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.
  • even more evidence about not beating the market
    Anyone looking at the stats recognizes it's just brutal for active managers over the long-term. It's that fee drag that accumulates over time. There are a few lessons to be learned in it. It's really hard to win in large-caps that are widely covered by analysts. Fees really matter, so if you go active, look generally for a low-cost manager. Career risk matters too. This last one I think many investors don't know. I think many managers hug the benchmark because if they deviate too much and just a handful of, for instance, FAANG stocks are driving the market higher, not holding those stocks is a significant bet that could lead to job loss if you're wrong. So, many managers feel pressured to hold those popular names, end up being closet indexers as a result, and fall just as much as the market plus their fees when downturns occur. You need a manager who thinks differently, has the research team, intelligence and trading chops to execute his/her strategy effectively and low fees to boot--a tall order. Hence you get awful stats like the one in this article about large-cap managers versus the S&P 500:
    Over 20 years, 94.8 percent underperformed.
  • City National Rochdale Intermediate Fixed Income Fund to be liquidated
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1026977/000139834423007351/fp0083232-1_497.htm
    497 1 fp0083232-1_497.htm
    CITY NATIONAL ROCHDALE FUNDS
    CITY NATIONAL ROCHDALE INTERMEDIATE FIXED INCOME FUND
    Servicing Class (CNRCX)
    Institutional Class (CNRIX)
    Class N (RIMCX)
    Supplement dated April 14, 2023, to the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information dated January 31, 2023
    The Board of Trustees of City National Rochdale Funds has approved a Plan of Liquidation for the City National Rochdale Intermediate Fixed Income Fund (the “Fund”), which authorizes the termination, liquidation, and dissolution of the Fund. In order to effect such liquidation, effective as of the close of business on April 18, 2023, the Fund will be closed to all investments by existing shareholders, and no new Fund accounts may be opened. Shareholders may redeem their shares until the date of liquidation.
    The Fund will be liquidated on or about May 26, 2023 (the “Liquidation Date”), and shareholders may voluntarily redeem their shares until the Liquidation Date. Prior to the Liquidation Date, the Fund may declare and pay its shareholders of record one or more dividends or other distributions consisting of any undistributed income and net realized capital gains. On or promptly after the Liquidation Date, the Fund will make a liquidating distribution to its remaining shareholders equal to each shareholder’s proportionate interest in the net assets of the Fund, in complete redemption and cancellation of the Fund’s shares held by the shareholder, and the Fund will be dissolved.
    In anticipation of the liquidation of the Fund, City National Rochdale, LLC, the Fund’s adviser, may manage the Fund in a manner intended to facilitate its orderly liquidation, such as by raising cash or making investments in other highly liquid assets. As a result, during this time, all or a portion of the Fund may not be invested in a manner consistent with its stated investment strategies, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
    Please contact the Fund at 1-888-889-0799 if you have any questions.
    Important Information for Shareholders with IRA Accounts
    If you hold your shares in an IRA, you should consult your tax adviser regarding the liquidation of the Fund. You may have 60 days from the date you receive your proceeds to “roll over” your proceeds into another IRA and maintain their tax-deferred status. You must notify the Fund prior to the Liquidation Date of your intent to roll over your IRA account to avoid federal and potential state withholding deductions from your proceeds. If the Fund has not received your redemption request or other instruction, your shares will be liquidated on the Liquidation Date, and you will receive your proceeds from the Fund, subject to any required withholding.
    If you have questions or need assistance, please contact a shareholder services representative of the Fund at 1-888-889-0799.
    *****
    PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
    CNR-SK- 070-010
  • City National Rochdale Government Bond Fund to be liquidated
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1026977/000139834423007354/fp0083232-2_497.htm
    497 1 fp0083232-2_497.htm
    CITY NATIONAL ROCHDALE FUNDS
    CITY NATIONAL ROCHDALE GOVERNMENT BOND FUND
    Servicing Class (CNBIX)
    Class N (CGBAX)
    Supplement dated April 14, 2023, to the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information dated January 31, 2023
    The Board of Trustees of City National Rochdale Funds has approved a Plan of Liquidation for the City National Rochdale Government Bond Fund (the “Fund”), which authorizes the termination, liquidation, and dissolution of the Fund. In order to effect such liquidation, effective as of the close of business on April 18, 2023, the Fund will be closed to all investments by existing shareholders, and no new Fund accounts may be opened. Shareholders may redeem their shares until the date of liquidation.
    The Fund will be liquidated on or about May 26, 2023 (the “Liquidation Date”), and shareholders may voluntarily redeem their shares until the Liquidation Date. Prior to the Liquidation Date, the Fund may declare and pay its shareholders of record one or more dividends or other distributions consisting of any undistributed income and net realized capital gains. On or promptly after the Liquidation Date, the Fund will make a liquidating distribution to its remaining shareholders equal to each shareholder’s proportionate interest in the net assets of the Fund, in complete redemption and cancellation of the Fund’s shares held by the shareholder, and the Fund will be dissolved.
    In anticipation of the liquidation of the Fund, City National Rochdale, LLC, the Fund’s adviser, may manage the Fund in a manner intended to facilitate its orderly liquidation, such as by raising cash or making investments in other highly liquid assets. As a result, during this time, all or a portion of the Fund may not be invested in a manner consistent with its stated investment strategies, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
    Please contact the Fund at 1-888-889-0799 if you have any questions.
    Important Information for Shareholders with IRA Accounts
    If you hold your shares in an IRA, you should consult your tax adviser regarding the liquidation of the Fund. You may have 60 days from the date you receive your proceeds to “roll over” your proceeds into another IRA and maintain their tax-deferred status. You must notify the Fund prior to the Liquidation Date of your intent to roll over your IRA account to avoid federal and potential state withholding deductions from your proceeds. If the Fund has not received your redemption request or other instruction, your shares will be liquidated on the Liquidation Date, and you will receive your proceeds from the Fund, subject to any required withholding.
    If you have questions or need assistance, please contact a shareholder services representative of the Fund at 1-888-889-0799.
    *****
    PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
    CNR-SK- 073-0100
  • City National Rochdale Corporate Bond Fund to be liquidated
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1026977/000139834423007355/fp0083232-3_497.htm
    497 1 fp0083232-3_497.htm
    CITY NATIONAL ROCHDALE FUNDS
    CITY NATIONAL ROCHDALE CORPORATE BOND FUND
    Servicing Class (CNCIX)
    Class N (CCBAX)
    Supplement dated April 14, 2023, to the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information dated January 31, 2023
    The Board of Trustees of City National Rochdale Funds has approved a Plan of Liquidation for the City National Rochdale Corporate Bond Fund (the “Fund”), which authorizes the termination, liquidation, and dissolution of the Fund. In order to effect such liquidation, effective as of the close of business on April 18, 2023, the Fund will be closed to all investments by existing shareholders, and no new Fund accounts may be opened. Shareholders may redeem their shares until the date of liquidation.
    The Fund will be liquidated on or about May 26, 2023 (the “Liquidation Date”), and shareholders may voluntarily redeem their shares until the Liquidation Date. Prior to the Liquidation Date, the Fund may declare and pay its shareholders of record one or more dividends or other distributions consisting of any undistributed income and net realized capital gains. On or promptly after the Liquidation Date, the Fund will make a liquidating distribution to its remaining shareholders equal to each shareholder’s proportionate interest in the net assets of the Fund, in complete redemption and cancellation of the Fund’s shares held by the shareholder, and the Fund will be dissolved.
    In anticipation of the liquidation of the Fund, City National Rochdale, LLC, the Fund’s adviser, may manage the Fund in a manner intended to facilitate its orderly liquidation, such as by raising cash or making investments in other highly liquid assets. As a result, during this time, all or a portion of the Fund may not be invested in a manner consistent with its stated investment strategies, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.
    Please contact the Fund at 1-888-889-0799 if you have any questions.
    Important Information for Shareholders with IRA Accounts
    If you hold your shares in an IRA, you should consult your tax adviser regarding the liquidation of the Fund. You may have 60 days from the date you receive your proceeds to “roll over” your proceeds into another IRA and maintain their tax-deferred status. You must notify the Fund prior to the Liquidation Date of your intent to roll over your IRA account to avoid federal and potential state withholding deductions from your proceeds. If the Fund has not received your redemption request or other instruction, your shares will be liquidated on the Liquidation Date, and you will receive your proceeds from the Fund, subject to any required withholding.
    If you have questions or need assistance, please contact a shareholder services representative of the Fund at 1-888-889-0799.
    *****
    PLEASE RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
    CNR-SK- 072-0100
  • Fidelity Private CRE Fund
    I'm comparing private CRE partnerships(LP role) to publicly traded MLP's where one is an individual investor. I suppose there are partnerships that invest in energy/pipelines but to my knowledge these are far less in number than partnerships focussed on real estate.
    1031 exchange within a RE partnership is messy and complicated I agree but it is available as an option vs. not being available at all to an individual investor holding publicly traded MLP's(to the best of my knowledge).
    Here are a few articles(pre-Covid days so some of the ground reality has certainly changed) comparing REIT's and MLP's. The last link is a compare between public and private REIT's.
    https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/reits-vs-mlps-assessing-the-better-high-yield-play-50484675
    https://seekingalpha.com/article/4244108-reits-vs-mlps-which-is-better-investment REITs Vs. MLPs: Which Is The Better Investment?
    https://aspenfunds.us/articles/breakdown-reits-private-reits/
  • Fidelity Private CRE Fund
    The ability of LP's in a real estate private LLC to get the benefits of depreciation that shields most of the tax impacts of the distributions is massive.
    I think you're talking about the LLC members who are not managing members. For clarity it might be simpler to call the companies partnerships, and the owners LPs and GPs. Especially since for federal tax purposes LLCs don't exist.
    A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a business structure allowed by state statute. ... Owners of an LLC are called members.
    ...
    Depending on elections made by the LLC and the number of members, the IRS will treat an LLC as either a corporation, partnership, or [a sole proprietorship].
    https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/limited-liability-company-llc
    A real estate private partnership (LLC) is able to get depreciation benefits, but so is a public partnership (LLC) such as an MLP. The key differentiator is taxation as a partnership vs. taxation as a corporation. As you wrote, getting a K1 is key.
    Another lever available to LP's in real estate LLC's is the ability to pair passive losses against passive income (known as the PIGS/PAL strategy) to basically shield even more of the cash flow from taxes.
    That's been available "forever". The JOBS Act did not introduce this. Rather, the limitation of writing off of passive loss against only passive income was introduced by the 1986 TRA. Prior to that, an investor could write off passive losses against active income as well as passive income.
    Reiterating what I wrote before, the amount of depreciation (and thus the amount of passive loss) also used to be larger (front loaded and with shorter depreciation schedules).
    Perhaps this 1986 Washington Post article will help to clarify. It is titled "Try a PIG or a PAL"
    ... Beginning Jan. 1, Americans who have sunk dollars into limited partnerships, rental condominiums, duplexes and other forms of real estate investment will find new restrictions on their ability to write off losses.
    They will be stuck with a surfeit of unanticipated PALs, and be in dire need of some really fat PIGs.
    ...
    The most controversial section of the 1986 tax legislation classified virtually all real estate investments [other than first and second homes] as "passive," no matter how active they may be in reality.
    ...
    PALs, the economic and paper losses produced by so-called passive real estate, no longer can be used to offset income generated by salaries, dividends, bank accounts and other "nonpassive" income sources.
    ...
    Many real estate-partnership investors, however, own no rental homes. But, fortunately for them, an entire new subsector of American real estate investment is rising from the ashes of tax revision.
    Good old-fashioned Yankee ingenuity is creating a bumper crop of PIG partnerships -- real estate investments designed to make money passively. ... So-called master limited partnerships (MLPs) are currently in [this] category.
    ...
    Appearances to the contrary notwithstanding, MLPs are bona fide limited partnerships. More than 25 MLPs, worth upwards of $ 4 billion, have either come to market since the summer or have been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Most are real estate related.
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/realestate/1986/12/06/try-a-pig-or-a-pal/c9364c54-3251-4477-9e07-331a3dfe8af6/
    In short, looking strictly at tax rules, prior to 1987 one could front load depreciation of real estate in partnerships (or LLCs); so much so that one could have paper losses exceeding income generated. One could apply this massive paper loss against W2 income, 1099 income, etc. After TRA, one could not. This obviously made private real estate partnerships (LLC) less valuable and precipitated the crash in values that sma3 mentioned.
    There was a fairly recent tax change favoring real estate, but that came in 2017 after the JOBS Act. It's the Section 199A deduction.
    https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/qualified-business-income-deduction
  • Fidelity Private CRE Fund
    I should have been more specific. The article's claim of private LLC's dying isn't true in today's world, most certainly not after the passage of the JOBS Act.
    The ability of LP's in a real estate private LLC to get the benefits of depreciation that shields most of the tax impacts of the distributions is massive. I didn't fully realize the magnitude of this impact until I personally saw it on my tax returns. Easily 80%+ of cash flow is not subject to yearly tax due to depreciation and distributions from these partnerships are in general much higher than public REIT's -ranging from 6 - 12%.
    Another lever available to LP's in real estate LLC's is the ability to pair passive losses against passive income (known as the PIGS/PAL strategy) to basically shield even more of the cash flow from taxes.
    Investors in public REIT's do not directly get the benefits of depreciation. 1031 exchange(I have not done any) is another lever to execute a strategy colloquially referred to as defer, defer and die.
    I'm not condoning the system (it is what it is, individual investors have no control on tax policy) but tax rules imo are ridiculously stacked in favor of property investors. Same applies for carried interest, a tax benefit that is today entirely disproportionate vs. the benefits to society.
    The most public example of the benefits of tax rules to property investors is Trump -- New York Times has extensively covered how Trump got away(legally) with declaring massive (paper) losses on property that shielded his real cash flow income for many years(more than 15 if I recall correctly). At much smaller scales, LP's and GP's in real estate LLC's are basically doing the same thing.
    Investors in Fidelity CRE would not(my guess) get the benefits of 1031 exchanges but the benefits of depreciation should flow directly to the LP's in the fund **assuming** the fund is structured similar to how private funds in general work(getting a K1 is key).
    Fidelity in general as an org is a sharp cookie and they run a fairly large business as a custodian of private LLC's so they have a front row and insider view of the economics, consumer interest and ROI(to Fidelity). I'm speculating of course but I can't imagine that Fidelity is launching this fund on a whim.
    EDIT
    I see on the term sheet that tax reporting is 1099-DIV so what I stated above mostly won't apply to this particular fund but notwithstanding that, I stand by my other comments on the disproportionate advantages of being an LP in a real estate LLC.
    I don't get what advantage accredited investors will get from this fund without a K1 that provides depreciation benefit but perhaps Fidelity's target is the mass affluent market that does not want to spend time scouring for reliable sponsors and trust in the Fidelity brand. Fidelity looks to be somewhat replicating the wildly successful BREIT fund.
  • Precious metals are breaking out
    I've lost tract of when that was @hank. Definitely Fund Alarm days. I think I started watching FA around 2006-7 or so so probably around that time. PMs and Asia EM were the hot sectors. Harry Brown's permanent portfolio was also talked about a lot. (rono might have called the consistent post 'asia and the metals' now that I think about it).
    Asia and the Metals “ was a morning staple on F/A. Already running when I came there sometime around 2000. But @rono may have posted it on an earlier board before F/A. Asia was a different animal geopolitically 25 years ago. Folks who then complained that Asian workers were taking away U.S. jobs now complain that the cheap items they bought at KMart / Walmart in those days cost a lot more today.
    Unfortunately, I cleared out my trading records back to about 10-15 years. Otherwise I’d have a better reference to say when I first tuned in to F/A. Was around the time I moved out of American Century funds. Posted a question re that matter to which Maurice responded. (Never throw anything away.) :)
  • Fidelity Private CRE Fund
    The Journal of Accountancy article from 1997 isn't relevant in today's world especially after the rise of crowdfunded CRE following the JOBS Act in the 2010's
    That article discussed the alteration of tax benefits (notably pass through of losses) in 1986. Could you speak to the tax benefits that have since been restored or otherwise replaced that make the article irrelevant today?
    If it's the date of the article that's bothering you, here's a 2020 Tax Foundation piece bemoaning how the TRA extended depreciation periods (MACRS) and restricted the use of declining balance depreciation.
    Lessons for Today
    ...
    Long asset lives (for example, 27.5 years for residential buildings and 39 years for nonresidential buildings) in which deductions are spread over many decades mean that companies cannot deduct anywhere near the full value of their investments in structures, as inflation and the time value of money chip away at the value of those deductions. Shortening depreciation schedules to 15 or even 20 years, roughly where they were before TRA86, would lessen the magnitude of this problem, but it would not be the ideal policy.
    The current system of depreciation creates a bias against businesses that heavily invest in structures, as the effective marginal tax rates on investments in nonresidential and residential structures are much higher than those on equipment, software, and intellectual property.
    https://taxfoundation.org/1980s-tax-reform-cost-recovery-and-the-real-estate-industry-lessons-for-today/
    With respect to crowdfunding, that's a completely separate matter. It deals with who can invest, not how the investments are taxed. Whatever Regs A+ and CF and Rule 506(c) facilitate, they don't apply to the Fidelity offering. As stated in the Form D that yogi cited, Fidelity's offering gets its SEC exemption from Rule 506(b).
  • Best Returns on Currently Available CDs or Treasuries Maturing 2024 to 2025 ?
    Treasury ladder doesn't have the issue of credit research needed for bond ladder.
    BTW, mid/late-month is a good time to jump start T-Bill ladders when 13-wk (next 4/17/23), 26-wk (next 4/17/23), 52-wk (next 4/18/23) T-Bills are sold.
    As posted elsewhere, ultra-short-term funds FCNVX, ICSH, etc may also serve as substitutes for rolling T-Bills.
  • Best Returns on Currently Available CDs or Treasuries Maturing 2024 to 2025 ?
    @Sven and @LouisBraham - Thanks for your knowledgeable comments. I agree with you both to the point of saying that absolutist views on financial matters can be counterproductive and destructive of wealth and that they may blind one to potential opportunities. I really shouldn’t have cited what amounted to an “off-the-cuff” remark taken out of context from another forum. In that form it sheds no real light on the subject. My bad.
    My intent was to augment @Old_Joe’s stated aversion to bond funds by extending his argument to an extreme absolutist viewpoint and thereby add a touch of good humor to the discussion. Anyone who reads my posts knows that I find a role for bond funds in a diversified portfolio and that I do not conform to or endorse the position a brief snipped pulled out of context elsewhere appears to support.
    While we’re on the subject of bond funds: (1) One really shouldn’t throw all bond funds into one hopper and treat them the same. These vary in duration from ultra-short all the way out to long term treasuries. Credit quality and geographic location also vary greatly. (2) I suspect that some who disparage bond funds today are viewing them through a near-term distorted lens. Had you looked at performance charts prior to 2022 the 10-15 year returns would have looked much better.
  • Precious metals are breaking out
    Howdy folks,
    The pm's have been breaking out. Gold passed $2,000 and silver not only blew through $25 but just now $26. I started scaling up yesterday from my hold position (which is a bit crazy for you normal peeps). I'm mostly playing the junior silver miners. They can be accessed at http://www.kitcosilver.com/equities.html However, there are some serious nose bleed stocks on this list so please be prudent.
    and so it goes,
    peace,
    rono
  • AAII Sentiment Survey, 4/12/23
    AAII Sentiment Survey, 4/12/23
    For the week ending on 4/12/23, neutral became the top sentiment (39.5%; above average) & bullish became the bottom sentiment (26.1%; low); bearish became the middle sentiment (34.5%; above average); Bull-Bear Spread was -8.4% (below average). Investor concerns: Inflation (moderating but high); economy; the Fed; dollar; cryptos; market volatility (VIX, VXN, MOVE); Russia-Ukraine war (59+ weeks, 2/24/22- ); geopolitical. For the Survey week (Th-Wed), stocks were mixed (cyclicals up, growth & tech down), bonds down, oil up, gold down, dollar down. #AAII #Sentiment #Markets
    https://ybbpersonalfinance.proboards.com/thread/141/aaii-sentiment-survey-weekly?page=9&scrollTo=1007
  • Alternative to Artisan International Value (ARTKX)?
    Vanguard charges $20 per trade for TF funds.
    Investors with $1M - $5M in eligible funds can execute 25 trades gratis per calendar year.
    Fidelity charges $49.95 to buy TF funds but there are no fees to sell.
    It appears the $5 automatic investment option (after initial investment) at Fidelity may be available for ARDBX.
    Interested parties should probably contact Fidelity to confirm this is correct.
  • Fidelity Private CRE Fund
    A couple of clarifications (perhaps):
    - The termsheet that Shadow provided says that minimum additional investments are $5K, but doesn't say that these additional investments are required or that they can only be made on a monthly schedule.
    - The 3 years before redemptions are allowed start when the initial offering is closed (as opposed to when operations begin). The Form D filing says that the initial offering is expected to remain open for more than a year. So it could be much longer than three years before one could get one's money out.
    @sma3 - are you referring to the Tax Reform Act (TRA) of 1986?
    ONCE TOUTED AS THE INVESTMENT vehicle of the future, limited partnerships are seldom pitched to investors today. Instead, clients and the CPAs who advise them are looking back at the tax and financial factors that contributed to the downfall of LPs in areas such as oil and gas, real estate and equipment leasing.
    ...
    THE TAX REFORM ACT OF 1986, combined with increased Internal Revenue Service audit scrutiny spelled the beginning of the end for tax-oriented LPs. Extension of the at-risk limitations to real estate tax shelters and the passive loss provisions in the TRA [reducing the ability of individual taxpayers to offset income with losses from tax shelters] gave the IRS the weapons it needed.
    Journal of Accountancy, What Happened to Limited Partnerships?
    https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/1997/jul/knight.html
  • Alternative to Artisan International Value (ARTKX)?
    Just to point out some loophole: If you have more than 250K in any set of Artisan funds, you can buy any closed Artisan fund. From their prospectus about the required condition: "You are a shareholder with combined balances of $250,000 in any of the Funds..."
  • New I-Bond Rate 3.79-4.40%, 5/1/23 (Estimated, 4/12/23)
    I used a wide range for fixed rate (0.40-1.00%). The current fixed rate of 0.40% should go up. But with 5-yr TIPS at 1.18%, 1.00% sounds generous. So, the range of 3.79-4.40% for the combined rate is solid.