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.
”There is something about my own perception or risk tolerance or some other phenomenon in my blessed psyche that has steered me away from ETFs. I do not appreciate the way they behave. What is it, I wonder, that points me to own open-ended funds (in…
"Took a swig of PYLD this morning"
Was that the 90 proof stuff?
Huh? I didn’t know there was a liquor by that name … ?
What I did there @Old_Joe was employ a subtle ”figure of speech” intended to convey that trying out a new fund is a bit like s…
We haven't heard much from JohnN in quite a while.
@JohnN was among the kind folks who weighed in on my “burning” question - What’s the most you’d ever invest in a single stock?” last August.
Here’s the thread
Sounds like he had 15% in TSLA the…
Maybe if we trade a lot we can rattle the market’s higher? :)
Took a swig of PYLD this morning. Hope it doesn’t turn into “a pile” of something else …
Just a lateral move from another fine, but less adventuresome, bond fund.
“… signifying …
Well, are you investing long-term, or trading? That might affect the response given. I am thinking of @Junkster re: the name you can't remember. Is it him?
Of course.
I have enough trouble keeping equity risk in check w/o adding to my concerns with…
Yikes. Some “bang.” Power surge apparently. Sounds like a lot of work,
We lucked out on the power. I did test run the gas generator out in the detached garage (avoid being inside if running it, even with doors & window open.) and brought a b…
”I never got an answer for my perhaps impolite question asking why RSIIX was not able to protect investors better during March 2020.”
There were serious liquidity issues in the financial system, beginning in early March 2020. My ultra-short (inv…
English is very flexible and forgiving of new expressions. An old timer like me, might have said that they "trouble-shot," all the while recognizing the clumsiness of the word. I recently heard a person on the radio use the Latin word "caveat" as a …
Good to hear Mike!
S***. The first 2 or 3 days were fun. Now it’s a daily grind. About 5-6” every night day after day. With the wind that easily blows into 12-18” drifts. Got a “tracked” model. Nice. But turns kinda hard. Plenty of sore bones n…
I agree. Any aircraft can have last minute issues Recently rode a A-319 around for 90 minutes on the ground while they “trouble-shooted.” before we returned to the gate and got off. Never said what the issue was. Boeing just has an image problem. …
Sold two smaller individual stock holdings (2.5% each) - both rolling dice. Leaves just 5% of portfolio in individual stocks - that’s one stock I like a lot. Steady Eddy from all I can tell. Market’s making me jittery. No place to hide. Metals …
@MikeM - you folks in Buffalo need to take a look at snowblowers. We’ve had them in Michigan a long while now. :) This one looks like mine - though ISTM the price is around $3500 today compared with around $2800 when I bought it a decade ago. Got…
@Soupkitchen and others might want to take a look at CVSIX. Uses somewhat complex arbitrage / equity hedging strategies to produce bond-like returns. One way of culling some of the interest rate risk associated with bonds (while accepting other…
Just have to chuckle. Human anything’s are hard to come by nowadays. Nasty trying to communicate with a robot on other end of the line when you find yourself stranded somewhere at midnight due to flight issues and you’re trying to secure food &…
@Soupkitchen. Of course your balanced funds have bonds, perhaps as much as 65% of assets in vanguard Wellesley or the like.
Good point Larry. Best to run an analytical tool to get the true concentration.
”Money Market Funds or Bond Funds? … Is it really time to get back into bond funds? “
I’m currently weighing the question. I’ll get back to you when I know for sure. :)
Honestly, I have a little in a money market fund, a little in a short-term bon…
Only in drinks in the EM clubs. Thank goodness.
:) I kind of saw that coming. Yes - “on the rocks” / rather than out on the deck.
I remember 50+ years ago watching one work near shore along with my dad from the warmth of our car . They’d swing…
No picnic in Michigan either. About to go out and bust my butt the 3rd day in a row blowin and shoveling. Like being married to a snow blower! A balmy 14 F and winds 25 mph.
A little bit of back-door bragging, @Baseball_Fan? You can afford to sit on 20 years' worth of a security-cushion? Unimaginable to me. And we live modestly.
Not so fast. Depending on one’s macro view, a mix of cash, T Bills and gold might be a good…
”I would not be comfortable having anything less than 20 years of cash/tbill/gold (not paper) of funding for your current lifestyle living...”
Not intended as investment advice. However, @Baseball_Fan might want to take a look at PRPFX.
Gold 25%
S…
Poor Kosinski. Dead by suicide at 58.
His suicide note read: "I am going to put myself to sleep now for a bit longer than usual. Call it Eternity."Painted Bird is a remarkable book, as is Being There. Fascinating man, but not everyone's cup of tea…
“Hats-off” to Charles Lynn Bolin for his exceptional article: ”Asset Allocation and Withdrawal Strategies in Retirement” in the January issue of The Observer. In early December, returning home from a short trip to Florida, I hastily tossed up a…
”Two weeks ago, I hiked with a heart surgeon. He retired 10 years ago and told me that in the last 10 years, things changed and advanced so quickly and much faster than in the previous 40 years.”
It’s truly incredible. My first (of several) eye su…
Than there’s Mario Gabelli in this week’s Barron’s who, after citing a litany of ominous signs, including budget deficits and a recent 50% drawdown in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, shrugs them off and says:
”But what does it matter? Sho…
Just a blurb from today’s FT. Gotta feel for United under the circumstances. What a mess.
United Airlines, which flies more Max 9s than any carrier, said on Friday it was cancelling flights on the plane through to Tuesday, giving it more time to …
@Crash - Feel free to ”swing away”. That’s why I put it under Off Topic..
I happen to own a CEF from Gabelli (quoted in the excerpt). Suspect he’s to the right - though I don’t know if he supports Trump or not. Anyway - he’s made me some money … …
Nicely put by @msf. I agree. Assumptions that investors as a lot act rationally are way off base. It’s interesting that we so often speak in generalities about “stocks”. I’ll leave it there. :)
@Crash. Thanks for elaborating. Technically I’m 10% cash. That’s the normal allocation. But I threw another 10% into a short term bond fund few weeks back. Took bit of risk off the table. Bought a bit of protection.
I don’t have any opinion on bal…
Agreed!
And after a partial rejigger in January, I find myself at 57 stocks 37 bonds and 5 cash. Close enough, I guess. PRNEX is more trouble than it's worth. Gonna exit and redeploy the money in that one. Too volatile, and performance has been yuc…
Thanks Joe.
Say it ain’t so, Joe!
@Old_Joe Thanks for the depth of research you’ve been doing. Hope others are availing themselves of your multiple threads on this topic over in the OT section. Some amazing graphs, diagrams, etc.
Myself? - You…
Yep - It would have to be dirt cheap for me to play around with. But here’s a limited and edited excerpt from an article that appeared in Barron’s less than one month ago. You don’t suppose that December 13 th publication date jinxed them?
Article…
+1 Glad it worked out. Great news.
On a recent flight a few days ago United “unfueled” our plane. Had been fueled for a longer flight when they swapped it for our shorter flight. So we waited onboard while they took fuel off. Aside from economy…
I may have to take a look at those shares. Doubt the govt. will allow Boeing to go under due to its defense related & NASA ties. (I agree they stink presently.)
C’MON @Crash. A wing didn’t fall off! Just a door / door plug. :)
As you probably know, when you book directly with an airline you can click “details” (a bit hard to see) and it will show you the make of aircraft for that route before you make the…
A perfect setup for Colbert
Yes. I was thinking that since there were no casualties the comics would have a field-day. Thanks for the link. Cobert’s acting ability shines through here. And a poignant look at U.S. political scene. Maybe bury this …
I’ve always been amazed at the important roles cotter-pins play in the assembly of all types of heavy equipment. On my ‘05 Silverado one holds the heavy duty trailer hitch in place. If you haven’t seen one, they’re somewhat stronger and more rigi…