Stock Pick of the Day

[tomsalwasser]

If ya want a stock picker to listen to. Try this one.
http://www.fool.com/

Hey Bob, with a URL like that I'm afraid if I click it I may get a virus! Can you provide the executive summary?

Tom

[tomsalwasser]

Here is a better return on investment at a lower cost per share.
http://www.wisconsinenergy.com/invest/d ... istory.htm
Living off of WEC dividends, worked there for 20 years, TRASOP program on stock.
This one I started with a hundred shares in 1980, did dividend reinvestment, now just collecting dividends and fat and happy.
http://www.rpminc.com/investor-information/
It is all about reinvesting dividends when young and not selling when a correction happens, you buy then.

Great leads B B, very inspiring, thank you! I don' use a broker. You can buy everything online these days.

And thanks to you all for your replies. I value your opinions.

[B B Baby]

tomsalwasser,
WEC has been a performer for decades, and the WI Public Service Commission which oversees and votes on WI utilities rate increases ect, is a very neutral commission, almost utility friendly. WEC is rated as one of the top 10 managed electric and natural gas utilities in the country for decades, and we have some of the lowest rates. Residential is $0.13111 KwHr, actually they just lowered it as of Jan 1, from .13499 but raised some of the fixed charges. I guess we are conserving too much. A great dividend earning stock.
Glad I gave some useful info.

[beeg]

If ya want a stock picker to listen to. Try this one.
http://www.fool.com/

Hey Bob, with a URL like that I'm afraid if I click it I may get a virus! Can you provide the executive summary?

Tom

I've been here a long time, so why wood I post a link with a virus? Google Motley Fool.

[letterk]

I used to follow the Fool.com, but they have a habbit it of changing strategies or closing funds that fail. Then you only see the funds that survive, aka Survior Bias. The have books in print that I'm sure they wish they could burn all the copies. Rule Makers, Rule Breakers and the Motley Fools Guide to Investing (or something similar to that.)

Truthfully, it sounds like you are new enough that I'd recommend if you are looking for income you invest in a dividend fund. Buying a handful of stocks is likely to be more risky than getting a fund that focuses on the strategy and has hundreds of stocks. What good is investing for dividends if you lose you principle,

I joined a site about 12 years ago that lets you pretend you are a fund manager. I haven't been to that site in about 11 years. Recently, I've gotten pitches from the guy who runs the site trying to sell me on a management account. Of course, he wants me to place my money where my mouth is. Turns out one of my portfolios had Netflix in it and had great returns. Other portfolios had horrible return.

I decided to look at some of their top managers and found similar situations. One great portfolio with some lucky picks and others that are huge failures. The sad thing is some people will look at those great returns and invest and then be hugely disappointed when they lose money.

[tomsalwasser]

If ya want a stock picker to listen to. Try this one. http://www.fool.com/[/b][/color]

Thanks Bob. Good stuff at MF. I had replied earlier but I don't see my reply. Not sure where it went?

Tom

[tomsalwasser]

Truthfully, it sounds like you are new enough that I'd recommend if you are looking for income you invest in a dividend fund.

Good points all letterk, thanks. I now own small amounts of 20 dividend stocks. One actually is a dividend fund exactly as you describe. Wisdom Tree Equity Income Fund is an ETF that invests in dividend stocks and pays a monthly dividend. I'm testing this whole concept out before I sink larger sums into anything.

[jsburger]

Most of my "Retirement Money" is in the the stock market through two financial companies, New York Life and American United life Insurance. We have one NYL account and 2 AUL accounts. They are all tax free annuities. They are diverse portfolios in the stock market. As someone else said the stock market is fine but you have to be in it for the long haul. These three accounts are making about 10% and have been for years. They take a BIG hit when the market has a 300+ down day like earlier this week (it is up 260 today) but the market always recovers (at least in it's history so far).

My wife and I are both retired and we don't need that money so it just sits there and grows. I am retired USAF (24 years), retired DOD civilian (USAF) and I get Social Security. My wife is retired (35 years) DOD civilian (Army and USAF). She does not get Social Security because she was under the old government system where you didn't pay into SS but her retirement check is almost the same as when she was working. When one of us goes the income will be cut in half for the survivor but the annuities are there to make up more than the difference.

I would certainly not try to invest in stocks my self. Let that to the experts. Yes, they are experts, not necessarily the ones on the internet pitching the "stock of the day" but the large fund managers who manage millions/billions dollar funds. Yes, these managers make lots of money, that is their job. Which one of you out there wouldn't do the same if you could or knew how? No, they are not making it at my expense, I am making 10% on my retirement accounts. That is more than enough for me.

A full Colonel that is a wing commander at an active duty AF base (he runs the whole base) is responsible for billions of dollars of assets, let alone making sure these assets are ready to go to war every day 24/7. His basic pay salary is just over $130,000.00 a year. Does anyone think that is right?

[sawwood]

In another post I mentioned the passing of both my mom(84) and dad(88) and how my dad had run an accounting/ bookkeeping service for the last 30 years of his working career with 2 of my bothers. I can remember many April 15 when my dad made his money the old fashioned way, "HE EARNED IT"!!!

Upon the recent settling of my dad's estate, my 5 bothers and I found that dad had been buying stocks here and there over a 50+ year period. We now each have a portfolio of some 65 stocks. Mostly well known companies with DIVIDENDS!!!, ie it's not about the stock or it's price so much as it is the dividends they give. A quick review and spreadsheet shows the portfolio's are generating $5000+ per quarterly dividends!!! Really AMAZING!!!

McDonalds: .85/share, 750 shares
Dow Chemical .42/share, 500 shares
General Electric .23/share, 2300 shares
Verizon .55/share, 250 shares
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.
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Apparently my dad was a wise and smart man and I feel VERY blessed these days!!!

[tomsalwasser]

Wow that's really inspiring sawwood, thanks for sharing this. I would enjoy knowing all 65 stocks your dad chose, to help me in my search. Although with dividend stocks they tend to be the large, mature companies we all know and do business with, either directly or indirectly.

I must say my 20 dividend stocks have taken a beating since I bought them over the last few months. But the dividends are coming in. The stock values will fluctuate but over time nearly always go up.