I am an idiot

Now I have said that, I have some room for improvement.

Does anyone use Robinhood/? I have been getting a warning about Pattern day trading. The icon for patter day trading shows 3, the 4th is a lock. I bought the same stock 3 times today, and I was sure it said I would be able to sell it tomorrow. I had bought and sold 2 casino stocks 2 days ago, they are on the list. In fact, it was a stupid mistake, because once I bought PENN, I had to choose to not sell it. I didn't like holding it, and the next day I was afraid to sell it before I went to sleep during the day, and I lost a good chunk for that. If I'm going to be trading stocks, I cannot sleep when the markets are open, and I cannot have my account locked Advice?

Second shot at myself, I am not diversified enough, or at all really. Way too much exposure to one stock which can implode. Where do you guys get your ideas about which stocks to look at?

Speaking only for myself, I buy stock in companies that make products I use.
Harley, Tesla, ATT, Disney, WWE, some cable companies and their spinoffs.
I tend to stay away from companies who wander far from their original status.
If a company started as a telephone provider but is now manufacturing refrigerators, I tend to stay away.
I'm a Ronco style investor. I set it and forget it.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

Does anyone use Robinhood/? I have been getting a warning about Pattern day trading. The icon for patter day trading shows 3, the 4th is a lock. I bought the same stock 3 times today, and I was sure it said I would be able to sell it tomorrow. I had bought and sold 2 casino stocks 2 days ago, they are on the list. In fact, it was a stupid mistake, because once I bought PENN, I had to choose to not sell it. I didn't like holding it, and the next day I was afraid to sell it before I went to sleep during the day, and I lost a good chunk for that. If I'm going to be trading stocks, I cannot sleep when the markets are open, and I cannot have my account locked Advice?

Sounds like you want to be a day-trader. I don't think you want to do this and be self-taught, but I don't know where to send you.

Quote:

Second shot at myself, I am not diversified enough, or at all really. Way too much exposure to one stock which can implode.

the first thing you learn with the self-taught method. You can check the 'learned that' box now.

Quote:

Where do you guys get your ideas about which stocks to look at?

Regular investors usually decide 'buy and hold' is the way to go. If you want to do that, just about anything you buy *now* that isn't weird should work out great; buy funds instead of stocks for diversification. But you should be thinking about holding for years. 5 years is risky, 10 years more safe but still has risk, 15 more like it, go for 20 though and 30-40 years produces miraculous results even if your only investment is your house.

Haven't heard this stuff before? Read the newsletters from places like Vanguard and T Rowe Price

Hey, I know I started a thread about gambling with stocks, but for the most part I am a very serious investor.

Quote: billryan

Speaking only for myself, I buy stock in companies that make products I use.
Harley, Tesla, ATT, Disney, WWE, some cable companies and their spinoffs.
I tend to stay away from companies who wander far from their original status.
If a company started as a telephone provider but is now manufacturing refrigerators, I tend to stay away.
I'm a Ronco style investor. I set it and forget it.

I pretty much think for me, I need a starting point, then can search information, compare and contrast multiple sources and media. That's how I would do it looking into horser acing for big races. I'm totally stressed out after today, it was a roller coaster for me. I am not diversified even close, that has to change. I thought today, a heart attack from this could be foreseeable one day. Sex didn't scare me to quit smoking, this could. I know I'm doing a lot of things wrong. I know someone who wanted to AP and she thought she could learn as she went, and it led to a break-up. I might have to sit on the sidelines like recommended waiting and learning more first. I'm known to make mistakes, but I make more proper moves than bad, I'll wind up doing the same with this, or I'll go deliver grub hub or work for the WPA. &(

Thank You Odiousgambit. I could be dead in 14 days, need to take some risks, just not as many as I was. This is just like my exgf, I knew what I was doing was fake, but I thought it would be good for awhile. Better dump it before I regret it.

I have not lost much money, was ahead at least for 9 days. Down approximately 3%, but began to worry today. Pattern day trading is not an option at this moment. I may think of maybe occasionally buying and dumping a stock in the same day if I find one I think is worth a gamble.

Just be sure to pay attention to tax liabilities. Many people forget their Uncle Sam is a silent partner in every trade and will get his due.

Quote: billryan

Just be sure to pay attention to tax liabilities. Many people forget their Uncle Sam is a silent partner in every trade and will get his due.

I'll try to be in the highest bracket I can. Kind of hard seeing that sitting home for a year. I'm not going to hide all year God willing. Guess if anyone has a rich uncle they don't like, maybe I can go check on them for you. *cough* *cough* ;)

Quote: onenickelmiracle

I am not diversified even close, that has to change.

This might help:



I don't know if they are all the same, but I think their close.

And the page that came from, (although it's a Standard And Poors chart), might be of interest to you:

https://www.simplysafedividends.com/intelligent-income/posts/2-how-to-build-a-dividend-portfolio

"If everyone is greedy, be fearful, and if fearful, be greedy"

If I were to say, I think everyone is irrational, then be rational. Ace2 is right, I'm not playing. I want to so bad though, so therefore I'm greedy. Irrational and greedy, or am I irrational and fearful. I want to pull out, but I can't so I must be greedy. Everyone is fearful, but is that rational.

@Hullaboo Read

I'm completely terrified to survive in this world, right now it seems like surviving is the tragedy. People talk about not being afraid to die, but it seems like it's right to be afraid to live. I know I'm going to, don't want to live The Grapes Of Wrath.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNkpIDBtC2c

Quote: rxwine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNkpIDBtC2c

ty :)

Both of my parents grew up in the Depression and were less than 10 YO in '29. Then was the Dust Bowl 5-7 years later. Not only were people poor, there was also a shortage of food staples. By the time of Pearl Harbor, my father was working at Colt Firearms over a year, and my mother was working at Peck&Peck NYC.

We'll get by, we have been resourceful. The big question is today, do we have the courage to suffer as they did. I have found we are certainly no better, and in fact afraid to be without. Addiction IS a terrible thing socially.

One other unusual item to note is that in the Wuhan district, people that have been social-distanced for quite some time are feeling some unease and/or mistrust of getting back to casual living.

Regards
Suited89

Nice post Suited89. I think the problem with a depression now, we are nobody, no power as a country,

One stock I bought today was Coke(Ko). It was downgraded I saw, I'll hold that one. It was a little impulsive, yes it was. Just didn't make sense to not buy it, it's not Woolworth or Kmart, big brand. We stocked up.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

If I were to say, I think everyone is irrational, then be rational. Ace2 is right, I'm not playing. I want to so bad though, so therefore I'm greedy.

What does that mean ?

Quote: Suited89

Both of my parents grew up in the Depression and were less than 10 YO in '29. Then was the Dust Bowl 5-7 years later. Not only were people poor, there was also a shortage of food staples. By the time of Pearl Harbor, my father was working at Colt Firearms over a year, and my mother was working at Peck&Peck NYC.

We'll get by, we have been resourceful. The big question is today, do we have the courage to suffer as they did. I have found we are certainly no better, and in fact afraid to be without. Addiction IS a terrible thing socially.

One other unusual item to note is that in the Wuhan district, people that have been social-distanced for quite some time are feeling some unease and/or mistrust of getting back to casual living.

Regards
Suited89

Do we have the courage to stay home watching tv for a few weeks? I certainly hope so.
In Spain and Italy, people have started going to their windows at 8PM each night and serenading each other and applauding the medical people.
Even if you are isolated, you are not alone.

Quote: billryan

Do we have the courage to stay home watching tv for a few weeks? I certainly hope so.
In Spain and Italy, people have started going to their windows at 8PM each night and serenading each other and applauding the medical people.
Even if you are isolated, you are not alone.

Few weeks? That's very optimistic of you. I think I'm prepared for 4 to 6 months, then again, I'm not really sure I know what 5 months of food and essentials look like.

I sure hope a 4 pack of toilet paper last that long.

Quote: AxelWolf

Few weeks? That's very optimistic of you. I think i'm prepared for 4 to 6 months, then again, I'm not really sure I know what 5 months of food and Essentials look like.

I sure hope a 4 pack of toilet paper last night long.

I don’t know what the first sign of return to normalcy will be, or when it will be. But I have a feeling sports won’t be near the beginning. Activities that are social-distancing friendly will probably be first. Shopping at the mall for ex.

Will shaking hands ever be commonplace again ? Even if/when we are down to zero infected people.

I personally have never touched elevator buttons with my hand, or public handrails , or handles on doors into and out of public places. I use my arm or elbow or a napkin. I think more people will take that approach permanently. Recently I’ve even waited until someone was coming out of a store and then jumped in while the door was still closing.

I guess casinos will always have slot machines lined up like sardines whereby you’re sitting a few feet from the guy playing next to you. But that’s probably not healthy either.

Will the same large number of people who went to gyms before all return and trust that type of place? They can step up cleaning , but they can’t disinfect every dumbbell, treadmill, and jump rope everytime someone new uses one.

Quote: Ace2

What does that mean ?

I am not sure, think I was trying to figure it out as I went.

Also added: When I mentioned you Ace2, just meant you have been confident to be very cautious about the future.

Edited: I was trying to get myself to sell everything out, but chickened out. I'm not 9-5 sleep pattern, by the time I woke up, it was too late and I became scared to take losses. Just a commoner. :( However I do not plan to be playing, I cannot get a good start, don't know which stocks to look at, really don't have enough experience yet. Will reconsider this. I cannot take risks without being confident I should. I'm sure I must be taking bad bets now. Was just days ago I was all against BTC, now I'm thinking to just gamble on it. That is not good probably. Very volatile, guess I'm chasing, trying to get to relief. Eventually I will figure this out I am sure. I've got nothing better to do for some time.

Quote: michael99000

I don’t know what the first sign of return to normalcy will be, or when it will be. But I have a feeling sports won’t be near the beginning. Activities that are social-distancing friendly will probably be first. Shopping at the mall for ex.

Will shaking hands ever be commonplace again ? Even if/when we are down to zero infected people.

I personally have never touched elevator buttons with my hand, or public handrails , or handles on doors into and out of public places. I use my arm or elbow or a napkin. I think more people will take that approach permanently. Recently I’ve even waited until someone was coming out of a store and then jumped in while the door was still closing.

I guess casinos will always have slot machines lined up like sardines whereby you’re sitting a few feet from the guy playing next to you. But that’s probably not healthy either.

Will the same large number of people who went to gyms before all return and trust that type of place? They can step up cleaning , but they can’t disinfect every dumbbell, treadmill, and jump rope everytime someone new uses one.

I have always used the back of my knuckles to press elevator buttons. Once things become normal again, you would be foolish to act like they're not. Once it is gone, it is gone, the odds of another disease coming around without warning and a response are very low. Things will begin to be normal once people have been sure they have been through it and cannot get it again(if true). It's the one bright side of symptoms, it will be over one way or another before you know it. If you are spared, you will be free.

I treated my self to some institute blocks of 'distressed' Hotel REITs. These are long-term at low prices. I'll forgo the divi for 6 months for a return to near-normal in a year. These were bought at open or at close very recently...
INN
DRH

If I'm lucky today RLJ. The first two under $3.50, this last one hopefully under $5.

In the meantime, POTUS speaks the market tanks... quite the indicator ;o)

But I might be an idiot, too.

Suited89

One thing I have realized is charts can lie, you can be looking at a chart and it is not doing what it looks like at the moment. The chart can look like it is going one direction, and it was, but any change isn't going to show. I mean if you see the line in an downward direction, you think at the moment it is still selling down, but it can be selling up for some time. This is not expected, but easily seen soon.

Another thing I notice about myself, like gambling, at first I want to be ahead at a moment, then I want to be even at a moment, this cannot always be the best move. I cannot just sell a stock formerly in decline to just for a moment be even. If I do this, then I am doing something wrong unless I am already not confident and thought it was a mistake. Then in this case, I should have already sold.

Quote: Suited89

I treated my self to some institute blocks of 'distressed' Hotel REITs. These are long-term at low prices. I'll forgo the divi for 6 months for a return to near-normal in a year. These were bought at open or at close very recently...
INN
DRH

If I'm lucky today RLJ. The first two under $3.50, this last one hopefully under $5.

In the meantime, POTUS speaks the market tanks... quite the indicator ;o)

But I might be an idiot, too.

Suited89

Jar jar binks was supposed to wind up being the big bad Sith.

Funny read an article saying BTC would fall to $6000 if it fell below $6400, and it is on its way almost immediately from $6400 to $6200. Yet, what can you believe, this was a featured article on Robinhood, so many will believe it. Anything widespread information will have some credibility, with followers almost certain to make such a thing reality.

Added: It sure did go from $6424 to $6200 in a hurry, but stabilized there, and it was not the first time it dipped below $2400. I didn't see that before, I just thought it was the way I thought it was. Was this way, but no so much cause and effect since it dipped below $6400 twice at least IIRC. I'm going to be hesitant to gamble in in now for sure.

This sucks, I can buy and sell Crypto, but not stocks. It's almost the only reason I take a chance on them, because I want that volatility. I'm far away from maintaining $25,000 in a brokerage account, maybe if I can find some gains and margin counts. Get me back inside a casino with the same conditions, I will, but then why put the money in something I'm not skilled at yet. I know the casino won't last, that's why.

Plus it seems not only can I not day trade, they're telling me I can't swing trade. When I wanted to buy a stock, it said I couldn't buy stocks from the proceeds of stocks help overnight. Maybe this is the 3 day settlement wait I didn't think Robinhood had.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

Plus it seems not only can I not day trade, they're telling me I can't swing trade. When I wanted to buy a stock, it said I couldn't buy stocks from the proceeds of stocks help overnight. Maybe this is the 3 day settlement wait I didn't think Robinhood had.

Might have something to do with 'no fees for trading' which means the only money they make is from the spread of paying you nothing for what you hold in the cash account while they invest it in bonds.

With regular brokerages I think the money from a sale should be available for the next purchase *immediately* even though you have to wait 3 days if you want the cash sent to your bank. Certainly that is my experience with T Rowe Price and I like it that way.

Turned out today would have been a good day to completely sell off for me. I didn't even get to push a button for that money ;)

Quote: odiousgambit

Might have something to do with 'no fees for trading' which means the only money they make is from the spread of paying you nothing for what you hold in the cash account while they invest it in bonds.

With regular brokerages I think the money from a sale should be available for the next purchase *immediately* even though you have to wait 3 days if you want the cash sent to your bank. Certainly that is my experience with T Rowe Price and I like it that way.

I forgot today was Friday. Everyday is Friday.

I was not able to hold onto Coke, just couldn't stomach the loss of two days and wanted to get into something else. If I lose 35% of my initial investment, I'm getting out completely.

Today was Quad-Witching day. Unbelievable market activity.
DJ = 880 Million
NASDAQ100 = 300 Million
S&P500 - 1.0 Billion
NYSE = 9.0 Billion

NOTE: many of these numbers overlap. The NYSE and NASDAQ100 have the least.

If I am an idiot, it appears I'm not alone ;o)

Quote: onenickelmiracle

I was not able to hold onto Coke, just couldn't stomach the loss of two days and wanted to get into something else. If I lose 35% of my initial investment, I'm getting out completely.

'Investment' is the wrong word for a day-trader - I think, 'wagering bankroll' is more like it. 

If you can't stomach losses , yeah, get out I think

If you really are going to be an investor and not a day-trader, as I've said before you need to be getting some advice from reliable places - for one thing this will help you spot the quacks out there and their advice ... here's this of the better variety from TR Price,

Quote: link

When the stock market takes a dip, moving to cash can be a tempting option for investors seeking a respite from volatility.

However, cashing out of a declining market could come at a cost....

A tale of two investors

To see the benefit of staying invested through all types of markets, let’s consider two hypothetical investors—the first sticks to his investment strategy despite market fluctuations, and the second becomes anxious during volatile markets and jumps in and out. 

Both investors contributed $2,000 each quarter to their investment accounts. The steady investor (bright blue in the chart below) kept her money and ongoing contributions invested, riding out the stock market’s ups and downs. The anxious investor (dark blue) moved his account balance and contributions to cash when stocks dropped 10% or more in a quarter and only jumped back in to equities after a fourth consecutive quarter of positive returns. This behavior was repeated throughout several market cycles...
Both began investing $2,000 each quarter beginning 2000 through 2019.

Note to piss us guys off the smart investor is a chick and the dummy is a guy. Well, could be some truth to that LOL but the point is, check out the chart



https://www.troweprice.com/personal-investing/planning-and-research/t-rowe-price-insights/retirement-and-planning/personal-finance/the-high-cost-of-cashing-out-.html

OK, so maybe you don't want to be an investor but a day-trader. What is not shown is how such would kick everybody's butt if he could do it perfectly. So his argument might be you don't have to be perfect, but at the same time *you yourself* can confirm 'it ain't easy'. Please believe a successful day-trader strives to buy low and sell high which is the opposite of what you are telling me you are winding up doing.

Most of the time you hear nobody can really do it, not in the long run. I don't know, but I do think for sure the simple thing of 'not selling in a down market' has worked out well for me. That simple thing makes that chart look good too, it's not the effect of trading well. And let me repeat: I'm pretty sure for day trading the self-taught method is not the way to go. 

The first problem, I do not have $25,000 to day trade unless I'm limited staying to 3 day trades in 5 days. Margin doesn't count I don't think. We'll see once the real world opens up, hopefully soon. Doesn't look good, our hospitals don't even have the proper masks for nurses. I cannot believe the hospitals are unwilling to pay and the nurses are risking their lives for it. Well American manufacturing would be nice right now, it's a joke this country is "powerful".

I am not ashamed to sell the stock, I don't know what I was thinking buying it, I switched it for another(HD) if you want to sell it short. If people are home, they could do some painting, remodeling and redecorating, might as well. Ut's a company which even can still sell things people need now besides bunker supplies imo. Maybe it can go lower, everything can go to zero this year.

I personally know I have made a mistake on a speculative stock, that one perhaps I should have sold by now(GILD). I know it's speculative, but I liked the recommendation. It has been used in China in trials, not a miracle, but it has been used. It's not a "silver bullet" I read somewhere on the internet(I'm not Kentry) because if it was clearly working, the trial would be stopped and they would give it to everyone in the study. When I was learning this, I was not aware the Chinese might have just disposed of all the sick they could find in the incinerators to stop the spread. So these stocks rarely make money on these things, and because medical care is going to be stressed, we don't know what the insurers will want to pay for, things are going to be stressed the drug companies are worried. I think something better will come along, but remsdivir really does seem to be the only hope and "the company will be reluctant to charge too much". It's far along, I think it will the first drug used, the generic malaria medicine I don't think will work. If it does, that's a problem for the speculation. Another bad thing about the drug I didn't know, is it has to be administered by IV for 10 days, that's a lot troublesome. There is a lot of bad news about it lately, but I don't see society coming back the way the others think. If it does soon, I'm happier than can be, but again, economy, People might not be able to leave their homes because they're broke.

This thing was something I didn't even imagine trying, I'd have been more careful if it was, these requirements wouldn't have been such a problem. I will be doing a lot of reading and investigating during out prison sentence. If I could jump right into DT, it may have been worse. Right now, there is almost literally nothing i can think of to do, that's fine, I don't want to be one of those people called employees. I might have to, don't know what. There are a lot of people out there not knowing what to do at all.

I was going to have someone come work at the house who had no money at all, but I just wound up lending him money because I was too afraid to become exposed to anything. I stood about 5 feet away from him in the open air, and felt it was maybe too close. I'll be sick in 4 to 8 days or hopefully not at all, but the longer I wait to get food, when I go finally go out there will be more sick. Our country is not moving fast enough for sure, I don't think. All I know, all the "money saved" buying junk with no quality and having them have potential to kill so many in the world by their bad actions, I hope people don't want to buy stuff made in China when this is over.

The chart about going in and out, not necessarily an entirely truthful story. We don't know what the person dipping in and out was doing with the money when it wasn't in the stock market. There are other ways to invest besides stocks clicking buttons. If I could be out there in the free world, I could beat the stock market, but it would take more than just clicking and that's fine if I live. Anyone with any kind of high blood pressure or cardiovascular issues is at a 10% death rate. I'm not there, but feel like I'm close. I might not even be able to physically handle the stress trading would be, such high pressure.

We'll see what happens, I've written enough.

https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-releases/2020/2/gilead-sciences-initiates-two-phase-3-studies-of-investigational-antiviral-remdesivir-for-the-treatment-of-covid-19

https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/16/remdesivir-surges-ahead-against-coronavirus/

some snips

Quote: onenickelmiracle

... Margin doesn't count I don't think.

You have a margin account and have been buying on margin?

Quote:

I don't know what I was thinking buying it, I switched it for another

OK that can make sense, a mistake can just be sunk cost

Quote:

I know it's speculative, but I liked the recommendation. It has been used in China in trials, not a miracle, but it has been used. It's not a "silver bullet" I read somewhere on the internet

Beware most of all of recommended stocks. The problem [assuming no scam] is that you get the news late. Probably if you had got the inside info that it was going to be a good stock to buy , or at least only a small group had the info, and those folks might have still been in on it at the big risk stage, buying then would [we know now] really paid off. You and I are going to be getting this news probably because somebody saw it jump. You and I are getting the news too late even if there is no manipulation going on.

Quote:

We'll see what happens, I've written enough.

yeah, maybe some of that was 'too much information' . Nobody is paying me to give seminars or write books either, so don't pay too much attention to me but do start to get some valuable advice somewhere, not from the first guy blowing smoke on youtube or whatever

We'll see. I think I was sleep writing.

I keep noticing all the crypto currencies chart's look exactly the same, always seem to all be so similar at the same times. They're just your investment crack. I literally have no idea how anyone predicts them. The only thing I can think of is geography and demographics, but then you have to have an idea what those people in those countries at those times will think to do each day.

I wonder how the traditional vices will fare through this, many give them up permanently or just temporarily. Tobacco, alcohol? Tobacco surely some, sounds easier to think smoking goes down more permanently than alcohol. You're going to have to think the smokers will be a lot of the deaths if this virus has broken out like Italy. I'm seeing people talk about themselves or family getting it now. PM $61, Morning Star says fair value $102, sounds hard to believe, both might be too high.

In a State like CT, 'liquor stores' must close. But beer & wine can be purchased at grocery. States like NY B&W at delis. Hard liquor drinkers are in a bind.

Cigs are available at corner stores and grocery. Not a problem.

Effective Mon. 8PM all non-essential stores must close.

Home Improvement
Grocery
Pharmacy
Corner Stores
Medical Supply
Fast Food (drive-thru or home delivery only)*

* Certain restaraunts with a high take-out % allowed to open, thus your local Chinese is open, your local Italian probably not. Even the bagel shops kinda get messed up. Of the two in my town one remains open due to lack of permanent seating, the other must close having permanent seating... both do a good take-out biz.

Man this neighborhood is tough...
I asked a cop where I could buy toilet paper.
He said its not where you can buy it, its if you get home alive.

Suited89

So now the evil Chinese Communists are throwing the sick in incinerators? The Basterds.

Quote: billryan

So now the evil Chinese Communists are throwing the sick in incinerators? The Basterds.

Do you have a link? I thought they were just incinerating the dead.

Quote: DRich

Do you have a link? I thought they were just incinerating the dead.

Ask onenickelmiracle. He is the one who stated it. I just commented on it.

Quote: billryan

Ask onenickelmiracle. He is the one who stated it. I just commented on it.

BBB mentioned it iirc

Compassionate use of Gillead's Remdesivir now only for pregnant women and children under 18 years old.

https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/22/gilead-suspends-access-to-experimental-covid-19-drug-remdesivir/


I want to assume the drug is pretty effective, but it really primarily means their supplies are being depleted and the company is being overwhelmed, and the company doesn't think the drug is dangerous nor useless. I cannot find new to scare me completely off, I've been looking, and I don't find news the other avenues are so hot or immediate or for some, even effective.

Beyond that, have been seeing more stories about how habits and practices before COVID19 might not be the same as before afterward(afraid to travel, etc.)

I too use Robinhood and am in the "poor, undereducated" category. I piddled around with $500 attempting to "day trade" and while I knew I was underfunded to pull it off- that went poorly. Not disastrously poorly, but unprofitable.

I picked up names I knew at cheap prices yet had no idea about their inner workings, long term strategies, etc. Honestly still don't truly. A prime example of this is Moviepass... cheap, good idea, chunked $25 bux in it... and promptly watched it catch flames :) one of my prouder moments.

For a small window, (I repaid stupid younger me choices) i had established additional cash reserves, planning to 401k all overages at the turn of the year, then Covid hit. Since then, those reserves are being unabashedly dumped into the market.. My mindset however, is not for today, but two years from now.

My gambling is in calls on stocks to reach a target goal. Puts are expensive and carry too much risk. Look at it as Kelly investing.

I have no idea if this helps you at all.. as I too readily admit, I am also an idiot. And in about 2-3 hours, I am going to lose a theoretical fortune, at least until a stimulus package is agreed on. However, I have faith, 24 months from now, if even some semblance of normalcy returns, these choices have enormous potential return.

Additionally - am seeking more companies... my bubble is limited to the gambling world. I snap called William Hill at 1.50 and am prepared to snap call anything below $5 on MGM - although the market appears to hate them with a passion...

Be safe

I'm not sure if anyone knows anything. For example, when to sell. If you don't know when to sell, that's kind of a problem. To have an idea to sell at a certain price, but really have no proof it's a good price, that's risky. I had heard someone with pretty good ethics say something like "stupid money isn't that stupid and smart money isn't that smart, and they both get screwed up when they listen to smart money". Nobody can even prove what is and what isn't a good bet at all, someone can make you believe they have proof, but it's not proof. Even saying the market has historically gone up, and you can expect the market to keep going up in the future decades from now, is not necessarily true, just probably true, and it ignores all the stocks taken off the markets.

I'm not risking puts, calls, options, nothing like that, I do not understand them nor the risks. I think I'll wind up being a fundamentals and speculation trader until I understand analytics, which I'm not even ready to begin with.

Oh, I don't believe any truly do. You can base upon past performance with this set of criteria or what not. But its all spaghetti thrown at the wall.

We do know however, throughout it's entire history, that the market overall - will go up. Who lives and who dies on any given day is purely a guess- albeit maybe an educated one- but still...

Going by bankroll - not truly kelly in my case- simplifies things - I nabbed AMD, a company I knew and felt was undervalued - remember i'm a dumbarse- at $14- it spiked up to $16 - this was now such a significant portion of my early bankroll, i locked in the win. Nevermind it shot above $40 - now $38.

If it helps, I am of the impression, the market overall, is irrational, either too brazen or too fearful, and loves sociopaths who seek nothing more than making a buck. It is focused on NOW for a large portion, and then there is that certain segment that drove a price up higher than true value only to see the rest jump on the bandwagon moments too late.

My criteria now is: will it be here two years from now? what was the price two years ago? can i stomach the loss based on my confidence level? Then I gamble with calls... fixed price (and loss) ... either way... in two years, I either be no different, panhandling, or slightly better prepared for retirement.. or perhaps I will succumb to COVID... stocks are entertainment with a built in belief we maybe able to beat them.. much like Blackjack- which isn't available at the moment...

I made a couple moves late Friday, selling the impulse KO and replacing it with HD and GILD. HD already down embarrassingly, KO basically unchanged, while GILD moving up with speculation. Seems like a wash for now, but it kills me to see one go down. Keeping half of KO at the time wasn't even something I could have thought of, history of gambling exercises induced this. Usually you just cash out completely, cannot put one ticket in 2 machines, kind of caught making an irrational couple of moves. Having cash just sitting there, will have to remember as an option too. I knew it was, was my original plan for Friday. I'd say I just wanted some action to try seeing something positive happen. If I can get back on the streets, I'll probably withdraw most of my funds and find some stocks to hold onto. I really can't afford to lose all this money, but I'm doing it anyway too because me saying I can't afford to lose it is bs just like the recommendation to not risk what you can't afford to lose. I'm not losing it all anyway so it doesn't matter.

It's better than all the money I have given away in what I had thought were loans to a bunch of jerks and w#0res.
Hope the shorts on GILD get tired of being pushed back and that stock gets into the 90s by the end of the week.
Just looking back at my past trades, I must be a psychotic break or multi-personality drunk and not an idiot.

There are 284 days left, I'm not going to worry about it. I'm realizing I've made mistakes after everything else, just because I'm staring at these charts almost every minute, and I wind up caught in the day and making emotional reactions. 15% more losses to go before I have to pull the plug.

Panic selling and FOMO buying 2 mistakes I have made. Pretty much I think once I buy a stock, I might as well not buy any more and I'll be better off looking for the next one to buy instead of worrying about the ups and downs of individual days.

I would never 'invest' in options, derivatives or their ilk.The real-world shark-tank. Stick with stocks.

When in College 40+ years ago I traded my knowledge of Chemistry for Investing. The business majors needed to pass Chem, and I wanted to learn how to make my money work for me. Fair trade. They passed, I'm doing rather well financially.

One of those ideas about investing was to take a look at the bills you get every month, and see about investing in them. Consider that even if you can only afford 100 shares, its still a discount on the bill at hand.

Regards
8Geee