Many times, I have been asked what is the yield on my total portfolio. I have never bothered to answer the question for various reasons and, because, I don't ever answer such questions, I don't bother to find out what the answer might be. I know more or less what are the dividend yields and distribution yields of my various investments in my portfolio but I have never really calculated what is the average yield. A friend recently told me that the average yield of my total portfolio including cash must be much lower and he wondered if I was beating some kind of benchmark. I could see where the conversation was going and I gave a loud sigh. I know there are some people who are like my friend, who are obsessed with measuring their performance and worried that, if they hold too much cash, they might under-perform the ......