New PPer needs guidance.

[Tyler]

I would personally worry less about a falling knife in the PP since it has three other bandages at the ready.  And don't forget it sounds like the OP is not sitting in cash but is heavy on miners.  A timely transition may be prudent.

FWIW, with that level of assets I'd primarily be concerned with the tax implications of changing allocations.  Before you do anything, put together a transition plan to minimize taxes.  Tax loss harvesting, saving some gains for next year, etc.

[dualstow]

  And don't forget it sounds like the OP is not sitting in cash but is heavy on miners. 

Well he said "liquid assets". I thought that meant cash or something close to it. Maybe the miners are in the rear-view mirror? Not sure.

[glennds]

At the risk of being accused of market timing, it may not be a bad idea to take the funds you've allocated for a Permanent Portfolio and ease in, perhaps over 3 or 4 quarters (in 33% or 25% increments). It just seems like markets are very volatile in recent times and phasing in may blunt some  of the effect the volatility could have.

Looking back on my own experience in 20/20 hindsight, it would have been better to have phased in instead of jumping all in like I did. I ended up buying gold at a comparative peak and the other assets were not in a trough enough to offset as it declined it so I feel like I started my PP journey with the wind in my face. Not the end of the world over a long enough holding period, but it would have been better to have eased in.

[ochotona]

At the risk of being accused of market timing, it may not be a bad idea to take the funds you've allocated for a Permanent Portfolio and ease in, perhaps over 3 or 4 quarters (in 33% or 25% increments). It just seems like markets are very volatile in recent times and phasing in may blunt some  of the effect the volatility could have.

Looking back on my own experience in 20/20 hindsight, it would have been better to have phased in instead of jumping all in like I did. I ended up buying gold at a comparative peak and the other assets were not in a trough enough to offset as it declined it so I feel like I started my PP journey with the wind in my face. Not the end of the world over a long enough holding period, but it would have been better to have eased in.

One thing that really puzzles me is that this odd little social group out here puts pressure on others for suggesting anything not strictly in "the HBPP canon". Of course it's a good idea to dollar cost average into a set of new investments, even if "The Books" say jump in at once.

If assets are near 52 week highs... don't whip out your wallet and get ready to buy a whole sh**load. Then people will ask, "Well how will you know?" Well, I don't know, I just know they're expensive now. Everything goes on sale eventually. "Well, how will you know it's on sale? What algorithm will you use?"

The algorithm is whatever is in the DNA of my Mother and my Wife, and it's probably missing from most men, that allow them to find great sale rack deals on a dress or whatever.

[iwealth]

One thing that really puzzles me is that this odd little social group out here puts pressure on others for suggesting anything not strictly in "the HBPP canon".

Given my other posts in this thread, I'm sure I'm considered a member of this "odd little social group" so I'll respond again. When a new user reads Harry Browne's book, comes to the HBPP discussion forum, posts in the "Permanent Portfolio Discussion" board about buying bonds directly or using TLT, and instead gets advised to market time bonds instead of establishing the full portfolio, admittedly I feel inclined to chime in and "pressure" him to stick with his original plan.

Then people will ask, "Well how will you know?" Well, I don't know, I just know they're expensive now. Everything goes on sale eventually. "Well, how will you know it's on sale? What algorithm will you use?"

The algorithm is whatever is in the DNA of my Mother and my Wife, and it's probably missing from most men, that allow them to find great sale rack deals on a dress or whatever.

So you don't know when to buy. But you know it's expensive now. And being able to spot the sale is as subjective as spotting a "deal" on a clothing sale rack? Strikes me this is exactly what the original poster is trying to avoid. And for that matter, ALL passive investors.

I'm not trying to be antagonistic, honestly. But if you go ahead and look at the SPY ETF from oh March, 2009 through today...at what point along that journey would it have been a bad time to invest in stocks? Obviously the answer is none; however, the predictions of doom and gloom were in full force during the dips in 2010 and 2011. Heck, even in July 2009 there were plenty of people screaming to get out. Investors who got out and stayed out waiting for that 25%-40% correction NEVER got in. That's a lot of money to leave on the table. Maybe that DNA driven impulse to buy would have hit you sooner, I dunno. But you can't offer "follow your gut" as if it was real advice.

[MediumTex]

One thing that really puzzles me is that this odd little social group out here puts pressure on others for suggesting anything not strictly in "the HBPP canon". Of course it's a good idea to dollar cost average into a set of new investments, even if "The Books" say jump in at once.

As I recall, what we said in the book was that there is little danger in jumping in all at once, but if it makes you more comfortable to go in a little at a time, that's fine too.

Harry Browne did suggest just jumping in all at once, but I don't recall him saying that moving in gradually would somehow cause the strategy not to work.

The important thing for most new PP investors is to just get started and see if the strategy is a good match for them.

At least one PP asset will almost always look like a terrible investment.

[dualstow]

You're being a bit disingenuous here, Ochotona, and I feel bad that iwealth is doing all the work on calling you out. (Edit: I see MT posted while I was typing this). I'd have more to say, but I'd rather have more eloquent people say it for me.

Of course it's a good idea to dollar cost average into a set of new investments, even if "The Books" say jump in at once.

I don't think dollar cost averaging is market timing. I don't see any difference between that and regular contributions. But that's not what you said. You said to wait.

I say wait for Treasuries to go down more and bounce before starting a buy program.

That is market timing.

[mukramesh]

At the risk of being accused of market timing, it may not be a bad idea to take the funds you've allocated for a Permanent Portfolio and ease in, perhaps over 3 or 4 quarters (in 33% or 25% increments).

Of course it's a good idea to dollar cost average into a set of new investments, even if "The Books" say jump in at once.

@ochotona: I think everyone is okay with dollar-cost-averaging into the PP. I think many take issue with you advising timing the individual components of the PP.

Regardless, you must at least agree that your posts and the subsequent conversation is off topic? I believe you have already started at least one other topic about your idea such as this one.-

http://gyroscopicinvesting.com/forum/go ... tion-rule/


@Mathew: To directly answer your question, I'd say the best way to own bonds is in a 401k/IRA due to tax efficiency. Like I said in my previous post, I have no problem doing this commission free in my Fidelity 401k through their BrokerageLink. If you prefer to do this in a taxable brokerage account, this should be equally easy.

I am not sure if you can access the secondary market in TreasuryDirect so I recommend using an actual brokerage to handle your Permanent Portfolio. I only use TD for I-Bonds which go under the 'cash' category. Besides, an actual brokerage service gives more flexibility in terms of using directly held bonds, ETFs, etc.

[dualstow]

Slight and friendly rant here...this is a stupid thread (not the question, but the answers).

No one but no one can answer this question accurately unless they can predict the future. So here is the only accurate and correct answer I've seen.

1. All assets go straight up or basically up from here...buy now, do not delay.

2. All assets go straight down or basically down from here...do not buy now and don't invest a dime unless you think something has stabilized/is basing, then buy.

3. Assets go nowhere for awhile (you determine how long "awhile" is)...dollar cost average as it will lower your overall basis.

...

I thought the question was

What's the consensus on the best way to own bonds?

[MachineGhost]

Falling knife - look at TLT during Feb / Mar / Apr / May / June 2015

What about the other assets?  Were they not rising fluffy pillows?

[MachineGhost]

Harry Browne did suggest just jumping in all at once, but I don't recall him saying that moving in gradually would somehow cause the strategy not to work.

A robust strategy would work whether or not you went in all at once, averaged in or market timed.  Fortunately, the PP works with all three!

And the consensus is to go with TreasuryDirect.

[LC475]

What's the consensus on the best way to own bonds?

Will treasurydirect accept a solo401k account? Would I do better just buying TLT?

The gold standard is to own the bonds themselves directly.  That way you eliminate various unlikely but possible risks.  Also you can get a longer duration -- you'll start out with virtually a full 30 years.  Also you can exercise direct control over your bonds, rather than the ETF controlling them.  You also avoid the drain of the expense ratio and fees charged by the ETF, fees that seem somewhat ridiculous and disproportionate, to me, considering the extreme ease of buying US Treasury Bonds and keeping the average duration above (in the case of TLT) 20 years.  There's virtually no management required!  What are you paying them for?  Why pay them for what you can trivially do yourself?  That's my perspective anyway.

I wish I knew more about solo 401ks.  A quick Google search, however, seems to show unequivocally that one *can* indeed purchase bonds in a solo 401k, no problem.  And so that is what I would recommend.