Sold Some Apple Shares Today

Apple AAPL

In my publicly disclosed WTF Fund, I sold 5 shares of Apple (AAPL) today. I still own 20 shares of Apple, so I haven’t completely haven’t exited my position. I haven’t posted any updates about my account, because I really haven’t done much with the account in the six months.

2012 Dividend Aristocrats

An Aristocrat

Updated for 2012. A Dividend Aristocrat isn’t a rich ruling snob from the French renaissance. The 2012 S &P 500 Dividend Aristocrats list is 51 companies that have increased dividends (not just remained the same) for 25 years straight. Keep in mind just because they are on this list now, doesn’t mean in the future they [...]

Tax Benefits of Donating to Charity

Robin Hood

During the holidays, many people’s thoughts turn toward giving to others. While you might want to give, just for the joy of charity, there is no reason to discount the advantage that can come with donating as well. Consider that when you donate to charity, you do a good deed, and you can reduce your [...]

The Real Reason You Should Be Bullish On Stocks

Stock Market Bull

People like to think of free markets as being just that – free from external influence. I’m not approaching this as a hysterical conspiracy theorist predicting the demise of all fiat currencies and a gold standard, but from a pragmatic (and now proven) political/impact assessment standpoint. The reality is, the stock market was not allowed [...]

WTF Fund (April 2011 Update)

Magic 8 Ball - Outlook Not So Good

I told you about the creation of my WTF Fund last December, and promised quarterly updates. So how have I done so far? As the Magic 8-Ball says, “Outlook Not So Good”. Year to date, the S&P 500 saw a wild ride for the past 3 months, but still gained 6.5% (as of April 4th [...]

What is DRIP Investing?

Water Drip

It sounds like something related to a leaky faucet, but is an easy way to invest small amounts of money. DRIP stands for Dividend ReInvestment Plan. It means it’s an investment plan that allows investors to reinvest their cash dividends by purchasing addition shares or fractional shares on the dividend payment date. Dividend Re-investment Plans (DRIPs) [...]

Added More Exxon Mobil (XOM) To My Portfolio

BP

I’ve owned Exxon Mobil (XOM) for the past 7 years, and including dividends, I’ve had an annual return of slightly over 5% APY.  While it’s not knocking it out of the park, it’s not bad for a Dow component, and especially not bad in this economic environment.  Exxon, as with other oil companies have been [...]

Why I Sold Stocks In My Taxable Account Today

I sold stock from my taxable account today.  I obviously don’t have to tell you about yesterday’s roller coaster ride in the market. I’ve had the feeling the market has gone too high too fast before this, and believe the market is not cheap right now.  I sold stocks today because of these reasons: I’ve [...]