Search found 1982 matches

by barrett
Tue Aug 05, 2014 8:08 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Just good enough
Replies: 49
Views: 12660

Re: Just good enough

This is more in the category of "enough" rather than "just good enough." I found that spending time in third-world countries largely cured me of the craving to own a lot of crap. I'm happy if I have some books, basic furniture, clothes that are just good enough and whatever I needed to do my work su...
by barrett
Tue Aug 05, 2014 7:58 pm
Forum: Gold
Topic: Buying Physical Gold
Replies: 11
Views: 7919

Re: Buying Physical Gold

dr ratdog, You have joined an underground movement. At five coins we teach you the secret handshake. At the ten-coin threshold you get a plaque for your home office! I would never feel comfortable ordering online but many on here seem to. At the coin dealer I have bought from they tell me that they ...
by barrett
Tue Aug 05, 2014 8:43 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Should I invest more aggressively?
Replies: 27
Views: 10651

Re: Should I invest more aggressively?

Lazy I, Kshartle seems to thrive on more active investing. He accepts drawdowns like John Travolta welcomed the thermonuclear warhead to his gut in the movie Broken Arrow. Not everyone has his pain threshold. It sounds to me like you have already won the game and don't need to be aggressive. Just my...
by barrett
Tue Aug 05, 2014 7:18 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Multiple PPs, each in different countries?
Replies: 9
Views: 2872

Re: Multiple PPs, each in different countries?

Hey Sam, Just thinking that your idea might make sense if you split your time fairly evenly between two first-world countries and plan to continue doing so for quite a long time. In that case you would always be dealing with taxes and other financial rules in the country where you actually hold the ...
by barrett
Tue Aug 05, 2014 7:00 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Funds
Topic: Other Lazy Portfolios
Replies: 5
Views: 8100

Other Lazy Portfolios

So there seems to be some interest in discussing other lazy portfolios so I thought I'd try to get the ball rolling. Using the PP starting this year is the first time I have ever followed any kind of investment strategy that actually had a plan or reason behind it. Anyone on here have any experience...
by barrett
Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:34 pm
Forum: Cash
Topic: Is Cash King Again?
Replies: 6
Views: 5472

Re: Is Cash King Again?

True enough, Stuper1, but I still think the question is a valid one if one subscribes to the basic idea that money flowing between assets in the PP causes prices of one asset to rise as prices of another fall. I don't know what figures to trust but a quick search online shows world equities valued a...
by barrett
Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:17 pm
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: VP based on "Timing" the 4 asset classes. REDUX....or best asset going forward
Replies: 1
Views: 1561

Re: VP based on "Timing" the 4 asset classes. REDUX....or best asset going forward

Hey Murphy, No takers so far so I'll give this a shot. If I were to rate the four assets of the PP for their potential to do well over the next few years, I would pick gold, then stocks, then cash. LTTs I expect to lose money. That being said, I hold them all in equal weight because my track record ...
by barrett
Mon Aug 04, 2014 9:27 am
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Why ETFs may be the biggest bond worry
Replies: 7
Views: 3900

Re: Why ETFs may be the biggest bond worry

Exactly my thinking, Dualstow. Think of all the jewels we shall be able to buy!
by barrett
Mon Aug 04, 2014 8:08 am
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Why ETFs may be the biggest bond worry
Replies: 7
Views: 3900

Re: Why ETFs may be the biggest bond worry

Interesting. Any thoughts here on what an investor holding individual 30-year treasuries might experience in the event of massive withdrawals on bond funds? Would the 30-year issues get beaten down in price or would bond holders still be looking for "high quality" bonds? Neither of the above? And wh...
by barrett
Thu Jul 31, 2014 3:21 pm
Forum: Cash
Topic: Is Cash King Again?
Replies: 6
Views: 5472

Re: Is Cash King Again?

Hey, aren't you three posters all relatively young? A few more days like today and you'll have yourself a buying opportunity. One thing that I wonder about with money flowing between assets is the relative size of the markets for LTTs, gold and stocks. For example, I assume the dollar value of total...
by barrett
Thu Jul 31, 2014 7:17 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Why people don't believe scientists predictions of doom....
Replies: 46
Views: 13504

Re: Why people don't believe scientists predictions of doom....

Excellent post, Doodle. Ditto with Tokyo in 1970.... though we can't credit the EPA with that one. And let's not forget something as simple as car emissions on which restrictions were imposed from above. Lots of people used to drive smoke-belching beaters around and think nothing of it.
by barrett
Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:18 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: TLT and interest rates
Replies: 3
Views: 2543

Re: TLT and interest rates

Ouch. A pretty big hit today. Moda, if you are right, I will be rebalancing into bonds at higher rates and happy for the higher overall yield in my PP (I'll be steadily venting on the way down though. Grrr.).
by barrett
Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:20 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: My Correspondence with Harry Browne.
Replies: 26
Views: 12636

Re: My Correspondence with Harry Browne.

I am ready to start the bidding anytime! The precious scrolls have been unearthed!
by barrett
Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:23 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Why people don't believe scientists predictions of doom....
Replies: 46
Views: 13504

Re: Why people don't believe scientists predictions of doom....

Before anyone jumps up in my grill, it looks like I've missed about ten pages of intense climate debate that has been taking place on the thread "Why do conservatives hate Obama so?" It's likely that my previous post on this thread is going over old ground. To paraphrase Kshartle, apologies to all, ...
by barrett
Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:47 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Why people don't believe scientists predictions of doom....
Replies: 46
Views: 13504

Re: Why people don't believe scientists predictions of doom....

Things like nuclear winter, the tremendous growth of population in the 20th century, the concept of peak oil, and ozone depletion are surely worthy of our attention, no? If scientists aren't talking about them, who is going to? For me the danger is that actions can be taken by governments that are h...
by barrett
Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:53 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Go Israel, Go!
Replies: 170
Views: 32075

Re: Go Israel, Go!

Dualstow, your Sam Harris post (http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/why-dont-i-criticize-israel) was terrific. I just got around to giving it a read today. And PS's follow up comments were spot on if more than little bit sobering. I can't quite get behind the title of this thread though. To me it fee...
by barrett
Mon Jul 28, 2014 4:30 pm
Forum: Cash
Topic: Getting cash if there's another catastophe where markets are closed like 9/11
Replies: 4
Views: 4012

Re: Getting cash if there's another catastophe where markets are closed like 9/11

Murphy, How much cash do you want access to? If it's a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars, my vote would be to keep it in your underwear drawer or some other clever hiding place at home. Depending on where you live, I think the odds of theft are rather low when balanced against the advantage...
by barrett
Sun Jul 27, 2014 2:08 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: For the financially independent among us
Replies: 30
Views: 14131

Re: For the financially independent among us

Desert,

I am a self-employed freelance entertainer. To say I "run" a business is even a bit of a stretch.
by barrett
Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:02 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: For the financially independent among us
Replies: 30
Views: 14131

Re: For the financially independent among us

Anyone have anything to add or quibble with on WildAboutHarry's list? Again, he suggests ("in no particular order"): 1) Diversify investments among different tax treatments (taxable, Roth, IRA, etc.) 2) Hold physical precious metals, in your possession. 3) Own real estate (mortgage free if possible)...
by barrett
Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:43 am
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Current LTT Upside?
Replies: 23
Views: 11192

Re: Current LTT Upside?

Thanks for posting that, Reub. Hoisington doesn't come right out and say it but they are also essentially predicting a "Japan-style" economy for the US. In FB's example from July of 2008 to January of 2009, LTTs carried the PP. That was pretty clearly covered in Craig & MT's book as well. I guess I ...
by barrett
Sat Jul 26, 2014 8:50 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Americas most hated family
Replies: 24
Views: 6370

Re: Americas most hated family

Desert, I agree with you that its amazing they have not been knocked off. Could it be that the rest of our society is more civilized than they are? My 16-year-old daughter is watching the segment right now and says she feels like it's an episode of Animal Planet.
by barrett
Sat Jul 26, 2014 8:45 pm
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Current LTT Upside?
Replies: 23
Views: 11192

Re: Current LTT Upside?

FB, thanks for that and sorry to have forgotten to give a timeframe. Hmm, those are nice returns but not really enough to carry the PP if we really hit a deflationary period... at least that is what it seems to me. What am I missing here? Let's see... cash at 0% means that that asset is gaining in r...
by barrett
Sat Jul 26, 2014 7:51 am
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Current LTT Upside?
Replies: 23
Views: 11192

Re: Current LTT Upside?

To clarify, how much would LTTs go up between here (3.24% yield, I believe) and 2.5% or 2%?
by barrett
Sat Jul 26, 2014 7:05 am
Forum: Bonds
Topic: Current LTT Upside?
Replies: 23
Views: 11192

Current LTT Upside?

A lot of people on this forum are way better than I am at calculating this stuff... I am wondering how much upside there is for the long bond if rates go to, say, 2.5% or 2%. And I realize that if rates get that low and stay there, my 3.75% coupons will look good. Just wondering (worried a bit) abou...
by barrett
Tue Jul 22, 2014 8:50 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Israel
Replies: 28
Views: 6495

Re: Israel

I'm sure this is probably obvious but I'd like to point out that most people simply don't have the means to just pick up and leave their country. The Arabs in Gaza are terribly poor and have not exactly been welcomed when they have moved either forcibly or by choice. That said, yes, it seems silly t...