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 added to WAFMX. I am not a fan of non-domestic U.S. funds in the present environment and WAFMX has certainly lagged my domestic funds. But it has been one smooth trender ( domestic or otherwise) with about as little volatility as you can get and…
I realize I am in the minority here, but trends (of outperformance and underperformance) in funds tend to persist. But once the music stops, run for the hills. The music stopped long ago for this fund. I never found patience to be a virtue in de…
Reply to @johnN: David was prudent in his vehicle purchase and attuned to accumulating wealth. He must have read The Millionaire Next Door and The Millionaire Mind.
Reply to @scott: Reply to @scott: Scott bought FISV last week the day after you recommended it. Normally I am the last person to ever buy anything recommended on an investing or trading board but it's my kind of stock - in a tight rising channel …
Reply to @MJG: >>>>Yes indeed, line and lane decision making is a lot like investing. Those who change frequently are short term profit seekers (speculators); those who are patient and persistent are long term investors. Everyone shou…
>>>>>>It relates to the poor timing instincts of entry/exit points that investors consistently demonstrate. The generic explanation is that individual investors succumb to a host of behavioral deficiencies. Bogle postulates that th…
Reply to @perpetual_Bull: My point was, I would probably be a 66 year old bag boy at my local grocery store had I heeded the conventional wisdom of the John Bogles of the world when I was younger. Namely, the best you can do is surrender and just …
Reply to @Kaspa: It's the essense of simplicity and based on trend persistency and pure price action devoid of all the indicators and oscillators so favored by the technicians. I don't believe in predicting/forecasting just following price and onl…
Reply to @perpetual_Bull: I opened up an IRA account in April 1993 (Dow around 3400) with $2000 and a SEP IRA in April 1994. Total contributions to date $76,515 with a distribution (withdrawal) of $902.28 in April 1997 and a distribution of $6000 …
I am a big believer in the compound effect and that the greatest wealth creating tool is the tax free compounding of one's capital over time. However, had I not been an active (very active) trader of mutual funds, especially in the late 80s and 90s…
Reply to @MJG: >>>> But here is an accurate summary of some of their discoveries. Investors are reluctant losers; mutual fund investors sell about twice as many winning funds than losing selections. I suppose that hope springs eternal t…
Reply to @Charles: +1 on the BAC as I too added to my BAC. And after the market closed none other than Meredith Whitney said look for 15 in the short term and the 20s in the next year and a half. BAC is up after hours on her comments. Of course …
Good luck Skeeter, and enjoy your time away. We are the same age (I will be 66 next month) and we need to follow our dreams while we are still in good health. I may rent a cabin outside of Asheville this spring and summer and spend every single d…
Reply to @fundalarm: You have me pegged right. I stay as far away as possible. The volatility driven by the leverage and premiums/discounts to NAV not my cup of tea. And, weren't there some absolutely absurd down side moves in the closed end uni…
Bee, I would love to be able to get the ING fund but the I class and W class both no load are not available at Scottrade, just the load version. About the best I have at Scottrade is NFRIX which I own and PSFIX. I've been aware of FOCIX but it is…
If you were willing to sit through 2008, don't understand why you can't sit through the good times too. It's like why let your losses run in the bad times while cutting your profits short in the good times. Not a very good wealth creation techniq…
Reply to @msf: You got me curious on Fidelity at Scottrade. Apparently Fidelity has two entirely different floating rate funds. One is a dog - FFRHX - and is available. The other is top of the heap - FFHCX - and the one I tried to purchase las…
Reply to @Investor: Don't you think a floating rate fund would be better than a short term junk bond fund? I mean if the inevitable ever occurs, rising rates, and junk bonds finally take a hit, the short term junk funds will follow them lower just…
I went in two floating rate funds recently NFRIX and PSFIX. I may be mistaken but thought the Fidelity Floating rate fund was closed unless your account was at Fidelity. These funds have been steady as a rock YTD as investors anticipate rate incre…
Lots of changes and last time I will mention all my trading positions as they are too subject to change. Last week after the stress test went into financials via RYFIX as well as several individual bank names - BK, STT, KEY, and BAC. Also went in…
I would look at multi sector bond funds ala PONDX. Albeit I am now rotating out of a third to a half of my position in such into bank loan/floating rate funds ala PSFIX and NFRIX as a precaution to rising rates as well as getting some exposure to …
Treasuries have really taken it on the chin this week now at 2.07%. And non local currency emerging market bonds haven't fared much better recently with many negative YTD. The top bond funds this year are almost all of the junk nature. I don't l…
Gundlach is definitely the lone wolf here. While I hope he is right because low rates have been a boon to investors (in both stocks and bonds) the past many years, I just don't see it. Especially if equities and the economy keep improving. …
Still too overweight in PONDX but it has been a super retirement anchor. GASFX is my largest fund holding but trying to ramp up in RYOIX which is my most recent buy. Smallish in WSBEX and even smaller in WAMFX. I hold two stocks, one mentioned a …
Reply to @philpill: Looks like a somewhat aggressive portfolio and were I younger my kind of portfolio. Curious about the duplication of FBIOX and PRHSX. I am trying to channel my younger self and last week went into RYOIX after much considerati…
Ted, you just ruined my Sunday. For some inexplicable reason, I always thought the RMD was a flat 2.5% of your account each year. Now I see it is much more than that and hence more taxes to pay. At least I have 4 and a 1/2 more years to prepare f…
Scott, a lot of your fave infrastructure names are the largest holdings in GASFX. I am not sure if you have ever recommended that fund and if not is there any reason you are negative on it? Maybe it's their exposure to utilities which tend to top …
Most so-called junk bond experts seem to believe junk bonds aren't just overpriced but insanely overpriced. This small time trader/investor agrees. While the S&P and Dow have yet to take out their 2007/08 highs, junk bonds are some 60% above t…
Daves, based solely on how your two funds are performing in 2013 I would be shocked if you get those 6% to 7% returns that you have been accustomed to. You might have to adjust your expectations lower for this year and beyond.
HFMDX = 1.97%
WSBEX = 1.68%
SMVLX = 1.48%
GASFX = 1.24%
MSCFX = 1.21%
WAFMX = 0.36%
PONDX = 0.08%
Way, way, way too many funds for me. Sold MSCFX, HFMDX today (too volatile for my tastes) while increasing in GASFX which is my kind…
Reply to @CaryRaleigh: I have been trying to shake up my account and become less dependent on PONDX and have added some size recently in GASFX - a sort of MLP "lite" fund. I had looked at some actual MLP open end funds but felt more comfortable wi…
Reply to @Investor: They are durable but (and this is how they make their money) I have to buy two pair a year at $140 a pop because of the mileage I put on them.
Thanks for the link Maurice, I never realized Brooks was part of the Buffett empire. I am an avid runner and have been a customer since the 80s. My experience has been different than yours as I always found them to haver top notch shoes, especiall…
SUBFX is more correlated to the movements in the stock market, more specifically the financials. YTD it is now ahead of PONDX which seems to have stalled. I have been toying with moving some from PONDX to SUBFX but instead think I will just move i…
I am really saddened by this news. Marty was always one of the more youthful guests on WSW. Time really flies. I would not have much of a retirement nest egg were it not for my implimentation over the years of a variation on his 9 to 1 up volume …