Investment Opinions

[cookie man]

It's crazy. Recently I managed to get my porfolio back to where it was in 2000. I was reviewing my mutual funds and compared them to the S&P 500 Index. The index has done better.

I trade a few stocks just for kicks, but most of my retirement is in mutual funds. I'm curious what others feel is a good retirement strategy. I have a little extra money and will probably invest in India.

Does anyone use ATF? Forget about options...lol.

[flexywun]

i don't get much of a return with my ATF - financially that is. i give her money but it doesn't come back. seriously, its a tough climate for investing. have made money in nat gas pipeline MLPs but the low hanging fruit has been made there but the 'distributions' are good. funds are as good as any until you build your own portfolio of stocks over time. but yeah, most don't beat the averages.

[cookie man]

The MLPs make sense as natural gas slowly gains favor. I do have Chesapeake Energy in my individual trading account.

I have always held funds long term, but there is so much manipulation in the market nowdays. It seems like the big boys take advantage of the everyday investors' contribution to funds. It's easy to see how people don't trust the stock market.


I do like the idea of keeping my own stock portfolio. I just have to do a better job of patiently building it on dips instead of jumping the gun and also going into margin. I guess I'm trying to make up for past stupid decisions with new stupid decisions. My biggest mistake is not taking a loss.

I was wondering if anyone here mimics Jim Cramer's or Warren Buffet's portfolio?

Flexy lol on the ATF. I meant ETF. Do you think that was Freudian?

[nolaces]

GOld and other hard and soft based commodities will do well for the next 3-5 years. Shorting our government debt is a good option to make some money over the coming years as our dollar conintues to falter against other currencies.

As far as Cramer goes, I would avoid about everything he mentions because he is an entertainer on CNBC. I fade Buffett on a lot of things he is involved in from time to time.

[Iaintliein]

A female investment councilor I met last year suggested investing in metal. She was putting her savings into lead and brass.

[Guest030824]

Gold has worked for me. Bought at $845.00 three years ago today it is at $1,650.00 per coin. Nuf said.

[billw1032]

Originally Posted by cookie man

It's crazy. Recently I managed to get my porfolio back to where it was in 2000. I was reviewing my mutual funds and compared them to the S&P 500 Index. The index has done better.

I trade a few stocks just for kicks, but most of my retirement is in mutual funds. I'm curious what others feel is a good retirement strategy. I have a little extra money and will probably invest in India.

Does anyone use ATF? Forget about options...lol.

About 85% of managed mutual funds do worse than the indexes. Unless you are a savvy investor, it's hard to beat a diversified portfolio of index funds (read Scott Burns, for example). If you know what you're doing you can generate good income with conservative option strategies, but it can also be VERY dangerous if you aren't careful.

[The_Waco_Kid]

Gazo: How's about investing in condominiums? It's safe.
Rocky Balboa: Condominiums?
Gazo: Yeah, condominiums.
Rocky Balboa: I never use 'em.


ROFL.

[aka]

Play options. Nothing like it. Just don't bet the house.

[LLAMA8899]

I saw Natural Gas as an option above and I agree that a few companies (not really Chesapeake as their business model/principles lack what I would consider long term sustainablity) but Cabot Oil & Gas and Range Resources have good core acreage in the better NG plays in the US. I would also look at Drilling Companies and Service Companies like Halliburton as they are all "over-booked" and will be for years to come as America works it's way towards energy independence.

[Sir Lancehernot]

Naked puts and covered calls (functionally equivalent) on oil, gas, oilfield services, and gold and silver miners have been doing me well since the advent of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid economy. I sell naked puts on stocks with four- and five-star ratings from Morningstar, or on other stocks I think are undervalued. If the options are exercised, I then sell covered calls.

If you don't want the hassle of dealing with the K-1s from the MLPs, there's an ETF that invests in them. It's AMJ, as I recall.

[cookie man]

I have a hard time getting my head around options. I've heard of courses offered for a cost of about 2K.

I have about 8-10 stocks I trade. I'm torn between day trading them and holding them for long term gains. I just hate the thought of being up on a stock, then losing the profit. I know there's an art to taking some gains and buying stocks at a bargain, but I seem to get an itchy trigger finger.

To relieve some anxziety, a couple of years ago I started letting Fidelity manage my mutual funds. The cost each quarted is about $500. I'm thinking the fees on index funds should be less and the net gains more.

I decided to trim the less profitable mutual funds and purchase a couple of index funds for starters. Either Vangard 500 or Fidelity Spartan.

[Lust4xxxLife]

I'm getting ALL of my investments out of the market over the next couple of days and putting it into offshore options that are likely to benefit from a US collapse. The Republican lunatics are playing a stupid game of chicken that is already hurting everyone except oil and the most wealthy members of the country.

I encourage everyone to take the time to listen to this perspective from Al Franken. No matter where your allegiances lie, the perspective is clear, doesn't contain any references to Hitler, and is worth considering.

http://tinyurl.com/3tonzg8

The polls are showing a 21 point lead for the Democrats in this debate. Let's hope that the Republicans pay attention and understand that Americans are against shattering our economy. We need deep cuts and smarter spending, not defaults and protected tax cuts for the rich and tax loopholes for oil.

I'm not a democrat. I'm a conservative who rejects the idiocy that the Republican manifesto has evolved into.

L4L

[cookie man]

I am prepared for whatever the stock market does. Most experts say there is enough money to meet debt, pay soldiers, and pay SS checks. Responsible Americans realize that it's time to live within our means. I have very little respect for Obama and zero for Al Franken.
I have a chunk of change and will wait a few days to see how the market reacts. I will buy when I think it's bottomed out. This is a buying opportunity.

[69er]

If you are coming here asking for investment advice...
I don't think you should be day trading in commodities or options.

The posters above have not asked the basic questions: How much do you have to invest, how long till retirement, do you have other needs for cash before then, what investments do you hold now? Yet they gave advice. Without answers to the questions above, their advice is SHIT! What they propose may fit their goals, but may have little or no fit to your goals.

This is not the place for these details, as done properly, this is going to get personal. I would suggest a financial planner.

When it comes to picking one, I'd start by talking with at least three. Meet with them and be ready to discuss what kinds of investments you have today, and ask them what they think you should be doing. A good advisor will probably spend as much time listening to you, and asking questions, as you do listening and questioning him. Financial advisors can get paid in a number of ways. Ask them how they make their money, and what you can expect.

The most important investing decision, is the decision to invest, and to do so on a consistent basis. After that, where to invest has a great deal to do with your stomach for risk, and your time horizons for the money. These are decisions an advisor can help you with, while working some tax strategy in an effort to hold onto some of those gains.