I would hang on to the bonds.
Hanging on to things in life (other than worthless junk) is harder to do than it sounds.
Search found 9064 matches
- Sun May 09, 2010 7:45 pm
- Forum: Cash
- Topic: Cash in or hold on?
- Replies: 1
- Views: 4261
- Sat May 08, 2010 2:41 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Greece: Going to go bust or not?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 13549
Re: Greece: Going to go bust or not?
EU to Set Up Fund to Prevent Spread of Greek Crisis http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a4jFzDH.E7uc&pos=1 (Monday they're supposed to announce everything they're going to do, before the markets open) They ought to find "Baghdad Bob" and hire him to be the EU spokeperson. Remember i...
- Sat May 08, 2010 2:32 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: A perspective on retirement
- Replies: 16
- Views: 14582
Re: A perspective on retirement
Here's something else: a great many of the people I talk to who tend to be of a certain political party affiliation believe the government invests our Social Security payroll taxes, producing profits which pay for the benefits. As Ross Perot would say: "Now that's just sad." I suppose, though, that...
- Fri May 07, 2010 7:27 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: A perspective on retirement
- Replies: 16
- Views: 14582
Re: A perspective on retirement
Here is a telling quote from FDR: "Those [payroll taxes] were never a problem of economics. They are politics all the way through. We put those payroll taxes there so as to give the contributors a legal, moral, and political right to collect their pensions and their unemployment benefits. With thos...
- Fri May 07, 2010 12:24 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: A perspective on retirement
- Replies: 16
- Views: 14582
Re: A perspective on retirement
pplooker, my point is simply that we are dealing with a gigantic number of variables which could play out in an almost infinite number of ways. Even things we are certain will happen may happen years or decades later (or earlier) than we predict. I simply suggest that the PP covers you no matter wh...
- Fri May 07, 2010 9:34 am
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: A perspective on retirement
- Replies: 16
- Views: 14582
Re: A perspective on retirement
Here are a few different perspectives: It's true, the world's always been screwed up. But here's the other side of my pessimism about how I might fare in the future: I am actually oddly optimistic that it's all going to pan out and here's how. First, remember I am terrible at international sociogeop...
- Thu May 06, 2010 3:13 pm
- Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
- Topic: Stock volatility today???
- Replies: 10
- Views: 8324
Re: Stock volatility today???
Heads will roll for sure if it was. Scary how a trader error could cause that to happen though. Wish I was logged into my broker to buy in with some play money. A lot of people today made some easy money. Think of all the stops that were triggered. That's going to be a bunch of VERY unhappy people.
- Thu May 06, 2010 3:05 pm
- Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
- Topic: Stock volatility today???
- Replies: 10
- Views: 8324
Re: Stock volatility today???
Word is a trader error.
Pretty wild.
Pretty wild.
- Thu May 06, 2010 1:20 pm
- Forum: Gold
- Topic: Gold versus Foreign Currencies
- Replies: 5
- Views: 6595
Re: Gold versus Foreign Currencies
What are your thoughts about a spread of foreign currencies for the cash component for non-US PP'ers compared to that of perhaps holding of all of CASH in USD Tex? To me having perhaps 2.5% of total funds in each of 10 different currencies seems more comfortable than having 25% in USD. If I were a ...
- Thu May 06, 2010 12:20 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: A perspective on retirement
- Replies: 16
- Views: 14582
Re: A perspective on retirement
Just to vent: I'm 29. I am substantially less likely to: A.) Become as wealthy as I could be otherwise B.) See a leisurely retirement in my lifetime Due to the fact that a large block of "Boomers" which has superior numbers, capital, and political influence is continually pissing selling my future...
- Thu May 06, 2010 12:10 pm
- Forum: Gold
- Topic: Gold versus Foreign Currencies
- Replies: 5
- Views: 6595
Re: Gold versus Foreign Currencies
Clive, Sorry, I thought we were talking about a currency basket as an alternative to gold, not as an alternative to the cash portion of the PP. If we are talking about a currency basket as an alternative to local currency in the cash piece of the PP I would say that it depends on where you live. If...
- Thu May 06, 2010 10:19 am
- Forum: Bonds
- Topic: Bonds are Putting on a Nice Permanent Portfolio Stress Test Demo
- Replies: 6
- Views: 7857
Re: Bonds are Putting on a Nice PP Stress Test Demo
It looks like treasurys are turning into a Cinderella story.
At midnight it may all disappear, but I don't have a clue what time it is right now.
Where are all of these bond bears now? It always surprises me how quickly a market narrative disappears when sentiment shifts.
At midnight it may all disappear, but I don't have a clue what time it is right now.
Where are all of these bond bears now? It always surprises me how quickly a market narrative disappears when sentiment shifts.
- Thu May 06, 2010 10:06 am
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: A perspective on retirement
- Replies: 16
- Views: 14582
Re: A perspective on retirement
This issue really goes to the heart of the fundamental matter of how society is going to be structured. I think that right now we are at the stage of industrial capitalism where a lot of delusional notions have yet to be purged from the system, simply because this modern system of rapid economic ex...
- Thu May 06, 2010 8:34 am
- Forum: Gold
- Topic: Gold versus Foreign Currencies
- Replies: 5
- Views: 6595
Re: Gold versus Foreign Currencies
All modern governments have bought into the idea that a steady level of low inflation is desirable to keep the velocity of money high and to keep the economy expanding (whether or not there is actual underlying aggregate demand to facilitate this expansion). Thus, over time all world currencies will...
- Wed May 05, 2010 4:59 pm
- Forum: Cash
- Topic: options for cash
- Replies: 35
- Views: 25374
Re: options for cash
Do you think a 1 to 5 year treasuries (Gilts) ladder would be too excessive for PP's 'cash'? I ask because in the UK you can ISA (tax free account) gilts with 5 years or more to maturity at the time of purchase, so gross income is retained. You can't however ISA Gilts with less than 5 years to mat...
- Wed May 05, 2010 2:34 pm
- Forum: Permanent Portfolio Funds
- Topic: Permanent Portfolio Mutual Fund
- Replies: 19
- Views: 18228
Re: PRPFX 1984...what happened?
Maybe just a lot of bad luck with individual stock picks? I don't know if this is why, but this is one reason why I don't think the mutual fund and the PP are the same thing at all and I'm loathe to suggest the mutual fund as a substitute. The active stock picking really bothers me. Agreed. Alway...
- Wed May 05, 2010 1:57 pm
- Forum: Cash
- Topic: options for cash
- Replies: 35
- Views: 25374
Re: options for cash
MediumTex has also floated the idea of using I-Bonds for the cash which is another option if you can work within their limits. They would be as safe as t-bills. They are not however a substitute for the LT bonds in the portfolio, nor the gold. FYI. Series EE savings bonds are also fine for a portio...
- Tue May 04, 2010 11:55 am
- Forum: Stocks
- Topic: Free Brokerage For the Stock Portion?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 14123
Re: Free Brokerage For the Stock Portion?
If I was otherwise comfortable using Fidelity, I would take advantage of something like this for as long as it was offered. If, however, I wasn't comfortable with Fidelity as a general matter, a gimmicky thing like this wouldn't make me want to do business with them. It looks like Vanguard is doing ...
- Tue May 04, 2010 11:50 am
- Forum: Bonds
- Topic: Bonds are Putting on a Nice Permanent Portfolio Stress Test Demo
- Replies: 6
- Views: 7857
Re: Bonds are Putting on a Nice PP Stress Test Demo
As for Taleb, the guy is probably a genius philosopher and a smarter human being than I, although I feel his whole proposal has a paradox embedded in it and I'm not the only one. But how on earth to use his observations to practical benefit is beyond me. I believe that Taleb has basically come up ...
- Tue May 04, 2010 10:50 am
- Forum: Bonds
- Topic: Bonds are Putting on a Nice Permanent Portfolio Stress Test Demo
- Replies: 6
- Views: 7857
Bonds are Putting on a Nice Permanent Portfolio Stress Test Demo
For those who are doing PP tire kicking, right now is a good time to study bond movements in relation to the rest of the PP and as an example of how following market predictions is a truly pointless activity. Note that this is the same bond market that people said was about to see dramatically highe...
- Tue May 04, 2010 8:04 am
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Promotional Offers from Brokerages/Banks
- Replies: 4
- Views: 3197
Re: Promotional Offers from Brokerages/Banks
Chase and Citi have recently done a $100 incentive for opening an account and having three direct deposits or some other combination of balances and debit card activity. I took advantage of the Chase offer and did the direct deposit but didn't do the Citi offer. Marketing research work is also a si...
- Sun May 02, 2010 10:16 pm
- Forum: Stocks
- Topic: Using SCV and EM
- Replies: 16
- Views: 16295
Re: Using SCV and EM
Are you ("you" meaning anyone) prepared to ride your allocation to the beach? This is true for all portfolios, but especially when specific class sectors are involved. I'm guessing that no matter which Equity division produces technically superior outcomes (and one can apportion that 25% in many ...
- Sun May 02, 2010 12:31 am
- Forum: Bonds
- Topic: TLT Interest Payments
- Replies: 12
- Views: 16352
Re: TLT Interest Payments
is there a fund you recommend instead of VUSTX ? or is getting set up to buy TLT the only option? I think there may be a mutual fund that does zeroes (someone else may chime in), but I would say TLT, EDV or individual bonds are your choices for the LT bond part of the PP. There are probably plenty ...
- Sat May 01, 2010 7:26 pm
- Forum: Gold
- Topic: ETF's as Gold? or ETF's as anything for that matter?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 14560
Re: ETF's as Gold? or ETF's as anything for that matter?
I think HB would say that bullion is better than an ETF and an ETF is better than nothing. People act like these ETFs are scams, but I don't see the market pricing in anything like that. For example, the spread between GLD and IAU never budges more than a couple of pennies. To me, that means that ...
- Sat May 01, 2010 3:11 pm
- Forum: Stocks
- Topic: Using SCV and EM
- Replies: 16
- Views: 16295
Re: Using SCV and EM
Every investment approach has a set of economic, political, social, cultural, and ecological beliefs embedded in the assumptions on which the strategy is based (and these assumptions rarely show up in the prospectus). Sometimes, oftentimes, investors do not realize they are making bets. For exampl...