tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168144572024-03-14T01:27:53.671-04:00First Time InvestorHere are my recollections of how I first entered the Stock Market and the Precious Metals market, investing a couple hundred here, a couple hundred there, along with the mistakes I had made and the successes I enjoyed.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-81913183218949352232011-12-07T17:41:00.000-05:002011-12-07T17:41:18.932-05:00Wow. What a Gesture. Now I have a Gesture for You.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DdWpbWBIxn0/Tt_rNkLWSkI/AAAAAAAAASA/FrGBYRBDxqw/s1600/ceo.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DdWpbWBIxn0/Tt_rNkLWSkI/AAAAAAAAASA/FrGBYRBDxqw/s400/ceo.bmp" width="357" /> </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-28516716620859149662010-12-04T10:36:00.001-05:002010-12-04T10:39:06.968-05:00Where Will it End??The title of this post is facetious, of course, as the market never "ends," but the point is, <b>precious metals</b> prices have been <a href="http://www.kitco.com/market/">going through the roof</a> lately. I recently bought a bunch of <b>silver </b>at $19 an ounce. Several weeks later, I see that silver was trading at $29 an oz. That's like, what, a 50% yield? I'm all about that, I'll have you know.<br />
<br />
Anyway, to see more of my posts about my experiences with <b>precious metals</b>, including my trading with a <b>bullion</b> trader with reasonable fees, <a href="http://kitco.com/">Kitco.com</a>, click the links below. <br />
<br />
<ol><li><a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2006/07/go-for-gold.html">Go for the Gold</a></li>
<li><a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2006/10/selling-precious-metals.html">Selling Precious Metals</a></li>
<li><a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2007/01/kitcos-pool-account.html">Kitco's Pool Account</a></li>
</ol>Happy investing!The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-34131203180243276662009-04-17T07:15:00.007-04:002009-11-19T00:52:59.445-05:00Depressed Much?So, you think the <span style="font-weight: bold;">economy </span>is bad today? Think this generation can "feel the pain" of their grandparents/great grandparents suffering during <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Great Depression</span>?<br /><br />Think again.<br /><br />According to a recent article in <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/">The News & Observer</a>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Not Your Grandfather's Depression</span>,<br /><blockquote>"it is at this point dangerous to link [today with the Great Depression] too quickly or too closely, for today's economic problems, however serious, pale in comparison to those the U.S. experienced in the 1930s."</blockquote>Take a look at this chart gleaned from the data in that article:<br /><br /><table class="MsoTableGrid" style="border: medium none ; margin-left: -30.6pt; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="">Measure<o:p></o:p></b></p> </td> <td style="border-style: solid solid solid none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="">Now<o:p></o:p></b></p> </td> <td style="border-style: solid solid solid none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 167.4pt;" valign="top" width="223"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="">Then<o:p></o:p></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Duration<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">17 months to date<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 167.4pt;" valign="top" width="223"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">12 years<o:p></o:p></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Gross Domestic Product<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Slight fall<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 167.4pt;" valign="top" width="223"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">30% drop between 1929 and 1933<o:p></o:p></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Unemployment<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">8.5%<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 167.4pt;" valign="top" width="223"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">25%<o:p></o:p></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Living Beneath Poverty Line<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">>13%<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 167.4pt;" valign="top" width="223"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">51%<o:p></o:p></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Bank Failures<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">50<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 167.4pt;" valign="top" width="223"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">5,755<o:p></o:p></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Mortgages in default or one month behind<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">10%<o:p></o:p></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 167.4pt;" valign="top" width="223"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">43%-54%<o:p></o:p></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br />Still think we've got it rough?<br /><br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-20673844755591302342009-04-17T06:40:00.002-04:002009-04-17T06:45:26.740-04:00POWERBALL LUMP SUM!Wow! With the economy as it is today, I think I'll spend nearly all my extra money buying <span style="font-weight: bold;">Powerball </span>tickets! Now, if I win, should I take the <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2007/03/powerball-lump-sum-or-annual-payments.html">Lump Sum, or Annual Payments</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">??</span><br /><br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-2551389398534064492009-03-28T08:34:00.002-04:002009-03-28T08:37:21.561-04:00Sick IIWow. When I wrote <a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2007/08/sick.html">this post in August of 2007</a>, who would have thought that we'd be where we are today? Five percent. Ahhh, those were the days.<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-64478304410461381172009-03-09T07:19:00.002-04:002009-03-09T07:24:00.068-04:00A Pool of Precious Metals<span style="font-weight: bold;">Precious metal prices</span> have been taking off lately. To see my experiences with <span style="font-weight: bold;">metals</span>, including info about <a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2007/01/kitcos-pool-account.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KITCO's</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pool Accounts</span></a>, read my brief series <a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-experiences-with-gold-and-other.html">beginning here</a>.<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-86238505931491986112009-02-05T06:48:00.002-05:002009-02-05T06:51:21.321-05:00Five Hundred Thousand Dollars$500,000. That's the cap President Obama has proposed for exec salary for companies assisted by the bailout. Five Hundred Thousand Dollars. I wish they capped MY salary at that amount - then I'd have something to shoot for. <br /><br />For that matter, I'd be happy if someone capped my salary at $50,000.<br /><br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-44176317003354210522009-01-31T06:13:00.002-05:002009-01-31T06:18:05.449-05:00Looks like a Cyclone hit it<span style="font-size:130%;">A Riddle for you:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Question</span>: What's the difference between a tornado and the U.S. Economy?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Answer</span>: One leaves a path of destruction as it brings down homes and takes away cars and other prized possessions and personal belongings and the other is a wind storm.<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-88336204252463203892008-12-02T19:34:00.002-05:002008-12-02T19:36:34.474-05:00WMT<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0LMki7jYnkE/STXUU6xcAMI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/9m3c-SeRUrQ/s1600-h/wmt.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0LMki7jYnkE/STXUU6xcAMI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/9m3c-SeRUrQ/s400/wmt.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275355994373488834" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Sure glad I have stock in Walmart.</span>The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-28098288764281962982008-11-16T16:17:00.009-05:002008-11-16T16:37:13.199-05:00Where Are They Now?As of 2008, <a href="http://www.chrysler.com/en/">Chrysler</a> has been in business 83 years. <a href="http://www.gm.com/">General Motors</a>? 100 years. And <a href="http://www.ford.com/">The Ford Motor Company</a>, 105 years.<br /><br />288 combined years of producing American iron for American highways.<br /><br />After the controversial <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bank Bailout of 2008</span>, today there is talk about bailing out <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Big Three</span>, America's current big name automobile manufacturers, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ford, GM, and Chrysler</span>. Two hundred eighty-eight years of service to the public is a lot to throw away if we don't, isn't it?<br /><br />But before you break out the crying towel, take a look at some statistics.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Little Automaking History</span><br /><br />What do the following companies have in common - Rambler (1958-1969), LaSalle (1927-1940) and Rolls Royce (1921-1935)? They are American automobile manufacturers having been in business 10-15 years that are now defunct.<br /><br />American Motors (aka AMC) (1966-1987) and Duesenberg (1913-1937) - gone after 20-25 years in business.<br /><br />Stanley Steamer (1897-1927), DeSoto (1928-1961), Pierce-Arrow (1900-1938), Nash (1917-1957), Willys-Overland (1912-1953) and Hudson (1909-1957) - no sign of them after 30-50 years of automobile manufacture.<br /><br />Packard (1899-1958), Studebaker (1902-1966), Checker (1922-1982) and International Harvester (1907-1975) never to make autos for the US again, after 50-70 years of doing so.<br /><br />And finally, REO (1905-1975) and White (1902-1981) have put in 70-80 years of auto making - defunct.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where Are They Today?</span><br /><br />Are you familiar with any of those auto companies? Well, they're all gone. In fact, according to wikipedia article "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_United_States_automobile_manufacturers">List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers</a>," over 1800 US auto makers are no longer in business, with more than a thousand having seven years or less in the auto industry.<br /><br />The Big Three are not the first US automakers to face financial failure, and they won't be the last.<br /><br />Maybe some of the 1800 automakers might still be here if the Gov't had "bailed them out?"<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-4866388996661062492008-10-26T18:48:00.002-04:002008-10-26T18:50:58.603-04:00Tongue TwisterTry to say this three times really fast:<br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Shell-shocked Shareholders Shouldn't Shoulder a Shellacking.</span><br /><br />Go ahead - I dare you to try.<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-58309447546399718732008-10-16T22:49:00.002-04:002008-10-16T22:52:48.404-04:00Day Trade Much?According to <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081017/ap_on_bi_ge/financial_meltdown">this article</a>:<br /><blockquote>The gain of 401 points (Thursday) marked the 21st trading session out of the past 24 in which the Dow has finished with a triple-digit gain or loss, an unprecedented run of volatility.</blockquote><br />I'll bet the day traders are having a field day with this.<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-71628838192595348442008-10-05T08:07:00.006-04:002008-10-05T08:30:17.186-04:00Wooden Arrows for Children?Wooden Arrows for Children? Last time I checked, children were not supposed to play with weapons, but if it will get our economy stable again ...<br /><br />Or maybe they're talking about those bright, colorful wooden alphabet, number, and symbols characters they use to teach kindergartners - in this case, just the arrow symbol. Just the <span style="font-style: italic;">arrow</span>?<br /><br />So I searched the Internet for the actual text of a recent version of the <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/AYO08C32_xml.pdf">Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008</a>. (By the way, beware, this PDF file is 451 pages, so if you have dial-up you may not want to click on the link.)<br /><br />Here's the part about the arrows:<br /><blockquote><br /><i>SEC. 503. EXEMPTION FROM EXCISE TAX FOR CERTAIN WOODEN ARROWS DESIGNED FOR USE BY CHILDREN.<br /><br />(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (2) of section 4161(b) is amended by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C) and by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraph: ‘‘(B) EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN WOODEN ARROW SHAFTS.—Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any shaft consisting of all natural wood with no laminations or artificial means of enhancing the spine of such shaft (whether sold separately or incorporated as part of a finished or unfinished product) of a type used in the manufacture of any arrow which after its assembly— ‘‘(i) measures 5⁄16 of an inch or less in diameter, and‘‘(ii) is not suitable for use with a bow described in paragraph (1)(A).’’</i><br /></blockquote><i>I'm sorry I asked.<br />.<br /></i>The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-67489953531493195872008-09-30T07:20:00.006-04:002008-09-30T07:35:42.405-04:00You Got Yourself Into This Mess, ..."Daddy?" the young lady cried, "I'm in trouble!"<br /><br />"What's wrong, sweetie?" the father asked of his college aged child.<br /><br />"I'm maxed out on my credit cards and my rent is due! Can I borrow $500 from you and Mom?"<br /><br />"Too bad, honey," he began, "You got yourself into this mess, so you get yourself out of it. Your mother and I have our own debt problems. Further, because of your poor decisions we feel the need to punish you, so we're taking away your car."<br /><br />"But <span style="font-style: italic;">that's not fair!!</span>" she cried.<br /><br /><br />So. What do you think of old Dad? Before you answer, consider some statements from a few letters to the editor of our local newspaper about the bailout, paraphrased here:<br /><br />"We're already $10T in debt. It is like trying to dig yourself out of a hole to go further into debt to solve this problem." "Instead, how about punishing the creditors for their poor decisions."<br /><br />Apples and Oranges?<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-56650635154570594482008-09-13T07:05:00.017-04:002009-03-04T21:32:56.342-05:00KITCO & My Experiences with Gold and other Precious MetalsIt is said that metals are a <span style="font-weight: bold;">hedge against inflation</span>, so who knows how high the values of <span style="font-weight: bold;">gold </span>and other <span style="font-weight: bold;">precious metals</span> may become?<br /><br />Here are my experiences with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">volatile market</span> of <span style="font-weight: bold;">gold </span>and other precious metals.<br /><br /><ul><li>Read my post <a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2006/07/go-for-gold.html">Go for the Gold</a> to see how I got interested in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">metals market</span> about twenty years ago.</li><li>Read <a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2006/10/selling-precious-metals.html">Selling Precious Metals</a> to learn of my initial experiences in capitalizing on the increasing values of <span style="font-weight: bold;">gold, platinum </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">silver </span>by selling to a great precious metals supplier, <a href="http://www.kitco.com/">KITCO</a>.</li><li>Read <a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2007/01/kitcos-pool-account.html">Kitco's Pool Account</a> to learn how I benefited from one of their valuable services: <span style="font-weight: bold;">pooling resources</span> to make buying and selling more efficient, which in turn keeps costs down and maximizes profits.</li></ul><br />All in all, there are <span style="font-weight: bold;">profits </span>to be made in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">metals market</span>. If you are not investing in <span style="font-weight: bold;">precious metals</span>, what are you waiting for?<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Note: I am neither a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kitco </span>salesperson nor are otherwise affiliated with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kitco.com</span>. I do, however, want to share my experiences with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kitco Minerals and Metals Inc</span>, as I feel first time investors deserve first hand knowledge of good value in the metals market.</span><br /><br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-18817644144894213602008-08-04T16:57:00.004-04:002008-08-20T22:16:32.458-04:00Still No RegretsSome of you may have seen my post about <a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2007/07/stock-sale-regrets.html">regrets upon selling stock</a>. In it, I ask if anyone has ever sold stock only to later regret it.<br /><br />Anyway, I sold some stock last month in order to buy <a href="http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh82/sarcasticynic/misc/ourtable.jpg">one of these</a>.<br /><br />I don't regret it. Probably never will.<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-86748939820220866492008-06-17T06:13:00.003-04:002008-06-17T06:17:31.145-04:00Estate Tax to be Repealed in 2011In 2011, the Estate Tax is to be repealed. <br /><br />I can hear it now:<br /><br />"Hey Sis! What do you say we buy Grandpa skydiving tickets for Christmas!"<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-1335507527711634222008-06-15T09:14:00.002-04:002008-06-15T09:18:35.765-04:00Credit scores gone wildRead <a href="http://sarcasticynic.blogspot.com/2008/06/low-credit-score-bring-book.html">this post</a> and <a href="http://sarcasticynic.blogspot.com/2006/01/credit-score-or-character-score.html">this post</a> regarding credit scores gone wild.<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-39232867650472671622008-05-12T18:40:00.003-04:002008-05-12T18:48:57.520-04:00Stimulated much?May I be the three thousandth person to ask how you're planning on spending your IRS "stimulus check?"<br /><br />S'funny. Where I come from, a stimulus check is when my wife looks down my skivvies to see if I am "ready."<br /><br />But seriously, we just used ours to draw down our credit card debt. Now we're down <a href="http://1sttimeinvestor.blogspot.com/2007/06/max-stout.html">to about $500</a>.<br /><br />What's in YOUR wallet?<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-43954771685677082442008-02-26T16:29:00.001-05:002008-02-26T16:29:53.636-05:00Disappearing From the FaceFor those who may be interested, <a href="http://sarcasticynic.blogspot.com/2008/02/disappearing-from-face.html">here's where I've been</a> the past few months.<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-47619061028485490152007-09-13T21:22:00.001-04:002007-09-13T21:27:34.978-04:00Windfall<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_0LMki7jYnkE/Runic76m6eI/AAAAAAAAADo/y0pUpk-QodA/s1600-h/thirteen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_0LMki7jYnkE/Runic76m6eI/AAAAAAAAADo/y0pUpk-QodA/s400/thirteen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109864238976264674" border="0" /></a><br />Here's a dividend check I got this week. Any thoughts on how I should spend it? Any guesses on how much it cost the company to send it to me? I specially enjoyed the word ONLY in the amount.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-17720655901435653412007-09-04T06:59:00.000-04:002007-09-04T07:54:48.515-04:00CEO Bucks the TrendA <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/columns/story/691423.html">Point of View</a> in our local paper talks about <span style="font-weight: bold;">executive pay</span> and how, perhaps in some cases, high profile <span style="font-weight: bold;">CEOs</span> may actually be worth the big bucks they get.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">In executive pay, you get what you pay for </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Peter A. Coclanis - CHAPEL HILL, NC </span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">"[N]umerous empirical studies have shown that most executives have earned big bucks in recent decades because the share prices of their companies have risen dramatically. In the vast majority of cases, prices rose not through corporate abuses, cooking of the books or financial chicanery, but at least in part because the possibility of high compensation motivated very talented people at the margin to assume top-management positions at a risky time, and because these people, generally speaking, managed in such a way as to add tremendous value to shareholders, much more value than top managers themselves received in compensation.</span><p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">"In other words, top execs did good for themselves by doing well for those for whom they worked."</p><p>Basically what the article is saying is that sometimes the reason <span style="font-weight: bold;">executive compensation</span> seems excessive is because their "pay" is based largely on company stock. The greater the value of the stock, (presumably thanks to their hard work,) the greater the value of their take home pay.</p>It's the trend to complain about how high some <span style="font-weight: bold;">CEO's salaries</span> appear. But let's take a hard look at whether they worked to earn it by helping <span style="font-weight: bold;">all</span> shareholders of that company in the process.<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-68134434245846844842007-08-20T16:06:00.000-04:002007-08-20T16:12:19.966-04:00SickAnyone else sick of the recent stock market slide? Whooo-weee. One of my 401(k) lost five percent over just one month and my IRA's at an all time low. I can hardly believe this is all just because of sub-prime lending going sour.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-22662100257423289882007-07-11T06:56:00.000-04:002007-07-11T19:46:28.147-04:00The Customer is NOT Always RightIn a recent <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/632120.html">article</a>,<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sprint customers get the brush off</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><br />McClatchy Newspapers</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><br />Sprint Nextel told about 1,000 disgruntled cell-phone customers that</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">they would be better off with someone else.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">... Sprint executives decided to break up with a group of malcontents</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">who called frequently with complaints.</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">"While we have worked to resolve your issues and questions to the best</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">of our ability, the number of inquiries you have made to us during this</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">time has led us to determine that we are unable to meet your wireless</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">needs," stated the letter Sprint recently sent to these soon-to-be</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">former customers.</span><br /><br /><br />If you were a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sprint Nextel </span>shareholder, how would you feel about how your company treats its customers? At first you may think that's pretty shoddy PR.<br /><br />Some investors, on the other hand, may applaud Sprint Nextel for their good business sense. <a href="http://www.sprint.com/index.html?brand=Nextel"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sprint Nextel</span></a> has the courage to recognize the fallacious statement <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The Customer Is Always Right</span> and instead say, "We are expending too many resources trying to please a subset of users whose expectations may exceed the capabilities of our products."<br /><br />We may see more companies becoming more selective in whom they will serve, and whom they will not.<br /><br />Please see <a href="http://criticalthinkingmasses.blogspot.com/2007/07/consumer-blacklist.html">A Consumer Blacklist?</a> for another example.<br /><br />UPDATE:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/633305.html"></a>Sprint <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/633305.html">has been asked to pay</a> each of these customers $200 - "the amount the customers would have had to pay if they had prematurely ended their two-year contracts with the company."<br /><br />What works for the goose ...<br />.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16814457.post-80802723726552114852007-07-04T22:19:00.000-04:002007-07-04T22:21:13.870-04:00Stock Sale RegretsHave you ever sold stock, and then later regretted it?<br /><br />There can be any number of reasons why you might want to sell stock. I think one of the first times I sold was to put a down payment on a house. I sold to help pay for a cruise, sold to invest elsewhere, and most recently sold to help pay for our new kitchen.<br /><br />In my mind, those are pretty good reasons to sell.<br /><br />Of course, there are some not so good reasons to sell stock. Well, they might be good reasons, but you don't feel good afterwards because of the need that brought you to have to sell off assets.<br /><br />Selling to pay off your daughter's credit card abuse. Selling to cover the wife's gambling debts. Selling to recover the costs of your son's wrecking his sports car. Selling to help pay for your lung transplant.<br /><br />Every time you consider selling stock, there is, (or should be,) a bit of anxiety. After all, how do you KNOW that the stock is at or near a peak? Truth is, you don't. Do I NEED to sell? Is there another way I can come up with cash I feel I need?<br /><br />Whether or not you sold high, sooner or later you will come to the realization that your portfolio is now that much smaller after the sale. You may have seller's regret after that. Kind of like postpartum depression. (Sorry Brooke Shields.) You may feel that there MUST have been a better or different way to cover expenses than to have had to sell off stock - specially when you see the values start to climb soon after.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Story of Albert</span><br /><br />This reminds me of the story of Albert. Albert was an investor of moderate means. He had a couple hundred grand in investments. Every month, Albert would track his net worth. He really enjoyed seeing how his money would grow over time. With few exceptions, every month would show a gain over the previous. He was in his glory.<br /><br />One day, his wife suggested the two take a cruise to Alaska. She'd a friend who'd taken the cruise with her husband and they had a marvelous time.<br /><br />At first, Albert sounded interested. When he asked his wife about how much such a cruise might cost, he nearly collapsed. This particular ten day cruise was twelve thousand dollars. Even though 12 grand only represented a small and containable portion of Albert's and his wife's total portfolio, the thought of seeing that Net Worth figure drop by so much troubled Albert. He just didn't want to accept such a dip in his nest egg for what seemed to him to be a luxury.<br /><br />(Albert and his wife eventually got a divorce, and his wife went on the cruise with a girlfriend - on Albert.)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Regrets</span><br /><br />What can we learn from the story of Albert? Any investment vehicle, be it stocks, a 401(k), an insurance policy, whatever, WILL eventually get spent - by somebody. There is not a dollar sitting around in any nest egg that won't, someday, be spent.<br /><br />Hopefully you will get the chance to choose how most of your total portfolio will become consumed, and if you have luck on your side, it will get spent in a manner that will make you glad you had put it aside in the first place.<br /><br />But don't be like Albert. Don't be afraid to sell off a few shares every once in a while to take in some of life's pleasures. Sure, your portfolio will take a hit, but consider why you even have a portfolio. Is it ONLY to provide for your offspring? Is it ONLY to cover exorbitant health care costs? Probably not.<br /><br />Sell off shares in a reasonable manner, spend the cash wisely, and most important, have no regrets over spending a little cash on yourself every once in a while. And be glad you're in a position to do so.The Sarcasticynichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06157707006223810652noreply@blogger.com0