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Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
  • A New Twist on an Easy All-in-One Fund (GAA)
    Here's link to the fact sheet for GAA...
    Cambria Global Asset Allocation (GAA)
    The Cambria Global Asset Allocation EtF targets investing in approximately 29 EtFs that
    reflect the global universe of assets consisting of domestic and foreign stocks, bonds, real
    estate, commodities and currencies.
  • The 5 Best Fidelity Funds for 2015
    FYI: But fear not. My list of the best Fidelity funds for 2015 is designed to help you complement your existing portfolio or deliver a standalone portfolio that both runs the gamut and still delivers reasonable returns.
    Before I get to my picks, let me state unabashedly and categorically that I invest in actively managed funds for three reasons: (1) My chosen active managers tend to beat their benchmarks in both bull and bear markets. (2) Fidelity’s low-cost, no-load, shareholder-focused lineup is second to none. (3) The best way to own any ETF (including Fidelity’s own commission free offerings) is only in tandem with a superior actively managed fund. In the topsy-turvy marketplace of 2015, having the following Fidelity experts help you pursue growth and income investments at home and globally isn’t just recommended. I think it’s required.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://investorplace.com/2014/12/5-best-fidelity-funds-2015/print
  • Liquid Alts. How much of your portfolio should be in them?
    @JohnChisum
    Thanks for the link to dailyalts.com. Looks interesting, and I have bookmarked this site.
    Right here, right now, with domestic equities fully valued, developed foreign equities in a definite funk, and interest rates destined to increase over the next 12 months, I would have no problem owning a 10-20% position in Alts -- as long as they continue to perform. At this time, we own a 10% position in PQTIX (investor ER 1.15%), and I am considering the purchase of a 10% position in QLEIX (investor ER 1.39%).
    @Junkster
    Conditions like 2008 will inevitably occur in the future, and just like in 2008, common investors like us -- who likely overestimate our abilities -- and the "professionals" will be caught by surprise.
    I continue to think that investors can obtain adequate downside protection with a wise mix of relatively low-cost equity, balanced and bond OEFs/ETFs, such as: MOAT, RPV, SCHD, VDIGX, VASVX, VSTCX, VMNVX, SPLV, EFAV, TOLSX, GLFOX, DODGX, DODFX, DODWX, DODBX, PRWCX, VWENX, HBLIX, WHGIX, VWIAX, PIMIX, PIGIX, MWTIX, DBLFX, DBLTX, DBLEX and RSIVX . But I remain open to relatively low-cost alternative funds, such as PQTIX, QLEIX, AQRIX, LMAPX, CRUMX, and even BG's JUCIX. As for the Alts, I am willing to be very, very patient, and track and track, and resist the temptation to be an early investor, but if the Alt fund continues to impress, I am willing to pull the trigger and buy.
    Kevin
  • dsenx explainer
    @davidrmoran
    I would not overthink this fund, as it continues to be above its 20/50/100EMAs. This fund is working and I would have no problem owning it until the charts break down.
    Kevin
  • A Portfolio Review Question
    I think you might be interested in this. I think it is correct and you have time to adjust your portfolio.
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/schifrin...dlach-king-me/
    Here is the new bond king’s view of the world today:
    The Fed may raise the federal funds rate for the wrong reasons.
    “They don’t really need the rates to be higher, but they seem to want to reload the gun so they aren’t stuck at zero without any tools.”
    Deflationary forces will accelerate if the Fed raises rates.
    “With a tightening, the dollar is going to not just be strong, but it will run up like a scalded dog. If that happens, then commodity prices are going down, we will import deflation and you will see an episode of deflationary scare.”
    The long end of the Treasury curve will stay put and possibly go down further.
    “There’s a 30% chance that importing deflation creates a panic into Treasurys creating a ‘melt-up,’ moving rates to German Bund levels today of around 1%.
    It’s not okay to own risk assets when the Fed starts hiking rates.
    “What is fascinating is, if you sell junk bonds and buy Treasurys, the minute the Fed hikes the first time, going back to 1980, in every case you did well.”
    Don’t be surprised to see the yield curve flatten and possibly invert.
    “Long rates have done nothing but fall. That tells me the market is saying to the Fed, ‘Go ahead, make my day.’ The curve is going to invert when and if fed funds hit 2.5 to 3%.”
    Be long the dollar, especially in emerging market bonds.
    “We have been all dollar [denominated in our foreign bond holdings] since 2011. For a while it didn’t really matter, but now it matters a lot. If you are nondollar you are really in trouble.”
    Stay away from homebuilders, TIPs and mortgage REITs, and oil will fall further.
    “I am convinced the Saudis want the price of a barrel of oil to go to $70. They don’t care if they run a short-term deficit if it slows down U.S. fracking and turns the screws on countries in their region that mean them harm.”
    As we get closer to 2020 interest rates and inflation (and taxes) could really start rising.
    “We are in the calm right now before the hurricane. I’m talking about the aging of the great powers, which is undeniable and can’t be quickly reversed. The retiree-to-worker ratios, the size of labor forces globally. China will have no one in the labor force. Italy’s losing 39% of labor force in the next generation and a half. Japan has an implosion of working population and no immigration. Russia is facing one of the greatest demographic crisis in the history of the world, absent famine, war and disease. It’s pretty bad. Italy has no hope,” says Gundlach matter-of-factly.
    “The Federal Reserve bought the bonds from the deficits of 2011, 2012 and 2013, and those will roll off increasingly over time. Come 2020 you are not just financing massive entitlements like Social Security and Medicare but also old debt. No one talks about that. It’s a big deal. China doesn’t have the demographics to buy that debt. Who’s going to buy it?”
    The coming debt storm–which Gundlach says is too early to worry about tactically–will hit financial markets just as DoubleLine approaches its tenth anniversary in business.
    Giant pension funds and endowments are typically plodding in the redeployment of assets because it often requires coordinating board meetings, soliciting bids from new firms, listening to presentations and gathering votes. But with tens of billions likely to shift out of PIMCO over the next few months, DoubleLine is buzzing with activity. The task at hand is proving to existing clients and to new ones that the drama days are over and DoubleLine is all grown up.
  • MAPIX dividend update.
    The 3.14% was through 9/30/14. The 1.38% was through yesterday and assume OJ's reflects today's decline and hence 1.05%
  • MAPIX dividend update.
    Our good friends at M* have it up by 1.05% YTD. Any way you look at this, it ain't too hot. (Then again, M* didn't really say which year, either.)
  • dsenx explainer
    Hey David, I didn't mean all down days, just a few here and there, which surprised me because of how well it charts overall. But after hearing the presentation, it seemed to make sense that every once in a while, it must be that one of the invested sectors takes an outsized hit or the bond sleeve drops a little in price.
    It's still on the shortlist at this house for the U.S. stock piece in a rollover IRA that'll happen later in '15.
  • A Portfolio Review Question
    I'm recently retired and currently in Vanguard Wellesley and Wellington at 50stk/50bds. I’m concerned with the potential of increasing rates to negatively impact my portfolio. The PF is small, and is used mainly for the extras. My SS & pensions cover daily expenses except travel and yearly expenses like auto insurance ect. I’d like some feedback on this portfolio vs. W/W.
    Wellesley: vwiax 25%
    Wellington: vwelx 38%
    Intermediate Bond Index: vbiix OR Dodge Income dodix 15%
    Equity & Income: veipx 8%
    High Dividend Yield: vhdyx 8%
    Should I stick with W/W or make the shift to this new portfolio?
  • A New Twist on an Easy All-in-One Fund (GAA)
    This Mebane F. global allocation fund's apparently less tactical nature might be what eventually sets it apart from his disappointing first shot in the general category. It would have been very helpful if the WSJ writer had simply asked the question that begged (actually, shouted out) to be asked: what specifically about this new fund is going to make it more successful than GTAA has been?
    By the way, there's at least one other cheap global allocation fund-of-etf's that's done fairly well: GAL, State Street's, using SPDR etf's (but typically heavier in equity than GAA appears it will be), 0.35 E.R., ~ +7.5% one year total return.
  • And how some funds may be affected today. Yes, just one day; but a nasty looking graphic.....
    Hi Catch
    How WHICH funds may be affected? I see categories of various investments. Maybe missing it - but no particular funds. Of course, an index fund would closely track its benchmark.
    It would be interesting if some site would list individual funds (PRNEX or DODIX for example) and attempt to project the day's close based on available data. That's like trying to hit a moving target. There's the lag in a fund's reporting of holdings. And the markets changing constantly. You'd also have to factor in the effect of "fair value pricing" on certain international funds. But, would be interesting and shorter-term fund traders would have a ball.
    Gold's moving up nicely as of recent. Wonder how much of that is the Greenspan effect? Oil is rebounding a bit today after hitting a 5-year low yesterday. I follow commodities a bit, and can tell you it's been rough across the board. Looking at Energy & AG one might conclude that we're about to cease both driving and eating.
    -
    PS: Wife says buy coca. She just ordered some Gardelli chocolates from Amazon. It's up 20-30% from month or two earlier. Go figure..
  • dsenx explainer
    from the DSENX report end September:
    \\ In the six-month period ended September 30, 2014, the DoubleLine Shiller Enhanced CAPE returned 7.39% and the S&P 500 Index returned 6.42%. The DoubleLine Shiller Enhanced CAPE performance was due to a 6.05% return from exposure to the Shiller Barclays CAPE U.S. Sector Total Return Index and a 1.34% return from the fixed income portfolio. Hence the key driver of outperformance was the fixed income portfolio. The Shiller Barclays CAPE U.S. Sector Total Return Index was exposed to the healthcare, industrials, technology and energy sectors throughout the six-month period. All four of these sectors contributed positively to return with technology contributing the largest amount (2.58%) and industrials contributing the least (0.36%). The fixed income collateral pool was primarily driven by a rally in emerging market debt and mortgage-backed securities. The worst performing sector of the bond market was the high yield sector as new issuance was in excess of investor demand.
    Don't know whether to transfer retirement equity fund moneys into this or not.
  • And how some funds may be affected today. Yes, just one day; but a nasty looking graphic.....
    Yes, tis only a partial day snapshot at 10:45 am, EST; but I view this page a few times each day and I have not seen such a nasty graphic of the combined global markets.....period.
    For those not familiar with Google Finance's home page; view their global markets list, on the right side of the page.
    At this point in time; investment grade bonds will be about the only friend to your monies.
    WORLD MARKETS:
    Google Finance Home Page
    EDIT: per @hank and his note. "And how some funds may be affected today"; implied a specifc. The intention is more towards equity funds of just about any flavor at this time; although a continuation of so far today would allow one to discover how the equity futures/long-short funds are currently applying their monies based upon human thinking and/or the algo machine. And, of course; the inverse funds may end well today.
    On the other hand, as the saying goes...........may be a buying opportunity in some sectors.
    Well, best to all, with the monies.
    Catch
  • Big-Cap Stock Funds Tend To Lag
    FYI: Though large-cap stock mutual funds are outperforming this year, they have trailed their small- and midcap counterparts the past 15 years.
    A $10,000 investment in the average big-cap fund on Sept. 30, 1999, would have grown to $19,404. The same investment would have grown to $39,477 in midcap funds, $42,472 in small-cap funds and $21,566 in the S&P 500, according to Morningstar Inc. data.
    Regards,
    Ted
    http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act?fuid=MTg3MzkwOTg=
    Enlarged Graphic: http://news.investors.com/photopopup.aspx?path=WEBlv120914.gif&docId=729670&xmpSource=&width=1000&height=1152&caption=&id=729671
  • Liquid Alts. How much of your portfolio should be in them?
    Have 5% in one; may go to 10 with a second one, but haven't narrowed the list down sufficiently yet to pick el segundo.
  • A New Twist on an Easy All-in-One Fund (GAA)
    @kevindow.
    You're tough.
    I can certainly understand disappointment with GTAA, we all can, but underwhelmed by SYLD? Here are numbers thru October...
    image
    image
    Its performance since inception has attracted the highest AUM by far of any EtF not tracking an index.
    Hard for me not to like this fund.
    As for GVAL, that's a long term holding by nature...most hated companies in most hated countries. So, short term at least, expect to spend time in the barrel.
    I think GAA will be shot-across-the-bow at high er/fee money managers employing buy & hold tactics within the allocation strategy space. Will be interesting to see how certain Target Allocation funds, for example, stack-up against GAA going forward.
  • Morningstar's Portfolio Manager Price Updating Concern ...
    --From Morningstar Discussion forum
    ---Monday 7:08 pm EST
    -- Vanguard Windsor 2 =VWNFX still not UPDATED !!!
    This post will total 107 REPLYS by M* MEMBERS on the Morningstar discuss. board
    ---SINCE 5/15/ 2013 !!!!
    HELLO-HELLO anyone home @ MONINGSTAR ??!!!
    Ralph
  • EP Strategic US Equity and the EuroPac Hard Asset Funds to liquidate
    http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1318342/000139834414006284/fp0012422_497.htm
    497 1 fp0012422_497.htm
    EP Strategic US Equity Fund and
    EuroPac Hard Asset Fund
    (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”)
    A series of Investment Managers Series Trust (the “Trust”)
    Supplement dated December 8, 2014 to the
    Prospectus dated March 1, 2014 and the Statement of Additional Information dated March 1, 2014, as amended November 18, 2014
    The Board of Trustees of the Trust has approved separate Plans of Liquidation for each of the EP Strategic US Equity Fund and the EuroPac Hard Asset Fund which authorize the termination, liquidation and dissolution of each Fund. In order to effect such liquidations, the Funds are closed to all new investment. Shareholders may redeem their shares until the date of liquidation.
    Each Fund will be liquidated on or about January 8, 2015 (the “Liquidation Date”). On or promptly after the Liquidation Date, each Fund will make a liquidating distribution to each of its remaining shareholders equal to each shareholder’s proportionate interest in the net assets of the Fund, in complete redemption and cancellation of the Fund’s shares held by the shareholder, and the Fund will be dissolved.
    Please contact the Funds at 1-888-558-5851 if you have any questions or need assistance.
    Please file this Supplement with your records.