Seriously. All charts all over are signaling "sell" signal.

Everything is screaming sell except the VIX. Very rarely goes above 40. However, the datapoints below aren't useful, because buy signal happened 10/10/2008, after SP500 dropped from 1300 to 900, with low under 700.
With economies slowing down, SP500 triple from bottom, SP500 death cross, why didn't I go more in cash last week? Maybe on next uptick, get out slowly.
http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/content/analysis/2015/08/24/is-it-safe-to-fade-the-latest-vix-rip?utm_source=SR&utm_medium=Link&utm_campaign=Recap

I too was on vacation and came back to a slightly different portfolio. In the two weeks, of my etfs, VNQ lost the least, funds FRUAX and MMUIX (utilities)and surprisingly OSMYX my small cap intl. Of my stocks, Southwest Ar (LUV) only was down 2% in that period. Poetic justice for me on LUV since while trying to get to Myrtle Beach by air, was stranded in Baltimore on the 15th, took 7 hours to find my luggage since all aircraft grounded due to that "glich" at FAA then had to drive to Myrtle Beach (9 hours). Maybe that was the harbinger of things to come :). Got home today to portfolio that to say the least, was a bit lower. Did manage to catch an octopus while deep sea fishing though. I thought I had caught my line on the bottom it felt so heavy reeling it in :)

Dex, It wasn't I that pointed out HYD as more times than I can count I have lambasted junk ETFs on this board. Today is yet another example as HYD was down over 1% while the open end were unchanged to up. Check out NSIOX or the more conservative VWAHX.

Junkster, I sold my positions in SNTIX and VWAHX due to the sharp downturn in HYD over the last two days, which I feared would send the open end munis reeling downward. Since most open end munis were up today, I'm wondering if they'll be down tomorrow due to a lag effect. Or maybe the open ends and HYD have no reliable relation to each other.
If the markets in general stabilize and the open end munis continue upward, I'll get back in, probably via ABHYX, which looks promising.

I prefer to look at TFI intraday. It's becoming more and more of an inexact science not just in the munis but the corporates figuring how the open end will price based on the action intraday of their ETF brothers. TLT is due for a bad day and I am looking to add to the munis. Albeit they have been pretty resilient lately on such days. Nothing wrong with ABHYX. I prefer NSIOX, MMIIX, or DVHIX. As I mentioned earlier, I bet you are ahead of 99% on this board YTD.

Dex, It wasn't I that pointed out HYD as more times than I can count I have lambasted junk ETFs on this board. Today is yet another example as HYD was down over 1% while the open end were unchanged to up. Check out NSIOX or the more conservative VWAHX.

Junkster, I sold my positions in SNTIX and VWAHX due to the sharp downturn in HYD over the last two days, which I feared would send the open end munis reeling downward. Since most open end munis were up today, I'm wondering if they'll be down tomorrow due to a lag effect. Or maybe the open ends and HYD have no reliable relation to each other.
If the markets in general stabilize and the open end munis continue upward, I'll get back in, probably via ABHYX, which looks promising.

Yes, Dan Sullivan is one of the better ones out there. And as you mentioned, he has a real money account. Must be a big difference between a timer and a trader (and there is) as I could never imagine sitting through the drawdown Mr Sullivan must have had until his end of the day sell signal this evening. Congrats on being 60% in cash last Thursday. Rule #1 in wealth accumulation for a trader - Don't lose! Meaning, never sit in a losing position and never allow a winner to turn into a loser.

Dex, It wasn't I that pointed out HYD as more times than I can count I have lambasted junk ETFs on this board. Today is yet another example as HYD was down over 1% while the open end were unchanged to up. Check out NSIOX or the more conservative VWAHX.

Including interest as of today I'm up 6.8%. I think HYD will recover fairly well in the short term.
NHMAX also held up very well but that has a 4.2% load - I got some of that what Fidelity didn't have a load on it.

Dex, It wasn't I that pointed out HYD as more times than I can count I have lambasted junk ETFs on this board. Today is yet another example as HYD was down over 1% while the open end were unchanged to up. Check out NSIOX or the more conservative VWAHX.

Here is another take on QLACs: http://andrewtobias.com/column/qlacs/

In reality annuities are a poor investment. Even more so in this low interest rate environment. The article above has some errors but makes two good points. An annuity can give you piece of mind and are best for those who live to a ripe old age into the 90s. If you purchase a QLAC for the maximum amount of $125,000 at age 70 and receive payments beginning at 80, those first five years you are basically just getting back your $125,000. I may rethink these QLACs when I turn 70 and hopefully have a larger nest egg.

@msf Yup. I don't imagine it's that hard - they already have to block you from some securities if you're not "special" (e.g. an accredited investor).
I got into TIBIX at Schwab for $100k by begging!

Well isn't that special (Schwab normally sells those shares only to institutional investors).

Also, some brokers may not be as diligent as others in tracking what states a mutual fund is registered in. Case in point, earlier this year I tried to buy PVFIX at Fido and Schwab but was turned down by both since it was not registered in my state. After emailing the fund and learning from manager John Deysher that there were no plans to register the fund in my state any time soon, I placed an order for it at TD Ameritrade and it went through without a hitch.
(Since I’m not sure what that says about TD’s compliance procedures, I’m going to transfer the shares to one of my other accounts once I’m beyond the account bonus pull-back period.)

@msf Yup. I don't imagine it's that hard - they already have to block you from some securities if you're not "special" (e.g. an accredited investor).
I got into TIBIX at Schwab for $100k by begging!

Well isn't that special (Schwab normally sells those shares only to institutional investors).

FYI: Chinese authorities are in the process of regulating stock market sell-offs out of existence. They’re investigating foreign and local hedge funds that trade in both directions, outlawing the selling of insider shares by corporate executives and banning short-selling.
Regards,
Ted
http://thereformedbroker.com/2015/08/23/why-the-stock-market-has-to-go-down/

FYI: After a nice up day last Monday, the S&P 500 fell sharply over the final four days of the trading week. For the full week, the index was down 5.69% — it’s first 5%+ decline since September 2011. Since 1980, the S&P has only had 28 other 5%+ down weeks. Below is a table of them that shows the index’s performance over the following week, four weeks and twelve weeks.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.bespokepremium.com/think-big-blog/sp-500-weekly-drops-of-5/

Below are the holdings for TIBIX.
Cash 1.45%
US Stock 36.87%
Non US Stock 51.33%
Bond 4.94%
Other 5.41%
As of 06/30/2015

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/923184/000119312515299307/d29024d497.htm
SUPPLEMENT DATED AUGUST 24, 2015
TO THE INVESTOR CLASS PROSPECTUS OF
MATTHEWS ASIA FUNDS
DATED APRIL 30, 2015 (AS SUPPLEMENTED)
The Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund (MAPTX) will resume accepting orders to purchase shares from new investors effective August 24, 2015.
As of August 24, 2015, all references in the Prospectus to the Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund being closed to new investors (including page 17 of the Prospectus) or investing in or exchanging shares into a closed fund, and the information under the caption “Who Can Invest in a Closed Fund?” (page 85 of the Prospectus) are hereby removed in their entirety.
Please refer to page 82 of the Prospectus for information on how to purchase shares of the Matthews Pacific Tiger Fund.
Please retain this Supplement with your records.

@msf Yup. I don't imagine it's that hard - they already have to block you from some securities if you're not "special" (e.g. an accredited investor).
I got into TIBIX at Schwab for $100k by begging!

So Ken Moraif is managing $3 billion.......
Hmm....average account size $500,000
My guess is that the fees on these $500,000 accounts is close to 1%.
So that is $30 million per year for managing money.
It's a can't lose business, because you get paid the same $3 million no matter what the market does, and no matter how well or poorly you do......
Well, if his Friday sell signal turns out to be correct.......
and I wonder if he has already executed the sell in all of his clients' accounts......seems like he didn't make this sell decision till Friday, and who knows what time.......he may not have had the time to execute, and might be selling into Monday's prices
Anyway, if his Friday sell turns out to be right, he will advertise this till there's no tomorrow.....and one day soon be looking at $6 billion in assets......and $60 million per year for managing those accounts......
I think we went into the wrong fields.......
We could switch fields.....take the CFP curriculum and get the CFP designation, then start managing money.
But it's all about marketing and sales......advertisements.......
I'm sure his radio program is one big advertisement to get clients......
The "hook", the "bait" can only be this:
"You don't know what to do, but we do"
"The stock market and investing are too confusing for you.......you don't know what to do with all the conflicting news reports out there.......but we know exactly what to do"
"We will protect your hard earned savings"
"We have the knowledge and experience that you don't have"
OK, we have to market ourselves.....give people confidence in ourselves.........
If we have doubts and don't know what to do....just don't tell our clients
Always look and sound confident that we know what to do......
Cheers,
Robert

Another email received from Ken Moraif......I copied and pasted the email where he issued his sell signal on Friday.
"Money Matters is pleased to announce that Ken Moraif has been named by Barron’s for the fourth year in a row as one of the top 100 Independent Financial Advisors in the nation. Ken has jumped ahead significantly this year and is recognized as the 18th advisor in the rankings; he was listed as 31st in 2014, 40th in 2013 and 91st in 2012. The ranking showcases the nation's top advisors based on assets under management and revenue growth, as well as quality of the practice..."
+++++++++++++++++
I don't place any value in something like this, where somehow Barron's ranks financial advisors...and Ken Moraif is supposedly the 18th best financial advisor in the US. On what basis??
and also:
"Money Matters is also proud to be named one of the
2015 Forbes Top 100 Wealth Managers!"
First Barron's, now Forbes........
"From the stock market's gyrations and the collapse in oil prices to tax planning and the guessing game around Federal Reserve rate hikes, investors have a lot to grapple with these days. More than ever they are turning to the counsel of independent financial advisors, judging by the swelling assets under management of the firms that make up Forbes' 2015 list of Top Wealth Managers. The 100 firms that made the cut collectively managed $468 billion at the end of 2014"
Below is from Barron's:

How does Barron's decide that Ken Moraif is the 18th best financial advisor in the US??
There's no way they could commit the resources to thoroughly study the financial advisors in America
3.5 hours till the market open......
I'm sure you're already on the case.....looking at the futures.....
Cheers,
Robert

MJG makes a good case. Having a 100% equity portfolio may prove disappointing and/or disastrous if a bear market hits right at or near retirement.

I have been in AOMIX for years as my #1 core fund. I have been very happy with them.

Hi Guys,
Peter Lynch made a rookie blunder when he recommended a survivable 7% withdrawal rate for a retirement portfolio. He based the faulty endorsement assuming historical average portfolio returns with zero volatility, zero standard deviation in those returns.
During retirement, portfolio returns variability is a killer.
One early critic of the erroneous Lynch analysis was the team from Trinity University. Their work became known as the Trinity Study. The professors, Philip L. Cooley, Carl M. Hubbard, and Daniel T. Walz, published a paper titled “Retirement Spending: Choosing a Sustainable Withdrawal Rate”.
They basically concluded that something like a 4% annual drawdown was more realistic in terms of portfolio survival. Here is a Link to a recent Forbes article that reviews the work:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/wadepfau/2015/06/10/safe-withdrawal-rates-for-retirement-and-the-trinity-study/
Much work has been done to update these findings. The Monte Carlo simulation codes are terrific tools to assess permissible withdrawal rates. They are now accessible on the Internet. These codes permit the user to explore countless scenarios in a quick and convenient way. The basic output is a portfolio survival estimate. What-if scenarios can be used to test the robustness of various portfolio construction options.
Here is a Link to the easiest code to input. It is on the MoneyChimp website. It is not the most sophisticated code, but it demonstrates the power of this tool:
http://www.moneychimp.com/articles/volatility/montecarlo.htm
Note that since these simulations are based on random return selections that are coupled to the statistical input, results will vary somewhat even for identical inputs. That’s the nature of market uncertainty that is captured by Monte Carlo methods.
I hope you find the references useful.
Best Regards.