Is your portfolio in the red?

After the drop in the Dow on Friday, you would think you are in the hole. Everything is colored red. This causes some investors to panic and want to sell. They are afraid they will lose more money. Don't panic, these are only daily losses. The important thing to remember is how much you paid for your stock, and is it a solid company paying a good dividend and going to bounce back when the indexes rise back up.
You have to remember, these gains and losses that show up on your portfolio are "Unrealized". It's just an indicator of how the stock did that day. Remember, you won't lose money unless you sell the stock at a loss. Then it would be "Realized" If the price goes down for a while, you should be able to collect a dividend on it until you grow tired of it or find a better investment. But don't sell it just because it goes down one day. It may show it is in the red, but you may actually be ahead. Hold on a couple days and you will realize you are doing just fine. Looking at the value of your portfolio is usually a better indicator of how you are doing than the losses and gains.
I'm thinking next week will be a good week. I plan on leaving my dividend collecting stocks alone and selling the rest to collect the profit and reinvest in the next stock I feel is right. Keep doing your research. Study the charts, read those financial statements. Don't feel bad about looking at the SEC website. There is money to be made, we should feel obligated to make it. After all, profit is not a dirty word. Take your profits and feel good. Reinvest with confidence. It may be a stock you owned two weeks ago. I feel like if I can make $100 in a trade after a few days, sell and take the win. It's better than waiting three months to make the same as what you collect in dividends. Have your next investment in mind so by the time your trade settles you may be ready to sell again. Then your portfolio value will increase regardless of your daily gains and losses. Remember they are just indicators and should be looked at but with consideration of the market that day.

Investment Soloist

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I'm back, still a soloist.

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since my last post. I had a real job I needed to do. But I am anxiously awaiting March to come so I will be through with the dreaded work force. I'll turn 51 before it happens, so I feel very lucky to have this extra time in my life to focus on things that are really important, home and stocks.
The last time I wrote, and as far as I know there hasn't been anyone reading, I was hoping for a correction in the market. Well, it happened, but not the way I anticipated. Actually I am in awe of how the market has been progressing. The Dow and S&P were way down yesterday. I took advantage of some bargain buying. Today, we started off bad but ended up in the green, go figure. Two days in the last two weeks were similar. People who bought on margins selling off to break even because they borrowed money to buy oil and then the price drops. Another day when traders seemed to just be punishing the future's market. I still think stocks are over valued but I'm still making money.
Some stocks I'll wait for dividends while most stocks I'll see a profit and take it. That's right, why not take the profit and pay the capital gains tax and move on to many trades rather than wait three months to earn a profit? It's working for me. I mean, there are over 5000 stocks calling out "BUY ME" everyday. Why get married to one? Take your profit and go on to your next investment.
I can see people getting into bonds and mutual funds if they are saving for retirement or are already retired. Believe me, I'm not trying to be a bull or a bear, I just don't want to be a loser. (That is another one of Dad's sayings, he has a bunch of good one's).
So, I'm bought and sold out this week and waiting for settlements. Mainly because I deal in cash, I would never use margins. Thats a sure fire way to be a loser.
And, avoid OTC, Pinks and single digit stocks. Always make sure you have a decent dividend to fall back on in case you have to bear it for a while, and always take your profit.
I like short, it works for me. I don't expect everyone to agree. And I mean short term, not selling short by borrowing shares, selling them, and betting on them to decline in price then buy them back and give the shares back to the broker. Thats like a margin in reverse, and no one know what's going to happen, but I won't bet on something I think will lose unless it's a horse.
And they only have Win, Place and Show, not LOSE.

Investment Soloist

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