Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

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.
  • FHMIX
    For a muni fund with a wide range of duration, one can look outside the box (national muni funds).
    STWTX / STWVX (Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond Fund) was classified as a muni fund through 2018. Since then it's been classified as a taxable bond fund. As M* describes the fund:
    It often holds 70%-80% of assets in munis but will make big shifts to this allocation when its managers see more value there. [In 2020-2021 it dropped munis to 50%-60% of the portfolio. Since 2022 munis have constituted 70%+ of the fund.]
    Currently, 93% of its assets are muni bonds.
    With respect to duration:
    The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity or duration. The Fund’s effective duration may vary overtime
    Summary Prospectus.
    M* shows that over the past five years, the fund's style box has ranged from short term/middle grade to long term/high grade. In words, M* writes:
    duration stood at just under 4.0 years for most of 2019 through the end of 2021, but it extended again throughout 2022 and 2023 to over 9.0 years
    Where the rubber meets the road:
    Even on a pre-tax basis, BSNIX has performed significantly better. But as its prospectus says, it does not go long. (See also its fixed income style map here.) Both funds are five star funds. I'd stick with the lower risk, higher performing Baird fund.
    Wide ranging funds, even five star funds, are not always what they're cracked up to be.
  • FHMIX
    I own Baird Strategic Municipal Bond BSNIX (current duration 4.28 year) as well as Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt VWIUX (current duration 5.6 years). In the past, I have used them for tax-loss harvesting and currently have a much larger position in BSNIX.
    I am please with BSNIX and have concluded that the additional 21 basis points in the ER has been well worth it. BSNIX 12 month, 3-year, and 5-year returns have been significantly better, with a higher 3-year alpha and a lower Standard Deviation. I had also looked at NSAOX, but the considerably higher Standard Deviation scared me away.
  • Schwab MM question
    Edit: Please ignore this Opening Post as I am no longer seeking the answer to my question. (I am not deleting the OP because some posters already replied.)

    ***********
    Schwab has improved their services quite a bit in the last 1 year and am not sure if the following is fixed or still an issue:
    In my IRA, in 2024, I placed a sell order for a MM balance I bought within the past 30 days and then tried to buy something else the same day with the MM sell. Schwab did not allow that, even a Rep was not able to override (or at least that is what he said). Schwab required that I wait until the MM sell order settled before I was able to use the funds to buy something else. (No such restriction at Fidelity.)
    This was a nuisance for a trading account and forced me to keep a lot of liquidity in cash until I started using ETFs like SGOV as a money market fund. I do not like using ETFs as money market funds because I keep losing on the bid-ask spreads, among other inconveniences.
    Has Schwab removed that restriction on MM?
  • DSS AmericaFirst Total Return Bond Fund will be liquidated
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1539996/000116204425000126/dss497.htm
    DSS AmericaFirst Total Return Bond Fund
    Class A: DGQAX
    Class U: DGQUX
    Class I: DGQIX
    FEBRUARY 6, 2025
    SUPPLEMENT TO THE PROSPECTUS AND SUMMARY PROSPECTUS DATED NOVEMBER 1, 2024
    ______________________________________________________________________________
    The Board of Trustees of DSS AmericaFirst Funds (the “Trust”) has concluded that it is in the best interests of the DSS AmericaFirst Total Return Bond Fund (the “Fund”) and its shareholders that the Fund cease operations. The Board has determined to close the Fund and redeem all outstanding shares no later than the close of business on February 28, 2025.
    Effective immediately, the Fund will not accept any new investments. In the near term, the Fund will begin liquidating its portfolio and will invest in cash or cash equivalents (such as money market funds) until all shares have been redeemed. The Fund will not be able to pursue its stated investment objective once it begins liquidating its portfolio. Shares of the Fund are otherwise not available for purchase.
    Even though the DSS AmericaFirst Total Return Bond Fund is closing, you may wish to continue your investment with another fund in the DSS AmericaFirst fund family. Prior to February 28, 2025, you may exchange your shares, in accordance with the “How to Exchange Shares” section of the Fund’s Prospectus, which allows shareholders to exchange their shares in the Fund for the same share class of another DSS AmerficaFirst fund, as listed below. The Board is waiving the share exchange minimum so that exchanges may be made with any amount of shares.
    DSS AmericaFirst Income Fund
    Class A: AFPAX Class U: AFPUX Class I: AFPIX
    DSS AmericaFirst Monthly Risk-On Risk-Off Fund
    Class A: ABRFX Class U: ABRUX Class I: ABRWX
    DSS AmericaFirst Alpha Trends Factor Fund
    Class A: SBQAX Class U: SBQUX Class I: SBQIX
    You may exchange shares either by telephone by calling 1-877-217-8501, if you have not canceled your telephone privilege, or in writing. Written requests for exchange must provide the following:
    ·current Fund’s name;
    ·account names and numbers;
    ·name of the Fund and share class you wish to exchange your shares into;
    ·the amount you wish to exchange;
    ·specify the shareholder privileges you wish to retain (e.g., Telephone Privileges); and
    ·signatures of all registered owners.
    To exchange shares by telephone, you should call 1-877-217-8501 on any day the Funds are open. The Fund will process telephone requests made after the close of business on the next business day. You should notify the Funds in writing of all shareholder service privileges you wish to continue in any new account opened by a telephone exchange request. Please note that the Funds will only accept exchanges if your ownership registrations in both accounts are identical.
    Prior to February 28, 2025, you may redeem your shares, in accordance with the “How to Redeem Shares” section of the Fund’s Prospectus. Unless your investment in the Fund is through a tax-deferred retirement account, a redemption is subject to tax on any taxable gains. Please refer to the “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes” section in the Prospectus for general information. You may wish to consult your tax advisor about your particular situation.
    IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR RETIREMENT PLAN INVESTORS
    If you are a retirement plan investor, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the consequences of any redemption of Fund shares. If you receive a distribution from an Individual Retirement Account or a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRA, you must roll the proceeds into another Individual Retirement Account within sixty (60) days of the date of the distribution in order to avoid having to include the distribution in your taxable income for the year. If you receive a distribution from a 403(b)(7) Custodian Account (Tax-Sheltered account) or a Keogh Account, you must roll the distribution into a similar type of retirement plan within sixty (60) days in order to avoid disqualification of your plan and the severe tax consequences that it can bring. If you are the trustee of a Qualified Retirement Plan, you may reinvest the money in any way permitted by the plan and trust agreement.
    ANY SHAREHOLDERS WHO HAVE NOT REDEEMED THEIR SHARES OF THE FUND PRIOR TO FEBRUARY 28, 2025, WILL HAVE THEIR SHARES AUTOMATICALLY REDEEMED AS OF THAT DATE, AND PROCEEDS WILL BE SENT TO THE ADDRESS OF RECORD. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR DIRECTLY OR THE FUND AT 1-877-217-8501.
    ________________________
    The Prospectus, Summary Prospectus for the Fund and Statement of Additional Information each dated November 1, 2025, and as may be supplemented, each provide information about the Fund and should be retained for future reference. These documents have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are incorporated herein by reference. All of these documents are available upon request and without charge by calling toll free 1-877-217-8501.
    Please retain this Supplement for future reference.
  • Can FPURX, FBALX Beat the "Vanguard 3-Fund Portfolio"
    @David. Thanks for the idea but my whole reoccurring 1fund dream is that my widow won’t have to mess with it. I have been playing with Portfolio Visualizer this morning and also trying to see if my wife would rather be a boglehead or a one funder. Not much interest in either one.
  • FHMIX

    yes in 2024, i meant baird strategic, there is no baird select.
    other than the high(ish) fees, i was not comfortable with their stake in charter school bonds.
    maybe that becomes a homerum with no DOE.
    [snip]

    BSNIX has a 0.30% expense ratio with a $10,000 minimum initial investment.
    The expense ratio and minimum initial investment seem very reasonable.
    But if you're not comfortable with the fund's stake in charter school bonds, then it's a definite no-go.
  • Ocean shipping, Panama Canal.
    Because of the Panama City location of its HQ, I offer this re: BLX ("Bladex").
    Founded in 1979, Bladex's mission is to promote foreign trade and regional integration. Its network includes offices in Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the United States and a representative license in Peru. Bladex is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BLX) and has a shareholder base that includes central banks, state banks and representative bodies from 23 Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as institutional and private investors.
    https://www.bladex.com/
    As previously noted, I'm a shareholder. More recent statements from the gov't of Panama which contradict what uncle Rubio has asserted means that the political uncertainty remains.
  • FHMIX
    @a2z
    Have you considered Baird Strategic Municipal Bond Fund?
    I'm not sure how the fund's targeted duration would align with your preferred 1 yr. - 8 yr. period.
    "It targets an average maturity in the short to
    intermediate-term range, investing across the
    1-15 year segment of the yield curve. The
    team utilizes yield curve positioning in the
    investment management process to capture
    pricing inefficiencies and optimize yield and
    'roll' while striving for tax efficiency."

    "While obligations of any maturity may be
    purchased, under normal circumstances, the
    Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective
    maturity is generally expected to be between
    three months and ten years. The Fund has a
    targeted duration of +/- 2 years to its
    benchmark."

    https://www.bairdassetmanagement.com/siteassets/pdfs/fact-sheets/bond-strategic-muni-fact-sheet.pdf
  • FHMIX

    again, looking for the MANAGER to choose across 1-8 yr span, not for me to select short vs mid duration fund weights.
    value can be added, otherwise why dozens of active options? i suggest reading baird select fund reports.
    fidelity also has a good record , but reports are very brief.
  • FHMIX
    good discussion. been having a running chat with charles bolin on regular+timed asset shifts to tax-free options, and have yet to find an attractive low cost active fund with a goal (not mandate) to invest across a wider duration (preferably 1-8 years).
    i dislike myself having to weight between short vs. mid, and all these highly rated groups (e.g., baird, but preferably with lower cost) have the skills to do so.
    there is also a related chat on whether tax-free arena can be a safe place from MAGA\DOGE\trump related volatility.
    it seems too boring for them, but anyplace they dont have a stake is a potential target for any crony with an agenda.
    see
    https://www.alliancebernstein.com/corporate/en/insights/investment-insights/will-a-red-wave-affect-municipal-bonds-tax-exempt-status.html
  • FHMIX
    Ultra-ultra-short munis is an interesting idea. There don't seem to be many competitors, though access to any of them (including FHMIX) can be challenging. Clearly such funds are best used in taxable accounts.
    FHMIX - Fidelity, TF, $25K min. Elsewhere $1M min.
    ATOIX - Schwab, TF, $1min. Elsewhere $1M min.
    ATOAX - Various, NTF, $100-$2500 min.
    TFCAX - Fidelity & TIAA, TF, $100K min. Elsewhere access limited.
    These funds are useful if they return more, after tax, than MMFs. They may be useful even if their after-tax returns are similar to MMFs if one is seeking to reduce AGI.
    For example, Medicare surcharges (IRMAA) are based on one form of MAGI. Deductibility of IRAs is based on another form of MAGI. And so on.
    But if AGI is not a concern, I would take a MMF over any bond fund that didn't significantly beat the MMF in after-tax performance. This is why I tossed in FSIXX (NTF, $1min at Merrill) for comparison. Its current APY of 4.3% in a 25% bracket gives 3.23% after tax. Assuming a 5% state income tax, that's equivalent to a national muni fund pre-tax yield of 3.4%. Not too much different from these zero-ish duration muni funds.
    I really like the idea of these funds, but I'll need to see them do better before I'm sold.
    Here's a comparison of these three funds by Fidelity, including durations, SEC yields, and a graph of performances.
  • Tactical-Allocation Funds
    Am I missing something? REMIX/BLNDX knocks the socks off LCORX, and the other competitors mentioned by several members in this thread.
    REMIX / BLNDX is not a direct competitor of other funds mentioned. It and the others are not only in different categories, but as M* views them in different asset classes - alternative and allocation respectively. (The latter is why I highlighted CRBDX, as it eschews fixed income, atypical for an allocation fund.) Lipper concurs: REMIX / BLNDX is in "Alternatives", while LCORX is in "Mixed Assets".
    This M* piece may help to see the fine distinctions among the various alternative fund categories and more broadly the difference between alternative funds and allocation (tactical or otherwise) funds. The section entitled "What Are Alternatives?" is a good starting point. There is another paragraph that explains why DRRIX is classified as tactical allocation rather than multistrategy or macro trading (REMIX has drifted between those two). This explanation is helpful in the context of this thread.
    https://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/blndx/performance
    Different types of funds react differently to varying market conditions:
    Category	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	5 yr avg
    Multistrategy 1.63% 6.86% -2.07% 6.24% 6.09% 3.94%
    Macro Trading 4.54% 3.86% 0.01% 2.62% 6.55% 4.03%
    Tactical Alloc 9.83% 13.36 -15.49 10.74 10.20 5.20%
  • Can FPURX, FBALX Beat the "Vanguard 3-Fund Portfolio"
    American Funds R1-R6 are just share classes, not plan designations. Those are 401k, 403b, 457, H.S.A, etc.
    Smaller plans may have R1-R4 available, larger plans R5-R6.
    AF has specific classes for 3rd party channels (DIY, independent advisors), F1-F3; advisor load channels A, C; 529.
    If you are wondering why isn't there an institutional class I, that's really R6 within large retirement plans only.
  • AAII Sentiment Survey, 2/5/25
    AAII Sentiment Survey, 2/5/25
    BEARISH became the top sentiment (42.9%, high) & neutral remained the bottom sentiment (23.8%, low); bullish became the middle sentiment (33.3%, below average); Bull-Bear Spread was -9.5% (below average). Investor concerns: Budget, debt, inflation, the Fed, dollar, geopolitical, Russia-Ukraine (154+ weeks), Israel-Hamas (67+ weeks; cease fire). For the Survey week (Th-Wed), stocks up, bonds up, oil down, gold up, dollar down. NYSE %Above 50-dMA 55.44% (positive). Gold at a new high, but gold-miners lagging (far from 2011 highs). #AAII #Sentiment #Markets
    https://ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/post/1871/thread
  • Outflows: VWELX, VWINX, VDIGX, VPMAX
    Vanguard has never created an ETF share class of an existing actively managed fund. Until a few years ago that would have created disclosure problems (publishing portfolios daily) for the existing funds. Even now, it might find it difficult to shoehorn the newer ETF rules into its patent for ETF/OEF share classes. (Don't know, haven't checked.)
    Nor is Vanguard likely to ever clone an OEF into an ETF. That could immediately trigger an outflow from the OEF into the cheaper ETF, at least in tax-sheltered accounts. Vanguard was burned by doing something similar not too long ago - opening a cheaper clone of a TDF to lots of investors by lowering the min for the clone. The resulting shifting of assets by investors created a hefty cap gains tax liability for those investors remaining in the more expensive fund.
    The third alternative would be to convert the OEFs into ETFs. If that were such an obvious move, then one would expect most fund companies to have already done this. While some have, the number seems to be more like a trickle than a flood.
    IMHO RK is understating VDIGX's performance issues. I agree that when one invests in a particular style of fund and that style by design underperforms, that's not cause for concern.
    However ... a quick M* screen of large cap blend funds with "Dividend" in their name (e.g. Rising Dividends, Dividend Growth, etc.) turns up 60 share classes. VDIGX is 60th of 60 for 3 year returns. 97th percentile in 2023, 98th percentile in 2024, and 89th percentile YTD.
    OTOH, with Primecap, ISTM that its moderate underperformance (55th percentile over 3 years, 63rd percentile over 5 years) may indeed be attributed to its long term style - investing more in large caps and less in mega caps, and investing 10-20% internationally. If one is looking for a pure US large/mega fund, this isn't it and never has been.
    Finally, there's a difference between moving away from Vanguard's platform and Vanguard's funds. It may be possible to negotiate a waiver of transaction fees for Vanguard funds on another platform. I was able to do that with Schwab when I brought my (somewhat sizeable) Vanguard holdings there. Though it is very difficult to buy additional Admiral shares of actively managed Vanguard funds on non-Vanguard platforms.
  • Can FPURX, FBALX Beat the "Vanguard 3-Fund Portfolio"
    Again they are only available in specific retirement plans R1-R6. but outside that R6 is most notably used in their portfolio series and target dates although I suppose they could be available in other 401k/403b type plans as well.
    still not something a retail investor can buy off the street or from their advisor.
  • Can FPURX, FBALX Beat the "Vanguard 3-Fund Portfolio"
    American Balanced has 19 classes!
    NTF/no-load at Fido & Schwab is BALFX, ER 0.62%
    Cheapest is Retirement R6 RLBGX, ER 0.25%
    R6 shares are what American Fund uses in their Target Date funds which is why they are the cheapest to reduce costs on top of costs. Not something that you can buy. currently right now my parents are in R2 (shares typically used in 403b's)
    The cheapest available shares are F2, and F3 shares but are only available through their CG advisor but they'll pay AUM. The cheapest way for them to own AF with an advisor is with A shares using a 1MIL+ breakpoint which reduces the front load to 0 and outside of a few annual account fees, the advisor manages the portfolio for their 12b-1 fees.
    My parents won't manage their own and I don't have time, so this is the best way to get them what they need even though i'm not an American Funds fan.
  • the February issue is live
    The opening’s eloquently developed references to David’s disheveled garden evoke (perhaps intentionally) thoughts of Kosinski’s novel:
    As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.
    (Chauncey Gardiner / 1979 film Being There)
    Speaking only from a personal standpoint (and no business representation):
    Being There is one of my favorite movies and I have used the quote many times as it is very poignant.
    Good, Bad, Who Knows....
    A man walked in the woods and found a wild mare that he captured to bring back to the farm. While taming the horse, the son was thrown and permanently damaged his leg. The townspeople pronounced that the poor boy was befallen with a bad omen. Then, the King declared war but the boy was not conscripted because he was lame. The townspeople pronounced the boy was rewarded for his handicap with good. The King lost the war and many of the army were killed. The boy and remaining lived under a new regime. Folks wondered allowed "who knows" of our future.
    Now, the MFO board has insight into my thoughts as I fly across the country on an airplane with uninterrupted time.
    Best to all.
    David Sherman
  • the February issue is live
    The opening’s eloquently developed references to David’s disheveled garden evoke (perhaps intentionally) thoughts of Kosinski’s novel:
    As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.
    (Chauncey Gardiner / 1979 film Being There)