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 @rono: Hi, rono. I bought some FCG yesterday after looking at the chart. I agree that it's downside risk is rather limited. I'm prepared to double up if I like the price and volume action as we go forward. I am very heavy in my cash and nee…
Even though I'm 63, I'm not impressed with age. You can be old and an idiot. I've known elderly attorneys, doctors, veterinarians and other professionals who are just out of touch and off their game. The same can happen with fund managers. Age is no…
You have to make a distinction among types of REITs. Mass re-fi's will affect primarily REITs that invest in mortgage-backed securities, e.g. mREITs like Annaly (NLY). I don't expect REITs investing directly in real estate, commercial or residential…
I had about 25% cash, but after selling an individual stock and a stock ETF yesterday, that percentage is now at 40%. The rest is in stock and bond funds, mostly international with an emphasis on Asia.
Other funds dropping 1.5% or more were Matthews Asia Small Companies, Matthews Pacific Tiger, US Global Investors Global Resources. Harbor International dropped 2.5%. No one is guaranteed a calm ride.
I own one CEF - First Trust Strategic High Income 2 (FHY). It trades at a very small premium. It returns about 9% which is virtually all income (i.e. no return of capital, except for a very tiny amount last September.) It invest mostly in corporate…
Buckets;shmuckets. I don't think in those terms. I'm in retirement and easily living off a couple of small pensions and social security. I have taxable and tax-deferred accounts at Fidelity totalling mid-6 figures that I invest for long-term growth …
Have lots of cash and not willing to sell anything. Correction will be welcome, and I will then add to existing long term positions at lower price points. Might even find some new stuff that might be worth a short-term trade.
I'm also into MAINX but with slightly under 3% of my portfolio. That's usually the percentage I use for an initial stake in any position. I'm invested in other Matthews funds at much higher percentages. I'm sitting on about 27% cash, and not in a hu…
Like others have said, get a good professional CPA, and I don't mean H&R Block or any of those other storefront operations that just staff up for tax time. I pay a CPA to do my taxes every year. It costs me a few hundred bucks but it's money wel…
I love Click and Clack but haven't heard them in a long time, then again, I don't listen to NPR any more. My car radio is permanently set to a local country station. I currently own a 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan with 119,000 miles. It still runs great,…
What's that saying? Beware of Greeks bearing gifts? I think that Trojan horse is about to take a big dump on the markets. Too early to say whether or not this is the correction so many, including myself, have been waiting for. Holding steady to all …
Initiated a position in MAINX. Added to MAPIX and PEMDX. Bought T, VOD and FHY. Added to NLY. Have sold nothing and still sitting on over 25% cash, so I have plenty of dry powder waiting for a pullback.
Reply to @AndyJ: I'm investing in it as getting in on the relative ground floor of a new fund in a fund family I have a lot of confidence in. I would expect it to have a lot of cash in the beginning while the manager waits for the right opportunitie…
Reply to @catch22: If you're thinking of coming to visit the Keys, don't limit yourself to the chains. There are great non-chain hotels, motels and B&Bs that have rates competitive to something like Days Inn. For example, I'm putting my sister u…
Reply to @catch22: LOL. Ocean Reef is a rather rarified world unto itself; quite uptight with a fortress mentality; it is not the REAL Florida Keys. Even Jon Landau, the enormously wealthy producer of Titanic and Avatar, chose not to live there. He …
Great commentary. Particularly appreciated the insight on the gold/bond bubble. Thanks for the Seafarer interview; I didn't see anything compelling that would motivate me to invest in the funds. However, I did revisit your review of MAINX and double…
I have my accounts at Fidelity, and I still get the yellow highlight when there are distributions. I recently had that happen with my monthly distribution from LSBRX, and today I have the yellow highlight for a PEMDX distribution. I didn't change an…
Reply to @scott: What you said is key -- you have to be interested in what you're investing in; it's a little like the Peter Lynch approach. So many people aren't interested in investing at all and will pay dearly in the long run. Others are only in…
Frankly, I find limiting my holdings to a handful of index funds would be absolutely boring. Nearly all the funds in my portfolio I've owned for years; they've done well and I have confidence in their managers. Individual stocks, CEFs and ETFs are s…
I have several stock funds (mostly Matthews Asia funds), a few individual stocks, a REIT fund, a sector ETF, a bond CEF, 2 bond mutual funds (one domestic, one emerging market), and a lot of cash. Obviously, I don't subscribe to the minimalist appro…
Reply to @scott: You've certainly given a lot of thought to JOE, but to me it sounds like rationalization, trying to convince yourself of reasons to buy a stock that's pure spec and still heading south. I've been following JOE since Peter Rummell to…
I sold Fairholme (at a nice profit) when Berkowitz started messing with JOE's board. I saw that as nothing more than a distraction. Since then Berkowitz has lost his partner (another bad sign). Sears? Isn't that the place where America used to shop?…
Reply to @MaxBialystock: With regard to "getting out", to me that means taking some profits, lightening up and adding to cash so I can take advantage of corrections. However, I am always "in" something or other. I am never totally out or totally in.
Regardless of what the Supreme Court decides or who is in the White House, the demand for healthcare in all its forms will continue to grow. Individual companies may be positively or negatively impacted by court rulings or politics, but a good fund …
Here are a few of my favorites:
"The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World" by David Abram: I've read this book twice. My few words here cannot adequately convey how this book will change your perception of the e…
Reply to @Investor: While holding onto a high percentage of cash, I have added to a few of my long term mutual fund positions, and I also added a couple of telecom individual stocks, a mortgage REIT, an oil and gas royalty trust, and a high yield bo…
Reply to @catch22: Yes. Still in Florida Keys. Had a rough last half of 2011, losing both parents, my job to downsizing and my marriage. The only silver lining is that my father left my sister and I enough money to become debt free. Now I'm fully re…
I have Seafarer funds on my watch list. I had to liquidate a bunch of securities to make a large cash settlement with my ex as part of a recent divorce. About the same time as my divorce, my father died and left my sister and I with a chunk of cash …