Ready To Give Advice

I have had a number of comments either asking for advice or demeaning my posts because they do not give advice. I am not a financial advisor, so take this all in stride. I am an "investor" in my retirement account and a "speculator" in my brokerage. This simply means that I am looking for long-term value on my retirement and short-term gains in my brokerage. I only speculate with what I can afford to lose. So what is my advice?

My advice is to educate yourself on the markets, the economy, financial matters and the like. As they say, knowledge is power and, hopefully, you are reading this because you understand this. I am still constantly educating myself and expect to do so until I am six feet under and I highly recommend it. It has greatly increased my returns, especially on the speculative side of my life. For many years I lost money in my brokerage, with a few good years, but now I am on a pretty good streak. And what I have learned is to absorb as much data as possible and invest/bet accordingly. No single style will fit all circumstances. Last year I did put options on financial stocks to great benefit and this year I have mostly been playing the volatility, for decent gains. And there are a few stocks that have done well last year and this. I am just passing on what I think to be relevant. I regularly say what to do with the information is your choice and I mean that. You decide. I hope to make it an informed decision, but it is your decision. That, folks, is what this site is about. As much as economists try to muck this up, it is not that complicated if you look at the data. Just the facts.

Disclosures: None