What assset class categories do you measure ?

[Delawaredave5]

There's a infinite way to "slice and dice" asset classes. I keep a spreadsheet and I'm breaking up holding into below categories.

Appreciate any upgrades ? What categories do you use ? Thanks !

Cash
US Small Cap
US Mid Cap
US Large Cap
Emerging Stock
Dev Intlernational Stock
Real Estate
Energy & Commodities
Bonds

[LOL!]

I like to use ETF equivalents of asset classes. A good list of them is found at Altruist Some additional ones not in your list are

Small cap international (DLS)
Small emerging value (DGS)
Small cap value (VBR)
Large cap value (VTV)
TIPs (TIP)
Short-term corporate bonds
Intermediate-term bonds
Treasuries

[RunningBum]

Are you tracking mostly individual stocks or mostly mutual funds or what?

This is way more granular than I track. For one thing, some managed funds cross categories so I'd have to determine the mix within the fund.

Also I try not to have duplicate funds so it doesn't make sense to me to have a category for emerging stock when I just have one fund for it (though possibly a % of emerging in a managed fund). So if I want to measure performance for it I just track that fund.

I do separately track individual stocks as a category to make sure I'm not getting too high % undiversified, and also to track my stock picking peformance vs. mutual funds. If I find I'm consistently lagging, I'll probably give up. I've just started tracking this more closely than I have in the past.

So on my spreadsheet I actually keep every investment, then group them as

STOCKS
- US
- Intl
- Individual
BONDS
REAL ESTATE
PRECIOUS METALS
CASH

Basically this lets me see my stock/bond mix and US/Intl mix.

Vanguard also has a portfolio tracker that I look at on occasion takes a more detailed look at small/medium/large, areas of international, and also by industry, and compares them to a target distribution so I can see how my detailed allocation looks.

[jIMOh]

For growth I invest in 5 asset classes

domestic large cap
domestic mid cap
domestic small cap
foreign large cap
foreign small cap

The one bond fund I use is a mix of Real Estate bonds, government bonds, corporate bonds, high yield, foreign bonds and emerging market bonds, and also dividend paying stocks (it is a fund of funds).

Those 6 funds and asset classes make up my asset allocation. The mid cap and small cap funds tend to overlap asset classes (for example a small cap fund might have 40% mid cap or mid cap fund might have 20% small cap). All 6 of these funds are in tax advantaged accounts.

I also have a mortgage paydown account which is taxable. For that I use a moderate fund which is a mix of gold bullion, silver bullion, bonds, energy stocks, growth stocks and swiss francs. I use this fund for 3 reasons:

1) Any money which would be used to pay down mortgage gets invested into this fund
2) I have 3 months expenses in cash for emergencies, this fund represents months 4-6 expenses as well (if an emergency hit).
3) This fund will include some contributions for kids education when I start contributing to it. In general this fund is for intermediate term expenses with a time horizon of less than 10 years. New roof. New HVAC. New Hot water heater...

[FUEGO]

I have 9 asset classes:
Total market
Extended market
small cap
small cap value
large cap value
international value
pacific
European
Emerging mkts

[FIREd]

I invest in the following asset classes:

US Large caps
US Small caps
US Intermediate bonds (corporate, treasuries, GNMA, TIPS...)
US REITs
US Cash
Int'l Developed Markets
Int'l Emerging Markets
Int'l Intermediate bonds
Int'l Cash
Commodities
Market neutral

I don't own mid caps because my large cap and small cap funds each already own a substantial amount of mid cap stocks. I would like to add one more asset class in the future: Int'l small cap.

Quote:

also have a mortgage paydown account which is taxable. For that I use a moderate fund which is a mix of gold bullion, silver bullion, bonds, energy stocks, growth stocks and swiss francs. I use this fund for 3 reasons:

jIMOh, it sounds like an inflation hedge fund. Do you mind telling us the name of that fund, I'd like to take a look at it.

[retire@40]

I use

Large Cap Growth
Large Cap Blend
Large Cap Value
Mid Cap Growth
Mid Cap Blend
Small Cap Value
Small Cap Growth
REITS
International
Energy
Precious Metals
Bear Market
Cash

Although I am only 3% directly invested in an "international" fund, my indirect international exposure is closer to 16% when I factor in all my funds.

Same with "energy." I am only 2.5% in direct energy funds, but Exxon and Chevron are in the top 3 overall stocks I hold among all my funds. I've learned that one way not to worry about increasing energy prices is to own energy stocks.

[jIMOh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREdreamer jIMOh, it sounds like an inflation hedge fund. Do you mind telling us the name of that fund, I'd like to take a look at it.

PRPFX- Permanent Portfolio

I have yet to find another fund like it based on what it invests in or the technique which is used (25% of portfolio to gold, 5% to silver, other 70% split equally between equities -2 classes-growth and natural resources, bonds and swiss francs).

[Animorph]

Natural resources
Emerging markets large cap
Emerging markets small cap
Foreign large cap growth
Foreign large cap value
Foreign small cap growth
Foreign small cap value
Foreign real estate
Domestic real estate
Domestic large cap growth
Domestic large cap value
Domestic small cap growth
Domestic small cap value
Cash


Dan

[DblDoc]

Domestic large cap
Domestic large cap value
Domestic small cap value
REITs
International
Emerging Markets
Intl small cap value
TIPs
Int term Govt
Short term Govt

Still waiting to be convinced commodities add something to a portfolio

DD

[Meadbh]

Cash & Cash Equivalents
Fixed Income
Canadian Equity
US Equity
International Equity
Venture Capital
Real Estate

[megacorp-firee]

cash
preferred stocks
municipals
bonds
us total stocks
us large cap
us small cap
total int'l stocks
reit

[mb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh Cash & Cash Equivalents Fixed Income Canadian Equity US Equity International Equity Venture Capital Real Estate

How do you invest in VC? Some sort of fund? As an Angel?

MB

[Meadbh]

Angel investing

The Insiders Guide to Angel Investing

[Midpack]

Mine are similar to the OP:

LCB
LCV
SCB
SCV
Intl/EM
REIT
Comm/Energy
Bonds
Cash

Someday I'll probably add TIPS, but no room in my tax deferred accounts.