@Old_Skeet - You did well and stuck with your methodology. I like a bond-only portfolio because of the lower maximum draw down, which was 0.8% vs 8.5% for the S&P in Feb 2016.
I hope we all do well in 2017.

QUSIX is available at Scottrade for initial minimum of $100.00 in a regular account/non-taxable accounts with T/F.

Some strong candidates. Its only for 2016 but I have been invested in twvlx since 1994 and tweix since 2006. IMO Mr. Davidson and team consistently have provided good risk/return performances over multiple time frames and cycles.
http://corporate.morningstar.com/us/asp/subject.aspx?xmlfile=174.xml&filter=PR5719

Since, the topic has move to portfolio and investment performance Morningstar reports my investment return for 2016 at 10.1% while my brokerge house reports my combined account(s) returned 8.3% for the year which includes my sizeable cash position of about 20%. My bogey, the Lipper Balanced Index, is being reported to have returned 7.0% for 2016. With this, I score myself successful for the past year although my return fell short of my five year average return of 9.0%. I use my five year average return rate to help set my portfolio's annual distribution rate. Generally, I take no more than a sum equal to one halve of my five year average return.
My best performing sleeve for 2016 was my small/mid cap sleeve found in the growth area of my postfolio with a return of 38.7%. The next two best were found in the growth & income area of my portfolio with my domestic equity sleeve which returned 16.8% which edeged out my domestic hybrid sleeve with a return of 16.6%.
Seems though some of you active bond fellas (Junkster & SlowLane) left me snockered with your returns. I am happy with my return so I know you two have to be excitied with yours.
For infromation purposes and according to Instant Xray my portfolio bubbles at 20% cash, 25% bonds, 34% US stocks, 16% foreign stocks and 5% other as I open 2017.
Wishing everyone "Good Investing" as we move through 2017.
Again, nice going @Junkster & @SlowLane!
Old_Skeet

Fidelity will accept $2500 for QUSIX in an IRA.
Fidelity will likely let you transfer in shares (e.g. from Vanguard) to a taxable account even if you don't have $1M. But you should check to be sure, and also make sure that they'll let you buy more once you transfer the shares in.

A shares make sense if you hold them for long periods of time ( usually 7 years or longer) to take advantage of their generally lower ER, even factoring in the opportunity cost of not investing the 5.75% immediately. ... If you use a broker whose advice you find excellent, this is a small price to pay and probably a better deal than the 1% of all assets Merrill Lynch is reportedly going to charge their customers yearly. ... There are some brokers whose advice is excellent. Advisers, fee only or in wrap accounts or whatever, will not work for nothing. I would rather know what I was paying them than find hidden fees buried in the prospectus

John Rekenthaler, Vice President of Research at M* would seem to agree with you. He makes essentially the same point in Barron's ("The View From 30,000 Feet" - Jan. 9, 2017). Rekenthaler adds: "I think A shares, in which you pay a one time commission (known as a load) are underappreciated."
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(This is from the print edition. However, Ted's recent link, "How to Pick Great Funds", should take you to the online version.)

My portfolio of solely bond funds was up 12.26% in 2016. But I can't hold a candle to @Junkster records of beating the S&P.
I posted my returns on Bogleheads last week (Trader/Investor) and talk about close 12.36% which reflect our similar style. Those higher commissions Scottrade instituted last year take a toll and the last many months I have done very little in and out. I have found it has helped my bottom line staying the course and getting those dividends being fully invested. Of course not much volatility either the past many months so not a lot of reasons to make many moves. That suits me just fine. Good luck in 2017. As always I am fearful and not complacent.

Fidelity wants $1MM to get in to QUSIX, but Vanguard will accept $10,000.
I have roughly equal amounts in QUSIX and GPROX.

Recently sold: EIFAX
Recently bought: GWMEX
Corp High Yield 42% (IVHIX, BHYSX)
Bank Loan Funds 30% (HFRZX, BXFYX)
Muni High Yield 28% (GWMEX)
I sold EIFAX and have been easing into GWMEX. EIFAX had a good 2016, but it has been lagging. Muni junk has been looking better.
My portfolio of solely bond funds was up 12.26% in 2016. But I can't hold a candle to @Junkster records of beating the S&P.

Two trades late December:
Sold remaining shares of PRNEX - up 25% in 2016.
Bought PIEQX - up 1.43% in 2016.
Sell high. Buy low.
"Nobody's ever made money in commodities."

I continue to DCA into SFGIX through my 401K at work. I'm very confident with the fund's management and think the sector is pretty beat up at the moment.

55% in bank loan fund BXFYX and 45% in junk corporate IVHIX. Bank loans are overloved and overbought while junk corporates are just overbought. Since 12/08 my goal has been to beat the S&P total return trading bond funds and with minimal drawdown. Except for 2013 made my goal. Something tells me unless 2017 is a bear market for stocks, I will fall short of my goal this year.

dealbreaker.com/2017/01/jeff-gundlach-bill-gross-shade-war/
Ah, journalism, it's different today from when I was a lad. The picture itself is actually better than the story:

I am not sure there is a compelling reason to own smallcap value or smallcap growth per se. Why not look at the entire Intl smallcap space? QUSIX has been a good option for actively-managed funds. I would compare it to DLS even though DLS is a lot more dividend oriented. Expenses are a big deal. You will pay 73 bps more for active management that won a bit over five years, broke even over three, and lagged by 600 bps over last 12 months. Will management be able to match the 5-year comparison going forward? SCZ is a blend of value and growth. It has similar numbers with expenses of only 40 bps. Also note that QUSIX has about 20% in EM small caps, so the potential volatility is higher. Maybe the bigger question is whether you need an international small cap at all. Will this really bump your returns or just increase the potential risk?

In addition to having no alternatives in Annuities and some 401k, some of us have worked with brokers in the past who only have access to A or C shares. I have done the math many times, and old_skeet is correct... A shares make sense if you hold them for long periods of time ( usually 7 years or longer) to take advantage of their generally lower ER, even factoring in the opportunity cost of not investing the 5.75% immediately.
If you use a broker whose advice you find excellent, this is a small price to pay and probably a better deal than the 1% of all assets Merrill Lynch is reportedly going to charge their customers yearly.
There are some brokers whose advice is excellent. Advisers, fee only or in wrap accounts or whatever, will not work for nothing. I would rather know what I was paying them than find hidden fees buried in the prospectus

@LLJB

I'm a little surprised Intrepid has only been able to raise $17MM in assets with a good record over more than 2 years. It almost seems like the risk of liquidation for ICMIX could be pretty high if it doesn't garner a good amount more interest in the next 12 months. They're eating almost half of expenses under the expense waiver and that most likely means "future" shareholders will eventually bear those costs if the expense ratio eventually falls below the waiver.

Thank you for your preceding comments. Let me add a few points.
Intrepid seeks to put the shareholder’s interests first and generate great risk-adjusted returns. They have six different mutual fund strategies launched since 2005 and have been patient with each of these strategies, recognizing that it takes time for the asset base to grow and for the funds to start showing up on screens.
They give every fund they launch a multiyear timeframe to prove itself, which should at least reflect a full market cycle, and specifically have little expectation that any new fund will grow materially until it secures a three-year track record and receives a Morningstar rating.
ICMIX is on track with their initial assumptions for asset growth, does not foresee eliminating its expense ratio caps, and hopes to reduce the expense ratios as the fund grows.
As Franklin said in his 3Q 16 commentary, “Thank you for letting us build”, i.e., the building process takes time, and that being patient and building the portfolio right pays off for everyone.
I appreciate your interest in this month's article.
Best.

I know this is mostly mutual funds, but I also read a couple of stock newsletters too, esp dividend oriented ones and pick up a small position when something sounds cheap or reasonable. I missed GM last month so bit on CVS rather than add to VIG or VDGIX.
Added to POLRX 12/30 after I sold some of my much appreciated indiviual stocks (since 1998!) to take advantage of capital losses last year and diversify a bit. More to VASVX NCAVX and but afraid I missed a lot of the rally.
Still very uncertain what to do about Fixed Income. I am concerned the burgeoning inflation pressures will destroy anything but short term bonds, but at yields of 1% why bother? Surely this news is baked into the prices, but if you believe standard ideas, the 10 year returns on Intermediate Bonds will only match their current yields.
Sure hope the Winklevoss's Bitcoin ETF gets approved... It would be fun to speculate a little Buy at $400 sell at $1000! One billion Chinese investors can't be wrong!

bought little of CANADIAN NAT RES LTD NOTE CALL MAKE WHOLE 7.20000% 01/15/2032 cusip 136385AC5 last wk

We paid a load on a bunch of AF A-shares back in the early 00s when we transferred our full-service portfolio to (then) AG Edwards and let the new broker/FA manage part of the portfolio .... and before we really looked into/thought about loads. All have performed admirably since then and I've more than recouped those fees. And tbh, although that particular account is mainly a hands-off one[1] with very little trading activity except when we make minor stock swaps on the "individual equity side" we lucked out and have a really good, low-key, no-pressure and conscientious broker/FA there.
But would I buy a loaded fund now? Unless there's a really really compelling reason (which I doubt) .... ABSOLUTELY NOT.
[1] My TDA account is much more active, but that's still not saying much since I'm not an active trader anymore.