Playing the I fund

[FUTURESTRADER]

ok..let me in for Mar 1, says +.157%, gonna be some fancy valuation steppin tonite, with EFA up .93%

 

[FundSurfer]

Won't show up in MSCI EAFE

Gotta wait till Fund prices are posted to see if there was a fair valuation. If your numbers were correct, I sure hope the valuate cause I jumped out of I today. Especially since I thought they undershot yesterday.

 

[sugarandspice]

I fund +.04 today

 

[pogo]

I will say +18

 

[FUTURESTRADER]

sugar called the hotline ~~~

 

[Griffin]

I-Fund = 18.66 They really put the F in Fair Value tonight.

 

[mlk_man]

I-Fund = 18.66 They really put the F in Fair Value tonight.

I'm not sure why you say this. If I remember correctly, Japan was down this morning and perhaps Australia too, I don't remember. They are both up now so I'm sure the I fund will outperform our markets tomorrow.

 

[Fivetears]

Ok...

Greg had a handle on when they were doing it (he was just posting the instances that the I fund quote didn't match the EAFE quote) but judging from his various conspiracy theories, I'd say he still didn't have a handle on why they were doing it - Dave <><

You win. I'll get my Websters out, crack open a cold one and re-read the 2001 article. It's just... this kind of reading is like listening to Ben Stein on "Ferris Buellers Day Off."
Bueller.
Bueller.
Bueller.
http://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/guidance/tyle043001.htm

 

[Griffin]

I'm not sure why you say this. If I remember correctly, Japan was down this morning and perhaps Australia too, I don't remember. They are both up now so I'm sure the I fund will outperform our markets tomorrow.

My concubine's adopted daughters, paternal mother's, aunt (who suffers from a mild form of PTSD after seeing the Grimm in her tea cup) says.........

Somewhat more seriously, I could not get the numbers off MSCI last night (tech problem), so I was basing my assessment on (should I dare to say it ) the EFA.

you don't need to respond to that.....we all know.

Now that I am looking at the MSCI numbers, Barclay actually floated us a penny (for those that sold).

I have to admit, I have some reservations about two sets of funds that have such similar holdings, yet perform so differently and both valuation methods are valid. I think I need to go back and re-read Orwell's 1984.

Currently, action is mild across the board, and Barclay is likely to pull it's penny back. The "outlook is not good" for the I-Fund (that's what the Magic 8 Ball says).

 

[oldschool]

I have to admit, I have some reservations about two sets of funds that have such similar holdings, yet perform so differently and both valuation methods are valid. I think I need to go back and re-read Orwell's 1984.

Still, seems like each fund's valuation method must be internally consistent. A particular fund's fair valuation response to a particular event won't change from month to month? Of course that would have to include a major assumption - that there are no other changed variables... Maybe someone could get a copy of Barclay's internal fair valuation policies? Hmm, probably not "available"....

 

[tsptalk]

I-Fund = 18.66 They really put the F in Fair Value tonight.

I was not so much surprised that the I fund was only up .04 on Mar 1 when the EFA was up over 1% (because the dollar was higher), but I was surprised to see msci had the EAFE up only +.12% that day. Then they quoted the EAFE at +.16% in US dollars when the dollar was higher. Seems backwards with the dollar slightly higher that day. I'm guessing it's the EFA that will be doing the adjusting today (Mar 2).

Tom

 

[Griffin]

Maybe this is not the place for this - but can some at the helm of this ship explain the Title system?

I started out as a member, became a junior member, then a newbie then a TSP talker now I am.....what the h*** is it?.....TSP Starter?

I'm not a conspiracy theory kind of person, but the only purpose I see in this is to provide the casual observer with some gauge of a person's........what? (you can't expect to correlate this title to experience, knowledge, insight, etc...)....frequency of posting!

How 'bout a performance based system....which, if you been following MM's tracker right now means the least active people in the buy and hold mode are the top dogs! and many senior members are...........(underperforming?)

It is not my intention to offend anyone. Just callin' it the way I see it.

 

[Pilgrim]

Seems sorta silly doesn't it? Like a title bringing bragging rights of some kind? I live on this board for most of every morning and read every post that is made, but there are four or five people whose opinions I have come to hold in high regard and whose moves I consider carefully when figuring out what to do - and who they are has nothing to do with their "titles". Why not just get rid of it unless someone can explain what possible value there might be in the practice.

 

[mlk_man]

Try here Griffin:

http://www.tsptalk.com/mb/showthread.php?p=38901#post38901

Maybe this is not the place for this - but can some at the helm of this ship explain the Title system?

I started out as a member, became a junior member, then a newbie then a TSP talker now I am.....what the h*** is it?.....TSP Starter?

I'm not a conspiracy theory kind of person, but the only purpose I see in this is to provide the casual observer with some gauge of a person's........what? (you can't expect to correlate this title to experience, knowledge, insight, etc...)....frequency of posting!

How 'bout a performance based system....which, if you been following MM's tracker right now means the least active people in the buy and hold mode are the top dogs! and many senior members are...........(underperforming?)

It is not my intention to offend anyone. Just callin' it the way I see it.

 

[Griffin]

I was not so much surprised that the I fund was only up .04 on Mar 1 when the EFA was up over 1% (because the dollar was higher), but I was surprised to see msci had the EAFE up only +.12% that day. Then they quoted the EAFE at +.16% in US dollars when the dollar was higher. Seems backwards with the dollar slightly higher that day. I'm guessing it's the EFA that will be doing the adjusting today (Mar 2).

Tom

Tom,

To paraphrase wheels comment: “non random events with random triggers”. This takes me back to college – I’m no math wiz, but I did manage to squeak through three semesters of engineering calculus at a fairly prestigious engineering university. At the outset of what was to be my last math course – the professor opened the lecture with a discussion on the use of differential equations to solve fractal patterns. About half way thorough, I put down my pencil and closed my notebook and subsequently dropped the course. Needless to say, I graduated with a BS instead of a BE. This enigma with EAFE takes me right back to that lecture.

 

[Birchtree]

Shop internationally

I own a different International fund and consequently don't face these daily inconsequential problems. But if you want to pistol shoot this one then you have to know the rules and take your chances. If it were me, I'd just as soon dollar cost average the thing and let fate provide the direction and the gains - and be in no hurry. But it's not my money so I'll mind my own business. Have fun along with the aggravation.

Dennis

 

[oldschool]

I fund not so different

Hmm. At the risk of wasting time for the seasoned investors.... seems to me the I fund isn't so different, in the end, from how any other funds work. The value of the stocks comprising the fund, adjusted back into USD. The local currency price of those stocks has a relationship to the current/future quality (expected returns) of the underlying businesses. There are some trends that occur in the individual overseas markets, and sometimes, in all the I fund countries vs. the US. The world vs US trends are getting pretty rare though. The C fund has plenty of currency translation effects built into it too. I fund, like the S, has a higher beta than C. More risk. So sometimes more return, sometimes bigger loss. Lately much more return.

And pretty much every study I've come upon shows any diversified portfolio will outperform a more concentrated portfolio over time with a buy and hold strategy. From that perspective, 100% C = concentrated, if, unlike Birch, you only have TSP funds as your investments.

 

[tsptalk]

Tom,

To paraphrase wheels comment: “non random events with random triggers”. This takes me back to college – I’m no math wiz, but I did manage to squeak through three semesters of engineering calculus at a fairly prestigious engineering university. At the outset of what was to be my last math course – the professor opened the lecture with a discussion on the use of differential equations to solve fractal patterns. About half way thorough, I put down my pencil and closed my notebook and subsequently dropped the course. Needless to say, I graduated with a BS instead of a BE. This enigma with EAFE takes me right back to that lecture.

Now you've got it! Keep'em guessing.

 

[tsptalk]

Maybe this is not the place for this - but can some at the helm of this ship explain the Title system?

I started out as a member, became a junior member, then a newbie then a TSP talker now I am.....what the h*** is it?.....TSP Starter?

We recently moved to this new forum software and we've been playing with the new toys, including coming up with our own user titles. I've come up with these new ones (see mlk_man's post above) but we're still in tweaking mode.

 

[sugarandspice]

I fund down .06 today. Considering the dollar, not to bad.