Oh yeah, a little note for the metal bugs. SLV fell under 30 today. Might be a good time to get some silver...

Yikes!

I like silver too, but only as a physical asset...and never, ever on paper.

Why is it that I am always dead dog broke when silver has a serious pullback or correction?

Right now, Etrade is showing Boeing up 99 cents in aftermarket! This is prior to the report being released, but it's looking good! Good luck! :D

Well, so much for going long on CLNE ... it made $100 for me, so I dumped it!

It ended the day at $18.10, which was right where I sold it. Was happy not to have left money on the table ... for a change! :hysterical:

And I can always buy it back again on a dip, right? :shrug:

That sale brings my net (after trading fees) to $1470 for the year. :)

That after market pop has me in the black already. If the report is as good as I expect I'll be in good shape.

I see you have the same 'problem' as me. You see profit so you take it. There might be more to be made, but why risk it if you're already winning!

Exactly! :D

DH picked up some Apple stock a few weeks ago and has been upside-down to the tune of more than 12 percent ... OUCH! But it reported today, and had (IIRC) record earnings, and it's up $43 a share (yes, you read that right) in aftermarket, so he might escape by the skin of his teeth! :teehee:

He is only up 5 percent for the year. Today I suggested that he ought to hire me as his fund manager! He did not like that one bit. :pound:

Apple is almost over. Steve Jobs is dead and Apple will die with him, it'll just take a few years for the things in the pipeline (things he had a hand in) to work their way through.

You see Walmex today? Holy ----!

Yup, they got spanked!

Interestingly enough, when I looked up their stock symbol, I found that their Mexican subsidiary apparently is held independently and trades on the pink sheets! Their stock is valued at only $2.75, and it was off more than 4 percent today.

BTW, I concur with your view of Apple.

What is the stock symbol? I'd like to look it up, just for grins.

FWIW, on a similar note to what you've said about Apple, I think the real Walmart died when Sam Walton did. A few years ago, Charlie Rose interviewed a retired CEO of Walmart, and basically, what I got from the conversation was:

1. We don't do business like Sam did
2. We no longer have to be the cheapest in the marketplace
3. We are now focused on shareholder return

I think those CEO's have forgotten what Sam did to get them there, and they will eventually pay the price. It is hard to imagine that Walmart might be a footnote in a history book, right next to Woolworth and A & P.

Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox for the time being.

I think Apple is AAPL.

I agree with your take on Wal-Mart, too.

What is the symbol for Walmart of Mexico?

WMMVF

My LSI is actually UP today! More than 4 percent ... wow. I'm only $165 upside-down on it now. Maybe there is hope for it yet!

Apple is up more than $49 a share ... :eek:

DH still is $600 upside-down on it, though. :(

Wooooooooooooo! Ba

Nice job on the BA!!!!!

Did you sell, or are you still holding?

Congrats either way!!!!!

I sold at 77.00 I'm not sure I trust the numbers they put out, but I knew they would report well anyway. I of course kept some free shares, as is my general habit.

Way to go, II!!!! :thumb:

Okay, I am curious.

When you keep some shares of a company, as you did with BA and RGR, what and how does that affect your tax liability on the profits?

It seems that it would be advantageous to keep the shares to reduce year end tax liability.

You're only taxed on profit so holding shares long term means less taxes today. Of course if you hold them for (I think) 13 months it's taxed as capital gains instead of at your regular rate. This is what accountants are for!

I would add, don't be afraid of taxes. If you're paying more taxes it means you're making more money. If you're making more money it's a good thing.

Did anyone get in on SLV with me? I got a little something out of it but called it today. Meh, it wasn't the pop I'd hoped for but up is up...

Taxes are why I like to buy for dividend. cap gains at current income rate could eat your lunch but div. are much less.. Which is why Romney was beat up about it not too long ago..

also a farm is great for reducing tax liability.

Thx for this thread i am enjoying seeing and learning the differnet styles and trying to grow my own.

ps typing in car watching sons and friends. man this is hard. maybe I need to be doing some research now instead f typing. :-)

good source of information
 

So I'm wondering if you can point me in the direction of a good book for a very, very new person at this to read to find out how to do all of this, or a website or something?

I read this entire thread last night and I had not one clue of what any of you were saying. Its like you were speaking a foreign language. I'm going to be 53 this year and I have no retirement plan, don't have a clue what I'm going to do and I'm a little concerned. I don't think I can work the rest of my life due to many conditions, but I'm also sure that I won't survive on disability, social security and entitlement programs, mainly because that's just not the way I want to do things. But I need to find something that can start with a tiny, tiny amount of money, and start making its own way. I have no IRA or anything like that, because we don't have the money to put into one.

I have no savings whatsoever, and my checkbook is just dripping with being on the edge of red, almost every day. So what can I do to get started. I need something, if there is something in the magical world of stocks, etc., that WILL give me a retirement fund, AND if possible, will help with a little money coming in the mail?

Thanks for any direction you can give me.

Valorie :(

Dunroven,

I am a strong believer in solid stocks that pay have a long history of paying great dividends. I don't have much of a retirement saved either, and nearly everything I have is in the form of dividend stocks.

Everything I own, with the exception of one stock, is paying a 5% dividend or higher. I personally think this is the best way to build a little wealth, especially if you can't start with a big bank account.

Simply stated, those dividends pay 4 times a year. I take those dividends, along with whatever else I can save, and buy more dividend paying stocks. While still very small, this plan is working well, and is growing pretty quickly, at least for the scale that I am on.

This method is called drip or dripping. It is a take on a thing called dividend reinvesting program that some companies offer with their stock. I just do my drip program on my own.

I am also a very strong believer in "you gotta start somewhere". Even if this means saving just $25 a month, or $10 a week. Open an account with an online with Scottrade or another broker. Scottrade will open an account for just $500...but my local Scottrade office says that they'll open for just $100.

Your library should have tons of books for the newbie to stock investing.

There also was an earlier stock trading thread in this forum .. might want to check that out, too!

Val,

If you ave no savings and your checkbook is edging on red stocks can do nothing for you. Harsh reality is there is no magic here and there is no way to invest without money.

So first thing I'd do is look into Dave Ramsey.

Dave Ramsey
 

I LOVE the Dave Ramsey program; however, my husband is a stubborn man and will not even consider reading his book or doing his program, so I'm hoping to try to make little bits of money here and there that I can pay bills with and then possibly get something going, that's the point behind my working a full time job, raising and selling my cats and rabbits, selling plants, and doing mystery shopping. My theory is that every penny is one more toward the top of the hole, but that hole is incredibly deep. I'm trying but its hard when you are doing it on your own.

I'll check out some books cause I feel like while I'm doing all of this working, I also need to be at least preparing to get something put away, and if I can get it figured out before I'm to the point of investing, I can know what to look for at the time I'm there. Do you have a particular author or a particular book you would recommend as a beginner book?

FWIW, I am a huge fan of Dave Ramsey too. I've worked the plan, and it works like a dream. Too bad your DH isn't on board with you.

If you make headway on your debt, I think dividend stocks are the way to go. Small investments work just fine, as you get the money. Dividend stocks are pretty boring...this is building wealth slowly, and won't make you an overnight millionaire.

Your library should have tons of books for the beginner investor. I've read some of the Motley Fool books, and like them very well.

Oh, and there is a site called Investopedia.

It is a great site if you want to know what a word or term is. It is a very in depth place for any type of investor question.

Val, at 53 I honestly suggest you work on debt above all else. A mortgage is one thing but credit cards and car loans are no good at that age. I know it's not the stock advice you want, but clearing out debt is the better investment for 90% of people. (Most people don't use debt wisely)

If you have debt but good credit I'd suggest looking into ways to leverage that credit and using it to pay off personal debt. Apt. buildings are something to consider. Housing market be ----ed, people NEED a place to live. Rental income is pretty steady provided you approach it right.

Also, if you have equity on your home and can get refi at a lower rate (with some cash back) it can work in your favor as well. Taking the extra money to pay off car notes and credit cards is almost always worth it.

Of course these things are all a person by person issue. I really don't know your situation and as such any suggestions are kinda broad, which is also a legal requirement... LOL

Invalid,

Can you believe RGR? I put RGR on my watch list...it is up over $7.

I would have said that $50 a share was far too risky to make a play. This is probably the reason some will retire rich, and I'll spend my retirement years watching Judge Judy on a black and white TV.

LOL.

Hehe, I do so love that stock. I have about 1200 shares and I'm hoping we see 60!

Go! Go! Go! :)

Nabbed a little more SLV at 29.20. Here's hoping Monday or Tuesday does me proud...

Also with RGR pulling back the last few days I'm starting to look for a place to get back in.

Do any of you have an opinion about RDS/A?

It is Royal Dutch Shell, has a decent dividend with a strong history of paying out, and a low P/E.

What do you think about this stock for a long term buy and hold?

Clovis, I did not have an opinion of RDS . . . the A shares prior to you calling it to my attention. If you look at the chart you will see it is making lower highs and lower lows, some may say that is bearish HOWEVER notice that it filled a gap today. Also, look at the longer term chart ( weekly ) . . . Let me say again, I don't know the fundamentals on this company and you are asking about long term.

I will tell you what I am going to do . . . between 69 and 68 I am a buyer, below 66 I will exit and take my medicine. Those parameters in my opinion allow for a low risk trade. I like to play a gap fill. Often when you see a gap filled, a bounce higher follows, if it does not, then it does not cost much to test the waters. (You are always going to have losses, try to keep them small ) If I get a bounce after buying, I will add to my position if it breaks above 72 and use the 50 day MA as a stop to exit. When you look at the chart pay attention to where volume is high or low. Thanks for the heads up, I will be watching this Monday. If you want to play it safe, wait until it breaks 72 and then wait for a pullback to the 50 day MA to take a position.

......................Calpers just filed a Lawsuit against the W. Mt. BOD'ers so Their stock may experience .......'Dividendus Interruptus'.........due too their potentially , illegal handling of the Mexican bribes paid during their store expansion in MexicO ! Other , similiar suits are sure too follow ! , fordy:flameproofundies:

That is a sweet dividend!!!

FUN and CLNE both dropped on Friday ... hmmm.

*Chanting my mantra, "Sell in May and stay away! Sell in May and stay away!"*

Tobster,

I think I am going to wait and see how the market opens in the morning. I might make a small buy of RDS/A if it drops much.

Thank you so much for your input!!!!! It is appreciated!!!!

The overnight Asian markets have taken a hit, and I just read an article that oil markets are down.

If this is true, I am guessing that the US markets will take a hit in the morning, so I'll hold off on the RDS/A, even though the ex-date is 5/09.

Well, I got booted out of my RGR position this morning. Trailing stop at 49.57..or 59? Doesn't matter, I'm clear now. Was a good run up from 7-14ish to the high 40s though. One of my personal best!

Now... do I want to get back in or wait for the shakeup to finish....

Is anyone buying the Facebook IPO? It's going to be offered through eTrade. DH called yesterday and he is lined up to get (IIRC) 200 shares. I said "no thank you" ... IPOs are too risky for this girl! Although ,,,,,, hmmm.

IPO, no. I'll look again 30-60 after though.