What to do with mutual funds? (bond, corporation, investment, income)

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by CouponJack

Wow! I looked at the expense ratios for those funds and they are quite expensive...

1.00% for TWCUX and 1.60% for BREAX.....

Very hard to do well against their benchmarks w/expense ratios that high.

Even so, if you invested 10k back in 8/96 in TWCUX you should be sitting aro 18-19K right now......

Maybe your entry poinnts are different than what you posted earlier...?

What do you think the expense ratios should be around?

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by beckycat

I think the BREAX was back in 1999 and TWCUX ($32.66) was about 12 years ago I believe. I have to look into it.

I originally had invested in BREAX and BMGAX in 1999 but combined all to BREAX at a later date. I'm trying to figure out when I did that. I want to say about 2008.

[Ariadne22]

Historical Returns:

BREAX - Stock Quote for BlackRock Intl Opportunities Portfolio - BREAX Stock price - real time stock quote for BlackRock Intl Opportunities Portfolio

TWCUX - Stock Quote for American Century Ultra Fund - TWCUX Stock price - real time stock quote for American Century Ultra Fund

You haven't lost - maybe - but you also had some years there that were very bad should you have needed that money.

Play around with the tabs on that site. You will find the charts very interesting.

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by Ariadne22

Historical Returns:

BREAX - Stock Quote for BlackRock Intl Opportunities Portfolio - BREAX Stock price - real time stock quote for BlackRock Intl Opportunities Portfolio

TWCUX - Stock Quote for American Century Ultra Fund - TWCUX Stock price - real time stock quote for American Century Ultra Fund

You haven't lost - maybe - but you also had some years there that were very bad should you have needed that money.



Play around with the tabs on that site. You will find the charts very interesting.

I definately lost on TWCUX. I bought more BREAX in 2008 and that is how I lost on that one. Although my original mutual funds with BREAX had a gain. I'm down just a little on that one.

[Ariadne22]

Well, you aren't alone. Many people are only break-even with where they were ten years ago.

Do you have an investment strategy? People who are successful in the market are diversified among classes of equities, precious metals, bonds, etc., and are continually rebalancing. Mathjak has numerous posts on this.

Don't think the invest it and forget it approach works well, anymore, if it ever did.

Expense ratios should be under 1%, if that. There are plenty of no load funds with low expenses. Vanguard, Fidelity, TRowePrice - all have good no load funds. You still have to watch them and rebalance - unless you choose a target date fund.

[mathjak107]

in my opinion nothing shorter than 15 year time frames should be counted on .

thats because we never ever had a 15 year time frame where at some point we werent higher so you can sell equities and raise cash if needed.

we used to think long term was 10 years but a look at history shows way to many 10 year periods where you were down.

its all about time and sticking to the plan. even a simple mix of cash and a total market fund like VTI rebalanced every year will produce good results .

the issue is with no other asset classes you have to wait a long time sometimes for that asset class to cycle around again and have its day in the sun.

the problem is what i call pucker factor. most folks cant stomach that volatility and bail just when they should be sticking to the plan and buying more or rebalancing . or they are trying to time things based on what they thing will happen and as usual get thrown a curve ..

so they bail and run and its everyone elses fault they lost money. everyone is a crook and everything a scheme to take their money.
sooooooo they end up being financially unsuccesful and its the worlds fault. we all know the drill here,its an old story.

[Texas User]

Originally Posted by beckycat

I bought some mutual funds about 15 years ago thinking that was a smart to invest for the future. Boy was I wrong. I have yet to see my funds surpass what I've invested. They have declined drastically but finally over the past year things were looking good and they were on an incline. Now in the past few days, I've lost a large amount again. All I was trying to do was recoup my initial investment and I was out of the stock market.

I know they say don't sell during the panic which I'm not intending on doing. I wish I could just get my initial investment back. It seems like I'm in it for the long haul again. I'm 40 now, so maybe I will see my initial investment by retirement.

BTW, my mutual funds are solid, at least I think. I own TWCUX and BREAX.

Is this your after-tax account? When was your investments at the highest point?

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by Texas User

Is this your after-tax account? When was your investments at the highest point?

I really can't answer that b/c I knew I was in it for the long term. I watch it once in a while but not constantly.

[gen811]

Opening poster: I dont suppose you know exactly which companies the funds own do you?
Apple Inc.AAPL6.1823.00Google Inc.GOOG3.642.15Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN2.7722.96Schlumberger N.V. Common StockSLB2.725.51Exxon Mobil Corporation Common XOM2.6413.40Exxon Mobil Corporation Common XOM2.5710.11Hewlett-Packard Company Common HPQ2.57-17.05Schlumberger N.V. Common StockSLB2.538.63Cisco Systems, Inc.CSCO2.526.13Philip Morris International IncPM2.30-1.38


this is their top 10 holdings for twcux.

I suggest selling the mutual fund and just buying the stocks yourself.


THEN SELL OPTIONS ON THEM every month to generate small amounts of income every month to recoup some losses





as for BREAX do not bother with it if you dont know what they own.
research what they own and buy it youself and hold them.

Learn to manage your own finances stop letting others do it for you.


Try to buy high div yield stock in stable companies and with good future growth as well.

You need to pick and choose well not just buy anything.

Mutual funds are pretty much a crap shoot just do it yourself and you would be better off if you aint lazy that is

if you do it like this you dont need to pay for the management fee of 1% at least.

LEARN to build your own portfolio tyvm.

[Texas User]

Originally Posted by beckycat

I really can't answer that b/c I knew I was in it for the long term. I watch it once in a while but not constantly.

Was this in any of your retirement account? IRA?

How many years as long term?