There were 28 links yielding 518 views = 18.5 views per link. You would think OJ would contribute something positive to the board rather worry what I do. He should accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative and don't mess with the Linkster
Regards
Ted

FYI: Howard Marks, whose Oaktree Capital Group LLC agreed to a tie-up with Brookfield Asset Management Inc., said he expects to see more mergers in the industry but not a wave of them.
“I think you will start seeing mergers," Marks, co-chairman of Oaktree, said Thursday in an interview with Erik Schatzker on Bloomberg TV.
Bruce Flatt, chief executive officer of Brookfield, echoed Marks, saying there would be more deals in asset management, but “not that many.”
The combination of Brookfield and Oaktree, announced last week, would create one of the world’s largest alternative money managers, with $475 billion in assets. The deal may appeal to institutional investors looking for a one-stop shop: it bolsters the credit business of Brookfield, which has traditionally focused on real estate, and provides Oaktree exposure to assets that thrive when economies grow.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.bloomberg.com//news/articles/2019-03-21/howard-marks-bruce-flatt-see-more-asset-management-deals-ahead?srnd=markets-vp

Hi @Mark
Your post is of value, more so; for the young/younger investors who read at MFO.
I suspect there are many who choose not to ask a question, nor express an opinion. This is natural, expected and acceptable. Hopefully, they will know more than they did before they read a given post.
I still have paper documents going back into the late '80's providing return data for Fidelity funds. Today, I'm more inclined to use the charts I post to observe what happened during different event periods relative to a fund(s); sometimes going back to 1999.
The amount of free data and publications available today is more than enough to allow a motivated person to learn the simple methods of keeping an investment portfolio to the plus side.
Without having to be a trader, of which; I'm no longer inclined to perform, one's portfolio can outrun future taxation and inflation without being too complex or sophisticated.
While I somewhat understand those who chase a yield or think they need to have some type of magic sauce fund; as with alternative, market neutral, long-short or whatever the newest algo may be; there remain many quality funds, etf's and CEF's to get the investing job done for one's portfolio.
With this and keeping in mind that a "this time is different scenario is still in place" and that there are new niche investments that should be and are readily available; our highest priority remains total return, arriving from price or yield or both.
We do our best to remain flexible and adaptable with our investment eyes wide open.
My personal future sad point with all of this, is that sometime in the near future, I/we will forgo the gained knowledge and desire to "play" with our money and find a parking place, as with a fund like, FBALX . I'll be a grumpy S.O.B. for awhile, with this.
Thank you for the thread and take care of you and yours,
Regards,
Catch

FYI: For the vanilla fund manager, stocks rallying in concert with bonds has proved a godsend at a vexed stage of the business cycle.
The question is the whether the equity recovery fueled by the Federal Reserve’s dovish capitulation is on borrowed time as growth fears bite.
For now, the classic investing strategy that allocates 60 percent to equities and 40 percent to fixed income looks poised for one of its best quarters since the crisis, according to a popular benchmark.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.bloomberg.com//news/articles/2019-03-21/even-with-fed-shock-the-bond-stock-rally-looks-too-good-to-last?srnd=markets-vp

To be clear, I'm not advocating that anyone follow this portfolio. I merely offered what I felt to be an interesting illustration of one persons experience.
The question was raised regarding how fine and dandy this portfolio did over the years since the great recession but how did it perform in the years leading up to same. I don't know but ask yourself how your allocation worked out. My stocks have a combined beta of 0.7-0.8, or 20-30% less volatility then the S&P 500 if you prefer. On paper, if the market tanks I would expect my stocks to tank less. I can't guarantee that of course, it's just how it's supposed to work. The kicker is, even if they don't work that way my 'INCOME' from the portfolio doesn't suffer and as OJ mentioned/suggested that's mostly all I really care about. My bills continue to get paid with plenty left over for other pursuits.
Finally just so you know, my portfolio is not 100% stocks. It ranges between 70-80% with the remaining in primarily PIMCO CEF's. Included in that 70% stocks are my meager mutual fund holdings.

FYI: The European Central Bank this month said it would keep record-low interest rates for longer. The news comes shortly after the U.S. Federal Reserve gave in to the stock market and held off on further interest-rate increases.
While investors celebrate the policy reversal, they might soon regret it.
This stimulus may indeed buy the market an additional year or two. But postponing the inevitable downturn with artificially low rates will come at a cost. The cost is a massive credit bubble that is already of biblical proportions. Its implications chill me to the bone.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/when-the-us-falls-into-a-recession-a-credit-bubble-will-explode-2019-03-20/print

https://www.pionline.com/article/20190320/ONLINE/190329994/target-date-fund-strategies-rise-in-popularity-8211-dciia-survey
Target-date fund strategies rise in popularity – DCIIA survey
By Brian Croce · March 20, 2019 2:12 pm
Getty Images
Target-date fund strategies in employer-sponsored defined contribution plan accounts reached $2.1 trillion in assets at the end of 2017, up from $1.3 trillion in 2015, according to research from the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association released Wednesday.

@johnN: Come on John, smell the roses !
Regards,
Ted :)
https://www.mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/48511/new-etf-puts-different-spin-on-housing-sector#latest

Anyone gas these funds in their portfolio?! Any thoughts? Thx
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-bluerock-total-income-real-estate-fund-announces-25th-consecutive-distribution-for-q1-at-a-5-25-annualized-rate-300815094.html
The Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund Announces 25th Consecutive Distribution for Q1 at a 5.25% Annualized Rate
(PRNewsfoto/Bluerock's Total Income+ Real E)
News provided by
Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund
Mar 19, 2019, 14:50 ET
NEW YORK, March 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund ("TI+," tickers: TIPRX, TIPPX, TIPWX, TIPLX) has paid a first quarter distribution of $0.3987 per share, or 1.31% for the quarter, based on the share price of $30.38 (A-shares) for shareholders of record as of March 15, 2019. This distribution amount represents an annualized rate of 5.25%* based on the current share price marking the Fund's 25th consecutive quarterly distribution.

@MFO Members: For the record my links on 3/20/19 yielded 518 views !
Regards,
Ted

Hi @Starchild @Mark
Just for the heck of things...............this chart, of course; includes the dot.com melt, as well as the dark period of late 2007 through March, 2009 and the remainder of 2009 with the beginning recovery. Note: Stockcharts (per their web page) include all distributions, so; this chart is not NAV price only.
SPY compare to VDIGX ,Vanguard Dividend Growth, 2000-all of 2009

To play devil's advocate a little... For one, of course the advisor would suggest a more conservative approach shortly after a meltdown of 2008's magnitude. Also, throw in a 60/40 or 50/50 mix into those charts.

Hi @Starchild @Mark
Just for the heck of things...............this chart, of course; includes the dot.com melt, as well as the dark period of late 2007 through March, 2009 and the remainder of 2009 with the beginning recovery. Note: Stockcharts (per their web page) include all distributions, so; this chart is not NAV price only.
SPY compare to VDIGX ,Vanguard Dividend Growth, 2000-all of 2009

Of course the 100% stock portfolio will outperform during a bull run. Let's see the numbers from 2000-2009.

@Mark: Did the dividends cover the 2.98 % lose on equity ? Your lose in 2018 equity has probably been turned around in 2019 ?
Good investing, Derf

Good question Derf and the answer I believe is 'who knows.' What I can say with a fair degree of certainty is that barring a dividend cut or elimination the portfolio's income will continue to increase no matter what the value of the equity components do. Those components I would expect will do no worse than the market in general i.e. up-down just like always and just like every other equity/fund/baseline etc..
FWIW, I have such a portfolio of dividend growth stocks. My portfolio was down approximately 2.98% on price alone. My 'income' from that portfolio was up >10% from the prior year. I realize that's just one years results but the income generated has been doing that for the last 8 years. I'll stick with it until it's broke.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ THIS POST IS IN VIOLATION OF MFO POSTING STANDARDS ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
⇒ This post had few views and no comments. It has been artificially "bumped" into the COMMENTS + CATEGORY by the poster himself, without legitimate qualifying comments.
He deliberately and cynically does this with spurious "Update" comments so as to force this post to your attention. He is well aware that this is in violation of MFO standard practice, but he believes that the rules for him are different than those for everyone else.

FYI: “Ultimate” isn’t a term to toss around lightly. But in this case it fits. I believe the investment portfolio I’m about to describe is the absolute best way for most investors to achieve long-term growth in the stock markets.
My view is based on the best academic research I know of as well as my own experience working with thousands of investors over the past half-century.
I’ve been recommending this combination since the 1990s, and it is the basis of the majority of my own investments.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-ultimate-buy-and-hold-strategy-2019-update-2019-03-20/print

( The Closing Bell will be updated sometime after 4:00 PM CDST to include the latest update from IBD and Bloomberg)
FYI: U.S. stocks rose, then erased some of those gains Wednesday after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and a majority of officials signaled they might not raise them at all this year.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 141 points, or 0.55%, at 25745, after falling as much as 217 points earlier in the day and then rising for a bit after the Fed’s announcement. The S&P 500 fell 0..24%. The benchmark equity gauge has rebounded 13% this year, pulling within about 3.5% of last September’s all-time high. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.7%.
Bond yields and the dollar slumped following the Fed’s cautious projections, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note falling to 2.535%, according to Tradeweb, from 2.614% Tuesday. Bond yields fall as prices rise. The WSJ Dollar Index, which tracks the dollar against a basket of 16 other currencies, fell 0.5%.
FedEx shares fell 4.5% Wednesday after the shipping company cut its outlook for the second consecutive quarter and said weaker global trade trends continue to harm its international shipping business.
Despite slowing economic growth, some investors hope strength in the U.S. consumer sector will underpin revenue gains for large companies in 2019. General Mills shares rose 3.1% following the packaged-food maker’s upbeat profit forecast, a sign the company’s price increases are helping lift performance.
Elsewhere, the Stoxx Europe 600 fell 0.9%. Anxiety about the U.K.’s exit from the European Union has loomed over European markets recently. The British pound fell against the dollar Wednesday after the U.K. asked the EU to delay its departure from the bloc until June 30, an extension that if approved would give Prime Minister Theresa May just months to break an impasse in Parliament over her withdrawal deal.
In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.5%, while Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average inched up 0.2%.
U.S. stocks rose, then erased some of those gains Wednesday after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and a majority of officials signaled they might not raise them at all this year.
Of the Eleven S&P 500 Sectors, there were five winners led by Energy and Communication Services. Financials led the other six down.
Regards
Ted
Bloomberg Evening Briefing:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-20/your-evening-briefing
MarketWatch:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/stock-futures-edge-lower-as-investors-await-fed-decision-2019-03-20/print
WSJ:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-weaken-ahead-of-new-round-of-u-s-china-trade-talks-11553072835
Bloomberg:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-19/asian-stocks-set-for-muted-start-before-fed-markets-wrap?srnd=premium
IBD:
https://www.investors.com/market-trend/stock-market-today/dow-jones-stumbles-fang-stocks-give-nasdaq-lift/
Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-stocks/fedex-outlook-weighs-on-wall-street-ahead-of-fed-policy-decision-idUSKCN1R119I
CNBC:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/20/stock-market-us-stocks-focus-on-fed-rate-decision.html
U.K.:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-stocks/ftse-100s-winning-streak-broken-as-brexit-delay-plea-hits-financials-idUKKCN1R10TN
Europe:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-stocks/european-stocks-dip-after-five-day-rally-bayer-fall-weighs-on-dax-idUSKCN1R10U0
Asia:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/asian-markets-largely-down-as-investors-take-wait-and-see-approach-2019-03-19/print
Bonds:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/20/us-treasury-yields-tick-lower-ahead-of-fed-rate-decision.html
Currencies:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/20/forex-market-federal-reserve-brexit-vote-in-focus.html
Oil:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/20/oil-market-us-china-trade-talks-supply-cuts-in-focus.html
Gold
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/20/gold-market-federal-reserve-dollar-moves-in-focus.html
WSJ: Markets At A Glance:
https://markets.wsj.com/us
Major ETFs % Change:
https://www.barchart.com/etfs-funds/etf-monitor
SPDR's Sector Tracker:
http://www.sectorspdr.com/sectorspdr/tools/sector-tracker
SPDR's Bloomberg Sector Performance Pie Chart:
https://www.bloomberg.com/markets/sectors
Current Futures:
https://finviz.com/futures.ashx

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ THIS POST IS IN VIOLATION OF MFO POSTING STANDARDS ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
⇒ This post had almost no views and no comments. It has been artificially "bumped" into the COMMENTS + CATEGORY by the poster himself, without legitimate qualifying comments.
Rather than include "Updated" within his original post, he has deliberately added a phony comment so as to force it to your attention. He is well aware that this is a violation of MFO standard practice, but he believes himself to be exempt from such things, because, after all, he is the almighty TED... a legend in his own mind. Rules are for the small people... not him.

@MFO Members: Here's why!
Regards,
Ted
YTD:
DADHX: 0.00%
S&P 500: 13.53%
1yr.:
DADHX: -(7-05)%
S&P 500 5.01%