Title: Financial/Investment News and Comments Source:
[None] URL Source:[None] Published:Feb 9, 2018 Author:To be determined Post Date:2018-02-09 07:55:59 by A K A Stone Keywords:None Views:11037 Comments:58
This is the place for financial talk. A place to share entrepreneuial ideas. To discuss investment strategies whether they be stocks, real estate or starting a new business. Or improving an existing business. Anything money and finance related is welcome to be shared right here.
Here's a list of things you could invest in. With all investments there are transaction costs. With all but one there are taxes. With many there are holding costs as well.
To be able to compare investments, a benchmark is needed.
I think that the yield on triple-tax-free municipal bonds is the best benchmark because it is a "safe" investment, with no taxes on it, so it's "pure".
Everything else can be compared to the TTF bonds to see how each stacks up.
This is a response to your post on another thread and more fitting for discussion on this new thread.
You posted to me:
I always figured if they were any good, they could hire a bunch of people to work directly for them and clean up on making money and forget about selling advice.
Exactly! I have the same view about gold hoarding. If these companies advertising for people to buy their gold because of the imminent meltdown of the economy and hyperinflation of the dollar really believed their own hype, why are they selling the gold in exchange for those soon-to-be-worthless dollars? They sure want dollars rather than holding onto their piles of gold, so THEY obviously don't believe what they say.
I was speaking about those who have ideas on investments and make their money selling those ideas instead of hiring a staff and primarily working those “great” ideas.
As far as the hawkers of precious metals are concerned, they are playing percentages. They are going for volume and percentage using the “60/40 Rule.”
They have to buy the metals to sell them. As the market fluctuates, they will actually at times sell some metals at below their cost. But with the volume and by playing the ups and downs like Swing Traders do.....they will over a period of time sell more metals higher than they do lower.
If they have a million dollars of gold, instead of holding it and hoping for a ten percent increase....they will turn it multiple times while making a percent off each sale. Therefore, as merchants....they will make more money buying and selling than buying and holding. Holding (hoarding) gold is for the individuals who wish to preserve assets. But as we discusses, undeveloped land with extremely low property taxes, like farm land, is a much better investment.
I always figured if they were any good, they could hire a bunch of people to work directly for them and clean up on making money and forget about selling advice.
In general I agree with that; what you want to watch for is "My magic system will make you rich if you follow it." That's a dead giveaway for a huckster; even if it's not a lie, there are many reasons his "magic" system won't work for you.
I did a lot of reading and research to figure out which trading style fit me best; if it wasn't for different styles there wouldn't be markets.
I learned the techniques I use from a Soviet-Union escapee, an M.D./Psychiatrist who developed trading methods based on the mass psychology of the markets.
He has written books and taught classes because he enjoys doing both in addition to making very good money trading his own accounts, and is a very enjoyable guy to spend time with. I get this; I enjoy teaching others as well, but won't join a union or be in harness, so I do it for fun on rare occasions.
An exception to the rule "If you can do it, do it. Don't waste time teaching it." He doesn't sell a "magic system", he sells understanding of what drives markets and provides the analysis tools he uses (most of which are freely available for any trading platform) - the system is up to you.
And I helped out a friend for a couple of years who was in the rare-coin and gold/silver bullion business. He had his own collection of graded rare coins, but in general you're right - turnover for the spread is how he made (a ton) of money and if you're in the business you don't hold bullion or bullion coins except for inventory to sell.
He has written books and taught classes because he enjoys doing both in addition to making very good money trading his own accounts ...
Oh, I totally agree with this. I am a firm believer in sharing information for others to learn and learing from others who share information. Back, way back, many years ago....I paid for a couple subscription newsletters and “how to” courses. I was hoping to start trading and thought: “Man, I can learn from these experts and it will be easy.” It did not take me long to realize it was all for naught. I remember those unfortunate happening each time I now see individuals trying to sell monthly subscriptions and “how to” courses.
Sidebar - Personal Story:
I started trading stocks as the result of careful research and many long hours of study. I was invested in a number (4 as I remember) of mutual funds. They were not making the returns I felt they should be. One was doing fairly well and showing a return that was acceptable. I knew from the daily reports that the fund would go higher and then lower, sometime almost one day after another. So, next time the fund reached a high point, I sold it. Then, when it was down...I bought into it again. I repeated this cycle three or so more time. Hot Damn....I was making money and this was so EASY.
The all of a sudden and out of the clear blue, I get this somewhat nasty letter for a big wig in the firm telling me: “Hey, STOP IT, you can’t do this. Our mutual fund is not designed or structured to buy and sell like you are doing.”
I thought, okay....and sold the mutual fund for the last time. Being the logically clear thinking old country boy that I am, I figured that mutual fund had to disclose somewhere the funds it was invested in. I realized I was right when I discovered a complete listing by percentage....the names of the companies that mutual fund held stock in.
I told a broker what I wanted to do and asked if it was against their procedures. He looked at me like I had just gotten off the turnip truck from Two Egg, Alabama (yes, there is such a place and I have relatives from there)....then smiled and told me it was okay. He said that was the way many of his clients called “traders” do their thing in the market. That was the beginning of my education to Swing Trading. I took from the list of stocks held by the mutual fund I just left....picked the 3 they had they greatest percent invested in, and started on the long road leading to many years of trading.
BTW: The broker knew what I was doing and wanted to do, of course. So, he got me started on buying and selling options and naked options. He was making a bunch of money on commissions and I was losing money rapidly. So I stopped trading in those and considered it a lesson I had paid for. I am still shell shocked when I read those terms each day.
I will try to find the name of the “Soviet-Union escapee, an M.D./Psychiatrist” so I can read his book and maybe modify my Swing Trading procedures. My plan always stays the same since I started on the road to success after some dismal failures....but my I oftentimes tweak my procedures, sometimes daily.
