Off Topic Investment Thread

1-Paid agents who are for the most part hobbyists, who are not professionals, and who seem to have no idea as to duty to the client.

2-A loan process that never seems to go right the first time. How is it that mortgage companies who are merchants in the trade and have been in that trade for years (or longer) always seem to come back for more information?
I have only purchased 1 house (and hopefully my last), but the process was simple, straight forward, and I found no fault with any of it?
 
I have only purchased 1 house (and hopefully my last), but the process was simple, straight forward, and I found no fault with any of it?

I agree. I've purchased 4 and have always dealt with professional agents and bankers.
 
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If you guys would like to continue the discussion regarding investments, feel free to create a thread in the Lounge with the "Off Topic" prefix. I'd be happy to move these posts to that thread.

EDIT: Thread created, all relevant posts relocated here.
Aw gee, and here I am, ready to input my 2 cents worth on real estate agents and such, seeing as how I deal with them as a contractor/handyman on a regular basis.
Oh well. See ya later.
Cheers.
 
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IMO, the stock market is over valued by a lot. When the adjustment comes, it's going to be deep and long. I'm currently in low cost retirement accounts, with some equities. I need to realocate but am not sure what moves to make. I really need to chat with an advisor with some real credentials. I just keep putting it off. Record after record makes it easy to sit on my hands.
 
IMO, the stock market is over valued by a lot. When the adjustment comes, it's going to be deep and long. I'm currently in low cost retirement accounts, with some equities. I need to realocate but am not sure what moves to make. I really need to chat with an advisor with some real credentials. I just keep putting it off. Record after record makes it easy to sit on my hands.
I've tried to track historical PE Ratios by market. The data's tough to find. If someone can point me to a source I'd really appreciate it.

PE ratios.jpg


The DJIA is orange. I only found the data through 2004.
The S&P 500 is blue. I had data at July 2019 and have not looked for 1/1/20 yet.

From what I've gathered so far, I would not agree that the market is over-valued...not based upon PE at least. I'm surprised that all these retirees and 401(k) investors who are fleeing cash have not bid prices up higher than this. Quantitative Easing started in late 2008.

As I said before, lots of retirees' cash in equities. I'm one of them.

I read a Morningstar article that recommended:
-Keep 2 years of living expenses in cash
-Keep years 3-10 of living expenses in semi-liquid accounts (CDs, bonds)
-Keep years 11+ in the stock market

The idea is to have 10 years of cash needs not in equities so that when bad times hit, you can let the investments sit until the stocks recover. The Voya guy referred to this as The Bucket Method.
 
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Warren Buffet said, "In the short term, the stock market is a voting machine. In the long term, it's a weighing machine". The stock market is suppose to realign itself about every 36 months. It's been over 140 months. How could it be anything else.

The reason it might not be obvious is because this administration casts a shadow over everything they do, and because I believe there to be a currency bubble. (I'm making this up so don't go selling off cause I said it) If interest rates were doing what the market was telling them to do, they'd be a lot higher right now. Fact is, they're near zero and have been since 2008. That's no accident. The QE is continuing too which is what's propping up the repo market. The inverted yield curve that happened is being treated, not fixed. Then there's the national debt which is funding stock buyback schemes so CEO's can bolster their bonuses. We're going to need those automatic stimulus programs like unemployment, renters assistance, ect, but the national debt will be crazy by then.
(A trillion is a thousand BILLION) Then there's the consumer debt, mortgage debt, student debt, debt---

I'm no economist but I'm having a hard time believing the official story. IMO, the value of the dollar is going to have a coming to Jesus moment. I'm honestly at a loss as to what to do about it.
 
Remember that thread back in August where we discussed Mazda stock? Somehow Tesla stock has more than doubled in the same time period. Crazy. Wouldn't have called that, no position.

It is mildly entertaining to read the posts and rage on Twitter by those who got destroyed by shorting the stock. So many arguments and it doesn't matter.

A few months ago I had a long conversation with a Voya rep regarding a question on my account, and we got on the subject of investment mix. Attached is a document he sent me. They conceived their own investment strategy...it's detailed on Page 5.
 
I am a former Tesla employee and a stockholder. I own my own home outright and have several different investment/income accounts, some of them growth and some of them stable and safe. I was forced into early retirement last year but didn't much care as I was about sick of working anyway. By being disciplined and making the maximum contribution to my 401K and paying off my previous 30 year mortgage in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country in 21 years, sold that home and bought another for cash. I was able to accept my early retirement and not worry about how I was going to survive without the income I was used to making.
I too am amazed at the increase in Tesla's stock price in the last 8 months. Whether it hits the predictions of $3000, $5000, $7000 or even $15,000 per share by 2025 remains to be seen.
That said, I have created a target for the stock price that if reached, I will sell off enough shares to buy an exotic sports car as a toy to enjoy while I am still young enough to appreciate it.
 
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The Dow is down over 1700 points at 8am pacific Daylight time, March 9th, 2020
That's for the day. lol
 
Maximum contributions to 401K
dollar cost averaging to Roth
waiting for awesome deals on blue chips
trying to imagine what the next economic revolution will be
3d printing
green tech
I wonder about GE now. They went great gonzo's under Obama because of green tech. This pres potties on them every chance he gets. If Biden, then---- Under Biden, we'll get more China almost certainly. What will that look like? More science too, I hope.

Thoughts?
 
As for house as an investment...such a tricky one. Each market different.

NYC...can one go wrong if they own? And so many markets in US where many have just gained for yrs...DC, San Fran are ones I always seem to be reading about.

Toronto, where I am, had a moment about 20 yrs ago where things seemed to just rocket. Condos, young people choosing city, immigration, jobs...all flowed positive. Cranes in sky for 20 yrs.

Result was huge gains in single family detached home values, so many here rely on that as part of investment mix. I suppose problem is, you need to live. So unless you sell and move 2 hrs away, it's all on paper.

As for stocks, I've always thought to myself "I can do that" but never put my money where my mouth is. I'm lucky to have a gov backed pension, so it's not a risk worth taking for me with the extra left over after contributions. To those managing their funds, kudos. It's like a full time job i'm sure.
 
MZDAY.png



Bought 1,500 shares (~$5,000) of MZDAY which you can buy from any brokerage. This is the ADR/equivalent for Mazda's stock which trades in Japan as 7261:Tokyo.


I don't expect it to drop below 600 yen. Anything is possible, but I believe in the product. Mazda's sales were solid in May. Consumer Reports ranks the CX-5 as the best compact SUV out of 16 vehicles, and ranks Mazda as the second most reliable Auto brand, behind Lexus at #1 and Toyota at #3. People are still buying the CX-5.

https://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/press-release/mazda-reports-may-sales-results/

Year to Date and Year over Year, they are doing better than many of their peer automakers. Mazda will report June sales at the start of July, a little over a week from now.
 
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Good luck with your investment. Now that you are an owner of Mazda, we will ask your help with problems. As an owner, you can give the Prezz of Mazda a call and get it handled.
 
I felt that I did not time it quite right, and did sell the MZDAY the next day at 3.27, and rebought 2,000 shares today at 2.91-2.92. Hoping for a repeat performance of May sales. Two market days before Wednesday, July 1st, when monthly sales are released.
 
Market took a bad turn for me, but I'm a mercenary personality.
Screenshot_20200630-023126_Robinhood.jpg
When there's blood in the streets, I'll just get to killing, if I believe in the cause. Hoping to buy the dip later this week. Strong company, will be back up.
 
View attachment 225381


Bought 1,500 shares (~$5,000) of MZDAY which you can buy from any brokerage. This is the ADR/equivalent for Mazda's stock which trades in Japan as 7261:Tokyo.


I don't expect it to drop below 600 yen. Anything is possible, but I believe in the product. Mazda's sales were solid in May. Consumer Reports ranks the CX-5 as the best compact SUV out of 16 vehicles, and ranks Mazda as the second most reliable Auto brand, behind Lexus at #1 and Toyota at #3. People are still buying the CX-5.

https://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/press-release/mazda-reports-may-sales-results/

Year to Date and Year over Year, they are doing better than many of their peer automakers. Mazda will report June sales at the start of July, a little over a week from now.

Are you planning on just shorting the daily dips/rises, or what? I looked at MZDAY, and it looks absolutely horrible unless you're planning to micro-manage it. Admittedly I am new to stocks, and there is much I do not know, so I am hoping for insight from you on why this is a good move.
 
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