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.
Thank you all. Have done a lot of research myself by reading, but read enough to know that I can definitely benefit from a professional advice. My account is with Schwab and will check with them, as well as seek some references from successful fri…
Had to self-learn almost all of the "how to do" part of financial literacy, but the spirit of it came from my family. We have a saying in where I come from, roughly translated as "look at the size of your bed and accordingly stretch your legs", so…
In my buy-and-hold portfolio, besides whatever exposure is there in my global bunds, I own WAFMX for exposure to the frontier markets. In my momentum portfolio, I own EEM or VWO if it rises to the top, which has not happened for a very long time no…
Brown bags all the way - school, college, work, sometimes even on airplanes, theme parks... Just like home food better, more nutritious, you know more about what's in there, costs less, portions are right sized for you, right spice level (:-). W…
Tampabay - I don't think anyone here is saying that one should not work smart and hard, and rely on luck. Looks like you have worked smart/hard and are very successful, congratulations! I have read Max Gunther and am a big believer in 'shaping your …
Luck vs skill in success is a common debate. I think both play a role. I too have read Max Gunther's wonderful book and believe that you can tilt odds in your favor by a variety of methods. However, luck does play a role. In my own case, I was b…
My own system. Get the data from the usual sites (Morningstar, Fidelity, etc.) plus
some newer ones like etfreplay.com. It is not completely mechanical, but ranks ETFs based on returns and volatility. I do take a look at charts and moving averag…
Better mileage was just one factor in my decision making. Cars have definitely improved over the years. The decision to buy was mainly because my Accord is over 14 years old now. Even though these cars go for a long time, maintenance slowly creep…
I like the feel of manual, but this is a family car to be shared by others who don't quite share the same views. I had heard about dual clutch, but never got to test it. Had tried CVT on the Hondas and Nissans.
Right, but beating the S&P 500 index each year need not be your target. Depending on your risk tolerance you can select an alternative diversified index portfolio (e.g., one of the lazy portfolios) as a benchmark.
I have PYSAX (load waived through Schwab) for my mid/large growth. It does not have quite that long history, but has done very well since its inception a little over five years back. A little different animal though.
Check out
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cvt.htm
Looks like a complicated/refined version of a belt going over two pulleys of changing diameters. Not a mechanical engineer here, but I think the advantages are you can keep the rpm essentially unchan…
Sorry to resurrect this whole thread, but since everyone was so helpful, I wanted to let everyone know where I ended up. Just bought a new Camry XSE yesterday, nice black exterior and a lighter dual color interior. Came down to a decision between …
Very sorry to hear that. Wish I had so much fun doing my work! Even better --
wish I know of a way to make even a relatively mundane subject so much fun
and engaging!
@Scott Well said. I was told a story about Buddha a while back, which is simple but illustrative. When asked about how Buddha can be completely undisturbed after an
angry man kept throwing insults at him every day, Buddha said -- I choose not…
Thanks everyone. My 2001 Accord is doing fine now, but around 100k miles, it had problem with engine oil leak. Head gasket replacement did not fix it. Turned out to be
an issue with porous engine block. Looks like that was not an uncommon issue…
@Joe74
Passat is on my list too. Like the way it drives -- more German, although they seemed to have toned down. Good space and look. Considered TDI, but may just look at 1.8L turbo instead, as mileage is good (not as good as diesel), and diesel …
Thanks for the feedback. As many of you mentioned, my usual suspects were sticking with Accord, or checking Camry, Altima. Was also searching certified cars and have come across some interesting options Accura TSX 2013, 14k miles (a little over $…
Kaspa -- RYSEX just added a co-manager. Wonder what that will mean for the fund going forward. You're paying for Dreifus, but you're likely about to get a Royce-a-roo bait and switch. I say this as an RYSEX shareholder and victim of past Royce no…
I concur with those who do not participate in political threads. There is a place for them, some enjoy them and some cannot restrain from participating in them. In my view, most political debates, even if they may start as a rational discourse, te…
My better stock funds, 1 week returns as of Oct 15
ICMAX: -1.11%
RYSEX: -1.82%
WAFMX: -1.51%
Interestingly, they did better than my allocation funds
FPACX: -2.92%
OAKBX: -3.45%
SGENX: -3.33%
GLRBX: -1.84% (this is actually in my daughter's portfo…