Hi, Shrewd!        Login  
Shrewd'm.com 
A merry & shrewd investing community
Best Of BRK.ABest OfAll BoardsThe Shrewd’m WeeklyLearn to InvestHow to Become Shrewd
Search
Shrewd'm.com Merry shrewd investors
Search
Best Of BRK.ABest OfAll BoardsThe Shrewd’m WeeklyLearn to InvestHow to Become Shrewd


The week's question
In March 2025, in the thread "Re: OT, out", Umm asked the members: "Do you think it is because America is made up of magical soil that makes businesses based in America magically profitable?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
Answer this questionContinue to Shrewd'mThis note won't appear again
Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (25) |
Author: AdrianC ⎊✹  😊 😞
Number: of 22351 
Subject: Re: Have about 2.5 years of cash left for expenses
Date: 07/10/23 10:34 AM
Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!
No. of Recommendations: 10
Thanks, Adrian. I did not know that Mr. Buffett said that a primary/major allocation in the vicinity of 90% in Berkshire (in lieu of the S&P 500) would be fine for a retiree.

This is good to know because like many others on this board, I have a major allocation to Berkshire and no allocation to the S&P 500, primarily because the latter seems so expensive.

By any chance, do you have a cite for it?


CNBC Transcript: Warren Buffett on 'Squawk Box'
cnbc.com - Cnbc transcript warren buffett on squawk box

BECKY: You also-- revealed something in the annual letter this year, where you said--
you laid out the terms of your will, what you've set aside for your wife. Which, I didn't
know any of this.

BUFFETT: Yeah.

BECKY: And--

BUFFETT: Well, I didn't lay out my whole will. There's hope for some of you who
haven't been mentioned yet. The-- but I did explain, because I laid out what I thought
the average person who is not an expert on stocks should do.

And my widow will not be an expert on stocks. And- I wanna be sure she gets a decent
result. She isn't gonna get a sensational result, you know? And since all my Berkshire
shares are going-- to philanthropy-- the question becomes what does she do with the
cash that's left to her?

And I've been-- part of it goes outright, part of it goes to a trustee. But I've told the
trustee to put 90% of it in an S&P 500 index fund and 10% in short-term governments.
And the reason for the 10% in short-term governments is that if there's a terrible period
in the market and she's withdrawing 3% or 4% a year you take it out of that instead of
selling stocks at the wrong time. She'll do fine with that. And anybody will do fine with
that. It's low-cost, it's in a bunch of wonderful businesses and it takes care of itself.

...

BECKY: We do have the opportunity for viewers to write in and ask you their questions.
One viewer did write in-- (I'm sorry, I'm looking for the number right now) wrote in the
question asking about why-- did you lay out that you had said you set this money aside
for your wife to be put into a Vanguard index instead of put back into Berkshire shares.

BUFFETT: Yeah. Well-- Berkshire would be okay. But like I say, I'm giving away all the
Berkshire shares. And Vanguard is fine. And-- Berkshire would be fine. But-- I wouldn't
wanna be touting Berkshire to people, generally. I have no problem touting the S&P
500 at a low cost.

Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!
Print the post
Members reply directly to AdrianC here — and replies get answered. Reading is free; so is joining the conversation. Join Shrewd'm »
This community has written 21,861 posts about Berkshire Hathaway. The article-length ones it recommended most:
BRK: Why Not XOM? · 62 recs · 2024
Second quarter comments · 60 recs · 2023
Berkshire's Profit Contributors · 58 recs · 2023
Summary of 2Q 2026 · 55 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (25) |


Announcements
Berkshire Hathaway FAQ
Contact Shrewd'm
Contact the developer of these message boards.

Best Of BRK.A | Best Of | Favourites & Replies | All Boards | Followed Shrewds | Open Questions | Moving a community