WoV stock portfolio
October 15th, 2026 at 11:55:53 AM
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Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay roughly $2.25 billion to take over Neos, a company that uses covered calls to generate 25% cash returns. Both companies don't expect much to change day to day. Among its holdings are AIPI, FEPI and CEPI.
Neos focuses on high cash returns on its funds.
Neos focuses on high cash returns on its funds.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
October 17th, 2026 at 7:38:48 AM
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In 2017, Tesla began accepting deposits on its second-generation Roadsters. You could put down a $50,000 deposit or pay $250,000 upfront to receive one of the first ones.
Nearly nine years later, Tesla has announced it will begin production in 2028. Tesla doesn't pay interest on these deposits, so it has essentially had interest-free loans all these years.
If someone had used the deposit to buy Tesla stock instead, they'd be a millionaire, as the stock has gone up 20X since then.
On the other hand, rumors say the new Roadster can hover and go from zero to sixty in under a second. It claims that if you are driving along and the car in front of you jams on its brakes, the Roadster can leap over it and keep driving.
Nearly nine years later, Tesla has announced it will begin production in 2028. Tesla doesn't pay interest on these deposits, so it has essentially had interest-free loans all these years.
If someone had used the deposit to buy Tesla stock instead, they'd be a millionaire, as the stock has gone up 20X since then.
On the other hand, rumors say the new Roadster can hover and go from zero to sixty in under a second. It claims that if you are driving along and the car in front of you jams on its brakes, the Roadster can leap over it and keep driving.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
October 17th, 2026 at 9:46:07 AM
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did you miss the live demonstration of the 'leap over' ? Amazing. Must be on youtubeQuote: billryanIn 2017, Tesla began accepting deposits on its second-generation Roadsters. You could put down a $50,000 deposit or pay $250,000 upfront to receive one of the first ones.
Nearly nine years later, Tesla has announced it will begin production in 2028. Tesla doesn't pay interest on these deposits, so it has essentially had interest-free loans all these years.
If someone had used the deposit to buy Tesla stock instead, they'd be a millionaire, as the stock has gone up 20X since then.
On the other hand, rumors say the new Roadster can hover and go from zero to sixty in under a second. It claims that if you are driving along and the car in front of you jams on its brakes, the Roadster can leap over it and keep driving.
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the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
October 17th, 2026 at 9:53:02 AM
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Quote: odiousgambitdid you miss the live demonstration of the 'leap over' ? Amazing. Must be on youtubeQuote: billryanIn 2017, Tesla began accepting deposits on its second-generation Roadsters. You could put down a $50,000 deposit or pay $250,000 upfront to receive one of the first ones.
Nearly nine years later, Tesla has announced it will begin production in 2028. Tesla doesn't pay interest on these deposits, so it has essentially had interest-free loans all these years.
If someone had used the deposit to buy Tesla stock instead, they'd be a millionaire, as the stock has gone up 20X since then.
On the other hand, rumors say the new Roadster can hover and go from zero to sixty in under a second. It claims that if you are driving along and the car in front of you jams on its brakes, the Roadster can leap over it and keep driving.
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link to original post
I saw a clip but have no idea if it was real or more Musk nonsense.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
October 17th, 2026 at 9:58:49 AM
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Quote: billryanQuote: odiousgambitdid you miss the live demonstration of the 'leap over' ? Amazing. Must be on youtubeQuote: billryanIn 2017, Tesla began accepting deposits on its second-generation Roadsters. You could put down a $50,000 deposit or pay $250,000 upfront to receive one of the first ones.
Nearly nine years later, Tesla has announced it will begin production in 2028. Tesla doesn't pay interest on these deposits, so it has essentially had interest-free loans all these years.
If someone had used the deposit to buy Tesla stock instead, they'd be a millionaire, as the stock has gone up 20X since then.
On the other hand, rumors say the new Roadster can hover and go from zero to sixty in under a second. It claims that if you are driving along and the car in front of you jams on its brakes, the Roadster can leap over it and keep driving.
link to original post
link to original post
I saw a clip but have no idea if it was real or more Musk nonsense.
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It's real, but it's not going to be available for the public to drive. The acceleration is over 7 g's which will cause many people to black out and probably everyone to be unsafe to drive. Also probably an FAA problem if it leaves the ground. Good for James Bond movies, I guess the studios will be buying some.
October 17th, 2026 at 10:15:22 AM
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I'll bet $1,000 that this car won't be available in 2028.
Is this really what the world's smartest man should be working on? He took people's money almost ten years ago and has delivered nothing. They didn't buy a flying car; they thought they were buying a Roadster with a 500-mile range that they'd have had five years ago.
Is this really what the world's smartest man should be working on? He took people's money almost ten years ago and has delivered nothing. They didn't buy a flying car; they thought they were buying a Roadster with a 500-mile range that they'd have had five years ago.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
October 17th, 2026 at 10:16:38 AM
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deleted duplicate
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
October 17th, 2026 at 10:57:48 AM
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Quote: billryanI'll bet $1,000 that this car won't be available in 2028.
Is this really what the world's smartest man should be working on? He took people's money almost ten years ago and has delivered nothing. They didn't buy a flying car; they thought they were buying a Roadster with a 500-mile range that they'd have had five years ago.
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I'm smarter than Elon so I have it all figured out- how about we try this: Put a smaller, much smaller battery in it, then you can add- get this, a generator to keep the batteries charged. The generator can be gasoline, diesel, natural gas, whatever the engineering and price points call for and it's dedicated to charging the battery. So it's always running at a constant speed, very efficient as it doesn't need to deliver a wide range of torques at a wide range of speeds. We could probably get 1000 miles of range that way and- check this out- no charging or charger infrastructure needed! You can just pull up to a gas station, put the hose in, go in and drain your lizard, and in 5 minutes you're back on the road!
Has anything like this ever been tried before? I think I'll bring this up at the next engineering meeting.
October 17th, 2026 at 11:32:11 AM
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easy to believe it's not real, but it is.
I think it would take almost unimaginably advanced AI to be able to safely, correctly decide that the only way to keep from, say, hitting a stopped vehicle at high death-certain speed is to fly up in the air ... it would then need to take over completely for blacked out drivers, not allowing them to take over while half conscious
I'd say we might see that in yr 2525
I think it would take almost unimaginably advanced AI to be able to safely, correctly decide that the only way to keep from, say, hitting a stopped vehicle at high death-certain speed is to fly up in the air ... it would then need to take over completely for blacked out drivers, not allowing them to take over while half conscious
I'd say we might see that in yr 2525
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
October 17th, 2026 at 11:33:29 AM
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The James Bond franchise is on high alert though
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
October 17th, 2026 at 11:37:10 AM
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current headline:
Man asleep in Tesla crashes into California cop car, injures 2
Dude needed the latest Roadster!!
Man asleep in Tesla crashes into California cop car, injures 2
Dude needed the latest Roadster!!
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
November 4th, 2026 at 1:35:49 PM
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Election over. Initially stocks plummeted after results trickled in. When the Dem rout was complete, stocks didn’t rebound due to ‘uncertainty’ about Trump’s response. When Trump announced he would accept the results of the election, stocks SOARED. The masses obviously feel this election will help turn the economy around.
November 4th, 2026 at 3:12:32 PM
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Quote: GenoDRPhQuote: SOOPOOQuote: billryanA study of the market dating back to the 1970s shows it usually declines by 5% or more between August 18th and October 11th in election years. More in non-Presidential election years.
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Do you believe it is ‘predictive’? Meaning you will liquidate today and rebuy on October 11?
My fear is the day after the election, if as predicted the Democrats win the House and possibly also the Senate, how the markets will respond to the expected chaos that will ensue.
Did you mean November 11?
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If one is in for the long haul, maintain the status quo. The US economy does better under the scenario you described.
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Hi.
November 4th, 2026 at 3:32:22 PM
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Musk spent about $475 million on this election and ended up with both a federal government and a state government he opposed. Even his candidate for railroad commissioner failed.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
November 4th, 2026 at 3:46:17 PM
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Quote: GenoDRPhQuote: GenoDRPhQuote: SOOPOOQuote: billryanA study of the market dating back to the 1970s shows it usually declines by 5% or more between August 18th and October 11th in election years. More in non-Presidential election years.
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Do you believe it is ‘predictive’? Meaning you will liquidate today and rebuy on October 11?
My fear is the day after the election, if as predicted the Democrats win the House and possibly also the Senate, how the markets will respond to the expected chaos that will ensue.
Did you mean November 11?
link to original post
If one is in for the long haul, maintain the status quo. The US economy does better under the scenario you described.
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Hi.
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The Dow dropped about 3.5% between August 18th and October 11th, but the S&P 500 rose just under 2%.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
November 5th, 2026 at 7:52:35 AM
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Quote: GenoDRPhQuote: GenoDRPhQuote: SOOPOOQuote: billryanA study of the market dating back to the 1970s shows it usually declines by 5% or more between August 18th and October 11th in election years. More in non-Presidential election years.
link to original post
Do you believe it is ‘predictive’? Meaning you will liquidate today and rebuy on October 11?
My fear is the day after the election, if as predicted the Democrats win the House and possibly also the Senate, how the markets will respond to the expected chaos that will ensue.
Did you mean November 11?
link to original post
If one is in for the long haul, maintain the status quo. The US economy does better under the scenario you described.
link to original post
Hi.
link to original post
I’m trying to be apolitical here. But I’m happy there is no general Democrat downturn. They are anti now useless war. Anti misused tariffs. It’s not hard to be an economic improvement from Trump rule.
Even though I never really believe I understand how the markets work, I’m happy to take some of these gains and safely plow them into my 4% MMA.
UP again a tad this morning, but WoV portfolio not at ATH yet.
November 5th, 2026 at 8:12:54 AM
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Quote: SOOPOO
I’m trying to be apolitical here. But I’m happy there is no general Democrat downturn. They are anti now useless war. Anti misused tariffs. It’s not hard to be an economic improvement from Trump rule.
Even though I never really believe I understand how the markets work, I’m happy to take some of these gains and safely plow them into my 4% MMA.
UP again a tad this morning, but WoV portfolio not at ATH yet.
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Oh yeah I'm trying to be apolitical too. But when the people who have been bleating about gas being too expensive are also the same people who have been pushing for a multi$/gallon gas tax for the past 20 years for global warming, I'm pretty sure someone is being hoodwinked.
November 5th, 2026 at 8:25:35 AM
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An acquaintance of mine decided to run for Congress after being unhappy with the big-party candidates. He is a registered independent and needed to get several hundred signatures from registered independents to get on the ballot. Working on his own, he got over 1,000 signatures. He didn't accept contributions and spent less than $2,000 on the election. He had promise cards from several hundred people stating they would vote for him. As of yesterday, with about 90% of the votes counted, he'd recieved thirty votes.
The incumbent Congressman spent almost eight million dollars and lost badly. The winner spent just over four million. A fourth candidate, representing the Green Party, spent $11,000 and got nearly 2,000 votes.
It seems like the real winners were the folks selling airtime.
The incumbent Congressman spent almost eight million dollars and lost badly. The winner spent just over four million. A fourth candidate, representing the Green Party, spent $11,000 and got nearly 2,000 votes.
It seems like the real winners were the folks selling airtime.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
November 5th, 2026 at 8:36:07 AM
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The new Tejas Governor is anti-data center, and almost half of the DCs in the planning stages were going to be built there. Arizona's new blue legislature plans a moratorium on new data centers. It's a new day, and investors need to pay attention to where the new political landscape will take the country.
The blank checks for defense are almost certainly over.
The blank checks for defense are almost certainly over.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
November 5th, 2026 at 2:24:18 PM
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Quote: SOOPOOQuote: GenoDRPhQuote: GenoDRPhQuote: SOOPOOQuote: billryanA study of the market dating back to the 1970s shows it usually declines by 5% or more between August 18th and October 11th in election years. More in non-Presidential election years.
link to original post
Do you believe it is ‘predictive’? Meaning you will liquidate today and rebuy on October 11?
My fear is the day after the election, if as predicted the Democrats win the House and possibly also the Senate, how the markets will respond to the expected chaos that will ensue.
Did you mean November 11?
link to original post
If one is in for the long haul, maintain the status quo. The US economy does better under the scenario you described.
link to original post
Hi.
link to original post
I’m trying to be apolitical here. But I’m happy there is no general Democrat downturn. They are anti now useless war. Anti misused tariffs. It’s not hard to be an economic improvement from Trump rule.
Even though I never really believe I understand how the markets work, I’m happy to take some of these gains and safely plow them into my 4% MMA.
UP again a tad this morning, but WoV portfolio not at ATH yet.
link to original post
I am speculating that your portfolio may have been down a little bit today. I was surprised my retirement accounts were only down 0.3% today.
You can't know everything, but you can know anything.
November 5th, 2026 at 3:14:52 PM
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Quote: DRichQuote: SOOPOO
UP again a tad this morning, but WoV portfolio not at ATH yet.
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I am speculating that your portfolio may have been down a little bit today. I was surprised my retirement accounts were only down 0.3% today.
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Up 0.2%! But I predicted this, and positioned myself accordingly.
This is not about data centers.
November 6th, 2026 at 4:27:46 AM
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.
I thought the Nasdaq's loss yesterday of 5.52% was huge
but in searching I found there have been many larger losses and gains (in percentage)
in its' history it has lost 12.32% in one day and in many other days it has lost more in % terms than yesterday
it has gained 14.17% in one day
the nasdaq is set to bounce back up today with traders buying the dip - but I don't believe it will recover all that it lost yesterday
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_daily_changes_in_the_Nasdaq_Composite
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I thought the Nasdaq's loss yesterday of 5.52% was huge
but in searching I found there have been many larger losses and gains (in percentage)
in its' history it has lost 12.32% in one day and in many other days it has lost more in % terms than yesterday
it has gained 14.17% in one day
the nasdaq is set to bounce back up today with traders buying the dip - but I don't believe it will recover all that it lost yesterday
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_daily_changes_in_the_Nasdaq_Composite
.
the foolish sayings of a rich man often pass for words of wisdom by the fools around him
November 6th, 2026 at 7:32:14 AM
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DraftKings is down almost 30% today after missing revenue and estimates badly yesterday.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
November 7th, 2026 at 6:38:42 AM
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Quote: billryanDraftKings is down almost 30% today after missing revenue and estimates badly yesterday.
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You have to rub it in? Anything that has anything to do with a data center got pounded after the election. I did liquidate 1% of my portfolio after the initial up day. The other 99% is in the crater somewhere….
November 7th, 2026 at 7:29:24 AM
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Quote: SOOPOOQuote: billryanDraftKings is down almost 30% today after missing revenue and estimates badly yesterday.
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You have to rub it in? Anything that has anything to do with a data center got pounded after the election. I did liquidate 1% of my portfolio after the initial up day. The other 99% is in the crater somewhere….
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A younger friend of mine made his first stock purchase a few years ago, when DK went public. Since then, it is the only stock he's bought, so 100% of his five-figure portfolio was in the one stock. He laughed at the idea of diversifying, insisting it was better to stick with one proven winner.
I'm looking forward to our next conversation.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
November 8th, 2026 at 1:49:23 PM
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Quote: SOOPOOWoV portfolio now at +251%,
this is your post from August 3 of this year
your first post in this thread that you started was in February of 2014
I'm assuming that your counting your 251% from that first post
if that is not correct then the following comment of mine doesn't mean much
The cumulative return of the S&P 500 from the start of 2014 to late 2026 is approximately 423.96% (with dividends reinvested)
Quote: SOOPOOMy only point is that paying an ‘expert’ is unlikely worth it. Billy only paying 0.08% may make it worth it. In my travels I’ve never been offered a deal at less than 0.50%.
Vanguard’s asset-weighted average expense ratio is 0.06%, which is significantly lower than the industry average of 0.44%
their personnel do not recommend stock picks to investors
but their funds, such as this etf that I own, VGT; (Vanguard Technology Index) which has done spectacularly; amount to basically the same thing
From the beginning of 2014 through November 2026, Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) is up 882.88% on a price-return basis. If you account for reinvested dividends, VGT's total return over this period is over 1,000%.
.
Last edited by: lilredrooster on Nov 8, 2026
the foolish sayings of a rich man often pass for words of wisdom by the fools around him
November 8th, 2026 at 5:22:59 PM
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Quote: lilredroosterQuote: SOOPOOWoV portfolio now at +251%,
this is your post from August 3 of this year
your first post in this thread that you started was in February of 2014
I'm assuming that your counting your 251% from that first post
if that is not correct then the following comment of mine doesn't mean much
The cumulative return of the S&P 500 from the start of 2014 to late 2026 is approximately 423.96% (with dividends reinvested)Quote: SOOPOOMy only point is that paying an ‘expert’ is unlikely worth it. Billy only paying 0.08% may make it worth it. In my travels I’ve never been offered a deal at less than 0.50%.
Vanguard’s asset-weighted average expense ratio is 0.06%, which is significantly lower than the industry average of 0.44%
their personnel do not recommend stock picks to investors
but their funds, such as this etf that I own, VGT; (Vanguard Technology Index) which has done spectacularly; amount to basically the same thing
From the beginning of 2014 through November 2026, Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) is up 882.88% on a price-return basis. If you account for reinvested dividends, VGT's total return over this period is over 1,000%.
.
link to original post
Trust me, if I knew VGT would be up that much I would have bought only that! Forget your VGT, check out BAP! Bought at 6 decades ago. Now $350. That’s up like 60 fold. If I would have known it would do that well I’d have bought tons more!
My portfolio is DESIGNED to lag major stock indices because it does have some bonds and some mutual funds. To lessen variance of course. Just I’ve been WAY MORE invested in stocks over the years than any of my cohorts who have paid a money manager for that (bad?) advice.
I’m getting close to 20% in the MMA fund. Buffered the recent big downturn. Will slow my ascent during the next t upturn.
November 9th, 2026 at 4:23:16 AM
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Quote: SOOPOOQuote: lilredroosterQuote: SOOPOOWoV portfolio now at +251%,
this is your post from August 3 of this year
your first post in this thread that you started was in February of 2014
I'm assuming that your counting your 251% from that first post
if that is not correct then the following comment of mine doesn't mean much
The cumulative return of the S&P 500 from the start of 2014 to late 2026 is approximately 423.96% (with dividends reinvested)Quote: SOOPOOMy only point is that paying an ‘expert’ is unlikely worth it. Billy only paying 0.08% may make it worth it. In my travels I’ve never been offered a deal at less than 0.50%.
Vanguard’s asset-weighted average expense ratio is 0.06%, which is significantly lower than the industry average of 0.44%
their personnel do not recommend stock picks to investors
but their funds, such as this etf that I own, VGT; (Vanguard Technology Index) which has done spectacularly; amount to basically the same thing
From the beginning of 2014 through November 2026, Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) is up 882.88% on a price-return basis. If you account for reinvested dividends, VGT's total return over this period is over 1,000%.
.
link to original post
Trust me, if I knew VGT would be up that much I would have bought only that! Forget your VGT, check out BAP! Bought at 6 decades ago. Now $350. That’s up like 60 fold. If I would have known it would do that well I’d have bought tons more!
My portfolio is DESIGNED to lag major stock indices because it does have some bonds and some mutual funds. To lessen variance of course. Just I’ve been WAY MORE invested in stocks over the years than any of my cohorts who have paid a money manager for that (bad?) advice.
I’m getting close to 20% in the MMA fund. Buffered the recent big downturn. Will slow my ascent during the next t upturn.
link to original post
the important question is if your stock holdings have underperformed the common benchmarks, which seems likely; why is that acceptable to you?
since it's so easy to buy a fund designed to match the performance of the S&P 500
I would guess that your answer is that you enjoy the challenge of trading and picking stocks
and that's a pretty good answer -
but for a great many it is a costly decision
.
the foolish sayings of a rich man often pass for words of wisdom by the fools around him
November 9th, 2026 at 4:34:14 AM
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Quote: lilredroosterQuote: SOOPOOQuote: lilredroosterQuote: SOOPOOWoV portfolio now at +251%,
this is your post from August 3 of this year
your first post in this thread that you started was in February of 2014
I'm assuming that your counting your 251% from that first post
if that is not correct then the following comment of mine doesn't mean much
The cumulative return of the S&P 500 from the start of 2014 to late 2026 is approximately 423.96% (with dividends reinvested)Quote: SOOPOOMy only point is that paying an ‘expert’ is unlikely worth it. Billy only paying 0.08% may make it worth it. In my travels I’ve never been offered a deal at less than 0.50%.
Vanguard’s asset-weighted average expense ratio is 0.06%, which is significantly lower than the industry average of 0.44%
their personnel do not recommend stock picks to investors
but their funds, such as this etf that I own, VGT; (Vanguard Technology Index) which has done spectacularly; amount to basically the same thing
From the beginning of 2014 through November 2026, Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) is up 882.88% on a price-return basis. If you account for reinvested dividends, VGT's total return over this period is over 1,000%.
.
link to original post
Trust me, if I knew VGT would be up that much I would have bought only that! Forget your VGT, check out BAP! Bought at 6 decades ago. Now $350. That’s up like 60 fold. If I would have known it would do that well I’d have bought tons more!
My portfolio is DESIGNED to lag major stock indices because it does have some bonds and some mutual funds. To lessen variance of course. Just I’ve been WAY MORE invested in stocks over the years than any of my cohorts who have paid a money manager for that (bad?) advice.
I’m getting close to 20% in the MMA fund. Buffered the recent big downturn. Will slow my ascent during the next t upturn.
link to original post
the important question is if your stock holdings have underperformed the common benchmarks, which seems likely; why is that acceptable to you?
since it's so easy to buy a fund designed to match the performance of the S&P 500
I would guess that your answer is that you enjoy the challenge of trading and picking stocks
and that's a pretty good answer -
but for a great many it is a costly decision
.
link to original post
And your solution would be for him to put all his portfolio that has had excellent past numbers? Does a fund's past mean it will perform the same in the future? Heck, had he put a million dollars into Bitcoin when it debuted, he might be a billionaire by now. Who knew investing was so simple? Just pick a fund that will outperform all the other funds, sink all your mony into it and hope the next decade is as good as the last one.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
November 9th, 2026 at 4:41:54 AM
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Quote: billryanQuote: lilredroosterQuote: SOOPOOQuote: lilredroosterQuote: SOOPOOWoV portfolio now at +251%,
this is your post from August 3 of this year
your first post in this thread that you started was in February of 2014
I'm assuming that your counting your 251% from that first post
if that is not correct then the following comment of mine doesn't mean much
The cumulative return of the S&P 500 from the start of 2014 to late 2026 is approximately 423.96% (with dividends reinvested)Quote: SOOPOOMy only point is that paying an ‘expert’ is unlikely worth it. Billy only paying 0.08% may make it worth it. In my travels I’ve never been offered a deal at less than 0.50%.
Vanguard’s asset-weighted average expense ratio is 0.06%, which is significantly lower than the industry average of 0.44%
their personnel do not recommend stock picks to investors
but their funds, such as this etf that I own, VGT; (Vanguard Technology Index) which has done spectacularly; amount to basically the same thing
From the beginning of 2014 through November 2026, Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) is up 882.88% on a price-return basis. If you account for reinvested dividends, VGT's total return over this period is over 1,000%.
.
link to original post
Trust me, if I knew VGT would be up that much I would have bought only that! Forget your VGT, check out BAP! Bought at 6 decades ago. Now $350. That’s up like 60 fold. If I would have known it would do that well I’d have bought tons more!
My portfolio is DESIGNED to lag major stock indices because it does have some bonds and some mutual funds. To lessen variance of course. Just I’ve been WAY MORE invested in stocks over the years than any of my cohorts who have paid a money manager for that (bad?) advice.
I’m getting close to 20% in the MMA fund. Buffered the recent big downturn. Will slow my ascent during the next t upturn.
link to original post
the important question is if your stock holdings have underperformed the common benchmarks, which seems likely; why is that acceptable to you?
since it's so easy to buy a fund designed to match the performance of the S&P 500
I would guess that your answer is that you enjoy the challenge of trading and picking stocks
and that's a pretty good answer -
but for a great many it is a costly decision
.
link to original post
And your solution would be for him to put all his portfolio that has had excellent past numbers? Does a fund's past mean it will perform the same in the future? Heck, had he put a million dollars into Bitcoin when it debuted, he might be a billionaire by now. Who knew investing was so simple? Just pick a fund that will outperform all the other funds, sink all your mony into it and hope the next decade is as good as the last one.
link to original post
of course not
my solution was to mainly buy a fund designed to equal the performance of the S&P 500 (which is still well over 50% of my holdings)
I chose VGT because I trusted Vanguard and because it was in tech
I started with a small amount to see how it would do year after year and increased it as it outperformed the S&P by a great deal
if my original small stake in VGT failed to perform well I would have sold it and had all my stuff in the S&P tracker
I'm no great stock or fund picker - I just got lucky - but if it had failed I would have reverted to the S&P and done fine
I have no illusions that I could outperform the S&P 500 by picking stocks myself
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Last edited by: lilredrooster on Nov 9, 2026
the foolish sayings of a rich man often pass for words of wisdom by the fools around him
November 9th, 2026 at 5:31:17 AM
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VGT is a fund though, not a stock, so you have to admit that's pretty good ............................... on the other hand, is Rooster among those now up 1000%, with his multi-thousand dollar investment he made?Quote: SOOPOO
Trust me, if I knew VGT would be up that much I would have bought only that! Forget your VGT, check out BAP! Bought at 6 decades ago. Now $350. That’s up like 60 fold. If I would have known it would do that well I’d have bought tons more!
My portfolio is DESIGNED to lag major stock indices because it does have some bonds and some mutual funds. To lessen variance of course. Just I’ve been WAY MORE invested in stocks over the years than any of my cohorts who have paid a money manager for that (bad?) advice.
I’m getting close to 20% in the MMA fund. Buffered the recent big downturn. Will slow my ascent during the next t upturn.
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the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
November 9th, 2026 at 5:46:58 AM
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Quote: odiousgambit[] VGT is a fund though, not a stock, so you have to admit that's pretty good ............................... on the other hand, is Rooster among those now up 1000%, with his multi-thousand dollar investment he made?
not quite - but close - I haven't owned it since 2014 - without checking I think I've owned it for about 10 years
but again, it was just luck and maybe a tiny bit of foresight
I only mentioned it because others on this thread have posted about their holdings
I have no other ideas currently about anything else and no confidence in my ability to pick out anything great
the market is extremely complex now - baffling is a word I would use to describe it
to the best of my knowledge Vanguard doesn't have any other fund that has done anything like that
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Last edited by: lilredrooster on Nov 9, 2026
the foolish sayings of a rich man often pass for words of wisdom by the fools around him
November 9th, 2026 at 10:37:16 AM
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I'm expecting a large drop in stock prices in the Nasdaq - somewhere around 35% off its' ATHs - sometime in the near future but nobody knows exactly when
there are a great many reasons for negativity at this time
I don't act on this belief (by selling) because I don't know when it will happen or when it will come back
I'm a buy and hold guy - thru thick and thin - that's my mantra
from Yahoo Finance:
"Shiller CAPE Ratio: The S&P 500 Shiller Cyclically Adjusted P/E ratio has pushed above 40 times earnings, a threshold rarely seen outside of the late-1990s dot-com bubble."
from Advisor Persectives:
" The ratio of total stock market value to GDP sits significantly above historical norms, putting traditional metrics in "strongly overvalued" territory."
from CBS news:
" artificial intelligence-related stocks have faced a sharp correction amid investor anxiety over slowing growth rates , regulatory or state-level data center pushback, and high infrastructure costs."
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I'm expecting a large drop in stock prices in the Nasdaq - somewhere around 35% off its' ATHs - sometime in the near future but nobody knows exactly when
there are a great many reasons for negativity at this time
I don't act on this belief (by selling) because I don't know when it will happen or when it will come back
I'm a buy and hold guy - thru thick and thin - that's my mantra
from Yahoo Finance:
"Shiller CAPE Ratio: The S&P 500 Shiller Cyclically Adjusted P/E ratio has pushed above 40 times earnings, a threshold rarely seen outside of the late-1990s dot-com bubble."
from Advisor Persectives:
" The ratio of total stock market value to GDP sits significantly above historical norms, putting traditional metrics in "strongly overvalued" territory."
from CBS news:
" artificial intelligence-related stocks have faced a sharp correction amid investor anxiety over slowing growth rates , regulatory or state-level data center pushback, and high infrastructure costs."
.
the foolish sayings of a rich man often pass for words of wisdom by the fools around him
November 10th, 2026 at 1:40:50 PM
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the ai company Anthropic is planning to price its initial public offering on November 18, 2026, and begin trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ANT on November 19, 2026.
Anthropic is targeting a valuation of up to $1.4 trillion (with a midpoint around $1.33 trillion) in its upcoming initial public offering, which would make it the largest IPO in the history of Wall Street
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the ai company Anthropic is planning to price its initial public offering on November 18, 2026, and begin trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ANT on November 19, 2026.
Anthropic is targeting a valuation of up to $1.4 trillion (with a midpoint around $1.33 trillion) in its upcoming initial public offering, which would make it the largest IPO in the history of Wall Street
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the foolish sayings of a rich man often pass for words of wisdom by the fools around him
November 10th, 2026 at 3:51:28 PM
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Breaking the mark set in June of this year by SpaceX.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
November 10th, 2026 at 4:28:56 PM
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Quote: lilredrooster.
the ai company Anthropic is planning to price its initial public offering on November 18, 2026, and begin trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ANT on November 19, 2026.
Anthropic is targeting a valuation of up to $1.4 trillion (with a midpoint around $1.33 trillion) in its upcoming initial public offering, which would make it the largest IPO in the history of Wall Street
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Their product is very impressive. I use it all the time.
But I believe it is a very disruptive technology, probably about as disruptive as radio. All the college kiddies appear to be shocked and appalled that the same LLMs they have been using to do their homework are also poised to elbow them out of the white collar jobs that are the only jobs they would ever consider.
Everyone is going to have to learn to work with their hands, and do the things machines can't. Take it from someone you can trust:
Quote: Dr. BronnerIt is an absolute full truth that only constructive working men built all civilizations and everything good that's in it! Exceptions? Absolute none!
Let him who does not want to work with his hands, not eat with his hands either!
November 10th, 2026 at 5:10:53 PM
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I wonder how Plato found the time to write if he was busy building the Parthenon. Much of what you call constructive work might also be called slave labor.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
November 10th, 2026 at 5:34:34 PM
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Quote: billryanI wonder how Plato found the time to write if he was busy building the Parthenon. Much of what you call constructive work might also be called slave labor.
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Was not all writing done with the hand, in Plato's time?
And what's so bad about slave labor? It's just labor, that happens to be done by a person who is not free to leave. I don't mean that we should return to that system of labor management, as it is very inefficient compared to modern methods. But there was nothing bad about the labor itself, nor about the people doing it, nor about the products of that labor. So what about it do we reject?
November 10th, 2026 at 11:42:07 PM
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Quote: AutomaticMonkeyQuote: billryanI wonder how Plato found the time to write if he was busy building the Parthenon. Much of what you call constructive work might also be called slave labor.
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Was not all writing done with the hand, in Plato's time?
And what's so bad about slave labor? It's just labor, that happens to be done by a person who is not free to leave. I don't mean that we should return to that system of labor management, as it is very inefficient compared to modern methods. But there was nothing bad about the labor itself, nor about the people doing it, nor about the products of that labor. So what about it do we reject?
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Kinda tough on the slave...and is illegal.
But, we expect such a statement from a racialist. Never change, AM, never change...
November 11th, 2026 at 3:51:47 AM
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You are sometimes just trying to be provocative I think, which is disappointingQuote: AutomaticMonkeyQuote: billryanI wonder how Plato found the time to write if he was busy building the Parthenon. Much of what you call constructive work might also be called slave labor.
link to original post
Was not all writing done with the hand, in Plato's time?
And what's so bad about slave labor? It's just labor, that happens to be done by a person who is not free to leave. I don't mean that we should return to that system of labor management, as it is very inefficient compared to modern methods. But there was nothing bad about the labor itself, nor about the people doing it, nor about the products of that labor. So what about it do we reject?
link to original post
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
November 11th, 2026 at 5:12:49 AM
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my main strategy of buying and holding an S&P 500 tracker is admittedly very boring
but it is well known that the vast majority of mutual fund managers who sit in front of a computer 8 hours a day, 5 days a week analyzing the stock market underperform it
so, what chance would lil ole me have of beating it by picking stocks or funds - ? - slim and none
According to historical data from S&P Dow Jones Indices (SPIVA):
"• 10 Years: Roughly 84% to 86% of large-cap U.S. active mutual funds fail to beat the S&P 500.
• 15 Years: Only about 10.5% of active funds manage to outperform the index.
• 20 Years: Approximately 93% of large-cap active funds trail the S&P 500."
and of course. those who beat it last year may very well underperform it in the coming year
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my main strategy of buying and holding an S&P 500 tracker is admittedly very boring
but it is well known that the vast majority of mutual fund managers who sit in front of a computer 8 hours a day, 5 days a week analyzing the stock market underperform it
so, what chance would lil ole me have of beating it by picking stocks or funds - ? - slim and none
According to historical data from S&P Dow Jones Indices (SPIVA):
"• 10 Years: Roughly 84% to 86% of large-cap U.S. active mutual funds fail to beat the S&P 500.
• 15 Years: Only about 10.5% of active funds manage to outperform the index.
• 20 Years: Approximately 93% of large-cap active funds trail the S&P 500."
and of course. those who beat it last year may very well underperform it in the coming year
.
the foolish sayings of a rich man often pass for words of wisdom by the fools around him
November 11th, 2026 at 5:58:00 AM
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Quote: lilredrooster.
my main strategy of buying and holding an S&P 500 tracker is admittedly very boring
but it is well known that the vast majority of mutual fund managers who sit in front of a computer 8 hours a day, 5 days a week analyzing the stock market underperform it
so, what chance would lil ole me have of beating it by picking stocks or funds - ? - slim and none
According to historical data from S&P Dow Jones Indices (SPIVA):
"• 10 Years: Roughly 84% to 86% of large-cap U.S. active mutual funds fail to beat the S&P 500.
• 15 Years: Only about 10.5% of active funds manage to outperform the index.
• 20 Years: Approximately 93% of large-cap active funds trail the S&P 500."
and of course. those who beat it last year may very well underperform it in the coming year
.
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You've been repeating the same statistics for several years now, without ever bothering to understand why it is so.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
November 11th, 2026 at 6:14:56 AM
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For those who like to chase momentum, McDonald's is up almost 25% in the last few months, going from a low of $230 to over $280 in recent days. The $5 breakfast and $8 QPC seem to have attracted value customers. Yeah, that's the ticket
If you think McDonald's is a restaurant chain, you don't understand the stock. Publicly traded McDonald's stock is a real estate company that leases land to restaurant owners, who sell branded hamburgers to pay the rent.
If you think McDonald's is a restaurant chain, you don't understand the stock. Publicly traded McDonald's stock is a real estate company that leases land to restaurant owners, who sell branded hamburgers to pay the rent.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
