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 agree with @Mark that TurboTax takes care of the problem. I too did not like the late arrival of the K-1s. I avoid investments that generate K-1s because of an inheritance from my wife's family that has taken more than five years to settle, partia…
My advisor said TIAA owns property and that their fund differs from ordinary real estate MFs, ETFs or CEFs that invest in stocks and REITs, but don't own property. I did not do any research into this but I guess I have assigned myself a report to po…
In my TIAA retirement account, by far my largest asset, I hold 10% real estate at my advisor's recommendation. This is not a typical investment in REITs because TIAA actually owns RE. Five-year average annual return is 9.03%. Also have a small posit…
Our household watches both TV channels, so we're experts! I have never rehabbed a property for re-sale, but I have put a lot of sweat equity into my dwellings. My reaction to your query is that real estate investing for an individual is a lot of wor…
Thanks for that link, @djchappy. Some interesting info about rate hikes in the 1970's and effect on the market. For a raft of reasons (Nixon, Watergate, horrible market, and leisure suits) I sure hope we never have a decade like that one.
@Nick: While I don't know the figures, many states are moving public employees away from defined benefit plans (the traditional pension) towards 403(b)-type plans for which employees need to make greater contributions and for which they must take a …
The NY Times article cited is really depressing reading for current or former teachers. I may have made this point in another thread, but my view, as a retired faculty member and union officer and the spouse of a retired public school teacher, is th…
Healthcare has been a big winner for investors over almost any long-term period. I happen to access it through HQL, the small-cap growth fund BCSIX, and a smattering of individual stocks (like CELG). HQH is Tekla's broad-based health fund and a good…
Thanks for these thoughts, David. I would like to underscore what I originally heard to be a call for civility and it was a timely call. Other than to praise or thank an individual poster, I think it wise to not direct any comment on the board towar…
BCSIX, closed, is the M* choice for small-cap growth. It's a health science and tech fund and concentrated. One fund that has out performed it over the past few years is GSXAX, more a SC blend and one that is light on health and tech relative to the…
I want to have the WSJ to kick around; without them, how would I know who the enemy is? Maybe I'll dig around in the archives for some oldies-but-goodies such as, "Who Is Vince Foster?"
Never understood this yearly feature in Barron's. A fund family ranking has never influenced me nor, I dare say, has it had much effect on buys/sells of the active investors on MFO. I realize that people have accounts at Vanguard, Price, American Ce…
The NYTimes has made its paywall a success. Both it and the New Yorker allow reading ten free articles before charging to soften the pain. I dropped Barron's recently and I only maintain my WSJ subscription because it has become amazingly cheap, $49…
@openice: No lawyer could have written a non-compete clause in Zhang's separation agreement from BC that could have prevented her from using what she learned at her former employer's shop. The over-lap between the two funds could be seen as a win-wi…
To their credit, FMI managers actually analyse and provide excellent rationales for their portfolio decisions. Compared to the light-weight fluff some funds offer in the their reports, FMI is a model of probity. I do not hold funds that offer no mor…
I agree with @PRESSmUP. Have owned FMIJX long enough to have become weary of the gloomy tone of the mangers' reports. Still, I've added to my holdings with proceeds from another international fund. Maybe gloom sells…
Wow! If I picked a fund on the basis of ads bought by some companies in the fund, I'd take a pass because such companies probably don't know the value of a buck.
The three fund companies, located as they are in an area dominated by one culture, may appear to pass MF managers back and forth like (well..you get it).
Sold BUFTX and bought REGL. Only MF I have added to recently is DSENX. In the past 12 months have moved more $ into ETFs: XMLV, CAPE, MOAT and in most cases sold MFs. Looking at DEULX, however.
I thought CEM, a closed end fund, would provide capital appreciation for me without the headache of the K-1 tax form. I could not have gone into the MLP market at a worse time, so my tale is cautionary. I'm a lousy timer and CEFs can exacerbate erro…
I guess I'll wait for DLEUX. I do have an IRA at TDA, but the TF deters me. It would require a big position held for a long time to equal the .25% lower ER for DSEUX.
With Scott Pruitt at the helm of EPA, it's going to be hard to sell the idea that climate change is important and that we need to do something about it now.
DLEUX interests me as well. At present, TDA and Schwab are not carrying the fund. It started trading on December 23, so maybe patience is required. If my record of trying to make money in Europe is any indicator, I should flee this fund and put more…
