Opinions of These Mutual Funds?

[cscott711]

My employer is allowing us to add a handful of additional funds to our 401k program. I've been doing quite a bit of research lately and have compiled the list below. Any input on these funds? Any others we should consider? These are all no-load funds and have passed the smell test multiple sites includes M*, WSJ, USNews, FundMojo, and Wikiwealth.

GASFX FBR Gas Utility Index Investor
FSCRX Fidelity Small Cap Discovery
HSCSX Homestead Small Company Stock
PRHSX T. Rowe Price Health Sciences
YACKX Yacktman
YAFFX Yacktman Focused

[Animorph]

What else is already in the plan? Might want some international choices, emerging market, real estate, bonds, index funds. Can't say any of these have ever been on my radar.

[cscott711]

Here are the funds that are currently available in our plan. See any winners?

American Beacon LgCVI Plan AAGPX $17.72
AmCentury Equity Income TWEIX $7.30
American Cent Gov Bd Fund CPTNX $11.48
American Century Heritage Inv TWHIX $19.88
Ariel ARGFX $43.40
Artisan Intl ARTIX $19.72
Barclays Global Inv Lifepath STLAX $11.78
Barclays Global Inv LP 2020 STLCX $15.91
Barclays Global Inv LP 2030 STLDX $14.37
Barclays Global Inv LP 2040 STLEX $17.19
Baron Small Cap BSCFX $23.22
Calamos Growth A CVGRX $46.90
Calvert Equity Portfolio CSIEX $33.50
Schwab Health Care SWHFX $17.63
Schwab Inv Money Market SWRXX $1.00
Schwab MktTrk All Eq SWEGX $11.44
Schwab MktTrk Bal SWBGX $15.41
Schwab MktTrk Cons SWCGX $13.60
Schwab MktTrk Gr SWHGX $16.83
Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund SWPPX $19.69
Schwab Target 2010 SWBRX $10.52
Schwab Target 2020 SWCRX $11.08
Schwab Target 2030 SWDRX $11.35
Schwab Target 2040 SWERX $11.47
Cohen/Steers Real Sh CSRSX $61.27
Domini Social Equity DSEFX $29.94
Dreyfus Intl Stk Index DIISX $12.54
Dreyfus MidCap Index PESPX $27.50
Dreyfus Sm Cap Stk Index DISS $20.94
Harbor International Inv HIINX $51.96
Jensen JENSX $26.60
Northern Small Cap Value NOSGX $15.22
Oakmark Intl I OAKIX $16.50
Parnassus Fixed Inc PRFIX $17.42
PAX World Balanced PAXWX $21.73
PIMCO Total Return PTTDX $10.85
Transamerica Prem Eq Inv TEQUX $17.72
Wells Fargo Adv Cap Disc Inv SMCDX $20.99

[jIMOh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cscott711 My employer is allowing us to add a handful of additional funds to our 401k program. I've been doing quite a bit of research lately and have compiled the list below. Any input on these funds? Any others we should consider? These are all no-load funds and have passed the smell test multiple sites includes M*, WSJ, USNews, FundMojo, and Wikiwealth. GASFX FSCRX HSCSX PRHSX YACKX YAFFX

PRHSX- is this T Rowe Health Care fund? If so, I own this fund. Names and tickers will help, not just tickers.

[Chuckanut]

Schwab S&P 500 seems like a good one to me. Of course, I believe in indexing, and rebalancing every year to get the Asset Allocation back to the desired ratio. (Or, in my case working on getting my AA to where I want it by the time I retire.)

[cscott711]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jIMOh PRHSX- is this T Rowe Health Care fund? If so, I own this fund. Names and tickers will help, not just tickers.

Here you go. Updated my original post as well. The TRP is the Health Sciences fund.


GASFX FBR Gas Utility Index Investor
FSCRX Fidelity Small Cap Discovery
HSCSX Homestead Small Company Stock
PRHSX T. Rowe Price Health Sciences
YACKX Yacktman
YAFFX Yacktman Focused

[Animorph]

OAKIX is M* Gold, though I use a different foreign value fund.

A bigger selection than I ever had.

How about these:
OAKEX - international small-cap (sibling to OAKIX)
ARTKX - international value (sibling to ARTIX)
An EM index fund, I don't have a favorite
WAEMX - EM small-cap (Wasatch funds)
A real estate index fund/international real estate fund
ICENX - energy fund (ICON funds)

Or, DW has a brokerage window in her 401k where I can get any ETF and many funds. That would be something to fight for.

[Bluemoon]

I have a 6 fund portfolio which includes OAKIX & YACKX.

[ripper1]

how simple is this. VTSAX, VGIAX, and VBTLX. Which is Vanguard total stock, total int, and total bond. Complete diversification and as Admiral funds a low expense ratio of .11 It so easy it has often been referred to as a 3rd graders portfolio.

[james7]

In order for us to give you any decent advice, you need to tell us more about yourself and what you are trying to accomplish. Are you risk averse? Do you believe in indexing, or do you prefer an actively managed fund? Some of these funds can produce some very good returns, but have a lot of risk.

[LOL!]

Folks should have an array of index funds that are passively-managed, with low-expense-ratios, and no fees in their 401(k)s. The funds listed in the original post of this thread violate all the tenets of what makes a good fund for a 401(k), so they are poor choices. Also, too much duplication just confuses folks. Why should participants have to pick from among many different small cap funds? Just offer a great small-cap index fund and maybe a single small-cap actively-managed fund for non-believers and avoid all other small-cap funds.

For some of the best info on improving your 401(k) please read this:
Setting up a 401(k) plan - Bogleheads
and this:
How to Campaign for a Better 401(k) Plan - Bogleheads

Full disclosure: I am a fiduciary of a 401(k) plan.

[Kabekew]

The Yacktman funds are in my professionally-managed bucket, have the best returns in my portfolio so far, and they also seem to have a really good long-term track record (12% 10-year return compared to 4.7% stock index return).

[cscott711]

Quote:

Originally Posted by james7 In order for us to give you any decent advice, you need to tell us more about yourself and what you are trying to accomplish. Are you risk averse? Do you believe in indexing, or do you prefer an actively managed fund? Some of these funds can produce some very good returns, but have a lot of risk.

I'll be 30 next week. I want aggressive funds and can tolerate risk at this state in the game as I need to see good returns to get where I want to be, when I want to be there.

I am far, far, far from anything resembling an expert, but I'm getting a little closer each day. I enjoy getting others opinions with sound reasoning and seeing what they recommend or what they would do in my shoes.

[clifp]

Schwab S&P 500 has very low expense .09 and a decent record
Harbor International has Morningstar 5 star gold rating and despite its relatively high expense ratio a good track
OAKIX is also a very good international fund with slightly lower expenses.

Dreyfus small cap index fund has 4 star rating an expense ratio of .50% and is in the top half of its peers for every period from Year to date to 10 years.
Pimco is a world class bond fund despite the bad calls the last couple of year, but at 30 I don't think you need much in the way of bonds.

FWIW I'd go with an allocation of 50, 20, 10,20, 10. And up the bond portion to 20 at either 40 or when interest rates go up several percent.

[james7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cscott711 I'll be 30 next week. I want aggressive funds and can tolerate risk at this state in the game as I need to see good returns to get where I want to be, when I want to be there. I am far, far, far from anything resembling an expert, but I'm getting a little closer each day. I enjoy getting others opinions with sound reasoning and seeing what they recommend or what they would do in my shoes.

So considering that this is money you will not be touching for at least another 20 to 30 years, and you are willing to take a lot of risk, I would stay away from index funds and go with managed funds. However, I would diversify widely because good managers can have bad years and even bad streaks. Examples of this are Bill Miller of Legg Mason Value Trust and Bruce Berkowitz.

You should diversify in two ways, by fund company (Fidelity, Vanguard, American, Dreyfus, Putnam, etc.) and by type of fund (US large cap stock, global bond, foreign small cap value, etc.) because it has been shown that different type of funds from the same company many times have the same holdings. This happens because the managers at a fund family may be bullish on a particular company, so that company could appear in several different funds of that family.

It will also help that you are adding to the portfolio each month or quarterly because you will be in a sense "dollar cost averaging" and not buying all at once, possibly at the worst time.

And another thing, don't allow your age keep you away from bond funds. They can be a good cushion when the stock market is having bad times and are an important component of a well-balanced portfolio. You should have a minimum of three or four bond funds of different types, not just one.

[clifp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by james7 So considering that this is money you will not be touching for at least another 20 to 30 years, and you are willing to take a lot of risk, I would stay away from index funds and go with managed funds. However, I would diversify widely because good managers can have bad years and even bad streaks. Examples of this are Bill Miller of Legg Mason Value Trust and Bruce Berkowitz.

Why?

Since this is a 401K he doesn't really have a choice of other funds, and other the PIMCO. I didn't see any funds on the list with managers with proven track records across a couple of decades. Did you?

[cscott711]

Quote:

Originally Posted by clifp Why? Since this is a 401K he doesn't really have a choice of other funds, and other the PIMCO. I didn't see any funds on the list with managers with proven track records across a couple of decades. Did you?

If you could add any aggressive higher risk funds to my selection, then what would you add? Do any of the funds in my first post look good to you?

[clifp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cscott711 If you could add any aggressive higher risk funds to my selection, then what would you add? Do any of the funds in my first post look good to you?

With the important caveat that I am stock investor and not actively managed fund investor. I'd be inclined to go with Yackmann funds. Looking at M* they both have about 40 stocks in their portfolio, a size similar to Buffett's (and actually mine for that matter) which means it could continue to have very good returns. I looked at the portfolio and to be honest have no clue why it would do particularly well, unless the Yacktman brothers are truly skilled stock pickers and have identified undervalued stocks.

Given their track record if any funds in the list are likely to be managed by skilled manager rather than merely somebody who as been lucky. I'd say it it is these guys. Do I think they are likely to beat the index after expenses over the next twenty years? got me.