Search found 72 matches

by christina
Mon Apr 02, 2012 12:48 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: printing money does not equal inflation
Replies: 22
Views: 8055

printing money does not equal inflation

Hi, I **think** I read on this board that printing money does not necessarily lead to inflation. If I recall correctly, money printing precipitated by a credit crisis does not lead to inflation, according to the historical record. Now I'm not 100% sure I got this right.  Could somebody set me straig...
by christina
Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:53 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Document your international Permanent Portfolio
Replies: 39
Views: 23234

Re: Document your international Permanent Portfolio

Canadian PP with not that much money. I have to put my new contributions into Manulife funds to get an employer match. I have to do some funky stuff to get my allocations right. 1. Gold: IGT etf (I will switch to have some physical gold when I have more money.) 2. Bonds: Canadian longest term bonds ...
by christina
Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:34 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: I just want reassurance that the canadian PP is ok
Replies: 6
Views: 3664

I just want reassurance that the canadian PP is ok

Hi, While my US counterparts have seen the SP go up up up, the TSX is up only 5% since I bought in to the PP in October. In the news, it says that the TSX has not been doing as well as the S&P because gold and oil are down (and they feature heavily in the TSX, presumably). This suggests a correlatio...
by christina
Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:44 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: pp or solid bond fund for education savings plan for kids
Replies: 9
Views: 3897

pp or solid bond fund for education savings plan for kids

I am just starting an education savings plan for my kids, age 4 and 6, so my time horizon is a little over 10 years. I have under $1k saved. I was wondering whether you would suggest PP at this stage, given the lack of money and the medium time horizon. I worry about transaction fees, which are $20 ...
by christina
Thu Nov 03, 2011 12:58 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: What We Have Learned About Rebalancing
Replies: 46
Views: 20426

Re: What We Have Learned About Rebalancing

MediumTex wrote:
christina wrote: What is the argument *against* using zero coupon bonds?
Low levels of liquidity and high bid/ask spreads in zero coupon funds and bad tax treatment outside of tax deferred accounts are a few objections.
Thanks!
by christina
Thu Nov 03, 2011 12:40 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: What We Have Learned About Rebalancing
Replies: 46
Views: 20426

Re: What We Have Learned About Rebalancing

What is the argument *against* using zero coupon bonds?
by christina
Tue Nov 01, 2011 10:35 am
Forum: Gold
Topic: new offering by the Canadian Mint - direct ownership of gold at .35% MER
Replies: 5
Views: 3715

new offering by the Canadian Mint - direct ownership of gold at .35% MER

Hey, The Canadian Mint will be offering direct ownership of gold, to be held in its vault in Ottawa. To buy the gold, you need to buy exchange traded receipts (ETRs) on the Toronto stock exchange. http://www.mint.ca/store/news/royal-canadian-mint-announces-offering-of-new-gold-investment-product-131...
by christina
Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:14 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Japan's deflation is on purpose?
Replies: 5
Views: 2859

Japan's deflation is on purpose?

Maybe some of you have opinions on this piece, which I found by googling "Japan deflation myth" :-) http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north799.html here is a quote: Here is the ideal scenario: no monetary inflation and output increasing by 2% to 3% per annum. Consumer prices fall by 2% to 3% per annu...
by christina
Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:18 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: How can PP Possibly Work Outside of the US?
Replies: 10
Views: 4150

Re: How can PP Possibly Work Outside of the US?

I'm not sure whether this helps or not but, 1. canadian bonds will go up in the event of a canadian deflation. 2. canadian equities will go up in the event of a canadian prosperity. 3. I don't actually understand how gold is supposed to work for me as a canadian (since it protects against US devalua...
by christina
Fri Oct 28, 2011 3:00 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: How to decide which bond to buy
Replies: 10
Views: 4162

Re: How to decide which bond to buy

OK, yes, the duration is all that matters.
There is a lot of clutter around yield/coupons, etc...I'm kind of glad I can ignore it.
by christina
Fri Oct 28, 2011 1:21 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: How to decide which bond to buy
Replies: 10
Views: 4162

Re: How to decide which bond to buy

OK. I shouldn't pay attention to coupon/yield because it has already been priced into the bond -- is that correct? So even though the 35-year bond (#1) has a slightly lower yield and lower coupon than the 25 -year bond (#3), the price of the bond will reflect these discrepancies.
by christina
Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:13 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: How to decide which bond to buy
Replies: 10
Views: 4162

How to decide which bond to buy

I see a bunch of long term federal canadian bonds in front of me. The stats are: Bond#1: coupon: 3.5/Maturity:2045/offer price:108.973/Offer yield:3.073 Bond #2: coupon: 4.0/Maturity:2041/offer price:118.251/Offer yield:3.058 Bond #3: coupon: 5.0/Maturity:2037/offer price:133.819/Offer yield: 3.080 ...
by christina
Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:48 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Danger of Bond ETF's vs Direct Purchase
Replies: 68
Views: 26341

Re: Danger of Bond ETF's vs Direct Purchase

Thanks, CA PP! I can see the bond you mention in the list from scotia itrade. Yes, this is a much better option than ZFL.
by christina
Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:45 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Treasury Bond Buying Tutorial
Replies: 129
Views: 243096

Re: Treasury Bond Buying Tutorial

Yup. I'm doing the same thing with my online broker up in Canada.
Thanks for posting.
It *is* easy.
by christina
Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:21 am
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Danger of Bond ETF's vs Direct Purchase
Replies: 68
Views: 26341

Re: Danger of Bond ETF's vs Direct Purchase

I am Canadian, so I hold ZFL (BMO Long Federal Bond Index ETF). The prospectus seems to indicate that it too engages in lending. A BMO ETF may, in compliance with NI 81-102, lend securities to securities borrowers acceptable to it pursuant to the terms of a securities lending agreement between the B...
by christina
Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:18 pm
Forum: Gold
Topic: rick ferri on gold
Replies: 33
Views: 11407

rick ferri on gold

Hi, I just listened to Craigr's podcast with Rick ferri. In it, Rick Ferri said something that scared me a little. He said (roughly) that gold is now an equity (because it's easily tradable as an ETF on the stock market) and therefore won't move in the predictable pattern we've been used to. He says...
by christina
Wed Oct 19, 2011 3:45 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: 25% cash, money market or treasury?
Replies: 31
Views: 10151

Re: 25% cash, money market or treasury?

So, what would you do for income in a year when the PP doesn't make any money or makes a loss? You'd have to take out capital. You take income from the 25% cash allocation, which may or may not induce a PP rebalance event. I dont' understand. There won't be much income from the cash...Do you mean, ...
by christina
Sat Oct 15, 2011 6:36 pm
Forum: Stocks
Topic: Inlation adjusted Dow 1906 to 1985
Replies: 57
Views: 24187

Re: Inlation adjusted Dow 1906 to 1985

Gumby, I guess since possible outcomes and diversification are obviously linked, I'm simply taking it to the next level.  Maybe I should be saying that they should be acknowledging a broader set of possibilities, and that's where their intelligence is faltering.   Since that's the source concern be...
by christina
Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:51 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: 75% Of PP assets have Zero or Negative Expected Real Return
Replies: 3
Views: 3231

Re: 75% Of PP assets have Zero or Negative Expected Real Return

If you want to turbo charge a PP, try swapping out TSM for Small Cap Value to capture 3 factor model benefits. And swap out T-Bills for a 5 year T ladder. Also split the 25% gold allocation down into 12.5% 2x Gold and 12.5% 2x Emerging Markets. For not a lot more volatility the actual gains histori...
by christina
Tue Oct 11, 2011 8:28 am
Forum: Stocks
Topic: emerging markets ETF and currency hedging
Replies: 0
Views: 2340

emerging markets ETF and currency hedging

I'm trying to figure out how to invest in foreign markets, including US, developed foreign, and emerging markets. The ETFs that are denominated in canadian dollars all seem to track an underlying US ETF, and then they are hedged to Canadian dollars. The hedging thing confuses me. I don't 100% unders...
by christina
Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:30 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Canadian pp suggestion?
Replies: 4
Views: 3195

Re: Canadian pp suggestion?

the other thing is that Harry Browne recommends stock funds with the **least** amount of dividends, and that it be fully-invested (ie: it shouldn't hold too much cash). I don't 100% understand his reasoning -- something to do with the divdends coming out of your pocket -- but he explains it in 'Fail...
by christina
Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:18 am
Forum: Cash
Topic: cash in high interest account instead of t-bill fund?
Replies: 2
Views: 3916

Re: cash in high interest account instead of t-bill fund?

ah ok, I see. Yes, the account is insured by the government of canada (CDIC).
Yes, I assume that I can buy Canadian treasury bills directly. I'll look into it, thanks.
CHristina
by christina
Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:15 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: slightly confused about rebalancing
Replies: 29
Views: 20537

slightly confused about rebalancing

I'm a little bit confused about when you're supposed to rebalance. are you supposed to monitor your portfolio constantly, and rebalance immediately when one investment goes beyond one of the bands? or are you supposed to pick a date, once a year, to look at your portfolio, and then rebalance at the ...
by christina
Fri Oct 07, 2011 9:37 am
Forum: Cash
Topic: cash in high interest account instead of t-bill fund?
Replies: 2
Views: 3916

cash in high interest account instead of t-bill fund?

Hi, I'm a Canadian, researching the PP model. I know that the prevailing advice is to hold your cash in a money market fund containing all Canadian t-bills. But I see that these funds have high MERs (.5% - 1% range). As an alternative, could put my cash in the Royal Bank eSavings account? The intere...