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.

    Support MFO

  • Donate through PayPal

Observant1

About

Users name
Observant1
Joined
Visits
12,960
Last Active
Roles
Member

Comments

  • Asset-weighted fees have declined precipitously for mutual funds/ETFs. Thank you Jack Bogle and Vanguard! Some investment firms are now "gently nudging" investors towards private equity, private debt, and interval funds mostly to increase their prof…
  • The eruption was a major force of nature! It's amazing how quickly (in geological time) the environment started to recover. A group of us climbed to the summit of Mount St. Helens in the early-to-mid 1990s. It was a non-technical scramble but there …
  • Until recently, it seems many in Congress have been silent regarding Trump's crypto corruption. I'm glad that Sen. Blumenthal is raising awareness of this important issue.
  • I think it's fair to say presidential corruption is at unprecedented levels. • Trump Organization's cryptocurrency empire • Qatar's "gift" of $400 million luxury jet to replace Air Force One • Trump Organization planning to build luxury golf reso…
  • At Davfor. sma3 ‘s post is valuable , relevant and belongs where the most folks will see it. Right where it is posted ! If you don’t like it,,,, close your eyes. It simply is not your role to tell people where to post. @larryB, The posts from s…
  • "March 2025 coda: I am very sympathetic to the argument that much of our national dialogue and decision-making, just at the moment, is dominated by self-blinded ideologues, self-important amateurs, lickspittles, pompous mountebanks, braying popinjay…
  • @FD1000, It would be better if this thread was in Off-Topic instead of Other Investing due to its political nature.
  • Dodge & Cox does a good job managing its bond funds DODLX has performed exceptionally within the M* global bond category.
  • The Week in Charts (05/16/25) The most important charts and themes in markets and investing, including: 00:00 Intro 00:53 Topics 01:52 Both Sides Blinked 04:58 One of the Greatest Comebacks in Market History 08:25 What a Difference a Month Makes 12…
  • I just noticed that @yogibearbull previously started a thread for the Moody's downgrade. https://www.mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/63963/moody-s-downgraded-us-debt-from-aaa-to-aa1#latest
  • @hank, Thanks for the link. Several important points are listed below. • You can disagree with someone's opinions, but calling that person an idiot or a profane name is a violation of forum etiquette. • Posting the same thing over and over again …
  • Thanks, yogi!
  • The Unappreciated Costs and Risks of Interval Funds https://www.morningstar.com/alternative-investments/unappreciated-costs-risks-interval-funds
  • Mr. Munger was definitely not a fan of cryptocurrency! “'Sometimes I call it crypto crappo, sometimes I call it crypto sh—. It’s just ridiculous that anybody would buy this stuff,' Munger said at the annual shareholder meeting of Daily Journal Corp…
  • @Sven, Thanks for letting me know the link was broken. I inadvertently omitted the protocol (https). The link has been fixed.
    in Tariffs Comment by Observant1 May 12
  • Kathleen Clark, a government ethics expert and professor at Washington University School of Law discusses Qatar's offer to replace Air Force One. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/qatar-gifting-trump-400m-luxury-jet-raises-ethical-and-legal-concerns…
  • U.S. tariffs of 145% on Chinese goods and Chinese tariffs of 125% on U.S. goods were nonsensical. In essence, a de facto trade embargo between the two largest economies in the world was in place. Temporarily dropping U.S. levies on Chinese goods to …
    in Tariffs Comment by Observant1 May 12
  • "I'm sure they'll spin today's news as a 'yuuuuge' victory for the country, but imo it really isn't." +1
  • "I would caution against too much reading of the tea leaves," according to Dmitry Grozoubinski, a former Australian trade negotiator based in Geneva. "It's probably more likely that they agreed on what their conversation should cover — on what are t…
    in Tariffs Comment by Observant1 May 11
  • US Officials Say Deal Struck To Cut China Trade Deficit I can't wait to hear about the "substantial progress" from the "productive talks" with Chinese officials! "U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said o…
    in Tariffs Comment by Observant1 May 11
  • Regarding ICI's stated desire to expand access to private markets, why do I get the feeling that retail customers would be left holding the bag?
  • Calculating Tariffs - It's Complicated "There are also 3,450 temporary levies, covered in the 690-page 'Chapter 99' of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, which includes tariffs from the Trump and Biden administrations going back to 2018." "Chapter 99…
    in Tariffs Comment by Observant1 May 11
  • Thanks, @hank. I encourage those you appreciate PBS and NPR to sign the petition. It just takes a minute...
  • The Week in Charts (05/09/25) The most important charts and themes in markets and investing, including: 00:00 Intro 00:17 Topics 00:47 First Trade Deal 09:25 Markets Pricing in a Positive Tariff Ending 11:51 The World Strikes Back (International St…
  • "A group representing General Motors (GM.N), Ford (F.N), and Stellantis (STLAM.MI), blasted President Donald Trump's trade deal announced with the United Kingdom, saying it would harm the U.S. auto sector." "'Under this deal, it will now be cheaper…
    in Tariffs Comment by Observant1 May 9
  • I enjoyed the inaugural article and the article for "building a chaos-resistant portfolio". I haven't had an opportunity to read all the May 2025 articles yet... Glad that you're chugging along just fine!
  • The "major trade deal" with the UK is not as comprehensive as some may have suggested. "Trump declared on social media this announcement would be a "major trade deal" - it's not. He does not have the authority to sign the type of free-trade agreeme…
    in Tariffs Comment by Observant1 May 9
  • @Mark, Thanks for sharing these articles!
    in Tariffs Comment by Observant1 May 8
  • As expected, regardless whether or not tariff policies are prudent, the MAGA faithful are likely to trumpet any perceived tariff "wins." They seem intent on justifying the numerous senseless (or illegal) actions initiated by the current administrati…
    in Tariffs Comment by Observant1 May 8
  • "The typical textbook treatment of GDP is the expenditure approach, where spending is categorized into the following buckets: personal consumption expenditures (C); gross private investment (I); government purchases (G); and net exports (X – M), com…
  • "58 crypto wallets have made millions on Trump’s meme coin." I wonder, if by chance, some of these 58 crypto wallets belong to people in Trump's inner circle? "The $TRUMP event, set for May 22 at Trump National Golf Club, Washington, D.C., includ…
  • There will be a reckoning sometime later this year. It seems likely that second-quarter GDP will decrease while inflation climbs higher. Despite the recently announced "comprehensive" tariff agreement with the UK, negotiations with China and the EU …
    in Tariffs Comment by Observant1 May 8
  • "They will be available only in Morningstar's expensive professional products." The article mentioned ratings will be displayed on Morningstar.com "as well within products in the Direct Platform, including Morningstar Direct, Direct Advisory Suite,…
  • "It feels rather as if Trump is throwing any strong words he can at the wall to distract from a series of news stories that are not going his way." Bingo! It's really disappointing that Trump is often incapable of verbally expressing coherent thou…
  • "But I would also have included Michael Price." Mr. Price was a legendary value investor. I was invested in his Mutual Beacon or Mutual Shares fund in the mid 90s.
  • Buffett's Biggest Hits and Misses https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/what-warren-buffett-learned-from-his-biggest-hits-and-misses/ar-AA1E9vll
  • Good idea. I should probably stock up on TP & paper towels at Costco. Have plenty of Kleenex already. Better safe than sorry!
  • You can stock up on TP at Amazon. Only $3.20 / 100 sheets. Amazon TP While shopping there, you could also purchase a toilet brush with a similar theme. Amazon Brush
  • Vancouver B.C. is only a few hours drive for me. I haven't visited the city/area in a few years and was thinking of going this year. Due to all the tariff shenanigans, I think I'll pass for now.