Search found 980 matches

by smurff
Wed Jan 03, 2024 8:08 pm
Forum: Stocks
Topic: Seth Klarman's Margin of Safety
Replies: 11
Views: 11850

Re: Seth Klarman's Margin of Safety

Thanks for the PDF!
by smurff
Fri Sep 10, 2021 5:20 pm
Forum: Gold
Topic: The GOLD scream room
Replies: 3688
Views: 1655527

Re: The GOLD scream room

Tortoise wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 4:31 pm
I agree that you can't eat the PP's Sharpe ratio, but it does allow me to eat my food without puking due to stomach-churning drawdowns. ;)
What these forums need is a "Like" button...
by smurff
Sun Aug 08, 2021 7:33 pm
Forum: Cash
Topic: New I-bond rate: 3.54%
Replies: 84
Views: 26729

Re: New I-bond rate: 3.54%

If only they would let us order paper I-bonds from the bank...
by smurff
Thu Jul 01, 2021 3:56 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: I've come home!
Replies: 4
Views: 2079

Re: I've come home!

Welcome back. Glad to hear you did well with your "VP" and you're thinking ahead about why the HBPP is such a brilliant investment strategy.
by smurff
Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:16 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: It's quiet... TOO quiet...
Replies: 6
Views: 5715

Re: It's quiet... TOO quiet...

Nice, innit?
by smurff
Sat Sep 08, 2018 7:14 pm
Forum: Gold
Topic: I was wrong. It might be possible to securely store your PMs at home
Replies: 16
Views: 9670

Re: I was wrong. It might be possible to securely store your PMs at home

dualstow wrote:
Sat Sep 08, 2018 12:14 pm
I plan to get cotton gloves as well.
Besides tarnishing the metal, I don’t want to get argyria and end up looking like a smurf. O0
(I know, that won’t happen)
I resemble that remark!
by smurff
Fri Sep 07, 2018 11:48 am
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Tesla Motors
Replies: 135
Views: 94497

Re: Tesla Motors

You have good instincts. Something weird has been going on with him since summer.
by smurff
Thu Mar 16, 2017 8:46 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Question for original forum members
Replies: 42
Views: 30191

Re: Question for original forum members

I remember Clive. He used to post colorful charts and tables, and argue about all kinds of stuff--especially his nonPP portfolio. He's probably still lurking, too.
by smurff
Thu Mar 16, 2017 7:36 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Question for original forum members
Replies: 42
Views: 30191

Re: Question for original forum members

I have about 50% of financial assets in a 4 by 25 Harry Browne Permanent Portfolio. It had been about 75%, but as I played around with individual stocks, that part of my Variable Portfolio took off. That said, I feel blessed that I started a PP. It gives a real sense of peace when it comes to what t...
by smurff
Sun Dec 22, 2013 1:35 pm
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: What is your view on Hedge Funds?
Replies: 9
Views: 6552

Re: What is your view on Hedge Funds?

So far on this forum the answer is that they're generally a rip off.  I guess they would be okay if their experts had a proprietary strategy that brought in more than 50% annually so that paying 2 & 20 would still leave something on the table for the investor.  I suspect that many wealthy individual...
by smurff
Wed Dec 18, 2013 10:05 am
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Bitcoin giveaway! :)
Replies: 378
Views: 160208

Re: Bitcoin giveaway! :)

I guess MediumTex' s barber and taxi driver had that chat after all:


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/19/busin ... .html?_r=0
by smurff
Tue Dec 17, 2013 5:08 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Left Fidelity
Replies: 22
Views: 12950

Re: Left Fidelity

If you have a meeting with a financial advisor and they bring in someone else to participate, ask who that person is and why they're present at your meeting.  If you don't want them there, ask them to leave. My banker asks for permission before bringing any other employee to meetings.  You are entit...
by smurff
Tue Dec 17, 2013 4:55 am
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Bitcoin giveaway! :)
Replies: 378
Views: 160208

Re: Bitcoin giveaway! :)

A couple of days ago the security guard in my building asked me if I had heard about Bitcoin. He seemed really excited about its potential. After the security guard, you only need two more to yield a warning of something big and terrible about to happen with Bitcoin.  It goes according to the Law o...
by smurff
Sat Dec 14, 2013 2:34 am
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Bitcoin giveaway! :)
Replies: 378
Views: 160208

Re: Bitcoin giveaway! :)

Bitcoin is in a bubble.  It reminds me of the dot-com days, late 1990s. My only question is when will the bubble pop, and what will bring it (the pop) about. There.  I said it. Now that I've said it, being in a bubble does not mean bitcoin will not survive.  It could be like Amazon.com--it crashed a...
by smurff
Mon Dec 09, 2013 8:10 pm
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Amazon.com: Making their workforce disappear
Replies: 23
Views: 14253

Re: Amazon.com: Making their workforce disappear

I believe the term is 'countermeasures'. Just guessing, but I think it's probably some kind of Federal offense to shoot down FAA-approved aircraft/drone. And I doubt people would try that very often in the urban areas they claim to be getting these ready for. But, I agree with Benko and I admit tha...
by smurff
Mon Dec 09, 2013 11:53 am
Forum: Gold
Topic: The Biggest Scam In The History Of Mankind - new Mike Maloney video
Replies: 13
Views: 7587

Re: The Biggest Scam In The History Of Mankind - new Mike Maloney video

I think all gold bugs eventually sound like Peter Schiff.
by smurff
Mon Dec 09, 2013 11:05 am
Forum: Cash
Topic: New I Bond rates have increased!
Replies: 36
Views: 22985

Re: New I Bond rates have increased!

Rates are not allowed to go negative with savings bonds, like E- and I-bonds. 

The rates can go negative with some treasury securities, but I've forgotten which ones.
by smurff
Mon Dec 09, 2013 11:02 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Account Executive for PP
Replies: 20
Views: 9062

Re: Account Executive for PP

Good luck (best wishes) with getting the license. 

The more professionals out there who are familiar with the PP concept, the better off investors will be.
by smurff
Sun Dec 08, 2013 4:21 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Nelson Mandela-A Mixed Bag
Replies: 13
Views: 7811

Re: Nelson Mandela-A Mixed Bag

All of what you wrote, MedTex, makes me think of Mandela being more like George Washington than like Ghandi.  Fighting over oppression is not pretty, no matter which side you're fighting on.  One of the things about Mandela was his ability to get the oppressed and the oppressors to sit at the same t...
by smurff
Sun Dec 08, 2013 3:45 pm
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Amazon.com: Making their workforce disappear
Replies: 23
Views: 14253

Re: Amazon.com: Making their workforce disappear

They might even have their own defenses onboard in case they encounter someone about to use them for target practice.  Imagine skeet shooting where the skeets shot back! Even if someone managed to shoot them down, there would be actual images of who the shooter was and where to find them.  By the ti...
by smurff
Sun Dec 08, 2013 3:29 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Variable Annuity as part of PP
Replies: 9
Views: 4114

Re: Variable Annuity as part of PP

HB said it could be appropriate in some cases to allocate a portion of your portfolio in an annuity for some guaranteed income. I bought one back in 2009 for a third of my money. It grows 7% a year compounded off the top line (not what you cash it in for but the amount that is used for computation ...
by smurff
Sun Dec 08, 2013 3:06 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Bitcoins
Replies: 20
Views: 9189

Re: Bitcoins

I'm ready to celebrate with some weed, myself. 8)
by smurff
Fri Dec 06, 2013 10:43 pm
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Amazon.com: Making their workforce disappear
Replies: 23
Views: 14253

Re: Amazon.com: Making their workforce disappear

There have been a couple of drone crashes in NYC in the past few months, mostly into skyscrapers while being operated by amateurs. I remember pieces rained onto the street, just missing pedestrians on the street in one case.  So leave it to the droners; they'll destroy their own equipment and indust...
by smurff
Wed Dec 04, 2013 12:05 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Account Executive for PP
Replies: 20
Views: 9062

Re: Account Executive for PP

If I can do the PP myself anybody can, and save a lot of money on fees in the process. If you follow HB's advice you just check it once a year so what are those people you are paying going to be doing for the other 364 days? Sometimes there is a lot of money, scattered among various personal, corpo...