Voice of Reason

The Worst Is Over ... Again ... And Again ...

I'm blaming Baji for causing me to spill my beverage all over my keyboard reading his "caculations" logic. As far as the article itself baseball analogies trying to judge what inning we're in is equally dim-witted. Maybe these guys never heard of a 9th inning ralley where the home team was six runs behind with two outs but won the game in spite of it at the last minute. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Market forecasters are about as useful as used toilet paper and no more accurate than rolling the dice repeatedly.

Oh look... companies keep reporting better than expected earnnings, according to the offical formula we haven't even had a single quarter of negative growth let alone the called for two in a row.

Now Baji, I don't know what you're smoking but it must be high quality something. You claim 2 million subprime loans outstanding at an average of 300,000 / loan yields a total of 600 billion dollars at risk. I don't know where you got your figures or if that's the total outstanding subprime or just was is expected to go sour. If the former you didn't say so. I would hope you're not that gloomy if you think everyone will stop paying their mortgage which obviously would be crazy to think.

Memo to Seeking Alpha, maybe you should consider requiring drug testing before letting anyboy spew their poison with the usual undocumented garbage. I mean I'm a season old crusty investor that pays no attention to yahoos like seen here but somebody new to investing may take the short sellers seriously.

Comparative Price Shopping: Selected Banking, Mortgage and Brokerage Stocks

I can't stand TD Ameritrade commericals. That over the hill actor from Law & Order is a BIG negative and makes me avoid anything he pitches. In contrast E-Trade commericals have just the right touch of humor. A merger would be interesting but doubt it is in the cards.

Comparative Price Shopping: Selected Banking, Mortgage and Brokerage Stocks

User 181148 doesn't even know how to pick a posting name. LOL!
Accordingly I don't take anything he says seriously. This guy/gal could give the Grim Reaper and run for is money on being constantly negative about everything in every thread he shows up.

www.fastfancydress.co....

Comparative Price Shopping: Selected Banking, Mortgage and Brokerage Stocks

So-called analysts like Prashat Bhatia apparently out to make a name for themselves by irresponsible comments should be fired and banded for life from ever working in the industry again for gross misconduct.

Someone tell me how an analyst can on one hand scream sell, sell, sell to the public while he's in the loop at City which bought, bought, bought during the same period. I thought the regulators frowned on this double speak. If on the other hand this guy wasn't in the loop on City's own security purchasing, what does that say about this guy's creditability? I smell a rat.

Was Last Week the Bottom?

I have a penchant for making money. Bottom? I don't care if we're at or close to a "bottom", risk brings reward. No pain, no gain. If you wait 1,000 points then say oh, we're at a bottom you already lost a big chunk of the move. If you're wrong, you're wrong. Ever here of stop loss orders, trailing stops or Puts?

Since I started posting here a few weeks ago I see mostly chicken little types screaming the sky is fallingm the sky is falling. Check history, that's the biggest sign of all we're at or close to the magical bottom. Started with 3,000 in 1983. Now approaching seven figures. You don't get there without assuming some risk. If you want no risk, I bet your local bank will give you a nice safe 1.2% CD.

Big Banks: Too Big To Fail, Too Big To Bail

Tie D should have stopped while he was ahead. He starting out saying "The FRB are idiots" No kidding. Uncle Ben and company are ALWAYS chasing the curve and accordingly behind it doing what they could have and should have done too little, too late.

Of course much of today's problems you can put squarely on the lap of my all time favorite FRB dummy, none other than goofy Greenspan, aka Mr. Mumbles who as yet can't utter a single sentence in public that makes any sense at all, yet you have presidents, Congress and of course the Bozos on Wall Street kissing the ground that silly old fart walks on. Go figure.

I'm a successful investor. Very. I've been doing it more years than Cramer (yes it is my full time "job" now and I listen to only ONE person for financial advise. MYSELF. Period. Others should try that. They would be a lot richer. Really.

So as long as I'm tooting my own horn, I'll share what I learned several decades ago thereby violating my own rule asking you to do what I have done. Investing, smartly boils down to being a GAME. The biggest game on the planet, anyone can play, few know the rules as simple as they are.

Rule #1 Markets go up on GREED. You can profit on that.

Rule #2 Markets go down on FEAR. You can profit on that too!

Rule #3 Don't fight the tape.

Rule #4 Have a plan and stick to it except when you need to break it which you will over and over. <wink> Read again till in sinks in.

Rule #5 Don't try to pick tops or bottoms, but DO pay attention.

Rule #6 If most people are buying you should probably be selling.

Rule #7 If most people are selling you should probably be buying.

Rule #8 There is no such thing as a "sure thing".

Rule #9 Yes, stocks can fall to zero value, thankfully not below.

Rule #10 Your best teacher is experience. Learn from your mistakes.