whisperonthewind

Top 10 Online Trading Destinations: August 2009

I prefer Sharebuilder over TDAmeritrade. I have accounts at both, and over the years I've discovered that Sharebuilder likes their customers. They are very pleasant on the telephone (average wait time for a real person is measured in under two minutes, and most recently in seconds), very helpful via email, and when mistakes are made they are rectified quickly.

At tax time, it's extremely easy to access and download a custom report for your account, in a variety of formats. I've used both Excel and OpenOffice as well as viewing online.

Now, if TurboTax would only get together with Sharebuilder so I could just upload my Sharebuilder info to them...

Can Higher Capital Standards Cause Lower Pay?

When the banks become less profitable, the investors will find some other investment opportunity.

U.S. Profits from Bailed-Out Banks

PainfullyAware, the government doesn't make money, it takes money. It doesn't earn money because it doesn't work.

Banks: Now Too 'Bigger' to Fail

Wow, browser problems! On Internet Explorer, the charts were too small to read - or even tell if they were blurry! On Firefox, and Google Chrome, the charts were incomplete and HUGE, so that I only got a few actual lines.

I gave up after that.

JP Morgan's Q3 Sentiment Remains Strong

JPM still has a lousy dividend. They all do, but it's time JPM brought theirs up.

Seven Drivers Behind the Recent Boom in Bank Profits

"The good news is: with their easy money policy, the Fed is guaranteeing that we will not relive the horrors of mass unemployment witnessed during the Great Depression. The economy will recover. "

Michigan wants to know when... the automakers may have been bailed out - although we'll see if that actually worked - but their suppliers are still fighting for air.

These 47 S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Are Good Investment Opportunities

Krawler2, that's a terrific link! I love it. Thank you.

THofler, that website looks great in Internet Explorer (and I like the website), but if you're a Firefox user, give up. It just doesn't look the same. I've contacted the website owner previously, and they are aware that there is a problem. So far, nothing has been fixed. So if any of you want to view the website, use IE.

The Scandal of Overdraft Fees

Just as the government suggests that a percentage tax on gasoline would be more fair (and more advantageous for them) than a flat tax on gasoline, so would a percentage NSF be more fair and subsequently more advantageous for the banks. Suggest 30% - for those who bounce a check/over charge a debit card for a $6 lunch, this would cost them $1.80 in fees. For those who do the same for a $100 purchase, the fee would be $30. For those who do it for $500, the fee would be $150.

For those who are less financially fortunate, the fee would still be sufficient to be painful. No one likes to pay $7.80 when the price should only be $6.00. For those who are more arrogant and understand that they could have the use of $500 for a small ($30 or less) fee, a fee of $150 may change their minds. And any bank that charge an NSF fee for less than $1.00 should be a bank with which one no longer does business.

A Bull Market That Few Are Buying

"The government would show true responsibility by breaking
up those institutions considered "too big to fail," tightening some
regulations on financial institutions while loosening regulations
on nonfinancial institutions, reducing most tax burdens and government budgets, and in general, trusting the people rather
than government bureaus to work the economy and try out
their constructive ideas."

Actually, the government would show much more responsible behavior if it had just stayed out of the market to begin with. If they hadn't decided that homes MUST be made available and attainable to people who couldn't really afford them, the mortgages might not have been left unpaid. The government couldn't keep out then, and it can't keep out now. You get what you pay for, and if you can't pay, you can't have. How hard is that to understand?

The 'Sell After Dividend Cut/Freeze' Rule, With Exceptions

As a dividend lover, but a relative newbie, I appreciate the insight in the article as well as most of the comments. (I choose not to pick my stocks based on political reasons.) I have some stocks that fluctuate with a variety of things, i.e., oil-based stocks that change based on the price of oil, energy stocks that vary frequently, etc. Some, over the years, have low periods and high periods. I've kept those, because they did have such nice payouts in 2008, and are still paying, but slightly lower. Some, gradually, are coming up again.

I will watch for some of the things you've discussed, and make my decisions based on a combination of my logic and yours. My choice may not change, but at least I'm considering the options.

Banks Stocks Seem Like Near Term Winners

No disclosure? Perhaps just a commentator, and not an investor?

GM's Tough Treatment Should Be a Model for Other Bailouts

What would be interesting is to see how many of those automotive employees - both those laid off and those still employed - will vote for Obama next time. It's a sure bet that the vast majority of them voted for him the first time. He was their hope, their dream. The unions supported him, fought feverishly for him, and he turned around and slapped them in the face.

I don't think it's right, or fair, to say that "Buy American" is the only way to go, but for the American Auto companies to receive that kind of treatment was just wrong. Certainly, there were issues with the union pay. Certainly there were issues with jets. But those issues were here before and no one had any problem with them then. The cars and trucks were expensive before, they're expensive now. They were lacking in fuel efficiency before, they are now. But to basically claim they'll go bankrupt is only digging that hole deeper.

On the other hand, maybe those automotive workers and union reps won't vote for Ms. Pelosi again, too. THAT could be a plus.

Why I'm Holding On to Citigroup Stock

Lightway, if you had read the whole article, Citigroup was talking about another bank. READ.

Why I'm Holding On to Citigroup Stock

Lightway, if you had read the whole article, Citigroup was talking about another bank. READ.

Exclusive: Big Banks' Recent Profitability Due to AIG Scam?

Although I don't doubt there is some truth to each and every comment, I believe the real answer is somewhere straight down the middle with this whole thing. ALL of the problem was not just in the banking industry, a large chunk was in the creeps who decided to either use the faulty loan mechanisms and the dumbos who knew they couldn't pay the mortgages and decided to scam the system, never thinking that they would be the ones to pay in the end. Daily we hear about how bad the banks are, and no one goes after those other idiots. So since we're ignoring half the problem, we aren't getting the whole answer either.

That means, basically, that with only half the answer, and the solution being somewhere in the middle of that half, we still don't really know what will happen when this is all sorted out. If we allow the idiots to get away with what they did, and only go after the banks, then we are the ones paying for everything and the idiots get off scot free. And they are probably shorting all the bank stocks and running away with all those profits. Silly us, to be so hung up with name calling and finger pointing when we should be facing the other half of the problem instead.