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I made a note as to my portfolio value back when the S&P hit 2130 (about 5/22/15). I have done nothing to my portfolio since that high. It will be somewhat interesting (to me at least) to see how my portfolio compares in value if and when the S&P index return to the 2130 level.
I need to spend a little time using M* portfolio analyzer to get a better idea as to how closely my overall portfolio tracks this index but, unscientifically speaking, it feels as though my portfolio lags in ways that I don't completely understand just yet.
@Old_Skeet: I appreciate the time you have dedicated to understanding your "plethora-folio" and sharing that understanding with MFO readers.
I had to look up your useage of plethora-folio. For those interested I am posting my current portfolio along with blurb that explains my sleeve system.
Old_Skeets Sleeve Management System (02/26/2016)
Here is a brief description of my sleeve system which I organized to help better manage the investments that were held in five accounts along with my current positioning. The accounts consist of a taxable account, a self directed ira account, a 401k account, a profit sharing account and a health savings account plus two bank accounts. With this I came up with four investment areas. They are a cash area which consist of two sleeves … an investment cash sleeve and a demand cash sleeve. The next area is the income area which consists of two sleeves. … a fixed income sleeve and a hybrid income sleeve. Then there is the growth & income area which has more risk associated with it than the income area and it consist of four sleeves … a global equity sleeve, a global hybrid sleeve, a domestic equity sleeve and a domestic hybrid sleeve. An finally there is the growth area, where the most risk in the portfolio is found and it consist of five sleeves … a global sleeve, a large/mid cap sleeve, a small/mid cap sleeve, a specialty & theme sleeve and a ballast & spiff sleeve. Each sleeve consists of three to six funds (in most cases) with the size and the weight of each sleeve can easily be adjusted, from time-to-time, by adjusting the number of funds and amounts held. By using the sleeve system one can get a better picture of their overall investment picture and weightings by sleeve and area. In addition, I have found it beneficial to xray each fund, each sleeve, each investment area, and the portfolio as a whole quarterly. Again, weightings can be adjusted form time-to-time as to how I might be reading the markets and wish to weight accordingly. All funds pay their distributions to the cash area of the portfolio with the exception being those in my 401k, profit sharing, and health savings accounts where reinvestment occurs. With the other accounts paying to the cash area builds the cash area of the portfolio to meet the portfolio’s monthly cash disbursement amount with the residual being left for new investment opportunity. In addition, most all buy/sell trades settle from or to the cash area with some nav exchanges between funds taking place.
Here is how I have my asset allocation broken out in percent ranges, by area. My current target allocations are cash 20%, income 30%, growth & income 35%, and growth 15%. I do an Instant Xray analysis on the portfolio quarterly (sometimes monthly) and make asset weighting adjustments as I feel warranted based upon my assessment of the market, my risk tolerance, cash needs, etc. Currently, going into 2016, I am about 20% in the cash area, 30% in the income area, 35% in the growth & income area and 15% in the growth area.
Cash Area (Weighting Range 15% to 25% with target being 20%) Demand Cash Sleeve… (Cash Distribution Accrual & Future Investment Accrual) Investment Cash Sleeve … (Savings & Time Deposits)
Income Area (Weighting Range 25% to 35% with target being 30%) Fixed Income Sleeve: GIFAX, LALDX, THIFX, LBNDX, NEFZX & TSIAX Hybrid Income Sleeve: CAPAX, CTFAX, FKINX, ISFAX, JNBAX & PGBAX
Growth & Income Area (Weighting Range 30% to 40% with target being 35%) Global Equity Sleeve: CWGIX, DEQAX & EADIX Global Hybrid Sleeve: BAICX, CAIBX & TIBAX Domestic Equity Sleeve: ANCFX, FDSAX, INUTX, NBHAX, SPQAX & SVAAX Domestic Hybrid Sleeve: ABALX, AMECX, DDIAX, FRINX, HWIAX & LABFX
Growth Area (Weighting Range 10% to 20% with target being 15%) Global Sleeve: ANWPX, PGROX & THOAX Large/Mid Cap Sleeve: AGTHX, IACLX & SPECX Small/Mid Cap Sleeve: AJVAX, PCVAX & PMDAX Specialty & Theme Sleeve: LPEFX, PGUAX, TOLLX, NEWFX & THDAX Ballast & Spiff Sleeve: FISCX, VADAX & VNVAX
“We observe that the invading barbarians found Rome weak because the agricultural population which formally supplied the legions with hardy and patriotic warriors fighting for land had been replaced by slaves laboring listlessly on vast farms owned by one man or a few” Amazon warehouses:
In way of preparation, could someone offer advise on what works well during barbarian invasions? Successful investors should try, like Mr. Market, to look ahead (in this case, you'd want the "contrarian play," since owning whatever worked would probably not be in your best interest).
I hope all you guys realize that my "Anonymous Roman citizen, c. 220 AD" post was just a wholly fabricated wisecrack to needle ol' MJG a little, as part of my responsibility here as Chief Disturber. My, how these things take on a life of their own, sometimes.
@OldJoe: I think we need more needling. I was quite sure your original comment on the Roman Empire was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Look at the reactions, however. It's hard to be whimsical or ironic in electronic media without being misunderstood.
@OldJoe I think hank, heezsafe and I were also being rather facetious. Wouldn't the Monty Python clip be a tip off? Regarding the Roman empire, I do think there is some resemblance but not because of currency devaluation. I actually wrote a piece about this and some of the misconceptions about Rome and the U.S. a while ago. It too is rather facetious: bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-10/it-s-the-end-of-the-world-as-they-know-it-and-they-feel-fine.html
@BenWP Oh, yes, we got what Old_Joe was gettin' at, but sometimes I think it's kinda fun to "pretend" that you don't, as a way of lightly needling back, and see where it goes. [It's a sickness without a cure, and only takes a small scratch to set it off; please forgive me]
OJ - I don't think MFO should ever be used to disseminate erroneous information.
Other than that ... a pretty good gag. Embarrassed that I (and I think others as well) failed to notice at the time that you posted this on The Ides of March.
Don't really care that much. We have been "expecting" a pullback for some time now. But the lack of one has really only affected those who have had cash on the sidelines waiting for a drop. The past year has proven to be one where the so-called experts, common knowledge, and media have been wrong on almost every call.
Comments
I need to spend a little time using M* portfolio analyzer to get a better idea as to how closely my overall portfolio tracks this index but, unscientifically speaking, it feels as though my portfolio lags in ways that I don't completely understand just yet.
@Old_Skeet: I appreciate the time you have dedicated to understanding your "plethora-folio" and sharing that understanding with MFO readers.
I had to look up your useage of plethora-folio. For those interested I am posting my current portfolio along with blurb that explains my sleeve system.
Old_Skeets Sleeve Management System (02/26/2016)
Here is a brief description of my sleeve system which I organized to help better manage the investments that were held in five accounts along with my current positioning. The accounts consist of a taxable account, a self directed ira account, a 401k account, a profit sharing account and a health savings account plus two bank accounts. With this I came up with four investment areas. They are a cash area which consist of two sleeves … an investment cash sleeve and a demand cash sleeve. The next area is the income area which consists of two sleeves. … a fixed income sleeve and a hybrid income sleeve. Then there is the growth & income area which has more risk associated with it than the income area and it consist of four sleeves … a global equity sleeve, a global hybrid sleeve, a domestic equity sleeve and a domestic hybrid sleeve. An finally there is the growth area, where the most risk in the portfolio is found and it consist of five sleeves … a global sleeve, a large/mid cap sleeve, a small/mid cap sleeve, a specialty & theme sleeve and a ballast & spiff sleeve. Each sleeve consists of three to six funds (in most cases) with the size and the weight of each sleeve can easily be adjusted, from time-to-time, by adjusting the number of funds and amounts held. By using the sleeve system one can get a better picture of their overall investment picture and weightings by sleeve and area. In addition, I have found it beneficial to xray each fund, each sleeve, each investment area, and the portfolio as a whole quarterly. Again, weightings can be adjusted form time-to-time as to how I might be reading the markets and wish to weight accordingly. All funds pay their distributions to the cash area of the portfolio with the exception being those in my 401k, profit sharing, and health savings accounts where reinvestment occurs. With the other accounts paying to the cash area builds the cash area of the portfolio to meet the portfolio’s monthly cash disbursement amount with the residual being left for new investment opportunity. In addition, most all buy/sell trades settle from or to the cash area with some nav exchanges between funds taking place.
Here is how I have my asset allocation broken out in percent ranges, by area. My current target allocations are cash 20%, income 30%, growth & income 35%, and growth 15%. I do an Instant Xray analysis on the portfolio quarterly (sometimes monthly) and make asset weighting adjustments as I feel warranted based upon my assessment of the market, my risk tolerance, cash needs, etc. Currently, going into 2016, I am about 20% in the cash area, 30% in the income area, 35% in the growth & income area and 15% in the growth area.
Cash Area (Weighting Range 15% to 25% with target being 20%)
Demand Cash Sleeve… (Cash Distribution Accrual & Future Investment Accrual)
Investment Cash Sleeve … (Savings & Time Deposits)
Income Area (Weighting Range 25% to 35% with target being 30%)
Fixed Income Sleeve: GIFAX, LALDX, THIFX, LBNDX, NEFZX & TSIAX
Hybrid Income Sleeve: CAPAX, CTFAX, FKINX, ISFAX, JNBAX & PGBAX
Growth & Income Area (Weighting Range 30% to 40% with target being 35%)
Global Equity Sleeve: CWGIX, DEQAX & EADIX
Global Hybrid Sleeve: BAICX, CAIBX & TIBAX
Domestic Equity Sleeve: ANCFX, FDSAX, INUTX, NBHAX, SPQAX & SVAAX
Domestic Hybrid Sleeve: ABALX, AMECX, DDIAX, FRINX, HWIAX & LABFX
Growth Area (Weighting Range 10% to 20% with target being 15%)
Global Sleeve: ANWPX, PGROX & THOAX
Large/Mid Cap Sleeve: AGTHX, IACLX & SPECX
Small/Mid Cap Sleeve: AJVAX, PCVAX & PMDAX
Specialty & Theme Sleeve: LPEFX, PGUAX, TOLLX, NEWFX & THDAX
Ballast & Spiff Sleeve: FISCX, VADAX & VNVAX
Total Number of Mutual Fund Positions = 47
Amazon warehouses:
Bloomberg: Amazon's Story Time is Kind of a Bummer
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-07/amazon-s-story-time-is-kind-of-a-bummer
http://money.visualcapitalist.com/currency-and-the-collapse-of-the-roman-empire/
In way of preparation, could someone offer advise on what works well during barbarian invasions? Successful investors should try, like Mr. Market, to look ahead (in this case, you'd want the "contrarian play," since owning whatever worked would probably not be in your best interest).
I think hank, heezsafe and I were also being rather facetious. Wouldn't the Monty Python clip be a tip off? Regarding the Roman empire, I do think there is some resemblance but not because of currency devaluation. I actually wrote a piece about this and some of the misconceptions about Rome and the U.S. a while ago. It too is rather facetious: bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-10/it-s-the-end-of-the-world-as-they-know-it-and-they-feel-fine.html
Oh, yes, we got what Old_Joe was gettin' at, but sometimes I think it's kinda fun to "pretend" that you don't, as a way of lightly needling back, and see where it goes.
Other than that ... a pretty good gag. Embarrassed that I (and I think others as well) failed to notice at the time that you posted this on The Ides of March.
Semper in stercore versor, solum altitudo mutat
derf
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-the-decline-and-fall-of-rome/2016/12/02/1c06ee5a-b682-11e6-a677-b608fbb3aaf6_story.html