A very well written - easy to understand - article on "when" someone should invest - or wait to invest - or rather NOT wait to invest ----- and or be sitting on cash....

I can't tell you how many opportunities and how much time I've WASTED sitting in cash.... which is why - if you go back and read some of my posts - I don't really sit in cash -- I use a couple two or three "parking" spots for cash. The key to parking money in cash is not to fall into the "it's invested" and forgetting about it trap. NO NO -- Don't you do that. This isn't a game - you can not afford to fall asleep!



http://seekingalpha.com/article/2028..._str_0_2&ifp=0

So I've been sharing what I've been watching and buying in my IRA account with my Wife. I also set up Edge IRA and Roth IRA accounts for her and transferred the cash out of her managed IRA accounts over.

She asked me the other day when she can start investing with her accounts? So I sent her a few links on SA and gave her some of the general guidelines that I've learned from here and what I'm working on. next thing I know she's got a user profile setup on SA and is looking up stocks and sending me links on things that she is interested in.

She kept asking me, what does N\A mean in the dividend field on companies she's looking up. :D

I finally sent her the link to DRIP and the latest dividend champions list and guided her in that general direction. She hasn't made any choices yet but I'm happy that she is interested in taking up a roll in this and wants to participate.

I am still less than an 1/8 of the way in...and am biting my trigger finger hard. I did put an order in today for more KO at $36 just in case it makes another dip when I'm not around to take advantage.

Good for you Lance! And kudos to her!!


The thing that people don't understand about investing -- it CAN BE FUN!! It DOES NOT have to be nerve wracking! Checking stuff out - making GOOD decisions - thoughtful decisions - watching stuff go up and down - but eventually mostly up -- and getting checks.... it's GOOD STUFF!


Trying to game the market - sitting on pins and needles - being freaked out when the market goes down 3%... GAMBLING... nail biting.... THAT IS NOT FUN!

We all discussed TESLA (TSLA) a few times -- and my thoughts were -- Yeah I'd buy it IF I wasn't already retired and living off my dividends and income.... BUT that you also had to be willing to really go on a ride. Whatever that was going to look like -- because the shares sell for far in excess of earnings -- and you're gambling on how well their next model will sell... and on and on.


Here's why I'm bringing this up -- they closed DOWN almost $11 per share at the market close --- and more importantly -- they had a 35% SHORT interest. So 35% of the total outstanding shares were SHORT - meaning people were betting that the share price would FALL....

After the close - they reported the quarter... which was STELLAR.... and the shares have risen "after hours" $30 isn per share.... that's a $40 per share difference from the open today - the closing price - and the after hours price.

If you are short TSLA -- you just got your ass handed to you!!

While I'd like to be a holder -- I just can't gamble like that anymore... but maybe I'll buy 50 shares... just because. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The kind of market we're in right now -- is EXACTLY WHY I favor dividend investing. Nobody can make heads or tails out of the direction of the market... One day it's hot and all the next week you die the death of a thousand cuts.


If I showed you some of the dividends I've gotten this quarter -- you'd see why I could care less what the market is doing day to day. And that's the space you want to get yourself to. Positive cash flow. That's what counts day in and day out. Cash coming thru the door.... Your investments are just the vehicle used to make you money -- and that doesn't mean the investment itself always has to have appreciated.

Like I tell my accountant -- "I" APPRECIATE the money they earn. We always get a good laugh out of that - but it's absolutely true.

A good read today in Seeking Alpha.... because it directly RELATES to smaller investors IMHO. Not taking into account the author is writing about one particular stock investment he's made --- rather --- it's his method. A good one I think and of use to many of you.

I picked up the article mostly because it was titled 5 year review... that is an investor... 5 years not 5 minutes or 5 days.


http://seekingalpha.com/article/2031..._str_1_1&ifp=0

I've been waiting to be able to make a post like this...

I just got a raise!!!



The Board of Directors of The Coca-Cola Company Announces 52nd Consecutive Annual Dividend Increase
5 comments | Thu February 20, 2014 10:30 AM|Business Wire | About: KO
Increases Quarterly Dividend by 9 Percent

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Board of Directors of The Coca-Cola Company (KO) today approved the Company's 52nd consecutive annual dividend increase, raising the quarterly dividend 9 percent from 28 cents to 30.5 cents per common share. This is equivalent to an annual dividend of $1.22 per share, up from $1.12 per share in 2013. The first quarterly dividend is payable April 1, 2014, to shareowners of record as of March 14, 2014.




I didn't get to pick up the extra shares I was looking for on the drop after earnings, but that's alright...I'll take the raise. :D

This is EGG SACK LEE why people have to quit trying to be market timers. You just do what you can do - regularly - and let the chips fall where they will.

It's also why -- and I'm not a "chartist" - not in the least - but I have to constantly remind myself - via the charts - that regardless of all the gyrations stocks go through -- the charts show me "lower on the left side and higher on the right side". The longer the view - the more pronounced that usually becomes. The tighter the view - the more freaked out a guy would get! Holy Cow! Look at that "huge" dip there! FUGIDABOUDIT!

Buy good stuff - don't gamble - get paid to wait while the market sorts itself out - average in and average out. If the market takes a huge dump - prepare to buy MORE again averaging in steady as she goes - because the market always seems to come back higher each time.

The whole notion of the world is about to collapse - is just that - a notion. Even during the great depression - people made fortunes. They just happened to be the ones that took advantage of all the sellers. LOL


More importantly!! Don't ya just love getting money for nuthin'!! Your boss didn't just give you a raise... certainly not a 9% one!!

Good for you Lance.

Woohoo!

Hey, thanks for the good news, Lance. I didn't know I got a raise. Sweet!