I might have done something wrong, but did some manual checking for a monthly momentum strategy, and many changes over the last 15 months (8 or 9 depending on the date checked.)
PP+SCV+MOM, TOP-2 & TOP-3 (where > 0%); otherwise Cash
Based on 12 month trailing returns.
Checked / re-allocate monthly
Manually checked using Morningstar charts
Vanguard Mutual Funds + IAU:
VFIAX (S&P 500, "LCB" below)
VISVX (SCV)
VUSTX (LTT)
IAU (Gold)
Checked both first of the month and the 20th.
Date Top-2 Top-3
1/1/15 LCB,LTT LCB,LTT,SCV
2/1/15 " "
3/1/15 " "
4/1/15 " "
5/1/15 " "
6/1/15 LCB,
SCV "
7/1/15 " "
8/1/15 LCB,
LTT "
9/1/15 LTT LTT
10/1/15 " "
11/1/15
LCB,LTT
LCB,LTT,
SCV
12/1/15 " "
1/1/16 LCB LCB
2/1/16
None None
3/1/16
LTT, Gold LTT, Gold
4/1/16 LTT,
LCB LTT, Gold,
LCB
If use the 20th of the month...
Date Top-2 Top-3
1/20/15 LCB,LTT LCB,LTT,SCV
2/20/15 " "
3/20/15 " "
4/20/15 " "
5/20/15 LCB,
SCV "
6/20/15 LCB,
LTT "
7/20/15 LCB,
SCV "
8/20/15 LCB,
LTT "
9/20/15 LTT LTT
10/20/15 LCB,
SCV LCB,LTT,
SCV
11/20/15 LCB,
LTT "
12/20/15
None None
1/20/16 " "
2/20/16
LTT, Gold LTT, Gold
3/20/16 " "
4/20/16 TBD... TBD...
Fewer moves with Top 3
20th of the month had fewer moves for Top-3, more for Top-2 vs 1st of the month
Can reduce the number of moves if only switch assets if trailing 12 month return difference isn't trivial (for example, 4/1, LCB only trivially higher 12mo return vs Gold, same with the LTT/SCV churn last summer if I recall correctly.)
URL:
http://quotes.morningstar.com/chart/fun ... ture=en_US
(remove the indexes, add the above ticker symbols, adjust the dates....)
Let me know if you see holes in what I did....
[Edit: I don't like ETFs, and like Vanguard, ergo the selections above, which I know are sub-optimal for LTT and SCV]