As a holder of individual stocks myself, I know everything is possible if one is heavily concentrated in a few stocks, particularly in high-beta ones.100% equities, primarily one stock that was heavily traded. No one would believe my returns...
Aren't you worried about inflation?
While your approach is not the one generally advocated here, including by me, I have admitted to having too large a portion of my NW in former mega-corp options. While I had to get rid of a bunch this year, before they expired, they still make up 20% of our investment portfolio.100% equities, primarily one stock that was heavily traded. No one would believe my returns so will not post but they wildly exceeded my expectations. No guts no glory they say but will take a more conservative approach for '11.
check6 said:100% equities, primarily one stock that was heavily traded. No one would believe my returns so will not post but they wildly exceeded my expectations. No guts no glory they say but will take a more conservative approach for '11.
Well, this year I replied as follows.Being the perennial pessimist that I am, I am wondering if this time next year, we will be so willing to share our negative return numbers.
It did just fine.
I had a long post readied to post when I decided it just doesn't matter.
Health care is not free. I pay a lot of tax to pay for it. If the potion of my income tax since I was 21 that went to health care was returned to me and I had to pay for all of my families health care, my NW would be about 50% higher.It does not matter?
Spoken like a man in a country with free health care, and perhaps with a nice pension to boot.
I think we're going to go nuts this week or next and boost that cash stash back up to around 10% by selling off a bit of our small-cap value ETF (IJS). You've all been warned and can now place your trades accordingly...
Hello FinanceDude - Yes I am but 1) my professional and volunteering activities do not leave me much time to study stocks 2) I am very risk averse.
One simple thing is to use a planning program like Quicken and if you're okay with it, download the transactions. I enter them manually (paranoid).I don't know how to figure out my portfolio returns for last year, because I had a big single contribution to my Roth IRA when I cashed in an Ameriprise VA, rolled it into my other IRA and closed the Ameriprise account. I'm not sure I could figure out the performance on my 457 either, because the amount of my contributions changed during the year. That may happen again this year and I don't know how to take it into account. I have a program in my trusty ol' HP41s that does financial calculations, but it will only take equal payments, and I don't know how to set up a spreadsheet to track this. What do I need to do this year so next January I'll be able to answer the question?
Are you the guy who bought the call from me, too? Good move!I think I bought some of your IJS last time you sold, so maybe I'll log in to fidelity and pick up some more quality Nords IJS. Worked pretty well for me last time..
Are you the guy who bought the call from me, too? Good move!
I should have put the word "free" in quotes. Yes, there is never a free lunch. But having a "prepaid" health plan should greatly ease one's concern about its future cost, which was my point.Health care is not free. I pay a lot of tax to pay for it. If the potion of my income tax since I was 21 that went to health care was returned to me and I had to pay for all of my families health care, my NW would be about 50% higher.
Sorry, just a [-]DB[/-] DC pension (that is 60% my money) worth about 17% of NW.
You could check this post. If you PM me, I'll tell you what X is.
Edit to correct DB to DC.
Understood, but I would look at putting 15-20% in a conservative balanced fund or something...maybe VWINX or something?
I apologize FinanceDude. I am financially illiterate. What is VWINKS and why do you recommend this product ? Is it FDIC insured like CDs ? Can I buy this product at Edward Jones or Vanguard where I have savings in money markets ?