Please find the following links to our first-ever Zoom Webinars ... both sessions generated positive feedback and follow-up ... several questions in first session especially. As touted by chip, thought the process was easy, which bodes well for future sessions.
Please fast-forward past the funny looking host with spectacles at beginning! Will be sure to better align camera angle next time. The sound, intro charts, and live demos though came out well.
I've included link to our intro charts as well, which includes summary of concurrent chat session questions/comments.

• MFO Premium Search Tools Webinar Recording - Wednesday, 16 August 2017, 3 pm Eastern
  
• MFO Premium Search Tools Webinar Recording - Wednesday, 16 August 2017, 8 pm Eastern
  
• Intro Charts

Thank you all for attending and your continued support!
As David discussed in this month's commentary, gentle reminder that we will be providing a live, interactive walk through of the MFO Premium screeners and analytics.
Throughout our intention will be to highlight unique insights those tools provide individual investors and financial advisers … and the attendant benefits to themselves and their clients.
Plan on about 1 hour. There are two sessions scheduled for this coming Wednesday, one at 3 pm eastern, and one at 8 pm eastern.
If you have not already received a registration confirmation, you can register directly via the links below:

• MFO Premium Search Tools Webinar - Wednesday, 16 August 2017, 3 pm Eastern
  
• MFO Premium Search Tools Webinar - Wednesday, 16 August 2017, 8 pm Eastern

Here is the fixed link to the MFO thread on developed small caps:
http://www.mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/34561/investing-in-developed-markets-think-small

Calling seems like the best idea. Here's what I see when I try to do an exchange from a fund I have in an HSA account with TDA (I don't keep spare cash on the brokerage side) to GMLVX. This is from the order comfirm page, right before finalizing the order:

Details About the Fund You're Selling
Open for Investment: 	 	Closed to New 	
Transaction Fee: 		No 	
CDSC Charge: 	 	 	0.00% 	
Cut Off Time: 	 	 	4:00 PM EST 	
Settlement Date: 		T+1 	
Redemption: 	 		None 	
See prospectus for more information. 	
Details About the Fund You're Buying
Initial IRA Minimum Amount: 	0.00 	
IRA Subsequent Amounts:	0.00 	
Open for Investment: 		Yes 	
Transaction Fee: 	 	Yes 	
Cut Off Time: 	 	 	4:00 PM EST 	
Settlement Date: 	 	T+1 	
Redemption: 	 	 	None 	
Purchase Fee: 	 	 	0.00% 	
CDSC Charge: 	 	 	0.00% 	
Sales Charge:  	 	0.00% 	
See prospectus for more information.

The problem is that this is what I see whether I enter GMLVX, or a DFA fund (e.g. DFCSX, see MFO thread on developed small caps), or other institutional class funds that aren't readily available.
FWIW, MOWNX shows up as an NTF fund with a $2500 min on the order confirm page, otherwise it appears the same as well. Advisor-only shares, like WASYX (see this MFO thread) show up NTF, $0 min on the order confirm page, but their TDA fund pages likewise say "Not Available through TD Ameritrade"
Maybe if I pressed the "Place Order" button the system would even accept the order. The question is whether the order would actually go through. Again, calling seems like the best bet - just hope you get someone who digs a little deeper than reading off the same screen.

This write is DATED: March 24, 2016
Two large hedged etf's, HEDJ and DXJ were funky, along with other OEF's during the 18 month or so period noted by the author.
Chart of both of the above since the publish date of the article. They are not loud barking equity return dogs:
http://stockcharts.com/freecharts/perf.php?DXJ,HEDJ&n=350&O=011000

FYI: The money mavens have peered into their crystal balls and they foresee trouble. Just don’t ask how much because investor behavior has turned a new shade of unpredictable.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2017-08-11/investors-cloud-the-market-doomsayers-crystal-ball

FYI: THIS BULL MARKET is more than eight years old, U.S. stocks are undoubtedly expensive and there’s even talk of war. Tempted to sell? Problem is, there was also ample reason to be worried three years ago and yet here we are, with shares both higher and more richly valued.
What to do? I fall back on my standard advice: Forget trying to forecast the market’s short-term direction and instead focus on taking the right amount of risk. That brings me to two quick-and-easy ways to analyze your portfolio.
Regards,
Ted
http://www.humbledollar.com/2017/08/measure-for-measure/

FYI: The financial whizzes cocooned in the serene offices of the Sequoia Fund atop one of New York’s iconic office buildings seem far removed from the noise of the city far below.
But the 47-year-old mutual fund known as much for its ties to billionaire Warren Buffett as for its uncanny stock picks that created massive wealth for clients — retirement funds, pension funds, university endowments and regular-Joe investors — has had to descend from its lofty perch in the past two years and rescue its good name.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/an-epic-winning-streak-on-wall-street--then-one-ugly-loss/2017/08/11/137fc2dc-7637-11e7-8839-ec48ec4cae25_story.html
M* Snapshot SEQUX:
http://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/sequx/quote.html
Lipper Snapshot SEQUX:
http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/fund/sequx
SEQUX Is Ranked #245 In The (LCG) Fund Category By U.S. News & World Report:
https://money.usnews.com/funds/mutual-funds/large-growth/sequoia-fund/sequx

@Paul947& MFO Members: U.S. News & World Report Ranks GMLVX # 1 In t (DEM) fund category.
Regards,
Ted
https://money.usnews.com/funds/mutual-funds/diversified-emerging-mkts/guidemark-emerging-markets-fund/gmlvx

My usual threshold question before I go past screening a fund is to check whether I could buy the fund. Are these shares available to you? (So far, I haven't found any back doors to invest without using an advisor, though M* claims that it is available through TIAA. I don't have access to the TIAA brokerage fund list, so I can't verify.)
The next thing I do is check manager tenure - are the performance figures meaningful (especially since you placed emphasis on ten year performance)? One notices that the managers changed completely less than three years ago, and that the fund is subadvised by Goldman Sachs. That suggests a possible subadvisor change in 2015.
A quick check of the SAI says that " on October 9, 2015, ... the name of the GuideMark® Large Cap Value Fund was changed to GuideMark® Emerging Markets Fund."
For completeness, a review of the last prospectus (July 31, 2015) before the name change confirms that GuideMark® Large Cap Value Fund (GMLVX) had been subadvised by Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC. That's a good management shop. Vanguard employs them for some of their funds, such as VASVX and VWNFX. But EM it's not.
Everyone should read a fund's prospectus, though even without that one can see this change on the M* fund performance page, where M* classifies the fund as LCV through 2015.
Edit: Out of curiosity, I ran the same screen - below average (or better) risk, 3 and 5 year performance in top quartile, ten year performance in top half. The elephant in the room, NWFFX, passes this screen, as does HLMEX though that fund is closed.

This is a strange one, but I think this is what you were missing- M* categorizes the fund as 'Large Value' until 2016 when it became an emerging markets fund. The fund was sub-advised by a firm called Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss until late 2015 when Goldman Sachs became the sub-advisor and put managers on the fund who came to them in a mid-2014 acquisition. I went back to the SEC filings from 2015 and indeed, the fund was called the GuideMark Large Cap Value fund and it's holdings were all big US companies until late 2015. I guess that means anything more than 18 months of performance comparison to emerging markets is meaningless.

MFO has favorably reviewed a number of emerging market funds in recent years. Among those with at least five years of history are Fidelity Total EM (FTEMX), City National Rochdale (CNRYX), Seafarer G&I (SIGIX) and Driehaus (DRESX). Using MFO Premium, each of these funds looks good but GuideMark EM (GMLVX) seems to look better than each of those (with CNRYX a close 2nd.)
I used Morningstar and MFO Premium to examine performance. Morningstar rates CNRYX a 5 star. For funds with below average risk but with 5 year and 3 year returns in the top quartile, it is 1 of 7 funds. Adding a requirement of 10 year performance in the top half, it is the only fund. It shows up extremely well using the MFO Premium tool. Its MFO Ratings, MFO Rank %, Ulcer Index and Bear Market Ratings show an EM fund that protects on the downside while delivering top tier returns.
What am I missing?

Lewis Braham gets an Old_Skeet ata-boy award today for his article: "How Much Are You Paying for Your Portfolio?" For me, according to Moringstar's Instant Xray analysis I am paying 0.87%. That is a good bit less that the standard 1% wrap fee most advisors charge plus there are also the fees associated with the assets one might hold that come from the etf or fund company. With this, I'm thinking since I am for the most part a buy and hold investor, in A share mutual funds, I've got a good deal. In addition, should I wish to reallocate my weightings within my portfolio I am free to do nav exchanges form one fund to another fund within the same family of funds with no additional charges by the fund company and/or to my broker/advisor.
As Flo says ... on the Geico commericals ... "Feeling Pretty Good!"
Old_Skeet

FYI: (Click On Article Title At Top Of Google Search)
Investors are embracing the fee-based model of paying an advisor. But some pay less and get better results when they pay commissions.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.google.com/search?site=&source=hp&q=How+Much+Are+You+Paying+for+Your+Portfolio?++Barron's&oq=How+Much+Are+You+Paying+for+Your+Portfolio?++Barron's&gs_l=psy-ab.3...3991.10090.0.10330.12.11.0.0.0.0.90.748.11.11.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..1.10.683.6..35i39k1j33i22i29i30k1j33i160k1j33i21k1.zaRNiRgMQIM

FYI: (Click On Article Title At Top Of Google Search)
After 14 years of working together, sitting side by side, Jenna Barnard and John Pattullo finish each other’s sentences, laugh at wonky jokes, and know how to walk the line between unwavering respect and spirited debate.
The co-managers of the $417 million Janus Henderson Strategic Income fund (ticker: HFAAX) have shared periods of stress—they took over the portfolio at the end of 2008, after it had lost 39% of its value.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.google.com/search?site=&source=hp&q=Bond+Managers+Who+Don’t+Fear+Rising+Rates+Barron's&oq=Bond+Managers+Who+Don’t+Fear+Rising+Rates+Barron's&gs_l=psy-ab.3...4064.10994.0.11321.12.11.0.0.0.0.85.765.11.11.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..1.7.493.6..35i39k1j33i160k1j33i21k1.M4TQxiDrIL0
M* Snapshot HFAAX:
http://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/hfaax/quote.html
Lipper Snapshot FHAAX:
http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/fund/hfaax
HFAAX Is Ranked #6 In The (WB) Fund Category By U.S. News & World Report:
https://money.usnews.com/funds/mutual-funds/world-bond/janus-henderson-strategic-income-fund/hfaax

Hi Fundalarm,
I completely agree with everything that you said in your excellent post. I not only concur with the general thrust of your comments, but with every single claim. Your profession does provide a useful and meaningful service to many investors.
When I started to invest in circa 1960, I knew very little of market mechanisms, realized my many shortcomings, and employed a financial advisor. He not only provided a needed service, he was also a superior teacher.
After a few years I gained sufficient knowledge and confidence to do my own investment sorting and decision making. I still apply many of the lessons and bits of wisdom that he taught me. In no way do I regret that learning experience. That advisor definitely earned his pay.
I fully understand your cautionary comment that closed your post. There are a few MFO members who harbor deep personal grudges for unspecified and unreasonable reasons. Pity these poor souls! Their comments are easily discounted and discarded.
Best Wishes for your continued success in helping hapless investors. They do exist, even on this fine website.

I am an FA with mostly fiduciary practice. one needs to understand that not everyone is as sophisticated as some contributors to this forum. I see PhD's and MD's who sit in concentrated positions of their company's stock or have other broker relationships that fill them with annuities and mutual fund C-shares. so you might want to demolish the industry all you want, but many find real value in financial planning and guidance and are willing to pay the extra 50 bps (over robo-advisors) for a 1% fee that includes not just money management, but also tax evaluation, withdrawal recommendations, and an impartial advice on all other financial issues -- trusts, adequacy of insurance, home borrowing, etc.
please do not be vile in your responses, even if you don't believe in the industry.
respectfully, fa

Pardon me for not having read the technical manual (if there is one), but I'm wondering why an OT Bullpen thread I commented on today hasn't "magically" sprung back to life. Perhaps that lack of movement is a commentary on my post :-)
In any case, FWIW, here's the thread - I added a note/link that full enactment of the DOL/fiduciary rule just got delayed, again.
http://www.mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/33193/dol-fiduciary-rule-to-go-into-effect-june-9

Ditto what Ted said. As stated before, I find watching funds and sectors mildly amusing - perhaps even educational. Rarely buy or sell, so that's not much of a consideration.
Three I track: HSGFX gained 1.23%, but is still firmly in the ash-heap for the year. DSENX, a board favorite, lost 1.48% - which ain't bad. PRGMX (Ginny Mae) held flat. Am surprised it didn't gain.
Mine overall (includes cash) lost .41% - better than my benchmark TRRIX which fell .58%. That's about what I'd expect, having been in defensive mode for awhile. Gainers were 3 income funds DODIX, RPSIX, PRFHX and also a gold fund, OPGSX. Notable was PRPFX which lost just .25%.
Like Faulkner, I sense this is all sound and fury - signifying nothing. Get a couple back to back 500-point down-days in the Dow and many will consider cutting and running. Followed the markets for 50 years and can tell you that's the way it always goes.
-
@Crash - Re "Bad day" ... Surely you jest!
(But good to see you back :))

FYI: Millennials are driving the nearly $9 trillion sustainable investing market, according to a survey of 1,000 investors by Morgan Stanley's Institute for Sustainable Investing.
Despite recent strides in the space, the belief that sustainable investing solutions deliver weaker returns remains prevalent.
Regards,
Ted
http://www.businessinsider.com/morgan-stanley-report-on-wall-street-sustainability-2017-8

I'm a little surprised that the Stalwarts funds were introduced because they wanted to create some room for people, advisors mostly I guess, to invest more money, but the 2 funds have only garnered $500 million. That's not a small amount of money compared to their total AUM and it's not bad for funds that are a bit less than 2 years old, but I'm a little surprised they're not bigger considering everything else is hard closed.
Sorry for a tangent about the search tools- isn't it a little strange that we have, what, 10,000 unique mutual funds and etfs out there but there are categories like International Small/Mid Cap Value with only 13 funds? It suggests there's either too many categories or a surprising absence of funds in that space. It might also be that they're putting too many funds into "multi-cap" because I've seen quite a few funds with that designation in a couple of different discussions now and that's not how I've ever thought about quite a few of those funds. It made me wonder why there's not a "value with a bit of growth" or "growth at a reasonable price" category. :)