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.
I use a dedicated Amazon CC when I buy anything at Amazon. That card offers 5% back on Amazon purchases.
Details:
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
From Chase Bank, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is similar to the Amazon Rewar…
@VintageFreak, I own a number of funds that focus on sectors...Tech and Healthcare has worked long term (10+ years). I believe it will continue to be two important growth sectors going forward.
Sector performance in Healthcare sector funds like (V…
Is M* portfolio manager is still available at T. Rowe Price? Lately the Portfolio X-ray tool is only available when the total asset exceed $50K.
That may still be the case. I sometime make the effort to meet these minimum by consolidating my hold…
Obviously counter intuitive, but down markets are buying opportunities. For long term investors, down markets are the most important "buy & hold" time frames for investing success.
In periods of market stress (I'd mentally try and change this w…
The Simplicity funds and the Target Date funds have the virtue of keeping life simple. Some how that got lost in these discussions.
What I like about these funds is that if the allocation is too conservative or too aggressive an investor could simpl…
Vanguard Article:
History suggests that commodity-related investments may at least partially hedge the risk of inflation. It also suggests that exposure to metals, agricultural products, oil and gas, and other hard assets can help to diversify portf…
Yes, the projections and probabilities and especially the tax thing are all nice, albeit the tax advice sometimes dismays.
Especially when it recommends spending down your Roth account early in retirement...seems counter intuitive.
How ORP works :
…
@davidrmoran, nice addition. Not only are safe withdrawal rates important, but (the ORP calculator) optimally selects which savings to spend first to maximize tax efficiencies.
From the ORP website:
The Optimal Retirement Income Planner (ORP) uses …
Great Catch @Catch22, here are some others:
Investopedia Academy:
https://academy.investopedia.com/?aca_ref=header_home_link_1
Boglehead Wiki:
https://bogleheads.org/wiki/Main_Page
@msf, this article reminded me of your forgetfulness:
Seeking Alpha Article:
long-term-growing-income-open-end-mutual-fund-possible
Also came across this strategy,
Adding Manage futures to a retiree's safe withdrawal plan:
trend-following-managed-f…
@msf, even a well diversified allocation fund (in this case a retirement fund) IMHO still poses risks. My thinking (not @MikeM) is to understand the risks that haven't been properly diversified away or hedged very well by the fund's construction.
…
@MikeM,
I think holding a target date fund, which holds the equity/bond mix that suites you, as your core and largest holding and then supplementing it with a few other funds is a great strategy.
For the vast majority of investors: A retirement dat…
Why should or does ones RMD withdrawal rate increase as they get older?
@Mark, my understanding is that RMD rates increase as a retiree ages because the government needs to capture the "tax" from your "tax deferred" investments.
Retirees with larg…
@Catch22 - Keep the chart posts coming...
Charts are a visual history of events...knowing where the water is deep, where the harbors form, where the shoals lurk...was every bit as important yesterday as it will be tomorrow. The charts at the bottom …
Also, @msf, I wonder if any investors would place their entire portfolio into a single fund, even one as diversified as these Simplicity RMD Fund offerings?
(FIRWX is a fund of "26" funds)?
PDBZX is not having fun this year in the rising rate environment.
Other funds I own that are struggling:
- VWINX struggling, which I realize its apples to apples with PDBZX
- FRIFX struggling over YTD, 1 YR & 3Yr timeframe
Don't own but follow…
@Maurice, maybe its time to jump onboard HSGFX...up 4.31% YTD. Maybe not.
Related topic to your comment:
As the authors stated, “As the size of the fund increases and because the manager’s investment ideas are finite, the new money flows are not abl…
@Flack, a few good reads on "How to Manage Sequence Risk":
4-approaches-managing-sequence-returns-risk-retirement/
And,
Part 1:
theretirementcafe.com/2013/09/clarifying-sequence-of-returns-risk.html
Part 2:
theretirementcafe.com/2013/09/clarifying…
Very strange set of financial facts.
How does someone who makes under $800/ month on SS even qualify for a $900K mortgage?
Then we're told that making a profit of $220k on the sale of a home is "the biggest mistake" this women has ever made...cro…
From the Portfolio Visualizer website (PV website), I created this graphic of GTSOX with its MAXDD highlighted:
Over a shorter timeframe (2014-2018): it appears that (-6.1%) MaxDD is correct:
@Derf,
A dated article (2009), but I believe the step up basis concepts are still valid...always verify.
patellawoffices.com/blog/general-estate-planning-and-probate/navigating-the-step-up-tax-basis-rule/
Today's Taxes are just a convenient way to "pay to play". In New England the meeting house often determined the taxation and often it had little to do with money:
Many aspects of daily life were determined at Vermont’s meeting houses. There, townspe…
@TheShadow ...thanks for this information. I wonder... is it always a good thing when a fund closes?
Comments welcome.
As part of a new series I am calling Friday Night Lights...Action...Camera I am going use Jing's video feature to dive a littl…
@Old_Joe...PR is interesting. Beautiful Island in many respects.
I read recently that many of the PR FEMA claims could not process because the lack of legal titling of property in PR... it's a wide spread problem there.
unable-to-prove-they-own-t…
Maybe another reason for market concern is discussed here in this post:
The point of that historical lesson which we should remember in the current moment is that having the Fed reduce the size of its balance sheet carries an enormously powerful ef…
Akin to a private company promising an employee a match on your 401(K) and inconsistently contributing. A lack of funding is never a good matrix for a long term investment whether its an IRA or a pension. Also, along with market risk; pensions take …
So let's have a conversation regarding "risk off" investments...Dan. This article seemed thin on suggestions. I'll give it a try.
If,
Fed raises rates 2-4 times... US bonds will suffer.
Options:
-Bank Loan Funds
-Non-US Bonds (that hold local curre…
Thanks @msf, a great interview on the fund's strategies.
The interview introduce me to the term "13F's" (SEC reporting form for Hedge Funds) or (also a recent report card of mine).
how-to-piggyback-on-warren-buffett-and-other-legendary-money-man…
Follow up news article on the above Stanford Study (Spend Safely in Retirement):
Withdrawals can start at age 65, using an initial 3.5 percent withdrawal rate. At age 70, people can switch to the IRS’ required minimum distribution table, which dicta…
Hi @CathyG,
Welcome back.
Looks like sibling rivalries in the Yacktman Family, with Brian's fund (YCGEX) edging out Father Don & Brother Steve's funds (YACKX & YAFFX) over YCGEX short (2012) history.
Website profile of the fund:
P…
