harley
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
It's those madcap stocks that can really give you heartburn.
Low returns for 2014
- Thread starter younginvestor2013
- Start date
LOL!
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2005
- Messages
- 10,252
You have all Vanguard stock index funds in the form of ETFs, so you did great. The idea of 7% not being a good return is ludicrous. Since you used index funds, you get the average market return. And the average market is NOT just the S&P500, so get that out of your head right now.
The 2014 hotspots were REITs (you have no specific REIT index fund) and US large-caps (you have more than half your portfolio in these). International funds were negative for the year. US small-caps were in the middle.
So I guess I am asking what did you expect?
More feedback: For US equities you have VUG, VTV, VOO, VO and VB in rough proportions that when added together just are the same at Vanguard Total Stock Market Index fund VTI. So why have five separate ETFs when you can have just one?
On the international side, you do use a Total Int'l fund and then overweight int'l small-caps and emerging markets. Nothing wrong with that.
The 2014 hotspots were REITs (you have no specific REIT index fund) and US large-caps (you have more than half your portfolio in these). International funds were negative for the year. US small-caps were in the middle.
So I guess I am asking what did you expect?
More feedback: For US equities you have VUG, VTV, VOO, VO and VB in rough proportions that when added together just are the same at Vanguard Total Stock Market Index fund VTI. So why have five separate ETFs when you can have just one?
On the international side, you do use a Total Int'l fund and then overweight int'l small-caps and emerging markets. Nothing wrong with that.
Livin Large in MT
Recycles dryer sheets
Yes International was terrible this year and we all hurt for it. However, I also bought two ETF's in late 2012, the Vanguard Healthcare ETF and the Vanguard Utilities ETF, they both did 25 to 27% last year, quite a nice little kicker to add to anyone's portfolio. I did not expect Utilities to do all that well, bought it to add a bit of stability but it surprised very nicely. Something to consider. And of course I always love buying more O, the Realty Income company which just keeps delivering steady returns.
Livin Large in MT
Recycles dryer sheets
HAHA, Madcap, I meant Midcap, damn you autocorrect!
NW-Bound
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2008
- Messages
- 35,712
Well, you can hope that in 2015, the situation will reverse and the S&P will be up 7% while you are up 12%.
Or perhaps the S&P will be down -10% and you still beat it by being down only -5%.
Making this joke, I remember what I read back in late 1999 or early 2000 during the market heyday, and a lot of people were investing in equities for the 1st time. A writer of a now defunct magazine wrote the following in jest. I liked it so much that I remember till this day.
"I have many mutual funds. Here's how they work. If the market goes down, they go down a lot. If the market goes up, they go down a little."
