Are Utilities Done Switching From Coal-To-Gas? [View article]
CMI, You made a great point to include Mr. Farrell's comments , he is one of the top men in the energy field. My deduction from his comment is to invest in ng, coal, and oil. These three are the necessity for producing electricity, without which, we cannot survive. Investments should be made based on which will return, you the investor, the greater profits. This arguments over the merits of each is wonderful the liberal arts classroom, but most of the SA readers are interested in making money. Good writing and research.
My K.I.S.S. Dividend Growth Portfolio 2nd Quarter Update [View article]
PTI, Why so many stocks if you want to go by KISS model? I believe 10 to 15 equities is all the average investor can handle at one time. I have kept with strong stocks like Philip Morris to pay my way, and it has allowed me to be retired since I was 53. Each to their own and good luck investing.
Can Altria Continue To Smoke The Competition? [View article]
Nice job describing MO, and they have some of the best bean counters in the business world. MO has one other key to their success, a top notch sales force. As a consumer products co., they control their retail environment. This makes the job harder for competition and continues to give MO added leverage. Long MO since 1977!
Philip Morris: Step To The Sidelines [View article]
Bill, great article! This is way to build a stake in PM. Ever since the spinoff and before with Altria, this has been my approach. The goal is to slowly build shares, not to become a pig. I have more than doubled my share count without using a pennie of my money. PM trades in a range so, take advanage of it.
How My Family And I Overcame Obstacles To Be Better Off Than 4 Years Ago [View article]
Gee Mike, You wrote a great article, evaluation and had the strength to follow through. I welcome you to the small but very satisfied world of those who pay as we go. This has nothing to do with politics, rather a way of life that is more secure and happier. To answer the question, "Are you better off now than four years ago?", well yes, and better than 10,15 or 20 years ago. Welcome to sunny side of the street.
PS our Labs are the same, I'm just living in her world.
Lorillard: Growth Will Be Limited Moving Forward [View article]
II, you are correct in your observations. If MO decides to redirect efforts to the price category, both LO and RAI will have volume problems. PM sales force is larger than LO and RAi's combined and they control the point of sale in the vast majority of retail outlets. This being said, MO must take care in not extending it's share of the market without having the government becoming involved.
Altria Posts A Fantastic Second Quarter [View article]
Mr. Remurraymd, it looks as if you wish for you fellow man to be helped as long as someone else does the hard work. If you are concerned about feeding the hungry, have you given to Heifer or World Vision programs? I would bet a dividend of MO that you haven't. Have you given to KIVA or African Exchange to help those who want to help themselves? When you place your house in perfect order, then you can call out us horrible MO, PM, investors, owners and employees.
Philip Morris Pleases Investors Again [View article]
Bill, as I responded to Todd Johnsons' article in March " As a long time PM manager, I know that PM has two unwritten goals. First is to make money for the company, employees' and shareholders. The second goal is to insure that goal number 1 is strictly followed. Do you ever see PM officials on the "talking heads' shows"? No, they are to busy following rules one and two!
Light Up Your Dividend Portfolio With Philip Morris [View article]
Todd, great write up. As a long time PM manager, I know that PM has two unwritten goals. First is to make money for the company, employees' and shareholders. The second goal is to insure that goal number 1 is strictly followed. Have you ever meet anyone who lost money on PM or MO?
Confessions Of A Retired 1st Year Dividend Growth Investor [View article]
Bob, First off, you have very good writing skills, which is hard to come by in this day and age. You are seeing the light like old Saint Paul, and it is nothing like the articles and talking heads want you to believe. The stocks you are now long on look good. My rules of thumb, as a retiree, is I invest only with companies that pay dividends and have a record of good dividend. Next, buy companies that if they go out of business, we will not need to worry about retirement, like RDS, D, PM, etc. Keep at it!
Retirement Strategy: 10 Biggest Lies We Are Told About Retirement (Part 11) [View article]
R. Thanks for the great overview. To your new readers, just look at the holdings for the top 5 income and value mutual funds, as rated by assets. These funds will generally have the same overlap of companies, therefore save your mutual fund expenses and buy several of those stocks. You will get a higher dividend plus capital growth. It's your money. By the way, if the brokers/ rep's are so smart, why are they still working 9 to 5?
Norm, Great article again, I would look harder at LMT with all the gov't budget mess. The other two are great. Remind your reader's to always check first if the company offers a direct stock purchase plan and use the DRIP program. DRIP's are an easy and painless way to built up a solid position.
Core Retirement Portfolio For The 56 Year Old [View article]
Norman, great review and insight, as a fellow central Virginian, (chesterfield cty) I am long PM, MO, RDS-B, with some NLY and a few other high income funds to add to the old monthly payout. As a retired MO sales manger, keep an eye on this one. Cutting 15% of workforce (white collar & sales) shows the degree of fallen sales. Taking profits on the up tick is sometimes a good idea.
Richmond, Va. Here on the East coast/mid atlantic things are going down hill. Just pulled realty trac for the surrounding zip codes. High end homes were covered with realty tracs red "F" signs. These homes are in the strong upper middle class/wealthy areas. This has always been a balance economic area, government, industry (blue and white collar) but not any more.
Financing Retirement: What's Your Real Number? [View article]
Great job David, Dividends or not, the real goal is to live within your means. I retired at 54 with 3 kids, two starting private college. How? Never spending what you don't have. Receive a bonus, you buy a good stock, not a new bass boat. The individuals responding to your blog mostly seem to be in this category, otherwise they would not be discussing the merits of dividends vs. growth. Common sense and discipline are the keys. I'm a dividend guy, no mutuals,with a added taste of ETF's. In addition, by the age of 50, if you cannot pay cash, do you really need it. Thanks for you good work
Are Utilities Done Switching From Coal-To-Gas? [View article]
You made a great point to include Mr. Farrell's comments , he is one of the top men in the energy field. My deduction from his comment is to invest in ng, coal, and oil. These three are the necessity for producing electricity, without which, we cannot survive. Investments should be made based on which will return, you the investor, the greater profits. This arguments over the merits of each is wonderful the liberal arts classroom, but most of the SA readers are interested in making money. Good writing and research.
My K.I.S.S. Dividend Growth Portfolio 2nd Quarter Update [View article]
Why so many stocks if you want to go by KISS model? I believe 10 to 15 equities is all the average investor can handle at one time. I have kept with strong stocks like Philip Morris to pay my way, and it has allowed me to be retired since I was 53. Each to their own and good luck investing.
Can Altria Continue To Smoke The Competition? [View article]
Philip Morris: Step To The Sidelines [View article]
How My Family And I Overcame Obstacles To Be Better Off Than 4 Years Ago [View article]
You wrote a great article, evaluation and had the strength to follow through. I welcome you to the small but very satisfied world of those who pay as we go. This has nothing to do with politics, rather a way of life that is more secure and happier.
To answer the question, "Are you better off now than four years ago?", well yes, and better than 10,15 or 20 years ago.
Welcome to sunny side of the street.
PS our Labs are the same, I'm just living in her world.
Lorillard: Growth Will Be Limited Moving Forward [View article]
they control the point of sale in the vast majority of retail outlets. This being said, MO must take care in not extending it's share of the market without having the government becoming involved.
Altria Posts A Fantastic Second Quarter [View article]
Philip Morris Pleases Investors Again [View article]
Do you ever see PM officials on the "talking heads' shows"? No, they are to busy following rules one and two!
Light Up Your Dividend Portfolio With Philip Morris [View article]
Have you ever meet anyone who lost money on PM or MO?
Confessions Of A Retired 1st Year Dividend Growth Investor [View article]
First off, you have very good writing skills, which is hard to come by in this day and age. You are seeing the light like old Saint Paul, and it is nothing like the articles and talking heads want you to believe. The stocks you are now long on look good. My rules of thumb, as a retiree, is I invest only with companies that pay dividends and have a record of good dividend. Next, buy companies that if they go out of business, we will not need to worry about retirement, like RDS, D, PM, etc.
Keep at it!
Retirement Strategy: 10 Biggest Lies We Are Told About Retirement (Part 11) [View article]
Core Portfolio For The 59 Year Old [View article]
Great article again, I would look harder at LMT with all the gov't budget mess. The other two are great. Remind your reader's to always check first if the company offers a direct stock purchase plan and use the DRIP program. DRIP's are an easy and painless way to built up a solid position.
Core Retirement Portfolio For The 56 Year Old [View article]
The Housing Double Dip Is Here [View article]
Here on the East coast/mid atlantic things are going down hill. Just pulled realty trac for the surrounding zip codes. High end homes were covered with realty tracs red "F" signs. These homes are in the strong upper middle class/wealthy areas. This has always been a balance economic area, government, industry (blue and white collar) but not any more.
Financing Retirement: What's Your Real Number? [View article]
Dividends or not, the real goal is to live within your means. I retired at 54 with 3 kids, two starting private college. How? Never spending what you don't have. Receive a bonus, you buy a good stock, not a new bass boat.
The individuals responding to your blog mostly seem to be in this category, otherwise they would not be discussing the merits of dividends vs. growth. Common sense and discipline are the keys.
I'm a dividend guy, no mutuals,with a added taste of ETF's. In addition, by the age of 50, if you cannot pay cash, do you really need it.
Thanks for you good work