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By Barry Ritholtz, Published: December 13

How much cash should there be in your investment portfolios?

When people discuss their investing portfolios, they typically refer to the stocks, bonds, commodities and real estate they hold. The conversation might also include model weightings, tilt toward and away from different asset classes, and rebalancing. What we rarely hear about is cash.
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Back to cash and how much to hold in a portfolio. It really depends on who you are, how you are investing and your investment horizon. A hedge fund manager whose clients demand monthly performance reports has different needs than any individual investors with a 20-year time horizon. The needs of that long-term investor differ markedly from someone who is retiring in three years.
Warren Buffett has patiently held as much as $20 billion to $40 billion in cash. He thinks of cash not just as an “asset class that is returning next to nothing,” but rather as “a call option that can be priced, relative to the ability of cash to buy assets.” He put that to good use during the financial crisis, scooping up deeply discounted bargains.
Most investors lack Buffett’s discipline. When markets are rallying, cash in the portfolio is a drag on performance, returning about zero. The argument I hear for cash in the portfolio is it doesn’t go down during market crashes, and it allows the purchases of cheap assets a la Buffett at attractive prices. But investors rarely can make that buy when markets are crashing. They are simply too scared, lacking the fortitude or the nerve to pull the trigger. Even those who managed to avoid the 2008 crash found themselves stuck with way too much cash in their portfolios as markets recovered. Up more than 150 percent since the 2009 lows, many are wondering what to do.
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The bottom line is this: Cash, in modest increments, has a role in any portfolio. But unless you are Warren Buffett, you should limit it to 2 or 3 percent. Otherwise, you are likely to miss the next bull market. Too many people have already missed this one.

NB: 2 or 3 % ???
What's yours?
If I include my emergency funds, I have around 7% cash.
about 10% for me currently. Very little meaning speaking in percentage term if absolute amount is low.
Quote:
"It really depends on who you are, how you are investing and your investment horizon.
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But unless you are Warren Buffett, you should limit it to 2 or 3 percent."

Unquote:-
The author seems to contradicting himself, isn't it?
i think in actual fact it all depends on many factors. The main factor is how we manage our "cash flow".
It's still "NO MONEY NO TALK".
(11-01-2014, 04:46 PM)Dividend Warrior Wrote: [ -> ]If I include my emergency funds, I have around 7% cash.

its your portfolio not emergency funds.
I aim for zero cash if possible
(11-01-2014, 10:14 PM)smallcaps Wrote: [ -> ]I aim for zero cash if possible
May i know why?
(11-01-2014, 10:46 PM)Temperament Wrote: [ -> ]
(11-01-2014, 10:14 PM)smallcaps Wrote: [ -> ]I aim for zero cash if possible
May i know why?

Coz I dun have an opinion on market outlook. So I juz try to find some undervalued stock and buy if got cash. But sometimes I have problem finding that stock and end up holding cash...
(11-01-2014, 10:49 PM)smallcaps Wrote: [ -> ]
(11-01-2014, 10:46 PM)Temperament Wrote: [ -> ]
(11-01-2014, 10:14 PM)smallcaps Wrote: [ -> ]I aim for zero cash if possible
May i know why?

Coz I dun have an opinion on market outlook. So I juz try to find some undervalued stock and buy if got cash. But sometimes I have problem finding that stock and end up holding cash...
if it's good for you as your money management and investment style, who is to say no.
(11-01-2014, 09:13 PM)Drizzt Wrote: [ -> ]
(11-01-2014, 04:46 PM)Dividend Warrior Wrote: [ -> ]If I include my emergency funds, I have around 7% cash.

its your portfolio not emergency funds.

I see......

In that case, I have 2% cash.
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