*Investors Blog*

[alarmguy]

Well, Im glad I didnt panic back in the trade wars. Felt sick about giving up my 40% gain over approx 12 months in META.
Hooray for me. I got it all back by not selling and just exceeded 40% gain. It's ironically 41% of my holdings in this account.

Amazon, I bought maybe 6ish months ago, finally recovering. I only bought it because I felt safe with the spare change in the account 28% and wanted to buy something until I figure out what to really buy.

I still have the sinking feeling in my gut that I should grab my unrealized gains and .... well... I dont know so I am not going to, only thing I would change is if I come up with something other than AMZN which was a holding until I did some up with something better.
I do wish I bought Marvel in the 50s which was on my watch list after @Pablo mention it in here last year I think. Seemed like a no brainer and it was but I didnt and that is ok but it would have been a nice move out of AMZN ... then again, its made a nice comeback.
Top one is AMZN, second META for the last year.

The rest of the account is WMT which has treated me well for the last over 6 years now and not posted here, as I would have to piece together the split, selling some off and recent trade in and out that I picked up a 10% realized profit by trading out from 97ish went down to 87 ish and bought it back.
Well actually here it is, this just took place a few months ago.

As far as realized gains in WMT far exceeded my expectations over the last 6 years. Purchased around $90 followed by 3 for 1 split etc...
This was my last WMT REALIZED gain when I sold it off due to trade wars at $97 After the spill I did sell some off sometime later and did some trades for small gains and then into META

If you know Schwab "Total Gain" and then "Long Term Gain"
Now I own it back and bought at $87 for a 11% unrealized gain the last couple months.

 

[Pablo]

MRVL is one of my chuggers

@Zee09 calls my style penny ante, but so far investing during retirement is quite the net plus.

Lemme put it this way. We thought we would always be moving money into our CU to live, on the contrary we transfer money from CU TO Fido

 

[Pablo]

Interesting read:

https://wolfstreet.com/2025/06/28/t...d-mortgage-rates-widened-again-some-thoughts/

 

[alarmguy]

MRVL is one of my chuggers

@Zee09 calls my style penny ante, but so far investing during retirement is quite the net plus.

Lemme put it this way. We thought we would always be moving money into our CU to live, on the contrary we transfer money from CU TO Fido

I cant follow what you and some others do. Most likely at an age I dont want to take a chance learning either.
More than half the time I have no clue what you guys are talking about.

 

[Zee09]

MRVL is one of my chuggers

@Zee09 calls my style penny ante, but so far investing during retirement is quite the net plus.

Lemme put it this way. We thought we would always be moving money into our CU to live, on the contrary we transfer money from CU TO Fido

Unless you have a Wendy's breakfast baconator in your mouse trap, I'm not biting...

 

[Pablo]

I cant follow what you and some others do. Most likely at an age I dont want to take a chance learning either.
More than half the time I have no clue what you guys are talking about.

That is understandable

I type in weird shorthand snippets

Zee is good at singular stocks, thousands of shares 5-10 minute minute movements of pennies. I don’t have the guts for that.

 

[Pablo]

Unless you have a Wendy's breakfast baconator in your mouse trap, I'm not biting...

I gave you a compliment

Me I am very widely diversified all over the map. It works but I certainly am not the guy claiming 20%+ gains annually.

I diversify in holdings and methods and thoughts for input.

I think about hiring it out every once in awhile, even worked with Fido to give it a try - but right away saw it was not for me.

Sadly when my mom passes I may consider a low cost good fiduciary

 

[Zee09]

I gave you a compliment

Me I am very widely diversified all over the map. It works but I certainly am not the guy claiming 20%+ gains annually.

I diversify in holdings and methods and thoughts for input.

I think about hiring it out every once in awhile, even worked with Fido to give it a try - but right away saw it was not for me.

Sadly when my mom passes I may consider a low cost good fiduciary

I employ many strategies depending what I'm given and I appreciate others strategies as well...

Sometimes I get burnt out or the market goes too high and the safe bet is too sit back and collect interest but I fear that will be reduced soon...

I tried dividends but I feel that I am wasting my life waiting for a few $$$ when I can muscle the market and make more in 30 minutes.

A long time friend does the dividend thing well but lately he is trying my style and I'm trying his little trick of leaving a small amount of shares behind after the flip in case the stock takes off later which usually happens. Giving you a good profit boost...

I also go to the market with a specific purpose. If I need money for a bill or a trip I go in to get that money from the market and not my savings... a mental game and I usually won't take it out of my market account

The life of a trader is high stress and many here can attest to that.
Many here have very complicated strategies and I'd admire their knowledge but I like the KISS principle... I basically play the spread and try to avoid market chatter as it is usually agenda ridden. Market manipulation.

 

[Zee09]

I gave you a compliment

Me I am very widely diversified all over the map. It works but I certainly am not the guy claiming 20%+ gains annually.

I diversify in holdings and methods and thoughts for input.

I think about hiring it out every once in awhile, even worked with Fido to give it a try - but right away saw it was not for me.

Sadly when my mom passes I may consider a low cost good fiduciary

Thank you

 

[Astro14]

I employ many strategies depending what I'm given and I appreciate others strategies as well...

Sometimes I get burnt out or the market goes too high and the safe bet is too sit back and collect interest but I fear that will be reduced soon...

I tried dividends but I feel that I am wasting my life waiting for a few $$$ when I can muscle the market and make more in 30 minutes.

A long time friend does the dividend thing well but lately he is trying my style and I'm trying his little trick of leaving a small amount of shares behind after the flip in case the stock takes off later which usually happens. Giving you a good profit boost...

I also go to the market with a specific purpose. If I need money for a bill or a trip I go in to get that money from the market and not my savings... a mental game and I usually won't take it out of my market account

The life of a trader is high stress and many here can attest to that.
Many here have very complicated strategies and I'd admire their knowledge but I like the KISS principle... I basically play the spread and try to avoid market chatter as it is usually agenda ridden. Market manipulation.

I am even simpler - no games to play with myself. No stress.

My wife and I have a couple of pensions, that’s the part we don’t need to worry about. So, our cash and bond position is modest. We have the preponderance of the portfolio in the S&P. A substantial portion in a brokerage account.

We buy stocks, and hold them for a long time. E.G DE. Bought in 2008 for $44.09. She watches the financials. We take a look at our portfolio frequently - but are under no pressure to make any moves. When the market was down, about 20% a couple months ago, we kept the stocks we had, including NVDA, because we have a long term outlook and no need to “make money” right now.

I get the appeal of your approach. A good friend retired from the USMC. He’s been a trader ever since. Gets up at 05:30, watches the news, reads the WSJ, etc. and makes his options decisions, puts in his trades for the day and then, goes fishing on the lake on which he lives. He comes back and sees how it all worked out. He is often putting 7 figures at risk, and he wins more than he loses. They are very comfortable in retirement, largely from the pension, but also, from all the money he has made over the decades.

I’ll be honest - I have no desire to be a trader. It’s just not for me. I’m busy with work, focused on doing that as well as I possibly can, and I have a ton of hobbies that take up my time.

That said, when I am done working, maybe I’ll consider it. I’ll have the bandwidth then, and a master of the craft from whom to learn.

 

[Zee09]

Most of my investments are in real estate. (in the next few years, I hope to sell it all except for my own house)
I like the fact that the market money I earn comes to me without customer drama.
Except for taxes I don't have to answer to anyone. That is something new for a self-employed person.

I traded in the 80s and that was a totally different game.....
The first year of online trading every time I got a big score it gave me anxiety like some guys in black were going to
come to my house and drag me out like I was a criminal. It was more like stealing than earning.

It wasn't just me either. My friends were in hiding too.
Now I have no fear.................bombs away.

I am too careful as I won't except a loss. I can get stuck for a while until I can profit or engineer an escape route.
I don't want to be in that position but engineering an escape route is rather rewarding to me at times.

 

[alarmguy]

I am even …

I’ll be honest - I have no desire to be a trader. It’s just not for me. I’m busy with work, focused on doing that as well as I possibly can, and I have a ton of hobbies that take up my time.

That said, when I am done working, maybe I’ll consider it. I’ll have the bandwidth then, and a master of the craft from whom to learn.

I think you said the keyword here is you have a ton of hobbies. I do too and thoroughly enjoy life, every person‘s way of enjoying life can be different.
Some investors frequently trade that is a hobby of theirs. It really needs to be.

I don’t pay much attention to the day today stuff other than to invest in value that I know will go up. Some companies it could be for years and other companies could be for two months, but I never really fear a big loss and why I invest in only a few companies Instead of diversifying the whole portfolio.
Have I been upset over losing unrealized gains yes but with the value company so far for me has always rebounded that amount and more.

You say once you’re done working, maybe you’ll have time, I have a feeling you won’t have time because I’m retired now and my days go by so fast that I can’t get done with all the things that I want to do

 

[Pablo]

I think you said the keyword here is you have a ton of hobbies. I do too and thoroughly enjoy life, every person‘s way of enjoying life can be different.
Some investors frequently trade that is a hobby of theirs. It really needs to be.

I don’t pay much attention to the day today stuff other than to invest in value that I know will go up. Some companies it could be for years and other companies could be for two months, but I never really fear a big loss and why I invest in only a few companies Instead of diversifying the whole portfolio.
Have I been upset over losing unrealized gains yes but with the value company so far for me has always rebounded that amount and more.

You say once you’re done working, maybe you’ll have time, I have a feeling you won’t have time because I’m retired now and my days go by so fast that I can’t get done with all the things that I want to do

Yes I never again want a portfolio I can’t leave for a reasonable period. I mean part of retirement should be to randomly disappear somewhere

 

[SC Maintenance]

I think we could see $6500 in the next couple months. Maybe sooner.

Having said that, I bought some SQQQ today. Odds of going to July 9th without some crazy seem low - convexity is in my favor so it looks like a good bet. If it goes lower that means everything else I own went higher. I like to hedge. I'll likely buy more, and some VXX if I get my price - to sell July 9th either way.

As for trading - I don't pattern day trade although I have flipped stocks in a couple days. I also don't buy and hold. I have a strategy. If it keeps working it rides. If I buy and its not working or goes south, I sell. Otherwise I hang out in SPX or SSO.

Speaking of flipping - anyone playing BBAI?

 

[John105]

Just completed the largest transaction I ever have. I redeemed almost all of two Fidelity mutual funds into SPRXX (cash). All meaning I noticed there were some shares considered short term being distributions, so I left those alone. This is my first mutual fund opened in 1994 when it was Fidelity Select and valued hourly. I remember being in Philadelphia for a job interview in 1999--I used a pay phone in a bank of phones at the train station, to check the value of these funds.

At any rate the redemption was almost 90k. Why? Because we're buying a new car, and I don't want to touch savings to do it, nor do I want to take out a car loan at 4.09% (our CU). If I accept this mutual fund was basically liquidated, life goes on without missing a beat. It troubled me a) how much the new car costs b) the idea of using savings for it

I know some of you would say you would absolutely take a car loan at 4.09% because a mutual fund should do better than that, and I get there's an opportunity cost to my actions. Also, I know I'm going out on top here, with 2 consecutive days at an all time (historical) high.

Imagine if this were the first week of April, and the car were coming early July--I'd be changing gears and leaving the funds alone not knowing, and possibly using savings for the car, BUT, feeling very uneasy and concerned if things are going to come back. This way, if I can do it, I don't look back.

The other way I look at it was the mutual fund was for someday. Someday came, 31 years after the account was opened. There will be some serious tax owed to the IRS as well, but as long term gains. My post isn't really any investment advice etc., just sharing what I did yesterday. I thought about it for a week or so, and decided to execute the exchanges into money market yesterday.

 

[Zee09]

Any thoughts on this

 

[Zee09]

Yes I never again want a portfolio I can’t leave for a reasonable period. I mean part of retirement should be to randomly disappear somewhere

But you have time to eat fruit daily.
Priorities my man

 

[SC Maintenance]

Any thoughts on this


View attachment 287407

Thoughts on what? Thats how market makers exist - they make the spread? Also why I don't like to trade after hours.

 

[Zee09]

Thoughts on what? Thats how market makers exist - they make the spread? Also why I don't like to trade after hours.

Crypto on Robinhood that's all

 

[SC Maintenance]

Fortress is said to be ready to miss a payment deadline on $2B in bonds backed by leased Amazon warehouses that they cannot refinance. (well, they likely can't at a rate they want to pay, because there likely paying 2% now). The outer bands of the debt wall storm has arrived....

I looked for a link that wasn't behind a paywall but they all seem to be these days.