How do you invest? Actively make own choices? or hire someone?

So you pay no attention to expenses and only look at total, after-tax, PAST returns? I bet you make some brokers really happy.

Don't take this the wrong way, buddy, I'm glad your technique has worked out for you, but I think that's crazy.

 

I said I pay a small amount of attention to taxes and expenses. Why did you make up that I said I paid "no attention"?

When I review my portfolio I compare my funds to all other funds after expenses and taxes so that I can compare apples with apples.

If my fund is doing better than its peers, I stick with it, if its not I replace it.

I don't understand whats so difficult about this thought process?

Why would anyone compare funds before taxes and expenses? It makes no sense to me....

If you think that it makes sense to compare funds before taxes and expenses, then I would submit that you are the crazy one and I am sure most would agree with me since that likes comparing apples and oranges.

I would love to hear what people think about this in case I am off my rocker.

Is is better to compare funds after tax and expenses like I am doing it, or compare funds before taxes and expenses like Stopper4 seems to be advocating?


Andy

 

You're right. You said 'small amount'. Pardon my hyperbole. (I most assuredly did not, however, 'make it up')

What makes you think past performance is an indicator of future success? ESPECIALLY in mutual funds?

Your investing style sounds like you just chase the hot fund/manager.

Is there a level of fees you would consider too high? (Do you know what kind of fees you're paying?)

Do you research the managers? (if so, do you also think you have an affinity for wagering on sports, because I'd state that's what your investing style sounds like)

How much do you turnover your porfolio ever year, would you say? How much do you think this is costing you?

 

Zero turnover in my brokerage accounts.

The only funds I have sold in my life were a couple of Janus Funds a few years back and these were in my IRA's. I replaced these with Schwab One funds from Schwab which cost me $0 in commisions.

I own mostly stable, relatively low risk funds like Dodge and Cox Stock, Dodge and Cox Balance, Clipper Fund, Weitz Value, Royce Low Price Stock etc.

On average I would guess that most of the funds I hold I have had for almost a decade now. I don't believe in portfolio turnover as a general investing stance.

Again, please stop making things up, thats now twice.

I would never use past performance to predict future success. Only an idiot would do that.

I compare funds after taxes and after expenses so that I can get a feel for how my funds are doing to make sure I am not holding on to dogs. Luckily my funds have always done very well and as such I never have to replace them, only have to add to them.

In general, I look for no load funds that cost me $0 to obtain (through Schwab's large network on Schwab One funds). I also look to see how much turnover there is an an individual fund which will give me the idea of its tax implications and well as the general management fees of the fund.

What other fees would you suggest I track?

I do not research the managers but I do check to see if the fund has recently changed managers.

By the way, could you possibly manage to be any more insulting and WRONG with your assumptions about how I invest? I am sorry it troubles you the way it does but I have too many years of history in up and down markets to show what I am doing is working.

I can't believe how misguided you have been in your last two posts. Its one thing to have some wierd opinions, its another thing to make incrediblly poor guesses on how another poster invests. In fact, you have assumed so many things the wrong way, I can only guess that you are trolling and I will try and resist engaging you again.


Andy

 

That all makes sense to me Andy_B.

Don't listen to Stopper4, he obviously is either reading your posts incorrectly or is just trying to be argumentative because nothing he is saying has anything to do with anything you have ever posted on this board.

 

ok cool. I thought I had written something that set him off but I could not figure out what.

Thanks.

Andy

 

I'd like to apologize to Andy B.

Upon re-reading my posts, I realize that I was being both argumentative and confrontational. I think I was actually looking to twist his words, just because I disagree with this investing style.

That's dead wrong on my part. I've been spending way too much time on the Politics board.

If I can't express my reactions to his ideas and thoughts without that kind of personal animosity, I shouldn't post.

So, I'm going to lay off for a while.

Once again, I'm sorry for being such an ass.

ryan

 

Hi Ryan,

Thank you for your apology!

I am still interested to hear your thoughts if you wish to share them. If you see mistakes I may be making please let me know.

This board, IMO, is wonderful because everyone seems to want to help everyone else.

If you need more information about how I invest that I have not already provided in my responses to your previous posts, please let me know and I will be happy to give it to you if it would help you point out where I may be going astray.

Andy

 

Thank for accepting my apology.

I think I'm going to stick to soccer talk (lay off the adversarial politics forum) for a day or two, gather my thoughts, and see if I can't compose myself to post here a little more rationally.

 

I had to do the same with the politics board, I just gave it up cold turkey.
It does nothing but warped ones sense of how to communicate. You can see its remnents all over Big Soccer, which is a shame.

Feel free to email or pm me if you have any suggestions or pointers. Thanks!

Andy