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Added BRK.B today just small portions..holding very large cash now [although only about 4% of portfolio lol] @JohnN, I do believe you’re the “buyingest” fella I know. Maybe some pretty deep pockets? :)
That aside, you may be holding more cash than…
@hank : Did you happen to price out composite decking vs treated ? Composite has low maintenance.
Yes - My builder priced it. Cheap composite is competitive with wood on price, but not very attractive. The cost of top quality composite would have …
unless you are retired then place everything in bonds
The problem with putting 100% into “bonds” at retirement is that some of us may spend 30 or 40 years in retirement. Do you really want to settle for relatively low bond-like returns over all thos…
@Lewis: I still enjoy playing poker and watching sports on TV.”
@Ted, Don’t forget to watch the Cubs today. They’re at the top of the NL Central. Playing a pretty good team in the Brewers.
Whatever you do - don’t go near the toxic Tigers. They’r…
Derf, I do not see a link to the article or its name. Could you try again, please?
Until @Derf gets back from lunch, these links might help. The February / March 2919 AARP Magazine references a 5-year retirement planner/check-list. By Googling diff…
Hope this ties in OK with David’s sentiments:
In 1901, British author G. K. Chesterton wrote in his book "The Defendant": “My country, right or wrong' is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying 'M…
Thanks for checking @Catch22. OUSGX fell quite a bit the day before - so yesterday’s gain was in part a bounce.
@bee is probably correct that outsized gains in bond funds don’t usually persist long. So capturing some gains by moving to ultra short…
Quick note re TRP calculator -
While they attempt to make you register as a user, I was able (by finagling around) to at least get started on it without registering. Sounds like it also worked for mcmarasco,
Glad you liked it.
Anyone making short term portfolio adjustments to capture bond fund capital appreciation as rates move down?Those of us statically allocated can only watch in disbelief. As for my funds, I was surprised yesterday when DODIX jumped .43%, but absolute…
This retirement planner / calculator from T. Rowe Price looks like it might be a hoot to monkey around with. https://www3.troweprice.com/ric/ricweb/public/ric.do
Than there’s Ben Franklin’s adage for those too busy to plan ahead: “Experience keeps …
In the 1970s, was able to work my way through college with modest loans totaling about $5,000 — which I was able to pay off in about three.
.
Some prices from the 1970s
Average 1970s home price – approximately $27,000 (prices went up through the …
This prompted me to take a look at my one “alternative” fund. That’s TMSRX from T. Rowe, which is approximately one year old. It’s an odd-duck in itself, relying on 5 different managers, each responsible for a different investment approach. But from…
“What am I missing?” -
I don’t know. Except that the world of “alternative” investing is by nature a bit whacko. Over time they expect you’ll get about the same return as the 3-month Treasury. But you’ll arrive at in a different way and at diffe…
Not to Trump @Ted’s great summary. But the big news today to me is ......
. 10 Year Gov't Yield Yield 1.89%
. Spot Gold $1443.15 (+ 2.07%)
. GDX-Gold Miners Index 27.85 (+ 5.09%)
. Crude Oil $54.51 (…
In the end, global economies / cyclical trends will do what they will do. Central bankers and politicians can warp the timelines by some years. They may speed things up, prop things up, mitigate the fallout, delay the inevitable - or even make thi…
Strange day. I lagged my bogey (TRRIX) for the first time in quite a while (-0.43% vs -0.39%). Culprit was my small stake in the miners which have soared for several months. OPGSX, fell 3.7% for the day.
Didn’t follow the news flow throughout the …
@Ted, I was just saying to somebody the other day how much nicer you’ve become of late. :) Greatly appreciated. And it’s unfair I suppose to pick out one silly article from the 90% or more of yours that truly benefit investors. So, please accept my …
Fund discussions? Really?
As to whether she drives a sports car, smokes cigars, plays poker, or looks good in a bikini ... I really don’t care. Do you?
We are far from out of the wood, thus I am building up my cash positions.
out of the wood(s): No longer in danger or dealing with a particular difficulty, though not entirely resolved. Usually used in the negative. / Example - “If our sales stay …
State controlled price of Chivas dropped from $37 to $30 for a short period this summer. Added 3 to the stash. Dewars 12-Year went from $40 to $30. Grabbed 3 of those. A favorite, JWB, fell by only $2 - so didn’t bite.
Not to worry ...
“The odds are that we will be wrong much more often in our predictions than in our analysis of the present.”
- Michael Lipper, May 2016
http://citywireamericas.com/news/michael-lipper-three-major-sources-of-investment-losses/a908…
Great stuff. I watched it on 60 Minutes for the second time tonight. Almost posted to inquire whether anyone here has read his book? But Ted beat me to the punch. Got a lot of other reading on my plate right now. So it’s dubious when / if I’ll get…
Hi @LewisBraham
Don't believe in Roth IRA's for a minor to perhaps establish money and budget habits; and learn about investing ?
Hey Catch - I didn’t view Lewis’ comment as a critique or criticism of your position on Roths for kids. I think he …
@hank
Now, if we can eliminate the a-holes driving at 70+ on I-75 looking at their phone screens and while their vehicle weaves about in the driving lanes. I would arrest them on the spot if I had that power.
Exactly Catch. Someday, however, when …
On Humility - The first money manager I ever listened to or paid any attention to was Sir John Templeton, a frequent on the old Rukeyser show in the 70s and 80s. I think Sir John would have agreed with most of the ideas on the list - perhaps, mos…
@hank: Do you mean to tell me your car doesn't have a heated radar receiver ? ! How about seats, mirror, & steering wheel ? It was probably built as a Southern car !! LOL Derf
Well @Derf, that’s very good question. In Michigan we thaw things …
- I’ve always preferred living in the state of denial. So I’ll place the odds of dying at only 99.99999%. :)
- Good accident analysis from @msf - A possible investment outcome might be that insurers should do very well as auto makers continue to…
I'll call tomorrow about a second mortgage....
Good luck Ben. Mine cleared the bank yesterday. So I’ve already bought up a whole bunch of this one. Doubtful there’s any more left.
Recommended reading so that this never happens again.
@Old_Joe,
Thank you for the constructive criticism. I’ve deleted / replaced the objectionable word in my above post. I always try to disagree without seeming disagreeable. But sometimes it eludes.
Regards
I can only beg everyone not to go political. It’s a “no-win” for everyone. I pay no attention to sharp-pointed declamatory rhetoric here, whether coming from the right or left. Hell, there’s enough on Fox or MSNBC to satisfy everybody’s appetites …
“Something bothered me from the moment that I first read Ted's post, but it took a while before it crystallized: the commentary is written in decent standard English ...” @Old_Joe Damned! - I hope this doesn’t sound condescending, but I could tell …
I’ve reluctantly gone to maintaining 2 trackers. Really like the Active Portfolio app from Apple for a few dollars (purchase price) plus $10 - $20 a year to go ad-free. However, I don’t think it would operate outside the Apple ecosystem. Even this…
- When I have any type of windfall I simply roll it into my existing retirement savings - in same proportion as the existing allocation. Than it grows right along with my regular investments. But I’m pretty spread out and have every confidence th…
@Ted,
I specifically looked at this thread because I noticed that mfo board favorite @Old_Joe had made a comment. So, when you count those “total views”, do you have a way to compensate for the fact that many of those “views” were attributable to…
Why?”For no other reason but for diversification ... “
Mike’s is probably the best reason. But there might be a couple others: (1) You might want to “juice” the fixed income portion of your portfolio by adding some additional risk. International in…
No you don’t Ted. You’ve helped others out many more times than I have. But your failure to link did have me wondering whether you’d perhaps been nipping on that bottle of Sonoma ... ? :)
Regards
Here’s the link to Ted’s story: https://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2019/07/16/wsj-wealth-adviser-briefing-value-investors-high-yield-bonds-luxury-travel/
Sometimes I grow weary of this horse race mentality and the bemoaning of one’s results if one typ…