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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.
  • Bond mutual funds analysis act 2 !!
    Reliable Clements has some thoughts:
    https://humbledollar.com/2020/06/farewell-yield/
    From the article and then my comments
    1) Abandon bonds = Rediculous idea. I have talked to many retirees and they don't want the high volatility that stocks offer
    2) Delay Social Security: you can do lots of calculations based on estimates but you can't predict the future. Just start in the middle, my wife and I will start taking SS at age 65 because of the above + Medicare and taxes will be deducted from SS too.
    3) immediate fixed annuities: not an easy choice. If you don't have enough you can't afford it. If you have enough you don't need it. You also can't assume treasury yield will stay lower and since I don't care about treasuries I also know funds that pay over 4%. PIMIX stills pays over 5%.
    4) tax efficiency: always important.
    Most of these generic articles/research hardly ever offer what to do such as 1) not all bonds are treasuries 2) there are several great mutual funds 3) most retirees can't work forever or delay their retirement and don't have enough money. I want to see more ideas.
    Example1: in one month, GWMEX,ORNAX,NHMAX made over 6%.
    Example 2: I think that Kitces has better ideas than most. See (link) “rising equity glidepath” actually does improve retirement outcomes = start at lower % in stocks and increase gradually
  • Investing for Income in Today's Environment
    A little old (2012), but still timely advice:
    A Total Return approached discussed by Vanguard's Colleen Jaconetti:
    investing-income-todays-environment
  • 7 best t row price funds for retires
    https://money.usnews.com/investing/funds/slideshows/best-t-rowe-price-funds-for-retirement
    These funds stand out in a crowded market.
    When you’re choosing how to invest for retirement, T. Rowe Price funds are a recognizable name. T. Rowe Price retirement funds vie for investors’ attention alongside options from other large brokerages such as Vanguard and Fidelity. However, these funds feature some unique characteristics that set them apart from the competition. “Their goal seems to strive for steady and consistent returns without the razzle-dazzle of some other firms,” says Steve Azoury, financial advisor and owner of Azoury Financial in Troy, Michigan. “They don’t go for home runs and they rarely strike out, making them one of the most steady and respected firms in the investment business.” With a wide range of mutual fund options to choose from, it’s possible to build a customized retirement portfolio centered on your needs and goals. Here are seven of the best T. Rowe Price funds to consider when investing for retirement.
    The seven best T. Rowe Price retirement funds:
    — T. Rowe Price Growth Stock Fund (PRGFX)
    — T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth Fund (TRBCX)
    — T. Rowe Price Retirement 2040 Fund (TRRDX)
    — T. Rowe Price Retirement 2030 Fund (TRRCX)
    — T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Fund (PRWCX)
    — T. Rowe Price U.S. Bond Enhanced Index Fund (PBDIX)
    — T. Rowe Price Health Sciences Fund (PRHSX)
  • Why Many People Misunderstand Dividends, and the Damage This Does
    yeah
    these are retirement accounts, but the same as reg brokerage
    just wish they did it like fido
  • You should be nervous!’—legendary money manager slashes stock market exposure from 55% to 25%
    You should be nervous!’—legendary money manager slashes stock market exposure from 55% to 25%
    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/you-should-be-nervouslegendary-money-manager-slashes-stock-market-exposure-from-55-to-25-2020-06-05
    /As investors we should always get nervous when we start making too much money too easily. As a foolish youth I once ignored that rule while speculating on interest rate futures, and got my fingers slammed in the door very quickly and very hard./
    Do you agree with his views....
    Maybe it's a v shape after all
    Maybe it's a great day to bail if I am 6 12 months from retirement
  • IOFIX/IOFAX marketing materials/prospectus
    Every post you make FD is all about you. "I saw this. I did that. Every one else is dumb for missing it." The point is the likelihood of anyone 'investing" in this fund, not trading, would not have seen a 40% drop in 2 days on the horizon.
    Yes, totally BS. And what is the smiley face for?

    You are correct, I didn't know in advance how bad it could be but I expected it to be bad.
    Your reaction is typical, I see anger and disbelief when I tell you my thoughts and how I operate. The smiley is to let you know it's all expected.
    In this thread(
    link), I documented many trades that I have done since 2-28-2020. I made several similar posts on MFO too, see (here). Why no admit I made a great call.
    I'm pretty sure you will come back and request me to post every trade I make :-)
    My trading style has been established for years which helped me in the last 3 years since retirement in 2018. I will sell any bond fund that loses more than 1%, actually, I even sell earlier if other funds in the same category behave differently or I can find a better fund according to my goals.
    Here is the bottom line: while you claim it's all BS the facts show I sold all my portfolio to cash prior to the meltdown.
    You sound a little cocky, but I wouldn't worry too much. There's some sour grapes goin around lately. I got some crap for commenting on a post on someone bummed on staying in cash, not buying the dip, and furthermore, anticipating a second covid wave to justify in another thread. These things happen. We've all f-ed up. No big deal.
  • IOFIX/IOFAX marketing materials/prospectus
    Every post you make FD is all about you. "I saw this. I did that. Every one else is dumb for missing it." The point is the likelihood of anyone 'investing" in this fund, not trading, would not have seen a 40% drop in 2 days on the horizon.
    Yes, totally BS. And what is the smiley face for?
    You are correct, I didn't know in advance how bad it could be but I expected it to be bad.
    Your reaction is typical, I see anger and disbelief when I tell you my thoughts and how I operate. The smiley is to let you know it's all expected.
    In this thread(link), I documented many trades that I have done since 2-28-2020. I made several similar posts on MFO too, see (here). Why no admit I made a great call.
    I'm pretty sure you will come back and request me to post every trade I make :-)
    My trading style has been established for years which helped me in the last 3 years since retirement in 2018. I will sell any bond fund that loses more than 1%, actually, I even sell earlier if other funds in the same category behave differently or I can find a better fund according to my goals.
    Here is the bottom line: while you claim it's all BS the facts show I sold all my portfolio to cash prior to the meltdown.
  • IOFIX/IOFAX marketing materials/prospectus
    The basics are still the same: Know what you own, expect the worse(which is what I do) and past performance and volatility are not guaranteed.

    I call BS on that advice FD. None of what you said is usable. This was a fund with good consistent returns and a very low STD to boot. It would have been easier to interpret the risk if the funds literature would have been more accurate, especially on liquidity and possible fire-sale risk. The fund collapsed 45% before the dust could settle. 40% within 2 days. Trading limits on mutual funds that only allow trades after the market closes gives an investor 2 days as the quickest reaction time to unload. Most here aren't day traders so your advice on this fund is worthless.
    Sorry, but your infallible preaching is a bit nauseating.
    Well, several quotes from the past
    1) 2-28-2020-According to MFO databased when you search for Multi sector funds for 3 years + best martin ratio you get the following funds
    Fund performance ANFIX 5.3 IOFIX 10.6 SEMMX 5.1 BDKNX 5.7 ANGLX 4.2
    2) 2-29-2020-I'm taking my profit and watching. There is no way to be sure how IOFIX will do if markets go wild
    3) 3-3/2020-There is no guarantee of what will happen in the future. I think the worse was in 11/2018 when IOFIX lost more than 1% in one day.
    Over the years:
    I have watched IOFIX jumping 2-3 times annually 2-3% within days while others didn't.
    In 2008 MBS got crushed. ORNAX(HY Muni) fell over 40% and more than others.
    I can't remember the fund name but it was a bond fund in 2010-11 that I owned, sold before it crashed and you couldn't sell it for years.
    Look at the above, item 3, how can a fund make 10% annually which is double than most in its category. IOFIX is an exotic fund with illiquid bonds and its daily pricing is just a guesstimation. When something looks too good to be true, it usually is
    So, with the above in mind, I always watched IOFIX very carefully and was in/out over the years.
    Did I know it will crash over 40%? of course not, but I thought 20% was a possibility.
    As a trader, I also have specific guidelines. Prior to retirement, I would sell any bond fund that lost 3%, after retirement, it's just 1%.
    I also learned years ago while trading stocks that when markets get wild and you try to sell a stock with low volume, it can go down 30% in seconds while QQQ,SPY go down just several %.
    BTW, I also sold my other riskier fund which was NHMAX(HY MUNI), prior to the crash and it lost over 22%.
    If you still think the above is BS, then be it :-)
  • AMIDEX35 Israel Fund to be liquidated
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1074440/000138713120005366/amidex-497_060120.htm
    (AMDAX,AMDEX,AMDCX)
    497 1 amidex-497_060120.htm SUPPLEMENT DATED JUNE 1, 2020
    REVISED FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
    AMIDEX™ Funds, Inc.
    4300 SHAWNEE MISSION PARKWAY, SUITE 100
    FAIRWAY, KS 66205
    1-888-876-3566
    SUPPLEMENT DATED JUNE 1, 2020 TO THE SUMMARY PROSPECTUS, PROSPECTUS AND
    STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DATED SEPTEMBER 30, 2019, AS SUPPLEMENTED
    This Supplement updates certain information contained in the Summary Prospectus, Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) of AMIDEX Funds (the “Fund”), dated September 30, 2019, as supplemented. You should read this Supplement in conjunction with the Prospectus and SAI and retain it for future reference. You may obtain an additional copy of the Prospectus and SAI, free of charge, by calling 1-888-876-3566 or by sending an e-mail request to [email protected], or you can view, print and download a copy of these documents at the Fund’s website at www.amidex.com.
    The purpose of this Supplement is to provide you with information about the liquidation and termination of the AMIDEX35 Israel Fund (the “Fund”).
    Information Regarding the AMIDEX35 Israel Fund
    At a meeting held on May 15, 2020, the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), upon the recommendation of Index Investments, LLC, the Fund’s investment adviser, the Board determined that is was in the best interests of the shareholder’s of the Fund to close and liquidate the Fund and on May 28, 2020 the Board of Directors approved a Plan of Liquidation (the “Plan”) under which the Fund will liquidate and terminate. It is expected that the liquidation will take place on or about June 19, 2020 (the “Liquidation Date”). Under the Plan, the Fund will sell its portfolio securities for cash and will convert any other assets to cash or cash equivalents by the Liquidation Date and pay any liabilities. On the Liquidation Date, the Fund will distribute cash pro rata to all remaining shareholders who have not previously redeemed all of their shares. This distribution will be a taxable event for each shareholder that is not tax-exempt, resulting in a gain or loss measured by the difference between the amount distributed to the shareholder and the shareholder’s basis in the Fund’s shares. Once the distribution is complete, the Fund will terminate.
    In anticipation of the liquidation, the Fund will close to new investments, effective on June 1, 2020. In addition, the Fund will sell its portfolio holdings in an orderly manner to convert its assets to cash. During this time, the Fund might not pursue its investment objectives or policies.
    Please note that you may be eligible to exchange your shares of the Fund at net asset value per share at any time prior to the Liquidation Date for shares of the same share class of another fund under certain circumstances. Please also note that you may redeem your shares of the Fund at any time prior to the Liquidation Date as described in the Fund’s Prospectus, dated September 30, 2019, as supplemented. In general, exchanges and redemptions are taxable events for shareholders. If you own Fund shares in a tax deferred account, such as an individual retirement account, 401(k) or 403(b) account, you should consult your tax adviser to discuss a Fund’s liquidation and determine its tax consequences.
    For more information, please call 1-888-876-3566.
  • How Much of the Bear Market Losses Have Been Recovered?
    In addition, owning just one fund does nothing to manage fund manager and strategy risk.
    You couldn't be more wrong about PARHX @Old_Skeet, or any of the TRP retirement funds. This 1 fund is made up of 13 TRP equity funds and 8 fixed income funds. This fund holds 21 other funds with all different managers and is as diversified between market size and sectors and yes, managers as needed by most anyone's standards. To compare it to a fund with little liquidity and no diversification like IOFAX is silly and misleading.
    This is why the board is so great as we can exchange ideas and concepts. What might be right for one just might not be so right for another.
    Can't disagree with this statement. It doesn't mean though that exchanging ideas and concepts on this board or any board adds much to total return. It may very well act opposite.
  • Stocks Are Too Risky. What GMO’s Inker Says to Buy Instead.
    GMO has been saying EM will out preform for years.. Eventually by the roll of the dice they will be right I guess. I think they base a lot of their opinion on valuations. This outpreformance may eventually be is true but the only thing Brazil is out preforming on now is new Covid cases and deaths, for example. I think Covid will decimate EM.
    GMO website has many very long and very thoughtfully argued position papers, including a number by Grantham that are valuable about climate change, but I have never mad any money following their advice.
    Inker has just cut equities to 25% in GBMFX the global allocation fund he has run for decades.
    https://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/gbmfx/analysis
    Mere mortals can't get into this fund, although it is not clear why you would want to with it's middling record over the last few years. TIAA offered it for years in their retirement plans, but recently removed it probably because of nonperformance. My wife's account would have been better off in VWINX which has a ten year return of 105% vs GBMFX 38%
    Every dog may have it's day....
    You can get into Inker's GMO fund. WARCX Wells Fargo Absolute Return is a feeder fund into GBMFX. However the expense ratio is 2.28% and a 1% differed load. Its track record is not stellar.
  • How Much of the Bear Market Losses Have Been Recovered?
    Hi @Derf, as of this morning self managed is down -5.5% YTD, -7% from high. The Schwab robo did better with -5.0 YTD, -5.3% from high. My biggest mistake was having my bond portion in non-diversified, low liquidity funds like IOFAX, MAINX and HY munis. I took a loss selling off IOFAX and MAINX and chalked it up to a lesson learned.
    For a total portfolio at about 50% equity, my #s, -5% YTD aren't very good. If you look at a simple 1 fund portfolio like TRP retirement 2015 fund, PARHX, that fund is only down -3.3% YTD. I often ask myself why not just buy that fund and play around the edges if you want to have fun. Not to hurt anyone's feelings, I'm convinced most of us here do not add value to a portfolio. We may talk a good game with our buys and sells and timing but #s don't lie. Hard to beat a target date fund.
  • market up >500 pts today; any changes in plans/suggestions?
    @bee, Depending on which phase the investors are in, retirees may have have 5.5 years timeframe to recover. The recent 30% drawdown would require 47% return just to reach the break-even point.
    Assuming the retirees chose a more conservative allocation, say 50/50 as they approach the retirement date, the drawdown of their portfolio would near 15% and that is more manageable. Challenge today is finding bond funds with yields north of 2% without incurring higher risk including junk and EM bonds. Even the investment grade bonds went down to 8% during the sell off in early March as investors fled to cash. The market has recovered some in recent weeks but now the trade war with China just flare up again.
  • Stocks Are Too Risky. What GMO’s Inker Says to Buy Instead.
    GMO has been saying EM will out preform for years.. Eventually by the roll of the dice they will be right I guess. I think they base a lot of their opinion on valuations. This outpreformance may eventually be is true but the only thing Brazil is out preforming on now is new Covid cases and deaths, for example. I think Covid will decimate EM.
    GMO website has many very long and very thoughtfully argued position papers, including a number by Grantham that are valuable about climate change, but I have never mad any money following their advice.
    Inker has just cut equities to 25% in GBMFX the global allocation fund he has run for decades.
    https://www.morningstar.com/funds/xnas/gbmfx/analysis
    Mere mortals can't get into this fund, although it is not clear why you would want to with it's middling record over the last few years. TIAA offered it for years in their retirement plans, but recently removed it probably because of nonperformance. My wife's account would have been better off in VWINX which has a ten year return of 105% vs GBMFX 38%
    Every dog may have it's day....
  • Grandeur Peak International Stalwarts Fund to close to new investors via financial intermediaries
    Just received an email about the fund closing:
    May 27, 2020
    Dear Fellow Investors,
    We are announcing today that the Grandeur Peak International Stalwarts Fund (GISYX/GISOX) will close to new investors through intermediary platforms after June 10, 2020. The Fund will remain open to existing investors. Retirement plans and financial advisors with existing clients in the Fund will still be able to invest in the Fund for existing as well as new clients as long as their clearing platform will allow this exception. The Fund will remain open to new investors who purchase directly from Grandeur Peak Funds.
    The International Stalwarts Fund recently reached $1 billion under management, and the investment strategy in total is now roughly $2 billion. As you know, we carefully review capacity at the firm level and strategy level. We are committed to keeping all of our investment strategies small enough to be able to fully pursue their investment strategies without being encumbered by either their individual asset base or the firms’ collective asset base. Achieving performance for our clients will always be our paramount objective.
    The International and Global Stalwarts Funds will reach their five-year anniversary this September. When we launched the Stalwarts Funds, we talked about capacity across the Stalwarts line being in the $5-7 billion range given the Stalwarts’ focus on more liquid SMid-cap (Small- and Mid-cap) companies. We also hoped that the Stalwarts Funds would therefore be able to stay open to clients longer than many of our small/micro-cap funds. We are moving the International Stalwarts strategy to soft closed to protect existing investors’ continued access to the Fund.
    We have been very encouraged by the performance of the Stalwarts Funds and the value they have added to our collaborative research process over the last 4½ years (click here for Fund performance). We are excited to have recently added the US Stalwarts Fund to the Stalwarts line. The Global Stalwarts and US Stalwarts funds both remain open to new and existing shareholders. Part of the decision to close the International Stalwarts Fund is to preserve space for future assets in the Global Stalwarts strategy. Managing “sister” funds like the three Stalwarts Funds allows us to provide investment opportunities to a diverse breadth of investors.
    Thank you for your continued interest and trust. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me or a member of our Client Relations Team.
  • Grandeur Peak International Stalwarts Fund to close to new investors via financial intermediaries
    https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/915802/000139834420011509/fp0054235_497.htm
    497 1 fp0054235_497.htm
    FINANCIAL INVESTORS TRUST
    SUPPLEMENT DATED MAY 27, 2020 TO THE SUMMARY PROSPECTUS AND PROSPECTUS FOR THE GRANDEUR PEAK INTERNATIONAL STALWARTS FUND (THE “FUND”) DATED AUGUST 31, 2019
    Effective as of the close of business on June 10, 2020, the Fund will close to new investors, except as described below. This change will affect new investors seeking to purchase shares of the Fund through third party intermediaries subject to certain exceptions for financial advisors with an established position in the Fund and participants in certain qualified retirement plans with an existing position in the Fund. The Fund remains open to purchases from existing shareholders, and to new shareholders who purchase directly from Grandeur Peak Funds.
    The Fund retains the right to make exceptions to any action taken to close the Fund or limit inflows into the Fund.
    INVESTORS SHOULD RETAIN THIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
    ******* From GP website: International Stalwarts has Total Net Assets as of 5/26/2020:$1 Billion
  • market up >500 pts today; any changes in plans/suggestions?
    @johnN: I too have pondered whether to take my foot off the accelerator. Prior to COVID, I could see retirement on the not-so-distant horizon. COVID temporarily erased the smile that was starting to form. I'm closed to being recovered but uncertainty is still in the air. I wanted to retire within five years, but if it has to be 10, it has to be. However, what I do know is being in Cash won't get me there. It certainly won't get me there as quickly as I'd like. I feel like Evil Kenievel in that I'm in the air and I've cleared most of the buses, but whether or not I can stick the landing remains in question. I won't go gentle into that good night. The stock market has been my vehicle for independence. I am trusting the Managers I've chosen have performed their due diligence and the companies within the funds are strong enough to make it to the other side, or have the ability to take advantage and gain market share. I may be wrong, but it is the path needed to achieve my goal. Good luck.
  • market up >500 pts today; any changes in plans/suggestions?
    I’m in my 3rd year of retirement - during the 2000-2002 and 2008-09 years I was working and simply continued to dca into my/our 403bs and IRAs. I kept my head down and ran with it as buying opportunities. This time (for me) is different. With a 35/63/2 (equity/bonds/cash) allocation prior to CV-19 and feeling flush, I drank the koolaid with mad money to DSEEX, JMUTX, PIGIX, PIMIX, PCI, OPTAX, ORNAX with approximately 6% of PV. Still holding PIMIX, PIGIX, PCI, and DSEEX. I’ve looked at the loss as a learning opportunity, and will sell the others if/when they recover. My allocation sits at 30/59/11 (E/B/C) and I’m slowly deploying the cash to VBILX, VWIUX, VIG, and VTI.
  • market up >500 pts today; any changes in plans/suggestions?
    https://www.thestreet.com/markets/stock-market-nasdaq-new-york-stock-exchange-dow-jones-052620
    hello
    Do you folks think this is a new fierce-bull market rally or just a W recovery in hiding, will DOWS JONES reach 15k by end of summer, or 26.3k???
    We did bought more/added today SPY, QQQ, vong, vanguard2045. If it continue to come down, maybe think of DCAs and buy more next 6 12 months...
    My friend from working thinking of bailing out, even though that person has > 15 yrs until retirement, think got too anxious and does not want to loose more money.
    I do think maybe good time to go for more cash + fixed incomes if nearing retirement and if DOWS reach 27 or 28k levels
    For our household, still 90/10 in tsp distributions, no changes probably until few yrs until retirement in ~12 yrs [after considerations and careful discussions w/ Wifey-Boss]
    thankyou for any suggestions...
  • Do You Have A Long-Term Plan If The Coronavirus Bear Market Continues?
    I morphed into a plan over the years though I admit every time it's tested, like in March, I still get nervous.
    The plan, the plan...
    - 1/2 my retirement savings is in the Schwab Intelligent Portfolio at about an equity:bond:cash allocation of 45:35:10. I can't screw it up, which is good :)
    - over the past year I set up a 3 year expense withdrawal bucket in anticipation of cutting back to part time semi-retiring or retiring altogether. I wanted the option.
    - The remainder of the savings is my self managed account which went into March at about 56:25:12 and about 7% gold. I'm most disappointed in the bond portion of this where I held IOFAX, MAINX and HY munis. That plan changed. I sold IOFAX and MAINX and the new plan is to be very lean in bond funds going forward. For some reason I can accept an equity fund dropping 25% but I just can't accept a bond fund dropping 20+. I've actually put a lot of the bond sale proceeds into an alternative fund MNWAX.
    - I'm 66 and trying to hold off SS as long as I can.