+1
Now HE was a legend. Probably the most knowledgable guy on here regarding a certain topic, but he sure didn't suffer fools gladly. I REALLY miss him.
Also, whatever happened to another of my favs -- the insurance encyclopedia Ole Meph?
+1
He went to arcade play games.Robot Monster wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:49 pmI'll try and track him down, stand outside his house with a boombox over my head.
Looks like it was a matter of the straw breaking the camel's back. Whether or not one agrees with his methods or posting style, there are those on this forum who simply can't let a a perceived challenge to the 2 or 3 fund portfolio go unanswered, even on threads that have nothing at all to do with that 2 or 3 fund portfolio whatsoever. If the 2 or 3 fund portfolio was the end-all-be-all to asset allocation, then why have a forum at all? Update the wiki's and call it a day.000 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:38 pmI was a regular reader at that time and never understood what about that post made him so angry.nisiprius wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:42 am HEDGEFUNDIE's latest (i.e. last) post is here.
In general, to find a user's last post, you can hover over any place where the system is showing their screen name. It will turn into a link and you can click on it to find the user's profile. Or, you can click on the gear icon top right near the search box and search on their screen name. The profile contains a link for searching the user's posts. In this case:
Same here - I just don't know how our already awesome moderators would keep it from becoming some free-for-all daytrader subreddit.zaboomafoozarg wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:31 pmThis is why I've always thought there needs to be a subforum for factor tilting/alternatives/etc.
To me that’s a feature not a bug.dcabler wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:16 amLooks like it was a matter of the straw breaking the camel's back. Whether or not one agrees with his methods or posting style, there are those on this forum who simply can't let a a perceived challenge to the 2 or 3 fund portfolio go unanswered, even on threads that have nothing at all to do with that 2 or 3 fund portfolio whatsoever. If the 2 or 3 fund portfolio was the end-all-be-all to asset allocation, then why have a forum at all? Update the wiki's and call it a day.000 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:38 pmI was a regular reader at that time and never understood what about that post made him so angry.nisiprius wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:42 am HEDGEFUNDIE's latest (i.e. last) post is here.
In general, to find a user's last post, you can hover over any place where the system is showing their screen name. It will turn into a link and you can click on it to find the user's profile. Or, you can click on the gear icon top right near the search box and search on their screen name. The profile contains a link for searching the user's posts. In this case:
sscritic was banned. He still communicates with at least a few of us via email.Pacific wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 1:42 am+1
Now HE was a legend. Probably the most knowledgable guy on here regarding a certain topic, but he sure didn't suffer fools gladly. I REALLY miss him.
Also, whatever happened to another of my favs -- the insurance encyclopedia Ole Meph?
There was a poster here that I hammered because I thought his investment approach was too formulaic and paid too little attention to market psychology, he just seemed to have all of the answers. I felt bad because I may have driven him from the forum.dcabler wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:16 amLooks like it was a matter of the straw breaking the camel's back. Whether or not one agrees with his methods or posting style, there are those on this forum who simply can't let a a perceived challenge to the 2 or 3 fund portfolio go unanswered, even on threads that have nothing at all to do with that 2 or 3 fund portfolio whatsoever. If the 2 or 3 fund portfolio was the end-all-be-all to asset allocation, then why have a forum at all? Update the wiki's and call it a day.000 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:38 pmI was a regular reader at that time and never understood what about that post made him so angry.nisiprius wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:42 am HEDGEFUNDIE's latest (i.e. last) post is here.
In general, to find a user's last post, you can hover over any place where the system is showing their screen name. It will turn into a link and you can click on it to find the user's profile. Or, you can click on the gear icon top right near the search box and search on their screen name. The profile contains a link for searching the user's posts. In this case:
I totally agree. Many times in life (in person) I ask questions and often I don't care about the answer but I just want to see how someone responds to my question. Other times I'll ask questions that I think I know the answer to but once in a while someone says something I never really considered and it causes you to think from another perspective.AZAttorney11 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:32 am It's a damn shame HEDGEFUNDIE left in my opinion. His content was extremely rich and he was, at the very least, thought provoking and well reasoned. There are some on this forum who simply refuse to listen to alternative viewpoints. It's a missed opportunity to learn and grow as an investor. Do I agree with everything HEDGEFUNDIE wrote? Nope, but I'm a more thoughtful and educated investor because of him. This place needs more outside-the-box thinking. HEDGEFUNDIE brought that in spades.
Really dating yourself here...
Hoo-boy, dating yourself again!Robot Monster wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:49 pm I'll try and track him down, stand outside his house with a boombox over my head.
I thought sscritic was banned.
Very good detective work, and I watched both Dukes and Fantasy. Incredible Hulk TV show. Smurfs cartoon. Owned a ton of Smurf figures. He-Man. Fragile Rock. You Can't Do That On Television.HomerJ wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 2:10 pmHoo-boy, dating yourself again!Robot Monster wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:49 pm I'll try and track him down, stand outside his house with a boombox over my head.
I think I could guess when you were born within 5 years with these two references.
I'm thinking you watched Dukes of Hazard as a kid? Or maybe you were a Fantasy Island kind of guy?
The difference is between good alternative approaches and bad ones (too expensive, too risky, too difficult to implement, too underdiversified). It is my opinion (as a heterodox Boglehead myself) that most of the approaches HEDGEFUNDIE promoted here fall into the latter category and the response of Bogleheads was mostly appropriate. It was good and right that Bogleheads pointed out the serious risks involved using leveraged ETFs hoping a backtested correlation will continue.dcabler wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:16 am Looks like it was a matter of the straw breaking the camel's back. Whether or not one agrees with his methods or posting style, there are those on this forum who simply can't let a a perceived challenge to the 2 or 3 fund portfolio go unanswered, even on threads that have nothing at all to do with that 2 or 3 fund portfolio whatsoever. If the 2 or 3 fund portfolio was the end-all-be-all to asset allocation, then why have a forum at all? Update the wiki's and call it a day.
+1
I don't think it was the skepticism that bothered HEDGEFUNDIE. As another posted mentioned, he changed his original Excellent Adventure allocation based on constructive, high quality feedback from other posters. I don't remember his initial investment, but I believe it was $100,000 or so. So he was willing to change a six-figure investment based on the reasoning and criticism from others. I'm guessing what pissed off HEDGEFUNDIE were the numerous posters repeating dogma about the three-fund portfolio and why not VTI in every single taxable account without actually stopping to think about what they were recommending. There was a loud cohort of Bogleheads who simply wanted to tell HEDGEFUNDIE he was wrong about something or chastise him for being less than pure in terms of Boglehead beliefs.
+1AZAttorney11 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:40 pmI don't think it was the skepticism that bothered HEDGEFUNDIE. As another posted mentioned, he changed his original Excellent Adventure allocation based on constructive, high quality feedback from other posters. I don't remember his initial investment, but I believe it was $100,000 or so. So he was willing to change a six-figure investment based on the reasoning and criticism from others. I'm guessing what pissed off HEDGEFUNDIE were the numerous posters repeating dogma about the three-fund portfolio and why not VTI in every single taxable account without actually stopping to think about what they were recommending. There was a loud cohort of Bogleheads who simply wanted to tell HEDGEFUNDIE he was wrong about something or chastise him for being less than pure in terms of Boglehead beliefs.
Speaking of Boglehead beliefs, there are a few of us who remember the M* Diehards days (raise your hand if you can remember the posts from "hocus"). Back then, a Boglehead was simply someone who understood costs matter. There were plenty of posts about active vs. passive in tax-deferred accounts, but being a Boglehead was about keeping costs low. Now, there's some sort of unofficial purity test and those who dare to challenge the status quo get blasted by a few folks who aren't necessarily the most sophisticated investors, but they can certainly repeat some Bogle quotes that serve their needs.
That's the sort of Boglehead I have always been. Does that make me a fundamentalist?AZAttorney11 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:40 pm Speaking of Boglehead beliefs, there are a few of us who remember the M* Diehards days (raise your hand if you can remember the posts from "hocus"). Back then, a Boglehead was simply someone who understood costs matter.
Alex Frakt, the owner/co-owner(?) of this BH forum has stated there is NOT any "required investing philosophy" here on BH, in the context of whether posts with "differing opinions" were deleted:AZAttorney11 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:40 pmI don't think it was the skepticism that bothered HEDGEFUNDIE. As another posted mentioned, he changed his original Excellent Adventure allocation based on constructive, high quality feedback from other posters. I don't remember his initial investment, but I believe it was $100,000 or so. So he was willing to change a six-figure investment based on the reasoning and criticism from others. I'm guessing what pissed off HEDGEFUNDIE were the numerous posters repeating dogma about the three-fund portfolio and why not VTI in every single taxable account without actually stopping to think about what they were recommending. There was a loud cohort of Bogleheads who simply wanted to tell HEDGEFUNDIE he was wrong about something or chastise him for being less than pure in terms of Boglehead beliefs.
Speaking of Boglehead beliefs, there are a few of us who remember the M* Diehards days (raise your hand if you can remember the posts from "hocus"). Back then, a Boglehead was simply someone who understood costs matter. There were plenty of posts about active vs. passive in tax-deferred accounts, but being a Boglehead was about keeping costs low. Now, there's some sort of unofficial purity test and those who dare to challenge the status quo get blasted by a few folks who aren't necessarily the most sophisticated investors, but they can certainly repeat some Bogle quotes that serve their needs.
[emphasis added]Alex Frakt wrote: ↑Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:51 am We don't edit or delete posts unless they are in violation of one of our policies. We have no policy regarding a required investing philosophy.
There's more to it than costs matters. I can pick individual stocks with no commissions, but that's not a very Jack Bogle like investing strategy. Bogleheads is based on broad based index funds.AZAttorney11 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:40 pm
Speaking of Boglehead beliefs, there are a few of us who remember the M* Diehards days (raise your hand if you can remember the posts from "hocus"). Back then, a Boglehead was simply someone who understood costs matter. There were plenty of posts about active vs. passive in tax-deferred accounts, but being a Boglehead was about keeping costs low. Now, there's some sort of unofficial purity test and those who dare to challenge the status quo get blasted by a few folks who aren't necessarily the most sophisticated investors, but they can certainly repeat some Bogle quotes that serve their needs.
We're slightly cultish, but this isn't necessarily bad. Going on Bogleheads to convince people to use some exotic investing strategy is like going on BiggerPockets and trying to convince everyone real estate is a dumb investment.ResearchMed wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:40 pmAlex Frakt, the owner/co-owner(?) of this BH forum has stated there is NOT any "required investing philosophy" here on BH, in the context of whether posts with "differing opinions" were deleted:AZAttorney11 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:40 pmI don't think it was the skepticism that bothered HEDGEFUNDIE. As another posted mentioned, he changed his original Excellent Adventure allocation based on constructive, high quality feedback from other posters. I don't remember his initial investment, but I believe it was $100,000 or so. So he was willing to change a six-figure investment based on the reasoning and criticism from others. I'm guessing what pissed off HEDGEFUNDIE were the numerous posters repeating dogma about the three-fund portfolio and why not VTI in every single taxable account without actually stopping to think about what they were recommending. There was a loud cohort of Bogleheads who simply wanted to tell HEDGEFUNDIE he was wrong about something or chastise him for being less than pure in terms of Boglehead beliefs.
Speaking of Boglehead beliefs, there are a few of us who remember the M* Diehards days (raise your hand if you can remember the posts from "hocus"). Back then, a Boglehead was simply someone who understood costs matter. There were plenty of posts about active vs. passive in tax-deferred accounts, but being a Boglehead was about keeping costs low. Now, there's some sort of unofficial purity test and those who dare to challenge the status quo get blasted by a few folks who aren't necessarily the most sophisticated investors, but they can certainly repeat some Bogle quotes that serve their needs.
[emphasis added]Alex Frakt wrote: ↑Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:51 am We don't edit or delete posts unless they are in violation of one of our policies. We have no policy regarding a required investing philosophy.
And yet, there is too often a cult-like approach here, including dismissiveness (or worse) towards posts/posters who do not have some supposedly "official" approach.
RM
+1UpsetRaptor wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:57 pm Mic drop move: One day, years from now, he'll randomly reappear with a single post: An image of a massive beautiful yacht. Then disappears again, forever.
Of course it is. Back on the M* days, a poster named wagnerjb (Andy) thought about "rolling his own" S&P 500 fund to increase his after-tax returns through targeted TLH. There are so many ways to implement a Jack Bogle like investing strategy. Hint - you can follow Jack Bogle's investing advice without a pure market cap weighted 2 or 3 fund portfolio.oldfort wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:01 pmThere's more to it than costs matters. I can pick individual stocks with no commissions, but that's not a very Jack Bogle like investing strategy. Bogleheads is based on broad based index funds.AZAttorney11 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:40 pm
Speaking of Boglehead beliefs, there are a few of us who remember the M* Diehards days (raise your hand if you can remember the posts from "hocus"). Back then, a Boglehead was simply someone who understood costs matter. There were plenty of posts about active vs. passive in tax-deferred accounts, but being a Boglehead was about keeping costs low. Now, there's some sort of unofficial purity test and those who dare to challenge the status quo get blasted by a few folks who aren't necessarily the most sophisticated investors, but they can certainly repeat some Bogle quotes that serve their needs.
Yes, more to it than that but "broad based index funds" isn't in the list from the BH Wiki. Still leaves quite a bit of wiggle room to still be a boglehead. Many roads to Dublin, etc....oldfort wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:01 pmThere's more to it than costs matters. I can pick individual stocks with no commissions, but that's not a very Jack Bogle like investing strategy. Bogleheads is based on broad based index funds.AZAttorney11 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:40 pm
Speaking of Boglehead beliefs, there are a few of us who remember the M* Diehards days (raise your hand if you can remember the posts from "hocus"). Back then, a Boglehead was simply someone who understood costs matter. There were plenty of posts about active vs. passive in tax-deferred accounts, but being a Boglehead was about keeping costs low. Now, there's some sort of unofficial purity test and those who dare to challenge the status quo get blasted by a few folks who aren't necessarily the most sophisticated investors, but they can certainly repeat some Bogle quotes that serve their needs.
Well said. HF’s skin was unfortunately too thin.bottlecap wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 12:15 pm You can’t take yourself too seriously on the Internet.
This is evermore true the more "followers" you have. Even if you are every bit as wonderful as they think, there is always someone that thinks you’re not quite as hot. In real life, the latter just stops associating with you. On the Internet, that person claps back.
JT
I don't think HF was ever "gut punched" on here. People recoiled from some of the proposals, but that was always partly the point.JonnyDVM wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 7:53 pm Run off like some other good posters that dared to offer something different from the standard investing advice here. Why would you subject yourself to repeated gut punching over and over again? It’s OK to disagree. No sense in slamming someone. To be fair though, this is probably the most cordial/least toxic forum you’ll find on the internet.
I was thinking more Larry Swedroe with the gut punch comment. To be honest the HF threads got too far above my head so I never got much in the weeds with them but I do remember him defending himself more than once.drk wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 7:59 pmI don't think HF was ever "gut punched" on here. People recoiled from some of the proposals, but that was always partly the point.JonnyDVM wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 7:53 pm Run off like some other good posters that dared to offer something different from the standard investing advice here. Why would you subject yourself to repeated gut punching over and over again? It’s OK to disagree. No sense in slamming someone. To be fair though, this is probably the most cordial/least toxic forum you’ll find on the internet.
I saw it the same way. He was a genuine guy, and had a lot to offer I think. We collectively ran him off. His methods weren’t my cup,of tea, but I thought he was operating in good faith, and it was deserving of most respectful discussion than it got.JonnyDVM wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 7:53 pm Run off like some other good posters that dared to offer something different from the standard investing advice here. Why would you subject yourself to repeated gut punching over and over again? It’s OK to disagree. No sense in slamming someone. To be fair though, this is probably the most cordial/least toxic forum you’ll find on the internet.
Ah, sure. Larry's exodus preceded my arrival, but that makes sense.
Despite the moniker, HEDGEFUNDIE worked at a Bay Area tech company.
Huh--I clearly need to do my homework on this matter. Still, his handle does not suggest someone interested in debating the merits of passive investing. Maybe I'll change my user name to "DAYTRADER4LIFE."
I think he only did that strategy with a small part of his portfolio and the rest was pretty BH.
He’s not into passive 3 funds but isn’t an advocate for active management except for EM (mainly China) where there’s strong evidence in outperformance by active funds. He does have unconventional ideas like HFEA or interest only mortgage. It’s nice to discuss different ideas but I didn’t understand why he left based on the short post exchange. Maybe it’s all the unpleasant encounters combined.
The fun part is trying to convince them otherwise (in a civil manner), no?sergio wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 11:29 pm I don't mind the dominance of the 3-fund portfolio threads, or the endless "VTSAX vs. VTI" or "20 vs 30% International" posts. But for personal finance there are definitely some personalities stuck in their ways and constantly copy-and-paste the same garbage without considering the nuances of someone's particular situation. Stuff like "PMI is always bad, don't ever consider anything but 20% down + 15 year mortgage", or "don't do anything until you have 12+ months emergency fund in the bank" or "don't ever buy a house that costs more than 2X your income". It can become really grating.