Search found 26 matches

by Quasimodo
Wed May 28, 2014 11:49 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: NEW ETF's search
Replies: 4
Views: 3388

Re: NEW ETF's search

by Quasimodo
Fri Jan 10, 2014 7:32 pm
Forum: Stocks
Topic: Allocation to non-US stocks
Replies: 20
Views: 13677

Re: Allocation to non-US stocks

My choices are Vanguard's Total World Stock etf (VT) for the stock portion, and Vanguard's Total International Bond etf (BNDX) for the bond portion. I realize this is not in conformity with Harry Browne's writings, but after the political impasse last fall I'm more comfortable holding an internation...
by Quasimodo
Sun Oct 27, 2013 12:20 pm
Forum: Stocks
Topic: Equity Allocation to World Regions
Replies: 5
Views: 4568

Re: Equity Allocation to World Regions

Except for a small variable portfolio allocation to Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), I use Vanguard's Total World Stock Index (VT) for the stock portion of our Permanent Portfolio.

John
by Quasimodo
Sun Oct 13, 2013 2:59 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: So much for the "risk-free" nature of Treasuries
Replies: 213
Views: 79403

Re: So much for the "risk-free" nature of Treasuries

Okay, I waded through the 9 pages of speculation and pontification here and the 13 on the thread about this I started earlier. Now what I want to know is who's actually planning on diversifying their 30 year U.S. Treasuries with long-term British and Japanese debt, and who's planning on turning the...
by Quasimodo
Sat Oct 05, 2013 10:40 am
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Government shutdown effect on LT bonds
Replies: 21
Views: 11701

Government shutdown effect on LT bonds

What do Permanent Portfolio investors think would happen to the portfolio if the government shutdown resulted in a downgrade, or God forbid, some sort of default, of treasury bonds?

John
by Quasimodo
Wed Jul 03, 2013 4:43 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Life > Investment Performance
Replies: 18
Views: 10210

Re: Life > Investment Performance

Wishing you peace of mind, Melveyr.

Thanks for your wise words.

John
by Quasimodo
Mon Jun 24, 2013 10:12 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: PP is WAY DOWN...:(
Replies: 30
Views: 18833

Re: PP is WAY DOWN...:(

If you can't handle a 20% drawdown then you probably shouldn't be in the PP. Then again, I wouldn't be comfortable with 100% cash either. 100% cash is always a bad idea. But it's a pretty big step from 100% cash to the Permanent Portfolio and there are many possible allocations between these two ex...
by Quasimodo
Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:04 pm
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: VP Mutual Fund Suggestions
Replies: 25
Views: 20585

Re: VP Mutual Fund Suggestions

Hussman Strategic Total Return (HSTRX) has mostly treasury bonds but can buy up to 30% in gold mining stocks, utilities, reits or foreign bonds. It actually made money in 2008 where PRPFX had a rare losing year. Dr. Hussman says he invests all his own money in the two funds he manages, so that sugge...
by Quasimodo
Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:33 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: What moves the long bond?
Replies: 2
Views: 4484

Re: What moves the long bond?

Hi Jerry; Here's a link to a chart comparing Vanguard's long term treasury bond fund to the S&P500 over the last 10 years: http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/charts/chartdl.aspx?PT=10&showchartbt=Redraw+chart&compsyms=&CB=1&D5=0&DCS=2&MA0=0&MA1=0&D7=&D6=&symbol=VUSTX&nocookie=1&SZ=0 I've heard it ...
by Quasimodo
Sun May 30, 2010 4:01 pm
Forum: Gold
Topic: Gold, History and Diversification
Replies: 17
Views: 14595

Re: Gold, History and Diversification

Here's a post I made on the Bogleheads forum: "In 1970 there was a book called "How You Can Profit from the Coming Devaluation" by Harry Browne, which suggested buying gold and silver coins, Swiss francs and South African gold mining stocks. After reading that book I followed the suggestions from th...
by Quasimodo
Wed May 19, 2010 2:09 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Why should I buy Treasuries now?
Replies: 46
Views: 36444

Re: Why should I buy Treasuries now?

The Fed controls short term rates but the marketplace controls long term bond rates. People have been saying rates have to go up from here for several years. It's conceivable short term rates could rise without much of any change in long term rates. The beauty of the Permanent Portfolio is that you ...
by Quasimodo
Sun May 16, 2010 10:34 am
Forum: Cash
Topic: options for cash
Replies: 35
Views: 25381

Re: options for cash

American Century's Capital Preservation Fund is open. It is the original T-Bill MMF.

The other suggestions were great.

John
by Quasimodo
Sun May 16, 2010 10:15 am
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Building bonds portion in a real world
Replies: 2
Views: 4913

Re: Building bonds portion in a real world

Using your 401k for stocks and cash, and your IRA for gold and long term treasury bonds seems the best option to me.

It looked as though none of the Fidelity bond funds were treasury-only anyway. Short or medium term corporate bonds wouldn't be a good implementation of the PP.

Good luck!

John
by Quasimodo
Thu May 06, 2010 9:27 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: A perspective on retirement
Replies: 16
Views: 14587

Re: A perspective on retirement

I really enjoyed the article. Thanks for posting it, 6 Iron.

John
by Quasimodo
Wed May 05, 2010 9:21 am
Forum: Gold
Topic: Gold Vs. Inflation of the dollar
Replies: 9
Views: 9633

Re: Gold Vs. Inflation of the dollar

Hi Roy; CEF holds physical gold and silver (about 55%/45%). GTU is 100% gold. CEF underperformed gold during the time period cited in the article because of the silver holdings. Sometimes it goes the other way. GTU would be more of an apples to apples comparison. I don't have PRPFX's prospectus with...
by Quasimodo
Wed May 05, 2010 7:58 am
Forum: Gold
Topic: Gold Vs. Inflation of the dollar
Replies: 9
Views: 9633

Re: Gold Vs. Inflation of the dollar

According to this article: http://www.goldstockbull.com/articles/central-fund-of-canada-cef-safest-way-to-own-gold/ "Ian McAvity, founding director and advisor to CEF, said there are definite tax advantages to CEF as opposed to an open-ended ETF. Long term gains in the gold ETFs (and presumably Barc...
by Quasimodo
Mon May 03, 2010 9:06 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: best permanent portfolio book
Replies: 12
Views: 11888

Re: best pp book

Harry wrote "How You Can Profit from the Coming Devaluation" in 1970, and after reading it I followed his advice which as I recall pretty much featured what the PRPFX fund invests in. I had swiss francs purchased from the bank's international department which I kept in a safe deposit box; a bag of j...
by Quasimodo
Sun May 02, 2010 7:56 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: TLT Interest Payments
Replies: 12
Views: 16358

Re: TLT Interest Payments

One thing I have noticed when trying to chart BTTRX in comparison with other bond funds is that the net asset value of BTTRX grows because of "imputed" interest, where the regular bond funds just show NAV changes that don't reflect interest payments, so BTTRX looks dramatically better than it really...
by Quasimodo
Sun May 02, 2010 7:09 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: TLT Interest Payments
Replies: 12
Views: 16358

Re: TLT Interest Payments

Here's a zero coupon bond fund:

https://www.americancentury.com/funds/f ... p?fund=968

They have others, but the maturities are shorter. I think EDV is probably a better choice because it's more volatile.

John
by Quasimodo
Sun May 02, 2010 2:12 pm
Forum: Gold
Topic: ETF's as Gold? or ETF's as anything for that matter?
Replies: 17
Views: 14568

Re: ETF's as Gold? or ETF's as anything for that matter?

Craig, here is a link to a new silver bullion fund that is managed by the same people and actually trades at a slight discount to nav; http://www.silverbulliontrust.com/ My amateurish take on the premium for the Gold Trust is that over time, as one periodically rebalances the holding, it is probably...
by Quasimodo
Sun May 02, 2010 9:50 am
Forum: Gold
Topic: ETF's as Gold? or ETF's as anything for that matter?
Replies: 17
Views: 14568

Re: ETF's as Gold? or ETF's as anything for that matter?

Here's an article recommending one of the Canadian closed end investment companies CEF or GTU as a precious metals investment with less counterparty risk than the ETFs GLD or SLV:

http://www.goldstockbull.com/articles/c ... -own-gold/

John
by Quasimodo
Thu Apr 29, 2010 12:21 pm
Forum: Cash
Topic: Cash Forum
Replies: 3
Views: 5944

Re: Cash Forum

Tex, I was merely suggesting that sometimes liquidity might be a bigger consideration than yield.

I like your suggestions. I'm not advocating going all-in with one plan at any rate.

John
by Quasimodo
Thu Apr 29, 2010 11:46 am
Forum: Cash
Topic: Cash Forum
Replies: 3
Views: 5944

Re: Cash Forum

After the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11/01 the stock markets were closed for about a week, so it wasn't possible to redeem shares by phone and request a bank wire transfer to one's checking account. American Century told it's account holders at the time that they would honor money market fund r...
by Quasimodo
Thu Apr 29, 2010 11:18 am
Forum: Gold
Topic: Where do you store your gold?
Replies: 27
Views: 24498

Re: Where do you store your gold?

Someone on the Bogleheads forum suggested using a self service storage locker for storage of some of your gold or silver coins, the kind of place where you keep stuff that was in the attic that won't fit there anymore. It's off-premises; it's anonymous; it's not a likely target for burglars; there's...
by Quasimodo
Tue Apr 27, 2010 5:33 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Has Anyone Bought Zeros Instead?
Replies: 3
Views: 6302

Re: Has Anyone Bought Zeros Instead?

We have some zeros through American Century's Target Maturity 2025 fund BTTRX. Best held in a tax-deferred account.

As a comparison, today BTTRX went up 1.75%, EDV rose 2.37% and Vanguard's long treasury fund VUSTX went up 1.28%.

John