Investing 102

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by SSLance

I also lost faith in MCD about the same time and have missed the runup after as well. You can't win them all I guess...

I've lost so much money on GE in the past I don't think I'd EVER be able to buy it once again...no matter who they put in charge or change. Its personal...

I do that as well Lance ---- I don't think I've owned GE since Jack Welch retired - I made money with him. Now -- I think GE is too "all over the map" business wise. They need to sell off some assets and be good at a couple things vs all the different businesses they're in.

[WSSix]

I had started thinking about dropping MCD but was in no hurry. They turned around right before I was going to sell so I figured I'd see where it went. I'm wishing I had more faith when they were down to put more money in them then.

Also on the discussion of timing, I missed AT&T's bounce. It's about time for me to make another purchase in general. I was taking my time again while deciding if I wanted to put this round into an existing holding or add V or SQ or both now. I should have just adding to T since it was down and called it a day. Oh well.

[SSLance]

I was thinking about bringing up T... Nice day today...

I was pondering if it was time to sell it a week or so ago, sure glad my buy and hold strategy kept me from doing so.

Now, if only the oil stocks would do the same...

[WSSix]

... and I missed VZ's bounce, too.

Choose good names and get in there or you won't make anything.

[ironworks]

Glad I bought a bunch of Caterpillar a while back.

[CRCRFT78]

How's everyone doing lately?

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by CRCRFT78

How's everyone doing lately?

Markets like this are TOUGH -- the right stocks win and what was a winner is struggling -- and stuff you thought would never go down falls like a rock.

Two things -- if you've been in a name for awhile -- you should have nice gains and a rising dividend percentage as companies raise their dividend payout....

And when the market is a mess - like it seems to be - this is when dividend investing begins to look better and better.

I've been "trading" Amazon a few times here --- when it drops $10 and goes up $15.... but even that begins to be real risky. Just when you think you got it down - that can bit you. A name like that though - when it doesn't work - I just hold as an "investment". LOL

Oil is still my personal lunch eater.... and I continue to average a couple big losers DOWN. I'm now holding 27,500 shares of ETP.... and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the dividend is intact. If not -- I will lose big time.

Switched out KMI (at a sizable loss) --- waited awhile --- and replaced it with KMI-A (preferred shares paying an 11.7% yield

[WSSix]

Honestly, not great, but I'm not worried. I'm in solid companies and so far none are facing dividend payment challenges. Well, that depends on if you think Verizon is going to have issues. I've read both sides of the argument and am not convinced they have cash flow issues. Like Greg, oil is not being nice to me, but I'm in this for the long haul in general so I'll continue to ride it out patiently.

One thing I will mention is I was planning on selling Whole Foods, cutting my loses, and dumping the money into Visa. Then, the Amazon buy out was announced. Ultimately, I made very little money because my cost basis was high. All of the money I made was due to the dividend though. Glad they paid a dividend even though it was a small one.

A side affect I don't agree with but took advantage of is Costco took a big hit because of the Amazon buyout of Whole Foods. Fine by me. I got Costco at a discount as far as I'm concerned. Now if only I had remembered Altria was also on sale before I spent all my money....

[glassman]

Doing fair to partly.

only have 6, two are flat, two are losers thus far (Chevron being one, but i'm long and they haven't cut their divi "yet") And two are up (bought McD's, my wifey want'ed it, "because i love that place and i used to work there". So i bought 2500 worth (not shares though i wish) two years ago, so i've got that going for me lol....

Couple of my 401k's are up finally

and maximizing my corporate pension (tax differed)

Any body got any suggestions or input on decent REIT's?

Here in the Bay Area rentals are bank, was thinking of pulling 1/2 my money out and buying two fourplexes (I know real estate fairly well as i deal with housing and dont mind the whiny tenants, although i use the Dave Ramsey models, interview more than once, try to get a "character analysis.) Can REIT's be geographical, if so, how do i find? Google it like i do everything else ?lol

[GregWeld]

Words to live by --- from Warren Buffet:



Nonetheless, he (Warren Buffet) said long-term investing remains the way to go.

He noted that since Forbes created its first list of the 400 richest Americans in 1982—Buffett was worth just $250 million then—some 1,500 different people have been included.

All with one thing in common.

"You don't see any short sellers," he said, referring to people who bet stock prices will fall.