sophie wrote:Barrett, you just HAD to use the word "fondle" didn't you??

I happen to keep a silver ounce in my wallet purely for day-to-day fondling purposes. :D

You don't need a large portfolio to justify using international gold storage. It is the point of the gold after all. Harry Browne once said all you need is $4,000 dollars to get started with the PP and keep $1,000 of physical gold in a Swiss bank. You need the geographical diversification, the 'har...

My gold is still in a state of flux. I was holding MNT but recently switched to CGL.C for the free trades. I'm starting to think it's not worth it though. The trust structure is just too deep and opaque. I don't have any physical right now but will be keeping 15% (of portfolio value) with the Perth...

The long-ish duration of ZFS is not bad because ZFL is a bit too short. Together, they balance out and come close to an intermediate duration fund. Not ideal, but at least it's not lop-sided. I've been back and forth on the US and international funds. Harry Browne has pointed out numerous times tha...

As a purely philosophical aside, I've come to the conclusion that the Golden Butterfly Portfolio and the traditional Permanent Portfolio aren't really two different portfolios. During my recent read through of Why the Best Laid Plans... , I came across a section where Harry Browne actually does allo...

There hasn't been much written about how to prudently implement the Permanent Portfolio here in Canada. This is understandable, as Canada only forms a small part of the world's stage. The country has some 3% of the world's equity market as measured by market capitalization. Additionally, we only hav...

Tyler, I think the paradigm you've posited acts as a great complement to the "traditional" way we investors view the Permanent Portfolio. Your post reminds me of some arguments that MediumTex made about gold in particular, where he said that gold is an uncertainty hedge first and an inflat...

I'd just like to say that for those new to the Permanent Portfolio, the forum's founders, craigr and MediumTex have both done fantastic interviews describing the strategy and its philosophy on The Voluntary Life too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uWJyyBIMPg - craigr https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

dualstow wrote:

i am not happy being average at anything

Sigh, the standard slur of the active investor & the paid advisor.

It is indeed counterintuitive, but totally true in investing, that being average is actually quite excellent.

Yeah, I think the dollar cost averaging discussion is largely academic. (Not that it's not a useful discussion of course.) 99% of people will naturally dollar cost average as they make steady income week after week, month after month, and just make contributions to their mutual funds or other invest...

Smith1776, are you the same guy fighting so valiantly in that PP thread on the bogleheads forum? I tried to support you since you were beleaguered from all sides. Your posts there, as here, are great. I'm not sure the Golden Butterfly is going to be any easier to stomach than the Permanent Portfoli...

It does not surprise me at all that people do not like the Permanent Portfolio or are at least very wary of it. All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare. In this case, difficult might mean difficulty in accepting the strategy. Gold is probably the most contentious part of the overall p...

I have just finished reading James Rickard's books. He has, to say the least, an interesting, but compelling, take on the state of the world and its history. I'm not sure what to make of it, to be honest. On the other hand, if you're a Permanent Portfolio user, you'll have assets allocated somewhat...

I have just finished reading James Rickard's books. He has, to say the least, an interesting, but compelling, take on the state of the world and its history. I'm not sure what to make of it, to be honest. On the other hand, if you're a Permanent Portfolio user, you'll have assets allocated somewhat ...