@tampabay: Thanks for the query. I looked for some suggestions of LB, since the course corrections may not be possible once I retire. If nothing is coming up, then I will keep adding to these, till I retire in 2018.( current overall ER ~.34)

FYI: Bank loan funds continue to bleed cash, losing $507 million to investor withdrawals last week, a 21st straight week of net outflows, according to Lipper data. These loan funds are a streaky bunch - recall that earlier this year loan funds saw a streak of 95 consecutive weekly net inflows come to an end.
Regards,
Ted
http://blogs.barrons.com/incomeinvesting/2014/12/05/bank-loan-funds-lose-money-for-a-21st-straight-week/tab/print/
M* Bank Loan Fund Returns: http://news.morningstar.com/fund-category-returns/bank-loan/$FOCA$BL.aspx

@catch22: my holdings are both in taxable and IRA and monitored daily in M*. 401k is in a separate prudential acct with no ticker.(resembles S&p500 and amounts to 40% of the portfolio) and not included in my daily monitoring/M*portfolio manager-because of no ticker)

@catch22: Thanks for the response. For your queries
1. I have not thought of any LB as yet. 2. other major holdings are PRHSX=18.3%, vpccx=14.8%,prwcx=13.0%, and vcvlx=9.4%, rest around 5% each. 3. no bond funds
4. SS+freelance work may cover 60% of need before taxes. Thats why I am essentilaly in equity funds. mid/small was at 67%, half of which was moved to VTSAX on reaching 60 ( 1+ years ago)

@dicksonL
---VTSAX has a 5 year annualized return of 16.08%
---Lg Blend funds 5 year average return = 14.27%
---Best of the LB bunch 5 year return = 21.8%
---Worst of the LB bunch 5 year return = 3.8%
What other LB fund would you choose, and based upon what?
Not knowing your other holdings, there isn't a method to make any comment.
Not knowing your feelings about risk and reward; whether you lean towards conservative or moderate allocation doesn't allow for a viable comment.
Lastly, are all of your holdings within a 401k, IRA's or ???
M* large blend returns list
Regards,
Catch

Here's DXY (US Dollar Index)

The US Dollar has been used extensively in transactions of "Carry Trade".
Here's an article on what may be changing due to the strength of the USD:
raoul-pal-dollar-chart
Article's final line:
"$5trn carry trade — with China at the epicenter."
Others chime in on the strengthening US dollar:
Jeff Saut:
2015?
Worth Wray (quotes from Kyle Bass):
"In the autumn of 2009, Kyle Bass told me a scary story that I did not understand until the first “taper tantrum” in May 2013.
He said that – in addition to a likely string of sovereign defaults in Europe and an outright currency collapse in Japan – the global debt drama would end with an epic US dollar rally, a dramatic reversal in capital flows, and an absolute bloodbath for emerging markets.
Extending that outlook, my friends Mark Hart and Raoul Pal warned that China – seen then by many as the world’s rising power and the most resilient economy in the wake of the global crisis – would face an outright economic collapse, an epic currency crisis, or both."

how a stronger-dollar-affect-emerging-markets
Ivy Funds:
stronger-us-dollar-may-have-far-reaching-impact
Kyle Bass (dollar to $1.20 in 12 months):
video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000322711
Schwab Insight:
strong-us-dollar-changes-everything
Forbes:
strong-dollar-weak-china-puts-gold-in-crosshairs/
5 US dollar etfs:
etf-us-dollar/

@ Hank: Here you go.
Regards,
Ted
http://www.mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/16496/marketfield-s-shaoul-staying-ahead-of-the-crowd

Interview with: Michael Shaoul, Chief Executive, Management Asset Management, Barron's, October 25, 2014 - by Reshma Kapadia
"This year, alas, Shaoul’s forecast for a stronger U.S. economy and greater inflationary pressure hasn’t played out. Consistent with his assumptions, the fund bought metals and mining stocks, and shares of industrial chemicals and machinery concerns, while shorting utilities and consumer-goods stocks earlier in the year. Neither move has worked well, and the fund was down 9% through Sept. 30, versus an average peer-group gain of 1.5% and a return of 8% in the same span for the Standard & Poor’s 500. .....
Shaoul: "We pared back some of our commodity-related and industrial related and industrial holdings in mid-September."
--
Sorry, am unable to link this. But, I remembered the interview from one of Ted's previous links.
(Ted has now posted link to this interview further down if interested)

FYI: The US dollar has been ripping higher.
In the last six months, the dollar index has pushed to a six-year high, and it's at a seven-year high against the Japanese yen and a record high against the Russia ruble.
Regards,
Ted
http://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-gundlach-on-dollar-2014-12

@bee Your a post, and your sting shows it !!
Regards,
Ted
Two Big Dog Bets That Aren't Working:
SDRL: Bought @39.60 & close yesterday at 12.33 + dividend suspended.
SFY: 7.875% 3/22 bought @100.01 closed yesterday @73.00

FYI: As U.S.-listed ETFs approach $2 trillion in assets, you may wonder how much the current bull market has been aided by the rush into these trendy index-tracking funds.
The answer is not much, argues Convergex’s Nick Colas, even as exchange-traded funds have reached an estimated $1.987 trillion in assets. ETFs aren’t responsible for pushing U.S. stocks to new highs, as they’re still a relatively small force and largely just grabbing money that would have gone into mutual funds, he wrote in a Tuesday note.
Regards,
Ted
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/as-us-etfs-approach-2-trillion-in-assets-heres-what-that-means-2014-12-03/print

M*_Darrin
: How tiresome....portfolio again not updated 06-22-2013, 2:24 PM | Post #3436474
I've been following up with the data team since this morning.
Thanks,
M*_Darrin
The above Quote is from Morningstar Conversation Board as of --- JUNE 22, 2013
18 MONTHS AGO !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ralph

okay, got it. i still would like to see MFO allow user-input start dates for comparisons. most of the stats do me no good when one find is three years old and the next is 15 years old.

FYI:
Regards,
Ted
Bloomberg Slant: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2014-12-04/u-s-index-futures-little-changed-with-s-p-500-dow-at-records.html
WSJ Slant: http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-stock-futures-edge-higher-1417699313
MarketWatch Slant: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sp-500-dow-end-lower-retreating-from-records-2014-12-04/print
Reuters Slant: http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USKCN0JI1AM20141204
WSJ Markets At A Glance: http://markets.wsj.com/us
Sector Tracker: http://www.sectorspdr.com/sectorspdr/tools/sector-tracker

@BenWP & MFO Members Here were his picks for 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011. You'll note he has his favorites year-after-year.
Regards,
Ted
(2014) http://www.kiplinger.com/printstory.php?pid=11989
(2013) http://www.kiplinger.com/printstory.php?pid=10642
(2012) http://www.kiplinger.com/printstory.php?pid=10642
(2011) http://www.kiplinger.com/printstory.php?pid=7448

FYI: (This was available a couple of week ago on the Kiplinger Website in slide-show format which I don't like. Here Fidelity has list them in a straight format.)
Think your portfolio is too tame? Does it mostly contain blue chips and electric utility stocks and not enough racy tech and biotech stocks? Maybe it's time to boost your level of aggression in search of bigger returns, both over the next year and over the long term. Check out our picks below — they're our 10 favorite stock mutual funds for aggressive investors.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.fidelity.com/insights/investing-ideas/10-mutual-funds-for-aggressive-investors

http://www.kiplinger.com/article/investing/T041-C007-S001-steve-goldberg-6-best-stock-funds-for-2015.html
As usual, Steve Goldberg has released his fund picks for the coming year. Last year's picks with 1-year performance are as follows:
FPACX (+9.37) HIINX +(0.60) PRBLX (+17.78) VDIGX (+15.48) VEIEX (+3.82)
If you bought those funds in January, you would not have done as well.

@linter
A quick check indicates birth at 11-1-2004.
The chart is for return compares, versus a risk profile as you noted.
You may move either or both ends of the "day" slider to change the date range.
Compare chart

I think POAGX just recently hit the 10 year mark or it will very soon. That probably means the risk statistics just haven't updated yet and/or should soon.

Bob C is correct.
Hussman tries to time equities in and out, long and short (technicallyhe doesn't "short" stocks - but he achieves similar effect through puts). 10+ years losing $$.
MFLDX stepped right when they should've stepped left. Overweighted commodities at the wrong time in an attempt to hedge equity risk. Can happen to anyone. But that's what these types of funds are supposed to do - hedge equity risk.
I dislike the go anywhere funds largely because I don't think the advantages justify the high fees. Also, they are subject to unusually heavy inflows and outflows due to the fickle nature of many investors. MFLDX might be wise to do more to encourage longer term investing. Some ideas: raising minimums, imposing front-loads, adding or extending redemption fees or otherwise cracking down on hot money. Wouldn't have prevented this year's swoon - but would have lessened the impact (and perhaps the negative publicity).
But, please don't put this fund in the same other-worldly camp as HSGFX. How many other funds would even have retained the same "manager" for a full decade with so dire a performance record?