Income Portfolio YTD vs Vanguard GNMA and Total Bond Funds VFIIX & VBMFX

Bob Brinker's Marketimer newsletter has an "Income Portfolio" but Bob Brinker doesn't usually report monthly results for it.  This year the bond market has surprised many with how well it has done despite the fear of the Federal Reserve increasing the Fed Funds short term rates in 2015.

This article is an update of our Sept. 12, 2014 article;

"Bob Brinker's Marketimer Income Portfolio and Radio Advice for Cash"

This graph compares the four funds in the Marketimer Income Portfolio with Vanguard's GNMA fund and the Total Bond index fund.

Fund summary:

• DLSNX, up 1.46% YTD
• FFRHX, up 1.31% YTD
• MWLDX, up 1.48% YTD
• OSTIX, up 2.13% YTD

With 25% in each at the start of the year, the average is +1.595% YTD.

Compare that to:

• Vanguard GNMA fund, VFIIX, up 5.57% YTD
• Vanguard Total Bond Index Fund, VBMFX, up 5.09% YTD

The "Marketimer Income Portfolio" has drastically under performed the total bond index and Vanguard's GNMA funds this year.  Of course, safe CDs and Series I Bonds, that I recommend have done the same but they have zero credit or interest rate risk.

• Current Series I Bond Rates
  
  
• Best Savings Account Rate Survey