Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

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Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by vnatale » Wed Oct 09, 2019 7:16 pm

Curious as to how many of you have read Craig and Tex's book, which I refer to as the Permanent Portfolio Bible.

I first read it quickly. Then I read it more slowly in a studying fashion. And, since then I have gone back to reread selected portions of it. Not the parts that convince you do it since I've been long convinced of that. But the parts of all the mechanics of actually implementing it.

And, I'm viewing my participation here as similar to a Bible study to both reinforce what is in the book plus to clear up some items that may not have been so clear to me.

Thanks to all of you who have provided great, valuable information that has gone a long way in making a lot much clearer.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by jacksonm2 » Wed Oct 09, 2019 8:12 pm

vnatale wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 7:16 pm
Curious as to how many of you have read Craig and Tex's book, which I refer to as the Permanent Portfolio Bible.

I first read it quickly. Then I read it more slowly in a studying fashion. And, since then I have gone back to reread selected portions of it. Not the parts that convince you do it since I've been long convinced of that. But the parts of all the mechanics of actually implementing it.

And, I'm viewing my participation here as similar to a Bible study to both reinforce what is in the book plus to clear up some items that may not have been so clear to me.

Thanks to all of you who have provided great, valuable information that has gone a long way in making a lot much clearer.
A lot of us here would probably consider Harry Browne's "Fail Safe Investing" to be the PP Bible and I belong to that group. Craig and MT's book came along later and only served to re-enforce and confirm what we had already learned from HB.
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by vnatale » Wed Oct 09, 2019 9:09 pm

I did read that before reading Craig and Tex's book. And, then read it again. I also read Harry Browne's huge book that came out in 1988 and was astounded that 90% of it was still relevant. Made me wish I had read it in 1988 and followed it starting then!

But I thought that Craig and Tex's book was an excellent follow up to Fail Safe Investing. It was a great update and was far more detailed and proscriptive for someone who likes everything spelled out rather than having to read between the lines and guessing how to best make application.

Vinny
jacksonm2 wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 8:12 pm
vnatale wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 7:16 pm
Curious as to how many of you have read Craig and Tex's book, which I refer to as the Permanent Portfolio Bible.

I first read it quickly. Then I read it more slowly in a studying fashion. And, since then I have gone back to reread selected portions of it. Not the parts that convince you do it since I've been long convinced of that. But the parts of all the mechanics of actually implementing it.

And, I'm viewing my participation here as similar to a Bible study to both reinforce what is in the book plus to clear up some items that may not have been so clear to me.

Thanks to all of you who have provided great, valuable information that has gone a long way in making a lot much clearer.
A lot of us here would probably consider Harry Browne's "Fail Safe Investing" to be the PP Bible and I belong to that group. Craig and MT's book came along later and only served to re-enforce and confirm what we had already learned from HB.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by dualstow » Wed Oct 09, 2019 11:08 pm

I read, Fail-Safe, Best Laid Plans and Craig & MedTex’s book. I appreciate all three of them. I reread Best Laid Plans the most often, simply because I have the hardcover. The other two I have in Kindle form, so I tend to do more searching.

When i was first getting started,~2010, my favorite material was the radio archives, mp3’s of Harry’s ‘The Money Show’.

If the above books constitute the pp bible, this forum is the Talmud. Constant debate and interpretation of scripture. It’s the best.
RIP Marcello Gandini
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by Kbg » Wed Oct 09, 2019 11:14 pm

To me, Best Laid Plans is the best of them.
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by europeanwizard » Thu Oct 10, 2019 12:43 am

Never actually read HB's book, just Craig & Lawson's book. And like OP, re-read it again.
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by vnatale » Thu Oct 10, 2019 8:05 am

I have also been listening to "The Money Show"!

And, initially I was going to make the same analogy that you did regarding this forum being like the Talmud but not being Jewish I did not want to mangle it with my limited understanding of it!

Vinny
dualstow wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 11:08 pm
I read, Fail-Safe, Best Laid Plans and Craig & MedTex’s book. I appreciate all three of them. I reread Best Laid Plans the most often, simply because I have the hardcover. The other two I have in Kindle form, so I tend to do more searching.

When i was first getting started,~2010, my favorite material was the radio archives, mp3’s of Harry’s ‘The Money Show’.

If the above books constitute the pp bible, this forum is the Talmud. Constant debate and interpretation of scripture. It’s the best.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by Matthew19 » Thu Oct 24, 2019 7:18 pm

+1 on best laid plans being the best.

It’s one of the few books that will be required reading for my kids.
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by frugal » Sun Nov 03, 2019 1:05 pm

Hi buddies,

I read Craig's book.

I listen to MP3 of HB.

Why should I read :

1- Fail-safe ...

2- Best Laid...

????

What can we learn more with them?

Thank you so much!

^-^
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by vnatale » Sun Nov 03, 2019 4:06 pm

frugal wrote:
Sun Nov 03, 2019 1:05 pm
Hi buddies,

I read Craig's book.

I listen to MP3 of HB.

Why should I read :

1- Fail-safe ...

2- Best Laid...

????

What can we learn more with them?

Thank you so much!

^-^
Because Harry Browne is a great writer!

Fail Safe is a relatively quick read (I read it twice). It will show you where Tex and Craig started their work.

Best Laid is NOT a quick read. It is a long book. But it was amazing how 90% of it is still true 30 years later. With those 30 years of hindsight you can now better appreciate what revelatory book it was.

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by frugal » Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:35 am

vnatale wrote:
Sun Nov 03, 2019 4:06 pm
frugal wrote:
Sun Nov 03, 2019 1:05 pm
Hi buddies,

I read Craig's book.

I listen to MP3 of HB.

Why should I read :

1- Fail-safe ...

2- Best Laid...

????

What can we learn more with them?

Thank you so much!

^-^
Because Harry Browne is a great writer!

Fail Safe is a relatively quick read (I read it twice). It will show you where Tex and Craig started their work.

Best Laid is NOT a quick read. It is a long book. But it was amazing how 90% of it is still true 30 years later. With those 30 years of hindsight you can now better appreciate what revelatory book it was.

Vinny
Hi!

For me I think it is better to keep it simple and easy.

If it is long i am afraid it is too complicated.

I think it is time to listen to radio show again.

😊
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by Matthew19 » Mon Nov 04, 2019 1:22 am

frugal wrote:
Sun Nov 03, 2019 1:05 pm
Hi buddies,

I read Craig's book.

I listen to MP3 of HB.

Why should I read :

1- Fail-safe ...

2- Best Laid...

????

What can we learn more with them?

Thank you so much!

^-^
Best Laid should be read to squash all desire to go outside of the PP with the money you cant affordable to lose. It’s insane how that book has kept me from feeling like I’m missing out on market moves anytime a motley fool ad pops up. I just roll my eyes now. I think if you’re not fully bought into the PP with Fail Safe, read best laid, or else you’ll second guess yourself along the way and start tinkering.
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by mathjak107 » Mon Nov 04, 2019 5:09 am

i still have my copy of best laid ... i have it decades . i don't use the pp all the time .. i tend to use it as my variable portfolio taking profits in gold and tlt as they do their rise and fall . been washing and repeating for 30 years now ..

my main portfolio is a core of fidelity funds that change dynamically over time as the big picture changes . it has had excellent results in the 30 plus years i have been doing it .

i sold tlt and gld last week in the nice run up ... it has been sliding back down and perhaps if tlt falls enough today i will add it back ... these 1 to 2% moves at a time generate a lot of money for me each year . there is always something that sends those two up or down very quickly . unlike equities which i tend to sit with , tlt and gld tend to be more about timing the market than time in the market so i like to trade them .

but the book is still an all time favorite ... i sold my craigs book back to amazon but i always kept best laid plans and fail safe investing like they are a collectible .
Last edited by mathjak107 on Tue Nov 05, 2019 2:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by vnatale » Mon Nov 04, 2019 9:28 am

frugal wrote:
Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:35 am
vnatale wrote:
Sun Nov 03, 2019 4:06 pm
frugal wrote:
Sun Nov 03, 2019 1:05 pm
Hi buddies,

I read Craig's book.

I listen to MP3 of HB.

Why should I read :

1- Fail-safe ...

2- Best Laid...

????

What can we learn more with them?

Thank you so much!

^-^
Because Harry Browne is a great writer!

Fail Safe is a relatively quick read (I read it twice). It will show you where Tex and Craig started their work.

Best Laid is NOT a quick read. It is a long book. But it was amazing how 90% of it is still true 30 years later. With those 30 years of hindsight you can now better appreciate what revelatory book it was.

Vinny
Hi!

For me I think it is better to keep it simple and easy.

If it is long i am afraid it is too complicated.

I think it is time to listen to radio show again.

😊
It is not long because it is complicated. It is long because it is extremely thorough. Just as Tex and Craig were thorough in their own way with their book.

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by vnatale » Mon Nov 04, 2019 9:30 am

Matthew19 wrote:
Mon Nov 04, 2019 1:22 am
frugal wrote:
Sun Nov 03, 2019 1:05 pm
Hi buddies,

I read Craig's book.

I listen to MP3 of HB.

Why should I read :

1- Fail-safe ...

2- Best Laid...

????

What can we learn more with them?

Thank you so much!

^-^
Best Laid should be read to squash all desire to go outside of the PP with the money you cant affordable to lose. It’s insane how that book has kept me from feeling like I’m missing out on market moves anytime a motley fool ad pops up. I just roll my eyes now. I think if you’re not fully bought into the PP with Fail Safe, read best laid, or else you’ll second guess yourself along the way and start tinkering.
As I think I have already written if I could go back in time I WOULD have read that book when it came out 30+ years ago and I WOULD have scrupulously have followed it since then. Although I cannot complain where I currently am at I would have been MUCH better off having followed his advice.

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by frugal » Mon Nov 04, 2019 4:49 pm

Yes Vinny...

The MP3 talk about the same no?

Thank you mate.
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by vnatale » Mon Nov 04, 2019 4:51 pm

frugal wrote:
Mon Nov 04, 2019 4:49 pm
Yes Vinny...

The MP3 talk about the same no?

Thank you mate.
I've listened to about the first six or eight of his shows.

I prefer to read rather than listen. And, the book is far more in depth than how much he says on the radio shows.

It just depends how deeply you want to go into things.

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by mathjak107 » Tue Nov 05, 2019 4:04 am

mathjak107 wrote:
Mon Nov 04, 2019 5:09 am
i still have my copy of best laid ... i have it decades . i don't use the pp all the time .. i tend to use it as my variable portfolio taking profits in gold and tlt as they do their rise and fall . been washing and repeating for 30 years now ..

my main portfolio is a core of fidelity funds that change dynamically over time as the big picture changes . it has had excellent results in the 30 plus years i have been doing it .

i sold tlt and gld last week in the nice run up ... it has been sliding back down and perhaps if tlt falls enough today i will add it back ... these 1 to 2% moves at a time generate a lot of money for me each year . there is always something that sends those two up or down very quickly . unlike equities which i tend to sit with , tlt and gld tend to be more about timing the market than time in the market so i like to trade them .

but the book is still an all time favorite ... i sold my craigs book back to amazon but i always kept best laid plans and fail safe investing like they are a collectible .

phew!!!! since I sold about a week ago my holdings in TLT AND GLD fell back about 10, 000 dollars in value as of this mornings premarket . if it stays down today I will buy back what I had and pocket the difference … boy that did not take long at all . I had a buy order in yesterday for TLT at 138.50 and it never hit … it is way below that In the pre market so I guess I lucked out . TLT and gld are plunging today premarket . so by today I may be back in the pp ready to wash and repeat again .….
Last edited by mathjak107 on Tue Nov 05, 2019 8:26 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by sophie » Tue Nov 05, 2019 8:07 am

Yes definitely read Best Laid Plans!

It is an outstanding and very thorough debunking of just about every strategy ever used to try to beat the market: momentum, moving average signals, guru predictions etc. By the time you get through it, you'll become naturally suspicious every time you hear someone say "I have a foolproof strategy to increase your returns..."

It cured me of feeling like I needed to have a VP. The only one I've had in the past few years is Lending Club, and that was only a small amount that I put in for a test. Good thing, because the test failed miserably (as many of you warned it would). I finally got the last of my dollars out of the account just yesterday, so today I am officially completely VP-free. Whoo hoo!
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by vnatale » Tue Nov 05, 2019 12:28 pm

sophie wrote:
Tue Nov 05, 2019 8:07 am
Yes definitely read Best Laid Plans!

It is an outstanding and very thorough debunking of just about every strategy ever used to try to beat the market: momentum, moving average signals, guru predictions etc. By the time you get through it, you'll become naturally suspicious every time you hear someone say "I have a foolproof strategy to increase your returns..."

It cured me of feeling like I needed to have a VP. The only one I've had in the past few years is Lending Club, and that was only a small amount that I put in for a test. Good thing, because the test failed miserably (as many of you warned it would). I finally got the last of my dollars out of the account just yesterday, so today I am officially completely VP-free. Whoo hoo!
Thank you for this. For when I FINALLY convert to Permanent Portfolio I had no desires to create a Variable Portfolio. What you wrote just reinforces that!

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by frugal » Tue Nov 05, 2019 4:06 pm

Matthew19 wrote:
Mon Nov 04, 2019 1:22 am
frugal wrote:
Sun Nov 03, 2019 1:05 pm
Hi buddies,

I read Craig's book.

I listen to MP3 of HB.

Why should I read :

1- Fail-safe ...

2- Best Laid...

????

What can we learn more with them?

Thank you so much!

^-^
Best Laid should be read to squash all desire to go outside of the PP with the money you cant affordable to lose. It’s insane how that book has kept me from feeling like I’m missing out on market moves anytime a motley fool ad pops up. I just roll my eyes now. I think if you’re not fully bought into the PP with Fail Safe, read best laid, or else you’ll second guess yourself along the way and start tinkering.
:)

the english is easy to understand or it is hard for a foreigner?
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by frugal » Tue Nov 05, 2019 4:18 pm

sophie wrote:
Tue Nov 05, 2019 8:07 am
Yes definitely read Best Laid Plans!

It is an outstanding and very thorough debunking of just about every strategy ever used to try to beat the market: momentum, moving average signals, guru predictions etc. By the time you get through it, you'll become naturally suspicious every time you hear someone say "I have a foolproof strategy to increase your returns..."

It cured me of feeling like I needed to have a VP. The only one I've had in the past few years is Lending Club, and that was only a small amount that I put in for a test. Good thing, because the test failed miserably (as many of you warned it would). I finally got the last of my dollars out of the account just yesterday, so today I am officially completely VP-free. Whoo hoo!
Hi

:)

I am 100% in PP

we dont need to take risks

Craig's book, money show and this forum convinced me !

Hug
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by vnatale » Tue Nov 05, 2019 4:25 pm

frugal wrote:
Tue Nov 05, 2019 4:18 pm
sophie wrote:
Tue Nov 05, 2019 8:07 am
Yes definitely read Best Laid Plans!

It is an outstanding and very thorough debunking of just about every strategy ever used to try to beat the market: momentum, moving average signals, guru predictions etc. By the time you get through it, you'll become naturally suspicious every time you hear someone say "I have a foolproof strategy to increase your returns..."

It cured me of feeling like I needed to have a VP. The only one I've had in the past few years is Lending Club, and that was only a small amount that I put in for a test. Good thing, because the test failed miserably (as many of you warned it would). I finally got the last of my dollars out of the account just yesterday, so today I am officially completely VP-free. Whoo hoo!
Hi

:)

I am 100% in PP

we dont need to take risks

Craig's book, money show and this forum convinced me !

Hug
Then you seem to be all set and in the right direction. The book would then only be for either someone who loves to read or just cannot get enough of Harry Browne's writings.

I also read this one by him: https://www.amazon.com/How-Found-Freedo ... l_huc_item

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World

It made me feel much about myself in my choices of doing what pleases me rather than what others do.

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by frugal » Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:54 am

Hi friends

So you are convencing me to buy all HB books!

😀
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Re: Read the Permanent Portfoilio Bible?

Post by vnatale » Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:32 am

frugal wrote:
Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:54 am
Hi friends

So you are convencing me to buy all HB books!

😀
NOT the outcome I expected! I was not in my usual heavy duty evangelical mode for whatever I'm doing and was trying to respect your position.

Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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