My emergency fund was rather different than most people recommend. Rather than a bank account with money, I had a trading account with dividend growth stocks. Dividend growth stocks are ones with low yields, but high dividend growth.
I figured that if this portfolio could not produce enough income, I could trade them in for stocks with higher yields (and lower dividend increases). The theory on this was that tough times were probably come with a depression in the stock market. So, yes, I would be selling stocks low, but I would also be buying stocks low.
I think that selling low and buying low is better than selling high and buying higher. I think that with the former case I would be better off than in the latter case.
On my other blog I am today writing about Superior Plus Corp (TSX-SPB, OTC-SUUIF)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Emergency Fund
The virtue of an emergency fund is that it can lower stress. Yes, it was stressful for me when I was working and my company decided to downsize. However, I noted that it was far less stressful that what others were going through.
I went through several of these downsizings. Also I had an employer bought out and an employer go bankrupt. The reason for my less stress was that I had an emergency fund. I never needed to use my emergency fund. Could I have also survived the downsizings because I was less stressed out about them?
On my other blog I am today writing about Newfoundland Capital Corp (TSX-NCC.A)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
I went through several of these downsizings. Also I had an employer bought out and an employer go bankrupt. The reason for my less stress was that I had an emergency fund. I never needed to use my emergency fund. Could I have also survived the downsizings because I was less stressed out about them?
On my other blog I am today writing about Newfoundland Capital Corp (TSX-NCC.A)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Capitalism, Nastiest Of Men
The quote of "Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men, for the nastiest of reasons, will somehow work for the benefit of us all" was not made by an economist, but was someone interpretations of economic theory. It was sort of like a restating of Adam Smith's "invisible hand of the market" comment in his own words.
First of all the economist like Adam Smith and John Maynard Keyes were just trying to figure out how the economy worked. They were just trying to figure out how it is that all of us could just be going about our lives and how everything could just work out.
However, they did start off with the rather silly premise that people always acted sensibly and reasonably and that everyone always did what was in their own best interest. (This is, of course, also assuming that people really knew what was in their own best interest.)
We know now that their premise is not true. People do all sorts of weird and wonderful things for weird and wonderful reasons. For example, recent studies have shown things like people hate to lose money more than they like to win or gain money. Also, for some reason, most of us think an item is worth more once we own it than before we own it.
Daniel Kahneman was one person who won a Nobel Prize for his work showing that people do not act like the early economist thought that they did. See a bit of a write up on him at Encyclopedia of Economics. Even Wikipedia has some information on loss aversion.
Yes, Canada is a capitalist society. However, it is also a democratic society and a socialistic society. Capitalism is still just a market system no matter what and currently seems to be working well in China with their Communist system (or probably more actually, their dictatorial system). Market systems go back a long way in China, they just never had capitalistic market system.
On my other blog I am today writing about Evertz Technologies (TSX-ET, OTC-EVTZF)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
First of all the economist like Adam Smith and John Maynard Keyes were just trying to figure out how the economy worked. They were just trying to figure out how it is that all of us could just be going about our lives and how everything could just work out.
However, they did start off with the rather silly premise that people always acted sensibly and reasonably and that everyone always did what was in their own best interest. (This is, of course, also assuming that people really knew what was in their own best interest.)
We know now that their premise is not true. People do all sorts of weird and wonderful things for weird and wonderful reasons. For example, recent studies have shown things like people hate to lose money more than they like to win or gain money. Also, for some reason, most of us think an item is worth more once we own it than before we own it.
Daniel Kahneman was one person who won a Nobel Prize for his work showing that people do not act like the early economist thought that they did. See a bit of a write up on him at Encyclopedia of Economics. Even Wikipedia has some information on loss aversion.
Yes, Canada is a capitalist society. However, it is also a democratic society and a socialistic society. Capitalism is still just a market system no matter what and currently seems to be working well in China with their Communist system (or probably more actually, their dictatorial system). Market systems go back a long way in China, they just never had capitalistic market system.
On my other blog I am today writing about Evertz Technologies (TSX-ET, OTC-EVTZF)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Bubbles
In a book I just read called Doomed to Repeat by Bill Fawcett, I found a very good definition of a bubble. He refers to Tulipmania that occurred in Holland in the late 1600's. (See Wikipedia for further information.) However, the recent bubbles we had of the dot com bubble and US housing bubbles were no different.
"Tulipmania and its collapse set eh pattern for every speculative bubble to come. Once people see only the money they can make by investing in something and pay no attention to the real value of the item or stock, the bubble begins to inflate. Those who sell early make money, others follow making more, and seeing the easy and quick profits, more buyers push the price up unrealistically. When the bubble gets too big, everyone, not just the investors, pays for their foolishness."
On my other blog I am today writing about ONEX Corp (TSX-OCX, OTC-ONEXF)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
"Tulipmania and its collapse set eh pattern for every speculative bubble to come. Once people see only the money they can make by investing in something and pay no attention to the real value of the item or stock, the bubble begins to inflate. Those who sell early make money, others follow making more, and seeing the easy and quick profits, more buyers push the price up unrealistically. When the bubble gets too big, everyone, not just the investors, pays for their foolishness."
On my other blog I am today writing about ONEX Corp (TSX-OCX, OTC-ONEXF)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Australia Investing
If you want to invest in Australia, perhaps you should check out new blog entry by Dividend Ninja.
On my other blog I am today writing about Loblaw Companies Ltd (TSX-L, OTC-LBLCF)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
On my other blog I am today writing about Loblaw Companies Ltd (TSX-L, OTC-LBLCF)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Politics
I am a social liberal (almost a libertarian) and a fiscal conservative. I firmly believe that no one has the right to tell others how to live their lives. I also think that we have to management our money properly. We must have social programs; we must look after the vulnerable members of our society. However, we must institute programs that we can afford. If we do not have proper funding for social programs, the programs will not be sustainable.
I have voted for all three major parties at different points in the past. Sometimes in elections I vote for individual representatives or sometimes I vote for a party. I tend to vote for individual representatives when I do not care for any of the party leaders.
I have voted for Olivia Chow in my riding when I did not see any party leader I cared for. I have also voted conservative for Harper. The thing I do not like about Harper is the legislation to have mandatory sentences or going to the 3 strike rule of California. I feel that this sort of legislation is a mistake. However, I feel that he is a competent Prime Minister. I do not find him a Prime Minister I can get excited about.
I have not decided how I will vote in the next election yet. I do not think that I could get excited about Justin Trudeau as a leader. However, the recent article by Conrad Black about Justin being able to surprise everyone by being a very good Prime Minister was interesting. Perhaps we should give Justin a chance.
In the recent B.C. election, if I could have voted, I would probably have voted for Adrian Dix. I read what he actually said and ignored all the hype from Christy Clark about him. He may have allowed pipelines through B.C. before Clark will. He just wanted to ensure that the environment was looked after. People seemed to have bought the negative campaign Clark ran against Dix.
On my other blog I am today writing about Loblaw Companies Ltd (TSX-L, OTC-LBLCF)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
I have voted for all three major parties at different points in the past. Sometimes in elections I vote for individual representatives or sometimes I vote for a party. I tend to vote for individual representatives when I do not care for any of the party leaders.
I have voted for Olivia Chow in my riding when I did not see any party leader I cared for. I have also voted conservative for Harper. The thing I do not like about Harper is the legislation to have mandatory sentences or going to the 3 strike rule of California. I feel that this sort of legislation is a mistake. However, I feel that he is a competent Prime Minister. I do not find him a Prime Minister I can get excited about.
I have not decided how I will vote in the next election yet. I do not think that I could get excited about Justin Trudeau as a leader. However, the recent article by Conrad Black about Justin being able to surprise everyone by being a very good Prime Minister was interesting. Perhaps we should give Justin a chance.
In the recent B.C. election, if I could have voted, I would probably have voted for Adrian Dix. I read what he actually said and ignored all the hype from Christy Clark about him. He may have allowed pipelines through B.C. before Clark will. He just wanted to ensure that the environment was looked after. People seemed to have bought the negative campaign Clark ran against Dix.
On my other blog I am today writing about Loblaw Companies Ltd (TSX-L, OTC-LBLCF)... continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Canadian Dividend All-Star List
Michael Weber, the Dividend Growth Investing & Retirement blogger has put together a great list of Canadian Dividend stocks on his site. The list is on an excel spreadsheet and is downloadable from his site.
The list includes Canadian companies that have increased their dividend for 5 or more consecutive years along with an abundance of extra stock information which includes:
On my other blog I am today writing about Power Corp of Canada (TSX-POW, OTC-PWCDF)...continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
The list includes Canadian companies that have increased their dividend for 5 or more consecutive years along with an abundance of extra stock information which includes:
- Regular stock information (Price, Dividend yield, P/E, P/B, etc.)
- 1, 3, 5, and 10 year average dividend growth rates
- Annual dividend amounts for the past 10 years
- Annual low stock prices for the past 10 years
- Annual highest dividend yields for the past 10 years
- 3, 5, and 10 year averages of the highest yields and comparisons to the current yield
- Number of consecutive years the company has increased their dividend
On my other blog I am today writing about Power Corp of Canada (TSX-POW, OTC-PWCDF)...continue...
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Our Debt
No matter some people think, we do have unsustainable debt. Yes, Keynes did say that governments should spend in bad times, or in economic recessions and depressions to get the economy going again. However, he also said that we need to pay down the debt in good times to be ready for when the bad times come.
The problem was that our governments spent all the money they received and then went heavily into debt in good times. That means that we had not much breathing room to deal with bad times. But guess what, we voted in governments that did this.
Another problem is unfunded liabilities. Our current debt is just what has been spent. Programs like OAS are unfunded liabilities and are not on any government balance sheet. Money for OAS come out of current money collected. Trouble is there are lots of boomers to retire shortly. The cost of OAS payments are going to skyrocket.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
The problem was that our governments spent all the money they received and then went heavily into debt in good times. That means that we had not much breathing room to deal with bad times. But guess what, we voted in governments that did this.
Another problem is unfunded liabilities. Our current debt is just what has been spent. Programs like OAS are unfunded liabilities and are not on any government balance sheet. Money for OAS come out of current money collected. Trouble is there are lots of boomers to retire shortly. The cost of OAS payments are going to skyrocket.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Charity
Most people are like me with a limited amount of money to spend on charity. There is so much need, but you have to make a choice what you will do and stick to it. This is what I do for the most part. I have charity as a budget item and mostly keep to that.
I loan money via Kiva. I never expect to get it back and I make new loans each year and also re-loan any money paid back. I like the idea of supporting people who need some capital to get started in life and earn a living. I also give to Salvation Army. I think that they support the really down and out portion of population better than any other group. Sometimes I give outside of this but this is what is in my budget.
Some charity giving I have never understood. That is when people walk, run or ride a bike for charity. I think it is a rather silly idea. So you do an enjoyable activity and someone pays charity because of this. When I was young we had bake sales and rummage sales or sold cookies. At least the people giving got something in return.
The building management company of where I rent allows tenant to have gardens when the produce goes to the local food bank. I am afraid I am not that good. It seems harsh that you cannot taste the fruits of your labor.
If you give produce from your garden to a neighbor they will thank you and perhaps return a favour. In any event you generate goodwill. My observation of food bank recipients is that they feel it is their due to get food from the food bank. No goodwill seems to be generated.
With Kiva, I think you are generating goodwill. People get helped out today, yes, but it seems a good way to help people to build their future.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
I loan money via Kiva. I never expect to get it back and I make new loans each year and also re-loan any money paid back. I like the idea of supporting people who need some capital to get started in life and earn a living. I also give to Salvation Army. I think that they support the really down and out portion of population better than any other group. Sometimes I give outside of this but this is what is in my budget.
Some charity giving I have never understood. That is when people walk, run or ride a bike for charity. I think it is a rather silly idea. So you do an enjoyable activity and someone pays charity because of this. When I was young we had bake sales and rummage sales or sold cookies. At least the people giving got something in return.
The building management company of where I rent allows tenant to have gardens when the produce goes to the local food bank. I am afraid I am not that good. It seems harsh that you cannot taste the fruits of your labor.
If you give produce from your garden to a neighbor they will thank you and perhaps return a favour. In any event you generate goodwill. My observation of food bank recipients is that they feel it is their due to get food from the food bank. No goodwill seems to be generated.
With Kiva, I think you are generating goodwill. People get helped out today, yes, but it seems a good way to help people to build their future.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Toronto's Mayor
What this mayor has shown is that the lefties are astonishing sore losers. I always vote and certainly like whom I vote for to win, but whatever happens, I move on. New leaders are seldom transformational. New leaders can move society a bit this way or a bit that way. They can make changes around the edges. If leaders say in power long enough, they can make changes that accumulate over time. However, Toronto is still Toronto.
I think in the next election for Toronto I will vote for Rob Ford, just to see the lefties once more tear out their hair and rant and rave and carry on.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
I think in the next election for Toronto I will vote for Rob Ford, just to see the lefties once more tear out their hair and rant and rave and carry on.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Middle East Christians
Why have Christians in the west ignored the Christians in the Middle East? The Middle Eastern Christians are Orthodox or Coptic and that is probably why. The crusaders were more upfront about this. They thought the orthodox Christians were heretics and therefore worse than the Muslims.
Do not forget that all Protestant churches have their roots in the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church has been rather hostile to eastern Christian Churches since the 11th century. The Protestant Churches just seemed to carry on this hostility.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Do not forget that all Protestant churches have their roots in the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church has been rather hostile to eastern Christian Churches since the 11th century. The Protestant Churches just seemed to carry on this hostility.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Diversification
This is a subject everyone seems to be talking about and about which I do not seem to take very seriously. I used to be more diversified that I am now. I used to have bonds, GICs, international stocks etc. At the moment I basically only have good Canadian dividend paying stocks.
Why the change. I did not think that diversifying into international stocks really helped my portfolio. It always was a lot of work keeping track of foreign markets and currencies. It is not that I do not have exposure to international markets as I have Canadian that sell or deal internationally.
The thing is I do not think that I have enough money to really worry about such diversifications. Bonds, GICs do not pay much at the moment, so why bother with such investments until this change.
At this time I am doing well with my Canadian dividend paying stocks. If any get into serious trouble, it will affect my portfolio adversely, but not critically. Now when there are problems some companies still raise dividends, some keep them flat and some cut them. My portfolio can handle this. Each recent bear market has affected different companies differently.
However, if times change, then I will look again at what I am investing in. But currently, I do not think that I have enough money invested to go to the trouble of diversifying outside Canada, or even outside stocks.
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) were graded as low in risk because it was felt that the whole US housing market would not collapse. It was felt that diversifying in different geographical areas in the US would be a protection. The problem was that the whole US housing market did collapse. Also, the 2008 bear market seems to have affected the whole world. So, what I am saying is that how you diversify can be important and some diversifications may not get you what you expect.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Why the change. I did not think that diversifying into international stocks really helped my portfolio. It always was a lot of work keeping track of foreign markets and currencies. It is not that I do not have exposure to international markets as I have Canadian that sell or deal internationally.
The thing is I do not think that I have enough money to really worry about such diversifications. Bonds, GICs do not pay much at the moment, so why bother with such investments until this change.
At this time I am doing well with my Canadian dividend paying stocks. If any get into serious trouble, it will affect my portfolio adversely, but not critically. Now when there are problems some companies still raise dividends, some keep them flat and some cut them. My portfolio can handle this. Each recent bear market has affected different companies differently.
However, if times change, then I will look again at what I am investing in. But currently, I do not think that I have enough money invested to go to the trouble of diversifying outside Canada, or even outside stocks.
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) were graded as low in risk because it was felt that the whole US housing market would not collapse. It was felt that diversifying in different geographical areas in the US would be a protection. The problem was that the whole US housing market did collapse. Also, the 2008 bear market seems to have affected the whole world. So, what I am saying is that how you diversify can be important and some diversifications may not get you what you expect.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Oil, Trains and Pipelines
We have just seen a cost of not allowing enough pipelines to be built to get our oil to market. See the latest news on the explosion of an oil tanker train in Lac Megantic at the CBC site.
The basic thing is that what is wanted by the market will find a way to get to the market. Our oil is wanted. However, there are lots of people who felt that if they stopped the building of pipelines they would stop Alberta oil from being mined. Train cars to transport the oil were built because not enough pipelines were allowed to be built.
Using pipelines to transport oil is a lot safer with fewer spills than using trains. Clearly those who thought that trains would not be used to transport oil were wrong.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
The basic thing is that what is wanted by the market will find a way to get to the market. Our oil is wanted. However, there are lots of people who felt that if they stopped the building of pipelines they would stop Alberta oil from being mined. Train cars to transport the oil were built because not enough pipelines were allowed to be built.
Using pipelines to transport oil is a lot safer with fewer spills than using trains. Clearly those who thought that trains would not be used to transport oil were wrong.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Air Canada
I was just reading a review about buying Air Canada (TSX-AC.B). Personally, I would never buy any air plane stock. I just do not see that you can make any money on this. These are never stocks that you can put away and forget about. Has any air plane stock lasted more than 10 years before it had to restructure the company because of lack of profits?
For Air Canada, I just looked at its chart on G&M. The 10 year chart goes back to only November 2007. The price was $19.32. The price now is $2.42. Need I say more?
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
For Air Canada, I just looked at its chart on G&M. The 10 year chart goes back to only November 2007. The price was $19.32. The price now is $2.42. Need I say more?
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Dividend Companies, Diversification
Generally speaking, if a firm is paying a dividend it is making a real profit. Why I say generally, is because some companies do pay out dividends when they cannot afford to do so. Such situations can last much longer than you might think possible. However, they never last forever.
This is why Dividend Payout Ratios are good to look at when investing in a company. Companies can, of course lie, or muck around with their accounting. Some companies go bankrupt because the business is not viable. This is why you diversify.
Do not let one company's stock you are holding be higher than an amount you cannot afford to lose. I look at the company's stocks value and not let any company be more than 5 to 10% of my portfolio.
When I was starting out, I bought 100 shares of one company and did not buy any more until I had purchases 100 shares of two other companies. You can diversify this this way also if you are purchasing mutual funds or ETFs. However if go the mutual funds or ETF route, you pay fee for getting someone to make investment decisions for you.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
This is why Dividend Payout Ratios are good to look at when investing in a company. Companies can, of course lie, or muck around with their accounting. Some companies go bankrupt because the business is not viable. This is why you diversify.
Do not let one company's stock you are holding be higher than an amount you cannot afford to lose. I look at the company's stocks value and not let any company be more than 5 to 10% of my portfolio.
When I was starting out, I bought 100 shares of one company and did not buy any more until I had purchases 100 shares of two other companies. You can diversify this this way also if you are purchasing mutual funds or ETFs. However if go the mutual funds or ETF route, you pay fee for getting someone to make investment decisions for you.
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Marvyne Jenoff – Words Water Light
My friend Marvyne will have a show at the Skylight Gallery, Northern District Library from July 3rd to July 30th, 2013. The address is 40 Orchard View Blvd. This library is located near the Yonge, Eglinton Subway station. Orchard View Blvd is one street north of Eglinton off Yonge. The Library is just west of Yonge Street.
The show is called "words - water - light". The show is text based watermedia paintings and abstract photographs. See more details at on Marvyne Jenoff's site.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Economic Cycles
Economic cycles have been around a very long time. They also have nothing to do with capitalism. I was not surprised when we have economic expansions and contractions recently. Actually no one seems to be surprised at economic expansions, but they seem shocked when we have economic contractions.
If you ever read the bible you would have heard the story of the dream of the Egypt pharaoh having a dream of 7 good years followed by 7 bad years. If you read anything about the middle ages in Europe, and most people have, there were also good years and bad years.
A number of cycles have been identified although there are lots of arguments about they exist or the details of the cycles. There is the presidential 4 year cycle people talk about. However, there was a 4 year economic cycle in Britain before a 4 year cycle was recognized in the US. There is the Business Cycle. You can read about it at Wikipedia. There is also the Kondratiev Cycle and this is also referenced in Wikipedia.
Economist and governments have been trying to get rid of these cycles, but they seem only to manage to damage the expansion part of cycles, especially the business cycle. They cannot stopped them or stop the contractions.
Perhaps if more people were aware of such cycles, they would not try to blame someone for them. Every time there is a contraction, people always try to find someone to blame. This is rather fruitless. What we should do is expect them and deal with them.
I invest in the stock market. I expect that they will be expansions and contractions. The contractions do not bother me, nor do I try to blame someone for them. I have invested in good companies and I just go with the flow. (Although, I must admit that when the stock market contracts I tend not to look at my portfolio. Why worry unnecessarily. I know that the contractions will pass and that another expansion will happen.)
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
If you ever read the bible you would have heard the story of the dream of the Egypt pharaoh having a dream of 7 good years followed by 7 bad years. If you read anything about the middle ages in Europe, and most people have, there were also good years and bad years.
A number of cycles have been identified although there are lots of arguments about they exist or the details of the cycles. There is the presidential 4 year cycle people talk about. However, there was a 4 year economic cycle in Britain before a 4 year cycle was recognized in the US. There is the Business Cycle. You can read about it at Wikipedia. There is also the Kondratiev Cycle and this is also referenced in Wikipedia.
Economist and governments have been trying to get rid of these cycles, but they seem only to manage to damage the expansion part of cycles, especially the business cycle. They cannot stopped them or stop the contractions.
Perhaps if more people were aware of such cycles, they would not try to blame someone for them. Every time there is a contraction, people always try to find someone to blame. This is rather fruitless. What we should do is expect them and deal with them.
I invest in the stock market. I expect that they will be expansions and contractions. The contractions do not bother me, nor do I try to blame someone for them. I have invested in good companies and I just go with the flow. (Although, I must admit that when the stock market contracts I tend not to look at my portfolio. Why worry unnecessarily. I know that the contractions will pass and that another expansion will happen.)
This blog is meant for educational purposes only, and is not to provide investment advice. Before making any investment decision, you should always do your own research or consult an investment professional. See my site for an index to these blog entries and for stocks followed. Follow me on Twitter.
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