-1.91% overall, roughly. Contributed by buying the lagging asset

Ending allocation:

Cash: 28.33%
Gold: 22.38%
Stock: 23.24%
LTT: 26.05%

boglerdude wrote: ↑Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:08 am Banks get 2.4% IOER simply for existing, and a 6% dividend from the Fed

Anyone interested in pulling together and starting a bank?????

Well whaddya know? The 4x25 HBPP works. I didn't end up quite as balanced as you (I did contribute some to lagging assets this year), but look to have ended up down ~1.91% on the year, heaviest in cash at 28.33%. Note that I haven't annualized/pro-rated my contributions, just assume they were all p...

boglerdude wrote: ↑Mon Dec 31, 2018 12:34 am > get rid of the welfare state

Let people die?

Is this question meant sincerely?

People will always die. There will never be enough of "other peoples' money (or labor)" to provide food, shelter, healthcare, etc, for every human in the world. So where do you draw the line?

buddtholomew wrote: ↑Sun Dec 30, 2018 5:11 pm In Mr. Smith’s defense, I believe he meant don’t let any asset drift lower than 20% or higher than 35% - Ive heard something similar but with 10% re-balance bands the lower end of the range is 15%, higher end 35%

Yes, I was not meaning to give Smith a hard time, was just making a bad joke

For what it's worth, Harry Browne in Best Laid Plans said that he hoped the reader would put no less than 20% and no more than 35% in each of the given asset classes. Maybe that changed in the intervening time between that book and his radio show. If I could just figure out how to put 35% in each o...

Cortopassi wrote: ↑Mon Dec 24, 2018 12:35 pm25% cash for the past couple months would have been nice, vs. the 10% I am at.

Yeah, I was a bit bummed being 4x25 earlier (vs golden butterfly-ish) in the year as stocks out-performed, but right now am happy to be 25% cash

Warren buffet?

I'm using it as my 'primary' vehicle, though I also have extra cash, and some Wellesley as well. I run a standard 4x25.

Whew almost broke 1213... Gold sucks. Figure we break 1200 tomorrow. 1.5 years wiped away, yet again. I am channeling budd here... Are you selling anytime soon? No? Then it doesn't really matter. As you know (and have said), it's about the portfolio, not the components in isolation. All have draw-d...

bedraggled wrote:Thanks for the quick response.

Sorry I don't have anything better to offer. I don't follow their earning so have no recommendations

Not sure if it's a factor, but MSFT's most recent earnings were for their Q2, not their Q4. Their fiscal year ends on June 30th.

My SO travels frequently for work, so we often get upgraded. I agree it's hard to go back to 'cattle class' once you've gotten used to first... I've gotten to a point where if the cost of 1st is 2x or less the cost of coach, I just buy it. But I'm at a place in life where can afford to splurge on my...

Hal wrote:Father lived in Germany through WW2. No portfolio allocation would have been profitable. - Got out alive, he was happy.

I suspect physical gold, especially if held in another country, would have helped significantly?

This is what is supposed to happen, stocks crushed, bonds and gold are making up for it today! Not quite making up for it, but I sure feel good about selling ~10% of my stocks last week to rebalance, and finishing my rebalancing today by buying LTT during the early dip, and some gold yesterday befo...

I’m interested to know who among us plans to rebalance into LTT’s? I just did, to a degree. Felt the itch and was at about 30% stocks so sold 10% of my holdings and rebalanced into LTT, cash, and gold. I'll admit it hurts to see LTT going down right after the rebalance (feel a bit better with stock...

Don wrote:Gold: 22%
Stock: 27.5%
Cash/STT: 25.4%
LTT: 25%

That's an excellent return!

Those #s are my ending allocation, not return

10.4% here, but I continued averaging into the PP this year. Increased my allocation to PP by about 15%, mostly by buying the lagging investment.

Ending the year at:

Gold: 22%
Stock: 27.5%
Cash/STT: 25.4%
LTT: 25%

Have to say I'm happy with the overall performance

Followup if anyone is interested. I'll reveal at this point that the online agent is Expedia, because they have finally decided to step up. The key was to get to "Tier 3 Customer Service". The lower tiers just sent me form letters with a bunch of words adding up to "get lost", b...

The honorable thing would be for all 3 credit bureaus to offer free credit freezes for the next year. YEAR. Not 30 days. Absolutely agree with this. I've not frozen through Equifax yet because honestly I don't want to give them any money for their own f-up. But they absolutely should foot the bill ...

WiseOne wrote:I think it might depend which state you're in.

I believe it does. Sadly, it appears WA state does not appear have any favorable laws, so it's about $10/bureau

I went to do the same, but it really grinds my gears I need to *pay* to do that.

I think it was the Trump voters (particularly in the primary), that disrespected their fellow Americans. I'll be honest -- I have mixed feelings about responding to this, as to me it at worst looks like bait, at best is demeaning others you disagree with. I will respond to this post, but I do hope ...

I also have no love for a blowhard like Trump. But I do have sympathy for the masses of "little people" who supported him because they no longer can get a good job in this country, in large part due to insane immigration policies over the last few decades. So, another reason to support Tr...

I would have monthly bank and brokerage statements and I would have legal systems at my disposal to get back any funds that were lost or taken. For some reason I just do not have that confidence in Treasury Direct. Can anyone talk me thru this worry???! Thank you for asking this question, as you ha...