Dan asked "does TREA function more like equity or more like bonds"

There are data posted a year or two ago by JackinPa that have metrics on the performance of the REA. There also may be such data in the REA FAQ at the T-C web site. But as I remember, the performance of the REA at the time of either or both was that it performed more like bonds than equity.

He also asked " to what extent? Has your opinion changed based on the recent flattening out of returns?" Now this is an interesting question! I don't have a formal answer yet and probably won't have one for a while - either until the REA has a negative quarter or year or it pulls out of the current "flattening." But in thinking of commenting on your portfolio question I was thinking of suggesting you defer adding to the REA and instead put the allocation to work in the Traditional Account.

At present, would you be buying units of the REA at a "cheap" price? I don't know. If I was sure you would, I would say stay with your suggested allocation to the REA. But I am partially in the camp that there will be another down leg to the commercial real estate markets and this could last more than a year. 

The markets and the economy are confusing right now. In my opinion it pays to be more cautious than adventurous. Being young one can supposedly afford to be adventurous in one's investments but that assume the near term future holds an upturn in the economy and the markets and that is far from guaranteed.

Ray