trader_murf

Will Altria Group Burn Out Long Term?

Got my dividends on PM and MO today, can't help it. Hate smoke but I am a cigarette stock junkie! Probably PM better bet cause of international and less regulation (although super run since last March) but either or, dividends, dividends, dividends! LO has had such a crazy run would wait for pullback. No hurry to get out of these cash cows on account of regulation. If it really falls apart can sell later.... after more dividends!!!! I love my Altria (politically incorrect). Spell these any way you want just remember the tickers.

Expect the Unemployment Rate to Increase

Thanks, what I suspected all long. I like the charts, things are always more recognizable on charts. And there are a whole lot of people nearing the outer limits of the 72 weeks allowed by the federally extended UIB that some states like NY accepted that will fall off the radar as no longer officially unemployed. And hey, I graduated college into unemployment in the 1970's and even then UIB were never extended for 72 weeks. I understand the party line about employment being a lagging indicator but I still don't get the part about buying a new car and getting a mortgage and all the goodies to put in a house, plus paying the bills without a job.

We Lost Half a Million Jobs! Hooray!

Thanks Fierman for stating stats without the spin. I feel like watching the media CNCB is like watching some big propaganda machine - green shoots my butt. I mean I hope they are right because I am a capitalist gal at heart. But reality around me says something far different and I know at least some of those 13 million referred to by our colleague "melpol" are deeply in credit card and home equity debt with that waiting to hit the fan. I don't even have to go into the housing sales up - all those foreclosures. Then there are bunches of us are like deer caught in head lights with increasing expenses (inflation? what inflation - must be a figment of my car insurer, mass transit and utilities raising rates). Also 300 million living well? Some of them working for half of what they used to make, working less hours, part-time, working for all benefits taken away. Employers are telling them be grateful you still have a job never mind a paid day off or health insurance. Then there are those who are completely lost to the discouraged workers stats but happy days are here again. Pardon my skepticism.

Millions Set to Cut Back or Terminate Wireless Service Plans

Just a point of information. I haven't decided whether to stay with VZ or go to a prepaid with another company. In the meantime when I've sailed to the end of the cell phone contract world, I have only recently found out you don't fall off the end of the flat world. The service continues, everything continues on a month to month basis but without any contract lock in. The problem comes when your cell phone dies or you want a free phone or their $50 off a new phone you get sucked into a new 2 yr contract. I have also heard if you buy a new phone that is not locked VZ will give you a hard time about transferring your number and service to it.

13 Safe Stocks in a Return to the 1970s

I remember the 70's. I had a job in college and I got laid off at the same time as I graduated so I graduated on to unemployment. I was more fortunate than a lot of my compatriots. My idea of investing in those days was having enough for brown rice and cabbage which I decided, after some research, I could live on if no job came through. Thank you for your father's investing ideas from that time and your thoughts on this subject, They make sense and I was interested to hear them.

My Dividend Portfolio: I Like Beer

I'm with Dividend Growth Investor any opinions on DEO?


On Nov 23 05:51 PM Dividend Growth Investor wrote:

> If you are a fan of alcohol stocks, have you considered Diageo (DEO)
> as a global dividend play?
>
> www.dividendgrowthinve...

Portfolio Preservation in a Down Market

I have been using DXD (about 10%) in my retirement IRA (stocks only, have another account mostly in cash right now in Vanguard so it isn't 10% of all my retirement funds) to have one green number when everything else is red and I have been really pleased and it is easy to use. I have taken some profits in that as well as SDS. Thanks for the idea of looking for the ETF's that short specific sectors. It will give me courage. I have been investing in individual stocks for 10 years but this market makes me feel like as soon as I put my toe in the water on a new investment - long or short - a quick bull or bear shark grabs it one way or the other!

Also glad someone came out and said this diversification thing sure has had its limits this time around. Thanks.

A Buy & Hold Forever Dividend Stock Portfolio

Interesting article and I like and own some of your picks but there is no such thing as a buy and hold portfolio and open those mutual fund statements that was my mistake in the tech bust. Knowledge is power.

Biggest Gainers, Losers Since 9/29

Buy and hold is bogus we are back to 1999 levels. I am down this year but far less than the averages because of watching stocks, taking profits and cutting losses. In retrospect I should have cut even more losses. The most frightening thing I am hearing in the media is just sit pat and hold, it will come back and even worse one so-called financial expert on TV advising to only looking at your 401K statements once or twice a year! I learned something from the tech crash. I am working on educating my friends who are now willing to pay attention about having some cash and at least knowing what you own and not to blindly trust so-called financial advisors.

Not Just Oops: Concerns About Technical Glitches

I noticed something similar at the very end of trading in PM on 9/29. I had an order in for 47 something that I put in at 3:45 which wasn't filled by the end of the day. When I checked my account several hours later the closing price was 46.80. There was something on the news about the big trading houses stepping in and taking up all the sell orders because there were no buyers. Okay I am a small buyer but I was a buyer and my order was never filled. Is this incompetence, a technical glitch or are us small investors collateral damage in the big gun games? Also all of this sounds possibly at worst illegal (altho what IS illegal these days?!?!) and at best unethical what can we do? Guess I should be grateful I wasn't on the wrong side of a worse trade but all of this really infuriates me.

Armageddon Postponed

Past Tense and Pent Up Demand - got it right. History - the sun never sets on the British Empire. It could never happen to us and now here we are. I guess it can happen to us. Happy landings.

Which Company Should Replace AIG in the Dow?

KFT who woulda thunk it. Don't get me wrong I have a position in it for no reason I can justify. Guess every dog has its day.

Year to Date Performance of Dow 30 Members

At the risk of stating the obvious what this interesting line up shows is that timing (and maybe more than a little bit of luck) is everything in this market. The reality is any one of these can have made or lost one money depending on entry point. It seems like trading on fundamentals is a far second to timing, psychology and luck. In this market I have bought positions that seem fundamentally sound and even with charts that look good that shift in days and have had to just dump them to cut losses, except for BA, ha, ha - see above. What is really bad cutting those losses on great stocks was still the right choice months later. I can only figure that eventually great values like XOM will come back into favor. In this market I am still buying but only very selectively and smaller amounts than usual. If something pops I will tend to sell and take a profit and hold nothing long term except several conservative dividend payors and for better or worse some Vanguard mutual funds for my IRA but that is another story...

Bracing for Another Round of Credit Related Woes

Perhaps I digress a bit but here in Brooklyn at least where I live the prices on co-ops and houses still seem to be gaining value at an insane speed. I remember '89 and '90 in Brooklyn as well. I don't remember the term "short sale" but I do remember people turning in keys to co-ops with bad underlying fundamental mortgages and also people who had to sell taking a loss. I also was a dump newbie trader in 1998. All stocks come down. My point is, is it really possible to get through this credit mess and inflated housing prices (not to mention home equity loans, over extended credit cards, car loans, student loans, etc.) without the house of cards, so to speak collapsing in all areas to one extent or another? How can all of this be cleared out with foreclosures and excess inventory in Florida, California, Ohio, Nevada and even upstate New York but a housing tree grows to the sky in Brooklyn? I know they say all real estate is local but I just don't buy it, it reminds me of no not Cisco at 100, just hold on. I think to get this whole thing right more has to get shaken out. Judging from the recent sales around here get out the popcorn and crash helmets, sit back and watch the show. Or maybe snack on those ultra short etf's mentioned above.

Middle Class Retail Sales Point to Continued Weakness

Love your article as always. Just a personal and not particularly researched comment about unemployment. The Feds approved a 13 week extension in UIB for anyone whose benefits expired before May 2007 and is currently unemployed. It seems to require state by state approval. The extension was approved here in NYS by Gov. Patterson for the week of July 13th I think it was. I looked at an article about the most recent unemployment stats and Alaska and RI approved the extension for the week of July 19th (?). Anyway the point is I think there is far more unemployment out there that will gradually show up in the numbers. I don't know if these 13 week extensions are considered "new" or "ongoing" claims. A 13 week extension can be a lifesaver but no replacement for employment. In any event none of this looks good for retailers or the economy. Also it is laughable that there are still politicians and pundits debating if there will be a recession.