Investing 102

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by solarguy09

Being the novice, it is hard for me to compare my funds to anything other than similar funds of it's kind. But they are so sliced up, I can't compare them to anything individual ..

A lot of my stuff doesn't follow the Market...Heck, some of my Gold funds don't even follow the price of Gold...

So I am still figuring things out.. I am just trying to limit my errors, and any under performing..

but the process of learning, and the rewards of doing something, are well ....addicting..

P.S. If their funds are down 20%, they have the wrong funds...

Well -- that's the big issue with funds -- it's really so hard to accurately gauge the performance. Most are just mediocre... and when you factor in the 1% fees (many are slightly less and many are more)... that's just money for nothing. You funds - except the one - are decent. But I still would be willing to bet that you can do BETTER on your own.

Ya know -- 1% fee on a 100K IRA account is 1 grand.... after 10 years -- that's 10 grand in someone else's pocket. It's one thing if I'm paying people to MAKE me money - then one could argue that the 1% is money well spent... but when people wake up and after 10 years they're barely ahead... then that fee is beyond stupid! 100 grand - after 10 years - better be 200 grand or something is wrong!

[Bucketlist2012]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Well -- that's the big issue with funds -- it's really so hard to accurately gauge the performance. Most are just mediocre... and when you factor in the 1% fees (many are slightly less and many are more)... that's just money for nothing. You funds - except the one - are decent. But I still would be willing to bet that you can do BETTER on your own.

Ya know -- 1% fee on a 100K IRA account is 1 grand.... after 10 years -- that's 10 grand in someone else's pocket. It's one thing if I'm paying people to MAKE me money - then one could argue that the 1% is money well spent... but when people wake up and after 10 years they're barely ahead... then that fee is beyond stupid! 100 grand - after 10 years - better be 200 grand or something is wrong!

Thanks Greg..

Man, I will have to run some other holdings i have , by you on another day. I really do appreciate your taking the time to give me your opinion.

Yes, most of my buys were in 2008/2009, so I am a happy guy..

Again I kept most of my money out of my 401K and self invested. the hidden fees in a company plan are madness..

On another note, I go by the car shop tomorrow to get pictures underneath before they take it off the lift..Then it is a test drive....WOOT.

[Bucketlist2012]

Ok, I thought I would wait , but here are some other holdings I have.

BPT, KMP, SDRL, SLW, SPH,CEF, GTU, TIP,SCHO for cash on hand

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by solarguy09

Ok, I thought I would wait , but here are some other holdings I have.

BPT, KMP, SDRL, SLW, SPH,CEF, GTU, TIP,SCHO for cash on hand

You need to get diversified.....

[Bucketlist2012]

Thanks, I thought so...

[CRCRFT78]

Here are the top 10 holdings in the only fund I have left:
FSTMX Fidelity Spartan Total Market Index Inv
Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) 2.75%
Apple, Inc. (AAPL) 2.48%
International Business Machines Corp (IBM) 1.58%
Chevron Corp (CVX) 1.45%
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) 1.33%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 1.25%
The Procter & Gamble Co (PG) 1.24%
AT&T Inc (T) 1.21%
General Electric Co (GE) 1.19%
Pfizer Inc (PFE) 1.09%

The current value of the fund is $12,530.74 after my initial investment of $10,000 about 3 years ago. I believe that if I were to divide that $10,000 between those top 10 holdings 3 years ago I would be in a much better position. Something I will be considering within the next couple of weeks. I may not go with the exact 10 listed but I think I can do a lot better than this.
Once I can get my Rollover IRA working for itself I will focus my attention on my Schwab account and my Roth IRA.

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by CRCRFT78

Here are the top 10 holdings in the only fund I have left:
FSTMX Fidelity Spartan Total Market Index Inv
Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) 2.75%
Apple, Inc. (AAPL) 2.48%
International Business Machines Corp (IBM) 1.58%
Chevron Corp (CVX) 1.45%
Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) 1.33%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 1.25%
The Procter & Gamble Co (PG) 1.24%
AT&T Inc (T) 1.21%
General Electric Co (GE) 1.19%
Pfizer Inc (PFE) 1.09%

The current value of the fund is $12,530.74 after my initial investment of $10,000 about 3 years ago. I believe that if I were to divide that $10,000 between those top 10 holdings 3 years ago I would be in a much better position. Something I will be considering within the next couple of weeks. I may not go with the exact 10 listed but I think I can do a lot better than this.
Once I can get my Rollover IRA working for itself I will focus my attention on my Schwab account and my Roth IRA.

Yep -- you see that over and over again with mutual funds. The top ten are dragged down by the bottom 100

[Bucketlist2012]

Greg,

Thanks for any tips. I am going to be changing some things around within my portfolio, in regards to some of my Mutual Funds vs. Some Top Holdings .

I know I have been heavy Commodities since 2008. I have and will be riding the Fiscal policies of the Euro, and the Dollar. Still in 2012, I think I will do really well. I never day Trade, but Commodities are a form of speculation or feeling ,on which way things will go. I calculate as best as possible what I think the FEDS, and others will do.. Not for this thread, and I won't comment too much.

Your way of investing seems solid, most of mine is, and I know some is added risk.

But again, being the Novice, I want to stick with Investing 102, and what you have been saying on this Thread.

I can be doing better. Not that things aren't good, but there is so much to learn, and so many ways to Make money.

You have many Readers thinking and doing something really IMPORTANT.

We are never taught this in school, certainly most Bankers, Advisors, and GOD forbid, a Broker, they won't tell you this stuff..It is Voodoo.

But like anything, we have to Study wealth, if you want to be Wealthy. It ias not going to come to you unless you work at it.