There have been hundreds of posts on Dan Wiener.  He is loved by some and hated by many. 

Most of the detractors think that there are no newsletters worth the cost... and that you can set up a portfolio just as good (maybe better) than the Dan Wiener portfolio based on advice offered here for free.

We are subscribers to the newsletter and think his service is worth the price.  He does not trade too often but it is difficult to follow his model exactly because many of the funds are closed.  Basically, his advice costs the price of a subscription, which for a portfolio of $175K, is an added 0.05%.  My advice would be to subscribe, see it if is worthwhile to you and if not use his money-back guarantee if you cancel within the first 6 months.

Stats

Hi Vanbookie,

I have been a subscriber to Wieners newsletter for about  15 years and I think it is well worth the money. I don't follow his portfolios,  but I use his information to set my own. It has lots of good information in it every month, plus he has a hotline report every week. He has a lot of good interviews with the Vanguard managers. He posts prices and performance information every month on every Vanguard fund.

If you are inerested, I would suggest you subscribe and if you don't like  it within the first six months they will refund your money.Hope this helps.

vanbookie:

I came across Dan Wiener's newsletter and would like to know what those on this board think of his advice?  Do some here follow his sample portfolios?  Has he offered good advice over the years?  Is a subscription to his newsletter worth $99/year?  Can i do just as well on my own with the advice offered here, or on the Boglehead board, and with advice from the trade rags?  Any advice is appreciated.  Thanks.

I don't subscribe to his newsletter nor feel the need to do so.  I read a few good books and have developed my own portfolio with which I am comfortable.

Some of Dan Wiener's advertisements have been of the over-sensationalized "Get Rich Quick" variety, which I neither believe nor trust.

- Tom

Consider yourself lucky Vanbookie.  Before your post, there were a scant 10 posts in 5 separate conversations in the previous 24 hours at this forum.  After your post, you got 4 replies within about 2 hours.  Evidently, you asked the right question.

 Andy

I subscribed for one year and dropped it.  I will say that it had interesting articles and interviews all of which I seemed to find right on the Vanguard site or elsewhere.   I certainly would encourage you to read as many of John Bogle's books as you can.  His wisdom can't be beat.  So many of the managed funds that Mr. Weiner likes to praise are actually just average while he is very slow to recommend selling. 

I can't believe that the name Dan Wiener's  keep coming up on this forum. But I should as he advertise and market his newsletters to a great extent. He must as his renewal rate is small. Who is Dan's Weiner? He is a literary genius without any financial graduate college coeducational who took advantage of Vanguard's success in the mutual funds field and even tried to adopt its trade-name. He lost his law-suit. He does write sweet enticing words of seduction for the searching investors.

Only about 20% of active funds can beat comparative index benchmark analyized many time by many with their research. Dan started the newsletter picking Vanguard's active funds that could beat the index by 2 to 3%. He was lucky with his start in 1999 with a pick of VGCHX which continued successfully  for 5 to 6 years. And now today it is past history. His comparative Index Portfolio is beating his renowned and promotional  Growth Portfolio Fund. Vanguard active funds are not the superior market beaters as they were 10 years ago. This week Dan gave up on VGHCX after 18 years and advise his clients to decrease its holdings 1/2 and switch it to another one of his hopeful fund to increase his now Growth Portfolio below Index return. But where is he going to find the magic funds among Vanguard active funds.  Vanguard's only mutual fund within the upper 5% of it comparative rated funds is VGMPX and has been for 10 years, A good pick for a small percentage of ones portfolio, but Dan's says it too volatile for his suggestion. Dan has not been a high International allotter but is saying to up International allottment now.

The balance fund VWELX is in its upper !0%. Other funds in 10 to 20% are VDIGX, VPMCX, and VTRIX.  Funds from 20 to 30% are NAESX, VEIPX, VGEQX, VHCOX, and VWIGX.  Weiner doesn't have many choices and chances to be beat a well chosen 4 to 6 index portfolio today.

So Vanbookie forget Weiners's newsletter, buy a couple suggested books and use index;s funds  to get the market gifted return. An occasional active fund like CGMFC or JORNX (out-performers for 5 years) can boast your index porfolio slightly to get Dan's promised  2 to 3%. But just a simple Index Portfolio is better choice for the majority.

Even Stats with his promotional suggestion of Weiner is not a close followers with his dividend stock holdings, his many hours picks to go with a few of Dan's suggestion. And those  few are easy to find with Morningstar. Save the payment to Dan.

Macfield 

Macfield you are right on.  I can't imagine why Dan Weinder's name keeps popping up other than thorugh advertising shills. 

This is a Vanguard (subject) website and Dan Weiners newsletter deals with Vanguard funds. It seems only natural that his name would pop up here.

 

A subscriber with no strong opinion either way about his newsletter. Good for sum, not for others. 

nero 

A good friend retired early with a substantial portfolio by following DW's advice since the 1990's and I regret not doing the same.  That was then and this is now, however, Wiener's recommendations helped at least one person who followed them have a very nice life.

You could do far worse than Weiner. That being said, personally I think you'd gain more by committing to read a few of the many excellent books available (i.e.  "the four pillars",  "intelligent asset allocation" et.al.)  and create your own portfolio based upon your risk tolerance and situation. .  I feel that learned knowledge is far better than blindly following a paid "tout" like Weiner without understanding why. Whatever you do, best of luck to you!