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.
Reply to @GregFromBoston: Thank you, Greg, very good advice. My poor husband has had to listen to the brunt of my frustration, and has come through it like a champ, thank goodness. I have to keep remembering that I have so much to be grateful for…
Reply to @Kaspa: Thank you, Kaspa. I'm looking forward to a new, "stress-free" 2012, where my husband and I are healthy, the market shows nice, steady growth, and the problems of the world are fixed (might as well aim high). Cathy
Reply to @Old_Joe: Thanks, OJ. I always think of FA/MFO as my "refuge", and have never been let down by all the wonderful people here. I'm so glad you, and almost all the other regular posters from FA have transferred to MFO. Cathy
Rono, I'm so sorry about your step-dad. Regarding the estate and gift taxes...I was going to try and help with what I've learned from my recent experience, but I just read msf's response and he did a great job of explaining the basic situation. I …
Thanks so much, Scott, for all your wonderful help through this Forum. Now.... to try and figure out what's going to happen in U.S. and the World this year. So much of this market seems completely illogical to me. I hope you're able to have a nic…
Reply to @David_Snowball: Thank you, David and Chip. I'm so sorry to hear of your mom's death, David, especially if from possible hospital causes. Then to find out about all the bills... that must have been awful. Almost all the tasks for the E…
Reply to @Investor: Thanks, Investor. It's so nice to be able to spend at least a few moments back in this Forum now - especially to thank the members like you who have been such a big help to me in your patience and willingness to take the time to…
Reply to @msf: Thanks so much for your input, msf. It sounds like you could pass the Estate Attorney Bar after all your work. I have also found problems... with one company putting the wrong date for the Living Trust on the original (but that seem…
Reply to @MaxBialystock: Thanks, Max. I will be sooo glad when this is over. It sounds like your Aunt's dispositions are handled well.... it's so nice, but surprising, that there are 16 nieces and nephews who are apparently accepting their share w…
Reply to @rono: Thanks, Rono. It sounds like you've done everything right given such huge responsibilities you've had dealing with all those estates - your family is so fortunate to have you handle all that.
My husband and I have been appalling…
Reply to @Mark: Thank you, Mark, for your kind words. You are so right... this experience has been almost surreal. I'm having to accept things I would normally have challenged just to get through it. My mom had paid for plots - and funeral servi…
Reply to @Sven: Thanks, Sven. I felt such a strong withdrawal at not being able to even look at the postings here for so long. I'm giving myself a Christmas present by allocating my first free moments to once again join in with this group. I hop…
Reply to @MikeM: Thanks so much, Mike. It's such a nice feeling to know I've been missed. Thanks for letting me know - and thanks, again, for being such a big help to me in responding to my questions. Cathy
Reply to @catch22: Thanks so much Catch/Mark for your kind thoughts. My ability to be able to concentrate on the tasks to be done - instead of what the market has been doing daily - is in good part due to the input from you and other FundAlarm/MFO'…
My recent USPS experience is it took them 12 days to deliver two 1st Class Certified mailings (return receipt requested) - both destinations less than 12 miles away from origin, or about 1 mile per day.
Reply to @scott: Thanks, Scott. I think only the investors who really understood the manager's process well would be able to be comfortable buying in during long losing streak.
Reply to @equalizer: Thanks, Equalizer. I do find the Periodic tables fascinating.... usually not more than 3 years at bottom... and those frequently at the top in next couple years. But it seems to me that the U.S. and World Economies are too dam…
Reply to @AndyJ: Thanks for your input, AndyJ. I'm with you that now is not the time to try and time the market... unless one has a lot more steely nerves than I do. So far, my small percentage in stock funds have been just enough to keep me in th…
Thanks, Investor, it's been really hard to watch PTTRX consistently lose more than its peers. M* now shows 12 mo return of -.74%. TGLMX +3.95% and DLTNX +8.93% as other comparisons. I sold much of my PTTRX in February, then all but 5% by early Au…
Reply to @scott: What I am completely perplexed about is why this market has gained so much in the last several weeks. As you said, there have been NO real fixes to anything. The machines must be tired of playing only with themselves and want to …
Interesting article. I also checked one link on above site called "A Greater Depression is Coming". I don't know anything about this guy, but whether his timing is right or not, his prediction does seem logical to me.
http://www.marketwatch.com/st…
Reply to @scott: Thanks, Scott. I can't even imagine how awful it is for our fund managers to try and manipulate their investments in this market. And I certainly have to be grateful that my Mom's trusts can lose 40%-50% and she should still be …
Reply to @scott: Thanks for your follow-up, Scott. The emerging market debt link was very interesting. I have -5% in TCW and -2% in DLENX, so total still at lower levels. Still.... it now seems so clear that investing has nothing to do with funda…
Reply to @scott: Thanks so much for your detailed follow-up, Scott! You've been so great in responding to all my questions.... I really appreciate it.
I still have faith in Hasenstab... just can't see how his market is going to improve with all t…
Reply to @scott: Thanks for the chart link, Scott! I changed the dates to just viewing October 2008. Looks like VIX went from 40 to 80 in less than 1 month! I wasn't following the market then (ignorant bliss) - but that whole period must have bee…
Reply to @catch22: Thanks, Catch. Even if you went a little negative yesterday, I know your YTD is a LOT less loss than any of the other Portfolios I'm tracking. I just wish I had more hope for our int'l bond funds right now.... would have helped …
Reply to @scott: Thanks for your follow-up, Scott... always informative. The Portfolio's I'm managing have weathered all this very well, under the circumstances. I squeezed out +.28 last 3 months and +4.94 YTD, so I consider myself lucky. As muc…
Thanks for your continuing updates, Catch. Miserable times to not only watch the Market losses over last 3+ months, but even worse to know that none of the problems are even close to being fixed.... making future projections even gloomier. I fee…
Reply to @scott: Thanks, Scott. It certainly would have been nice to have RYMFX yesterday as that was one of VERY FEW funds that gained yesterday. I was really surprised that NONE of my Intermediate Bonds gained anything, and even my safest short…
Reply to @AndyJ: Thanks, Andy. I'm really surprised that Consumer Staples has not performed a lot better during the down times... maybe they just haven't caught up to reality yet. How awful is this situation to be relieved at a -17% loss because …
Reply to @BobC: Thanks, Bob, that sounds exactly right.... which makes trying to figure out investing based not upon reality, but upon the calculations of machines and high-end traders, that much more difficult.
Reply to @AndyJ: Thanks for your follow-up, AndyJ. I do use Yahoo, Marketwatch plus several others for my "compiled" Excel sheet on my funds, but haven't found any like M* that gives me return data plus lots other stuff. I do complain to M* whenev…
Reply to @scott: Thanks, Scott. I'm sure they would try to put the most positive light whatever their financial situation. But then, again, if no alternatives, doesn't make much difference. Can't hurt to ask, though. Good idea.
Reply to @scott: THANK YOU SO MUCH, SCOTT! Sounds really dismal, but what you said makes a lot of sense regarding the problems with most decent quality Assisted Living facilities. Unfortunately, that means no viable alternatives. So I guess all I…
