New Years Reflections and Resolutions

RESOLUTIONS:

Lets face it. Most people do not keep New Year Resolutions.

According to most studies, only about 1 in 10 people actually accomplish or keep their New Year resolutions.

Why?

Well, maybe people just do not put a lot of thought into it?
Why are they making the resolution in the first place?
Are they picking something realistic?
Are they making the resolution too generic? Like I’m going to lose weight.
Maybe they should pick something relatively easy and simple to do? Like put pants on every day...

BTW – I tell my three year old to do this most every day. He’s almost there!

But what is a resolution? I did a quick lookup of the definition, scratched out all the answers that had the work “resolve” in them (ignored the ones relating to music, audio/visual, and medical fields) and came up with this short list.

- A firm decision to do something
- A determination or firmness of mind and purpose
- A formal expression of opinion or intention
- The act or process of separating into constituent or elementary parts.

I particularly like the last one because I think it has just as much, if not more, to do with the success of a resolution as do the first three.

REFLECTIONS:
















New Years is also a time that a lot of people reflect back on all that happened, both good and bad, over the past year. It is also a time to reflect on what you have done, not done, where you are in your life, and where you want to be. I believe it is these reflections that should drive our resolutions.

So, what about me? What has happened, not yet happened, where am I now and where do I want to be?

For this post, I’m going to limit my answers to the context of my blog.

* First and foremost: this blog. I started Fumbled Returns last January. Not because of a resolution or anything but mainly because my wife started blogging Hope and Greyz and I just did not “get it”. Why would anybody “blog”. So, strangely enough, I decided to try it out to find the answer “for myself”. And so far this is the result. And yes, I am hooked on blogging.

* Another thing that happened, and I have tracked with this blog, is that I got back into the stock market and started trading stocks. At first I stuck to my strategy, then I took a couple chances, and ended up doing really well. Then I got distracted, got lazy, did not stick to my strategy and, well, ended up not doing as well as I would have liked. So, I have to work at this and do better.

* Other stuff that has happened is, like many fellow Americans, my family finances and savings have taken a hit in recent years and as a result, I have built up a bit more debt than I care to have. So, I will incorporate this into my resolutions too.

* I mentioned that my wife runs her own blog and the theme of that blog features Greyhounds. Specifically retired Greyhounds. This is another facet of my life that has happened this past year because of my wife, and she takes all the blame I give her all the credit in the world for it.
We adopted a Greyhound and called him Hero. We liked it so much that we decided to foster. Initially I agreed to foster so long as it could be guaranteed that it would not cost overly much to do and that a “foster” would not become a permanent member of the family.
We have 5 kids and two dogs! OK, 1 dog that adopted from the ASPCA and a Greyhound. I still refuse to call Greyhounds dogs because they are unlike any other breed of dog I have ever met.
So far, everything has worked out well. We are now on our 4th foster. All others graced us with their presence for about a month and then found their “forever home”.

Because of fostering, and my wife's blogging, we have met wonderful people (Virginia Greyhound Adoption) (Greyhound Rescue Inc), been blessed with the experience of knowing Greyhounds and learned lots of new information such as the wonderful research that folks at Ohio State University - College of Veterinary Medicine and Dr. C. Guillermo Couto, DVM, Dr. Paulo Vilar, DVM and Dr. Liliana Marin, DVM do.

I too, have had the chance to meet lots of wonderful bloggers as well, and proudly promote them on my blog. Please take a moment to visit some of them: That Damn Sam Presents Snot Bubble Football, Gimps Wonderful Thoughts, In Historic the sports history blog and The Mission (once your finish reading here of course)

* One other thing that has happened, is that certain people I have known all my life have either become terminally ill and or died. One person, my mom, has been fighting Ovarian Cancer for close to 2 years. I have not mentioned this before in my blog but suffice it to say that by the time the doctors discovered it in 2008 it had already progressed to stage 4. Since then she has gone through surgery, chemo, technically gone into remission, and recently started chemo once again. Ovarian cancer and subsequent treatment thereof is nothing I would want anybody to go through, not even my worst enemies.

So, what does this have to do with my blog?
I’ll get to that in a bit so please keep reading...

RESOLUTIONS:

If you are going to be serious about resolutions, then I believe one needs define them simply and define how and when success will be achieved.

So, for my resolutions I am going to follow these suggestions for new years resolutions...

1. Be specific and break big goals into bite-sized pieces that you can handle.
For example, instead of resolving to save more money, resolve to save a specific amount such as $100 a month.

2. Create a plan to support your resolution.
How are you going to do it? Where will your money go? Will you have it deducted from your paycheck? Will it go toward retirement, building a cash reserve, or another goal? Will you need to adjust your budget?”

3. Track your progress and celebrate your victories.
Set benchmarks along the way, such as a three-month savings goal, and then celebrate when you make it with a low-cost fun and special activity.

4. Think of resolutions as opportunities to try new things.
Resolutions are a time of the year not only to try and “fix” the problems in your life, but also to try out a new way of being, a new activity or hobby, or a new attitude. Resolutions should not seem like punishments; if you try to make them fun, you will be more likely to stick with them. If your goal is to be healthier, try going for a 10-minute walk before work and enjoying your neighborhood.

Here are the resolutions that I am going to publish and track via the context of my blog.

Stocks and Finances.
1) Eliminate non housing debt. (credit cards etc.)
2) Beat all DJIA, NASDQ, S&P averages with my investment income and do at least 50% better than the 16 % return I had this year. That means 24% annual return.

Sports and Fantasy Football.
3) Conspire/Rig/Cheat as commish To have the east coast win back the Borderless League Fantasy Football Trophy next year. Oh wait, Conspire/Rig/Cheat as commish, would not be very fair and ethical, so I’ll just put down that I will make the playoffs and the East Coast will win the Championship next year.

Blog Related.
4) Double the number of people following my blog. I currently have 10 listed.

New Enterprising and Rewarding.
5) I’m starting a web site dedicated to donating to charities and activities that are most important to me and my family. Specifically The American Cancer Society, and Greyhound and Veterinary Research.

I was thinking of adding more such as the Alzheimer's Association and St. Judes Hospital, and I probably will as time goes on, but I think I will start with the first two for now.

In the past, we have given to each of these charities and will continue to do so. But, I wanted to and felt compelled to do more.
Volunteering was a possibility, but a lot of our time is already dedicated to our kids, their activities in the community and fostering and promoting Greyhound adoption that I felt we had the volunteering part down.
Then I thought about selling extra stuff on EBay and donating proceeds to various charities but then I looked at all the fees associated with doing this and I thought sheesh! What a racket.
I really liked the idea of having an auction site that acted as a sponsor with a charity. But in doing my research, each charity had/has different criteria that one needs to meet in order to officially sponsor and partner and use their logo. Some require a company to be in business for a certain amount of time (such as a year). Some require a certain amount or percentage of proceeds (such as 10%) or $25K/year .
So, here is my multi step resolution #5.

Start an auction website dedicated to Charities.
Done – Please check out The Gift Exchange.

Promote this site and generate enough traffic to achieve my other steps.
On going---
- One thing about The Gift Exchange which makes it different and hopefully more appealing to folks will be that it is completely free of any and all registration, setup and listing fees!
- I only charge a percentage/commission if and when your item sells. Everything else is Free!

Free to register
Free to place an auction or want ad
Free to trade you item for another
(this is another somewhat unique feature to the site)
Free to upload, pictures, video, etc
Free to enhance your item listing such as Bold, Category Highlight and even Front Page Feature with large format! This alone could save you over $50 in fees !

I do not require you to donate any of your proceeds to any charity.
- Instead, I take the commission from each sale and do two things.
• First I pay my expenses such as the fee Paypal charges me for the transaction and any operational expenses such as those from my hosting provider.
• Second, the remaining proceeds from the commissions collected will be donated to the charities.

Currently I have only one payment gateway setup with PayPal. As you may or may not know, PayPal accepts payments from other PayPal accounts and from major credit cards. So most everyone should be able to sell and buy on my site.
- Having one payment gateway is advantageous in that I can track all incoming and outgoing transactions in one place and report on those transactions on the web. That way folks will see the following:

o All commission proceeds are collected from the completed auctions.
o How much goes toward paying expenses.
o And how much goes to the charities.

This will enable me to hopefully achieve my goal of becoming a partner or sponsor of the charities and successfully keeping the site up and running contributing to these very worthy causes and organizations.

So please, if you have any items you would like to auction, I of course would like you to try out The Gift Exchange, tell others about it and help me promote the site.

If anybody knows other stores, companies, or organizations who might be willing to help sponsor my The Gift Exchange, I would gladly display a sponsor logo and link back.

But if you end up using another auction site, please consider donating some of your proceeds to any one of the many worthy charities out there.

Thank you.

And I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year.

Sincerely
Doug at Fumbled Returns

And thanks for following my blog.

Be good. Do well. Have fun.

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1 + 1 = 2

That simple equation, one we all learn as kids, is the basic formula anyone needs to remember when talking budgets.

I was originally going to post about one of my new years resolutions, Reducing Debt, but then I realized that before anybody starts talking about reducing debt, one needs to address his or her own budget.

And just like resolutions, budgets should be specific, tailored to your life style, and have goals.

If you make a resolution, or approach the idea of having a budget, by saying “I’m going to make a budget” and stick to it; though noble, I believe is opening the door for failure.

Here’s why.

Lets say you plan on making a budget to go on that Caribbean Vacation you love to go one each year, and or to save enough to one day buy a house.

Hopefully, if these are some of your top priorities, every time you pull out that plastic or cash, you will think, “do I really need this” or “will this help me reach my goal?”

Which gets me to the basic components of the formula.

Needs and Wants:

Needs are what you have to spend. Fixed costs, bills and expenses that you need or know you will have to pay every month.

Some people put these into basic categories of Food, Shelter and Clothing. However, there are usually more than just these three. Such as; Utilities, Loans, Taxes, Transportation, and don’t forget those once or twice a year bills such as insurance payments.

Wants are those things that add enrichment, entertainment, and pleasure to our lives. Wants is where your goals really come into play. Your top want, top goal, should be what you really want to obtain, what you are really saving and spending your money for. Not your bills. Not your budget.

A budget is nothing more than a tool, a means of balancing and prioritizing all your needs and wants in such a way so that 1 + 1 really does = 2.

So, where do some of us get into trouble?

Well, one area is separating needs and wants. Example: Housing. A basic need. But do you pay for a luxury condo, or split rent with others in on a 2 or three bedroom apartment, or even (hopefully temporarily) live with parents or relatives. Example2: Transportation. Walking vs. Biking vs. Public Transportation vs. Porsche. I think you get the idea.

Budgets are not easy. They require us to make choices. They require us to look at ourselves, our habits and life styles. They require constant attention and yes, sometimes become quite a balancing act. But they are necessary. It is these reasons that people often view budgets as limiting; and therefore not necessarily a good thing.

But they are good, and in the end, not limiting but rather enabling and liberating!
When making a budget, and sticking to it, adjusting it as needed, it is important to view it as a means to an end. And, just as we are all different, so too are budgets. Budgets should be tailored to what is important to you and what you value and how you live.

So, what is my budget?

Here are the top level categories. I have each with sub categories but here are the top.

Housing:
Groceries:
Transportation:
Bills & Utilities:
Shopping:
Education:
Time Outs:
Misc Taxes:
Savings:
Debt:

Unfortunately, that last one has crept back into my budget and the topic of one of my New Years resolutions and future post(s).

Until next time, and with all things…

Be good, do well, have fun.

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Reflecting on Goals

In keeping with the traditions of reflecting on the past year, setting resolutions goals; I present you the following...

FINAL 2010 R.A.P. (Resolution Accountability Page)

Actually, to restate, I make my resolutions in the form of measurable and (hopefully) achievable goals.

So, How did I do?

1) Eliminate non housing debt.













As you can see, the scuba dude is still swimming....

I did not do nearly as well as I had hoped but OK. The big dip in the summer was a new AC and Furnace. After nearly 20 years the AC finally gave up and we were faced with a huge decision and expense. For a brief moment the cheapskate in me thought, we can tough it out. We don't need no stinking AC. The human race survived for thousands of years without it, we can too.

WRONG! After a couple days of nearly 100 degree heat and humidity I was convinced that those crazy ideas were, well, Crazy.

There is a bit of good news in getting a new AC and Furnace. It is more efficient than the old, which means we should save on utility bills, and it qualifies for the Green Housing tax deduction.

Also, you may notice that my chart, despite the sudden dip, appears to basically rise in somewhat equal increments. This is because I tried to dedicate an automatic amount each month to go towards eliminating that debt.

Usually this is best done through automatic transfers, and if one can do it via payroll deductions, so much the better because then you never have the chance to miss a payment towards your goal.

The tricky part is budgeting well enough to do just that. It is not easy, but definitely possible; for everyone!

2) Beat all DJIA, NASDQ, S&P averages with my investment income and do at least 50% better than the 16 % return I had this year. That means 24% annual return.

Me +20%
S&P +13%
DJIA +11%
NASD +18%

Well, I did not reach my 24% goal, but I came close, did better than last years 16% return, and I did beat all the averages.

You know, maybe, just maybe I can do this individual investor thing after all.


3) Sports and Fantasy Football.
Conspire/Rig/Cheat as commish To have the east coast win back the Borderless League Fantasy Football Trophy next year. Oh wait, Conspire/Rig/Cheat as commish, would not be very fair and ethical, so I’ll just put down that I will make the playoffs and the East Coast will win the Championship next year.

Well, I may never reach this goal completely. :-(
I did make the playoffs but the East Coast lost yet again.
In fact, Yanni won for the second time in a row.
I did make it into the Championship game but thanks to Atlanta and Philly playing below expectations, I came up short in this ultimate fantasy goal.

4) Double the number of people following my blog. I currently have 10 listed.

I now have 24 listed so, baring a sudden mass exodus, I think I made this one.

5) I’m starting a web site dedicated to donating to charities and activities that are most important to me and my family. Specifically The American Cancer Society, and Greyhound and Veterinary Research.

Well, technically I did do this one in that I started it and got it up and running and I did achieve my goal of donating to charities. It just proved to be exceeding difficult to successfully promote that site so about half way through the year I changed it to an EBAY entity that donates proceeds to the charities.

That method proved to be more successful so I think I will stick with the EBAY donations going forward.


Coming Soon:

My 2010 Top Ten
Update on NFL Stocks
My 2011 Goals !!!

Read more...

Halfway

We are now officially half way through the year. Can you believe it is already June! And in the world of Fumbled Returns, that means a quick review of my resolutions.

Debt reduction plan is progressing but slower than I had anticipated but progress is progress so I am going to count it at least a partial success. Though, something tells me that I may not be doing so well in the very near future. I’ll save that for a possible future post. Hopefully not but , oh never mind.

On with the rest of my resolutions.

I picked up 4 out of my 5 new followers thanks to some creative blogging over at life with dogs, aka blog hops. Welcome aboard. This brings my total up to 16. I only need 4 more to reach my goal for the year!

I Have not quite re-started up my borderless fantasy football league yet so I cannot count any success towards that goal, YET.

And if anybody wants to help contribute to some content in this blog and join my Fumbled Returns Fantasy Football league, just send me an email and I’ll send you an invite. You could win the league and be a guest blogger all at the same time!

Despite a horribly terrible month of May, Starting Lineup -9.5% Bench -8.5% (I should have followed my own advice and cashed out) my investments are doing OK over all.
It still pains me a little to think that I had already passed my yearly goal in April, only to fall behind in only one month. But hey, I have the rest of the year to make up for lost ground. At least I am still way ahead of all the indexes.

My other endeavors have really fallen by the way side and I am just about to throw in the towel on those so it looks like at least one of my goals will not have a big ol’ smiley face next to it at the end of the year.

So that leaves me with my monthly picks for the month of June. (Drum roll please . . .)

STARTING LINEUP

IPXL - Impax Laboratories Inc
MDF - Metropolitan Health Networks Inc
SYNT - Syntel Inc
BTN - Ballantyne Strong Inc
CAST - ChinaCast Education Corp
DECK - Deckers Outdoor Corp
GYMB - Gymboree Corp
MFW - M&F WORLDWIDE
SPRD - Spreadtrum Communications Inc
MAT - Mattel Inc

BENCH

CECO - Career Education Corp
CSKI - China Sky One Medical Inc
NEU - NewMarket Corp
NBIX - Neurocrine Biosciences Inc
UPI - Uroplasty Inc
GPS - GAP INC
MSFT - Microsoft Corp
CCMO - CC Media Holdings Inc
HRL - Hormel Foods Corp
LLL - L-3 Communications Holdings Inc

Hopefully my June investment will do better than my May investments.

Read more...

2010 RAP

R.A.P. - Resolution Assessment Page.

Welcome to my official tracking page for my 2010 resolutions.

Stocks and Finances.
1) Eliminate non housing debt. (credit cards etc.)

I'm going to use this as my 2010 debt tracker. Hopefully I can get the little scuba diver dude above water by year end.

















This resolution got off to a rough start in January with some major car repairs and the need to replace a broken refrigerator. But for the month of February, I did manage to get my scuba guy nearly back to where he started at the beginning of the year.





2) Beat all DJIA, NASDQ, S&P averages with my investment income and do at least 50% better than the 16 % return I had this year. That means 24% annual return.

Yeah! February was a good month for my stock watch lists and achieving my resolution goals.











Starting Lineup
















Bench

















YTD Stock Tracker:














Sports and Fantasy Football.
3) To have the east coast win back the Borderless League Fantasy Football Trophy next year.

Obviously TBD. But hey, at least I am not loosing this one... yet.







Blog Related.
4) Double the number of people following my blog. I started the year with 10 followers.

I picked up yet another follower and added his blog to my google reader.

Check out the Work Forced blog!

January addition: Justin Harm and his blog Hopback.

This brings my count up to 12 now! Woo Hoo!


New Enterprising and Rewarding.
5) I’m starting a web site dedicated to donating to charities and activities that are most important to me and my family.

The Gift Exchange , is up and running and I have had a couple people browse on by and even register but I have not really produced the volume of auctions that I would like. But hey, it is new and hopefully I can get the word out more about this.

I need to do more in order to give this a smiley face...

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The Economy is great !

You can find deals everywhere from Walmart (WMT), to Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T), to fast food chains (Mcdonalds (MCD) and Burger King (BKC) $1 value items), to online brokerage firms (Both Schwab (SCHW) and Fidelity undercut the fee schedule of $7.99-$12.99 for most E*Trade (ETFC) transactions and a flat $9.99 for all Ameritrade (AMTD) trades), to; yes, even credit card companies.

This is a perfect example of deflation which is affecting nearly all parts of the economy.

All of the "excesses" of the previous economy, which was behind both the boom and the bust, have now created a climate of deflation.

Of course this is not good for businesses, as they now have to not only struggle with less consumer spending but now they have to deal with less revenue streams, and reduction in profit margins.

Yes, there is always two sides to a coin, and always a sword with two edges. The result of this economy unfortunately also translates into added pressure on people with lower salaries, unemployment, and defaults in credit and loans.

There is no utopia. There will always be a certain amount of insecurity, risk and "bad side" to everything in life. But there will always be the "good side" as well.

This reminds me of a quote I heard, "There is no security, only opportunity".

Today's economy, though far from perfect, has created opportunity.

Here is how I have taken advantage of some of this opportunity.

Credit Cards:

One of my resolutions this year is to reduce, hopefully eliminate, non housing debt.
One step I have towards doing this is to open a credit card account with a 0% interest and fee promotion. This last for up to 12 months depending on ones credit history and score.

The good side - no interest on balances for 12 months. This means my monthly payments go entirely to paying down the principle balance.

Of course as I pay down that amount, I apply (no matter how small an amount) the savings next month to my payment.

Coupons and Promotions:

This first month alone, we have been able to take advantage of department and grocery store promotions and coupons to save on everyday purchases. This enables me to apply these savings to paying down my debt even more.


So, how have all you readers, bloggers and Internet surfers out there found ways to save and take advantage of opportunity?

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Stock up

Well February was a much better month for both resolutions and stock investments.

First, my 2010 RAP (Resolution Assessment Page)is looking much better with lots of smiley faces. Check it out.

Both of my February watch lists soundly beat all the averages!

February Starting Lineup +11%
February Bench +6%
DOW +2%
NASDAQ +4%

You will notice below that some stocks from my February watch lists have carried over to my March watch lists as well.

I have also included some riskier or questionable choices as well. They may be well suited for a longer investment as I will explain later.

Here is my March Starting Lineup:

EZPW Ezcorp Inc
This company lends or provides credit services to individuals to meet their short-term cash needs. It offers pawn loans, which are non recourse loans collateralized by tangible personal property, including jewelry, consumer electronics, tools, sporting goods, and musical instruments.

As of September 30, 2009, it operated a total of 910 locations consisting of 369 the U.S. pawnshops, 62 pawnshops in Mexico, 477 the U.S. short-term loan stores, and 2 short-term loan stores in Canada.

In today's economy this stock has seen nothing but strong growth lately.

GHM Graham Corp
Is one that has been on my stock lists before but not recently due to selling pressure and uncertainty with the economy and exchange rates. But they do have a good pipeline of contracts lined up and the stock is now sitting at a more attractive buy point.

AAPL Apple Inc
This one is self explanatory but, believe it or not, not a stock I often put on my lists and even more seldom buy except on big price drops. It showed up on my screens this time and seems to be holding a good support level and has shown signs of gathering strength lately.

AFAM Almost Family Inc
Together with its subsidiaries, provides home health services in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Visiting Nurse and Personal Care.

Lately the stock has fallen off a bit and upon closer examination might be setting up nicely into the last stage of a "W" pattern.

CAH Cardinal Health Inc
This is a carry over from my previous months watch list and it has once again made my screening lists.

Lately the stock has experience a bit of an uptick in money flowing into the stock and is looking to break past the $34 resistance point. This could be setting up for a breakout if it is successful.

FDO Family Dollar Stores Inc
Another carry over from last month and continues its slow but steady rise above its break out point. With favorable reports from similar stores such as the Dollar Tree, there just may be more fuel for this slow but steady stock to rise further.

HQS HQ Sustainable Maritime Industries Inc
Yes, another carry over that is also experiencing money flowing into the stock. It has not quite taken off like one may have expected, mostly due to other economic factors, but this stock is still worth a spot on the watch list.

LHCG LHC Group Inc
provides post-acute health care services primarily to Medicare beneficiaries in rural markets in the United States.

This is another stock, which if it holds above its low support level, looks like it too could be entering the last part of a "W" pattern or a modified double bottom pattern.

MFW M & F Worldwide Corp.
together with its subsidiaries, provides check and check-related products, marketing, and contact center services to financial and commercial institutions, as well as directly to individual consumers in North America and internationally.

I was reluctant to put this one my watch list even though it made it past my screens simply because my natural instinct is that this type of service and product is not as in demand now a days as it used to be. But judging by the fact it has been and continues to be profitable, it is clear this stock deserves another look.

RGR Sturm Ruger & Co Inc.
engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of firearms in the United States. The company offers its products under the ‘Ruger’ name and trademark.

This stock has recently pulled back off of yearly highs and may be ready to go back up. This is another one which has looked stronger lately with a modest price increase and influx of money.

Listed below is my March Bench watch list.

This list, as you may recall me saying earlier, has some less favorable and riskier stocks which might be better investments for the long haul rather than the short term.

LLY Eli Lilly and Co
Another stock I usually do not invest in but this time it did make my screens and seems to be setting up a decent support base.

ARO Aeropostale Inc.
If you are willing to bet on the retail market, this stock seems to be in a decent holding pattern. Look for a bit of a dip in price so long as it does not go below $33.

COCO Corinthian Colleges Inc.
One of my decent winners from last month, and I still like this stock. I just think it is due for a bit of a cool off and pull back. But, I've been wrong before, so who knows.

GME GameStop Corp.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Never catch a falling knife. Which is exactly why this stock should not be on my list. However, it is approaching both 2 and 5 year support lows!

If anything, there might be a bit of a bounce back up but this stock is at a point that it is almost intriguing to watch but not quite ready to invest in yet.

GXDX Genoptix Inc
provides specialized laboratory service that focus on delivering diagnostic services in the United States. Its services include COMPASS service offering, in which the company’s hematopathologists determine the appropriate diagnostic tests to be performed, and then integrates patient history and previous and current test results into a comprehensive diagnostic report; and CHART service offering, in which the hematologists and oncologists receives a detailed assessment of a patient's disease progression over time.

With that said, another company that is new to my screens and I have put as a watch. It too, has recently fallen off of high points and has shown a slight but steady increase in strength.

HRL Hormel Foods Corp
This stock has had a good, but sudden, increase in stock price. I prefer to wait and see if it establishes itself into a good pattern or instead continues to fall back down, especially below the $40 level.

ISSI Integrated Silicon Solution Inc
A semiconductor company, designs and markets integrated circuits for digital consumer electronics, networking, mobile communications, automotive electronics, and industrial markets.

Another stock worth watching to see if it establishes a good support level or falls back down after its recent run up.

LANC Lancaster Colony Corp
engages in the manufacture and marketing of consumer products in the United States. The company operates in the following segments: Specialty Foods, and Glassware and Candles.

Again, recently it 52 week highs, repeatedly, and I rather it to fall back instead of continue upwards, but like the others, worth watching.

MAT Mattel Inc.
Has had a good financial report and seems to be leveling off nicely. Even with its recent run up in price, this stock is relatively inexpensive to its peers and continues to be profitable. Definitely worth a watch.

STRL Sterling Construction Co Inc
a heavy civil construction company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the building, reconstruction, and repair of transportation and water infrastructure in Texas and Nevada. Its transportation infrastructure projects include highways, roads, bridges, and light rail; and water infrastructure projects comprise water, waste water, and storm drainage systems.

This stock looks like it is trying to establish slow but steadily increasing low points in its stock price. Meaning it may be ready to start another upward trend.

They report this month on the 16th.

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By The Numbers

Totally unrelated to Fumbled Returns but here are my annual physical numbers now and 30 + months ago, since I took my diet and health resolutions:

Yes, I did say annual and 30 months...

pre-2008

Age: 45
Height: 6-1
Weight: 230 lbs
BP Range: 130-140 over 85-95
Glucose: 80 (but tolerance test indicated hypoglycemic or is it hyper? It is the one when it keeps dropping instead of leveling off)
Cholesterol: 230
Triglycerides: 150
LDL: 130
HDL: 60

2010

Age: 48
Still 6-1
Weight: 190 lbs (I actually did get down to 180 but wine and yogurt deserts have not helped lately)
BP Range: 120-130 over 70-90
Glucose: 76 (no tolerance test this time - I swore I'd never take another one again)
Cholesterol: 190
Triglycerides: 67
LDL: 108
HDL: 62

And yes there are a whole bunch of other numbers associated with my blood work but all those were always in the normal ranges. The ones I wrote above are the only ones worth mentioning.

My doc is probably 10 years younger than me and he says my numbers are better than his. I don't believe him but I'll take the complement.

He actually started going through a whole laundry list of generalized symptoms looking for something that was wrong. He even asked me even if I wanted something to help with possible allergy sinus headaches (which I almost never get).

Last time, because of my not so good numbers, he threatened me with statins and the possibility of diabetes and blood pressure medication.

This time he had nothin.

I almost feel sorry for him.

NOT.

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A Good Month

Well, March was actually a good month.

The NCAA March Madness has been absolutely wonderful to watch.

The Capitals have locked up a top spot in the playoffs.

The Redskins have shown some sanity in free agency.

And I did OK with my investments too.

So much so, that I am now beating all of the averages after the first three months.

I will try and update my resolutions page and publish April's watch lists this weekend.

I say try because it is Easter weekend and my daughters birthday monday.

Here is a quick look at my covestor tracker for the 1st quarter of 2010.

I can thank Family Dollar (FDO) and Aeropostale (ARO) for the nice gains this month.

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Bad Karma - Revisited

So last year I did this post about things just "going wrong".

Well, just when I resolve to get my debt taken care of, improved my bottom line, and get my finances in better order....

This month the following has happened....


What turned into get one or two new tires for my car turned into needing to get all four replaced, to an alignment repair and needing new brakes...

Then last Friday our refrigerator decide 63 degrees was just the right temperature to store food. NOT! So, forgoing repairs that would have approached a new refrigerator, we opted to get a new one. After hours of shopping online we narrowed our choices down to two models and then proceeded to shop locally for them at local stores. Well, needless to say, we found what we were looking for but we have to WAIT for delivery which is currently scheduled for next THURSDAY!. Arrrgh.

So now we are living on frozen food for a week not too mention that we will have to replace everything that went bad in the old one. DOUBLE Arrrgh!

So just when I was planning to reduce debt, I have added to it.

Perhaps I should have gone to a fortune teller before making my new years resolutions.

Speaking of which, I was looking online for a type of widget that would actually track my progress of reducing credit card debt and report it in percentage format much like my covestor widgets on the right sideline do.

Needless to say, I could not find one I liked. But I did find this...


Palm Reading Widget







Something tells me that if all palm readers looked like this, business would be pretty good.

So, starting next weekend, until I find a credit card widget I like, I will post my progress, for better or worse, on the right via a manual chart. And you will just have to take my word for it.

Oh yeah, and the stock market went really south this past week too.


But the month is not over yet. So, who knows what will happen between now and then.

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Keeping Score

Perhaps some of you saw this article about a nurse who took on the IRS and won.

She took on the IRS regarding her claims that her MBA costs were deductible. She won!

I like the fact that she was able to take on the IRS by herself and win!

She did it by checking the facts, reading the fine print and being anal retentive and sticking to her guns and goals!

Education loans and expenses are one of the two types of debt that I can accept as being OK to keep.
The other is housing.

Both can be tax deductible.
Both are also considered, in my mind, investments and can lead to more opportunity and potential earnings.

When it comes to debt it is important that you keep a few things in mind.

First, A Budget!

You can't do anything if you don't have one.

Second, Just as with a budget, set goals for either staying out of credit card debt or goals to get out of debt. And stick to them!

Third, Keep Score. Track your credit report and score.

A credit score is a basis for determining or rating or your risk for assuming debt based on your credit history.

The score is based on certain factors, including payment history, the amounts you owe and the types of credit you've obtained.

Personal information like income, occupation, age and marital status are not considered.

Everyone is entitled to one free credit report per year. This report shows everything the credit bureaus use to come up with your score.

NOTE: The only official site to go through all three major credit bureaus is
AnnualCreditreport.com

A credit report will also give you another means of protecting yourself against fraud and suspicious use of your credit and finances.

Check out my post about the Identity Theft Game

If you do an Internet search for free credit report or score, you will get way too many scams listed in your search results.

Having lots of available credit is good. Good for emergencies, purchasing power, obtaining loans and lower rates on said loans, and good for your credit score.

This is where some people first get confused about debt and credit cards.

Debt is bad.

Credit cards are good.

They can:
- Earn you rewards which can be used for other purchases, plane tickets and even vacations.
- Allow you to pay bills on time, even automatically. (this is important)
- Protect against identity theft, and fraudulent activity. (important too)
- Help resolve disputes with vendors and merchants.
- Purchase protection.
- Interest free loans. (if you pay bills in full and on time each month)
- And last but certainly not least – Improve your credit score!

Of course, it is also recommended that you pay off any credit card debt each month, or at least as soon as possible.

Here’s why.

Let's say I give you a penny today, and promise to double the amount every day for a full month. How much money would I be giving you on the 30th day?
The answer: over $5 million. Check it out:

It all adds up























Lets call this my compounded interest game!

Each day, the "interest" I paid you the previous day earns more interest. At the beginning, the amounts are nominal, but by the end we're talking big bucks.
Of course, no one's going to double your money every day. Not even credit cards. But this concept explains how people who save relatively small amounts over the years can build rather substantial nest eggs. After a few decades, their actual contributions represent only a small part of their burgeoning wealth -- it's mostly their returns that are earning returns.

It also illustrates how debts can quickly balloon out of control. If you're paying interest, rather than incurring it, and you're not diligent about paying off the finance charges in full every month, the unpaid amount will incur additional interest charges, increasing the total amount that you owe.

This is why so many families who incur credit card debt eventually find themselves in trouble as the amounts they owe explode past their ability to pay.

One of my new years resolutions is to pay off none housing debt. I have been “debt free” before and it is my goal to pay off my credit card balance.

There are a couple ways to go about this.
A) If you have the money and regular automatic savings to recover it quickly if you deplete it. Use the savings.
B) If you have the automatic savings and feel comfortable diverting that to pay off the debt, use the automatic savings each month.
C) After establishing your budget, find where you can make savings and put those savings towards paying off the debt. Chances are, this will have a two fold effect. First cut back on the expenses that are most likely adding to your balances each month and secondly apply these savings towards paying down your debt.
D) Move your credit card debt to an interest free card. This is more tricky now than it used to be.
- There are no more transfer free card programs out there. Everyone is charging 3% - 5% or more as a transfer fee.
- I would only recommend this if you can budget to pay it off during the 0% introductory period.
- Like everything else, do your research. There are a lot of different cards and programs out there with even more “fine print”.

E) Tip: As you pay off the debt, take the savings from you minimum amount (even if it is just pennies) and add it to your next payment. Remember the chart above!

F) And if all else fails and you are unable to come up with a reasonable plan or goal to be debt free, then ask for help. It’s OK. And in the long run you will benefit from it and be better off. A good place to start is here at the National Foundation for Credit Card Counseling.


Of course these are only suggestions. I believe that everyone needs to tailor their budgets, goals, and plans to their own individual life styles.

I would be happy for anybody to make other suggestions if they have them. After all, as with the nurse who took on the IRS, information and education is a valuable weapon.

As Always

Be good. Do well. Have fun.

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Ready... Set... Go !!!

Yes folks, it is a new year, a new month and time once again to take a look at some things I have been working on.

First of all, I mentioned a couple months back that MSN took away their great customizable screens that I have been using for years. So, this prompted me to look for alternatives.

This lead me to a couple very interesting sites.





Tradeking is a really cool investment site which offers decent, inexpensive, brokerage fees, charts, research, and community interaction. I particularly liked the community aspect of this site. You might remember my write-up last year about Covestor, which I still use and have the widget badges displayed on the side bar to the right. I am not yet sure Tradeking has anything like this but it is a nice complement to the platform. BTW, Covestor now has a trading platform where you can actually manage and trade your own portfolio and attract paying followers just as a broker would. Only catch is that you need mega bucks to invest and participate in this trading and brokerage community. So, if you got lots of cash just laying around, you can go there and participate. But, if you are like me, perhaps Tradeking would be a better alternative. Just a note; one can still register with Covestor and use it as I do without signing up for the new trading brokerage accounts.

Then we have






UpDown is a cool site where you can practice all you want. There are other sites similar to this such as Investopia which also made my worth while list of sites. Investopia however generates a lot of email and relies on hooks to get you to purchase stuff. These hooks are easy enough to ignore and you can find lots of really great information there.
UpDown just appeals to me a bit more in that they do not rely on the bait and hook model as much. I also like the idea of having a place to "play" with investing while not risking real money. It's a good learning tool.

Next we have





OptionsXpress is another very good and cool site that has a lot of what I was looking for, in the back of my mind, when I started this search. I just did not realize it. You see, this site specializes in option trading, which I do not do, however, they do have a really neat and specialized feature that, in the back of my mind, I had on my wish list.

That is "Chart Pattern Investing"!






Here you click on a pattern and effectively search for stocks which meet that particular criteria. Totally cool!

They too have excellent research and investment information and tons of features to help anybody, expert or novice, make informed decisions. Add to that, their cost is competitive (not the best but definitely within reason), and one has a winner of a site.

And last but not least we have...





Thinkorswim is perhaps the megatron of trading sites and software. I say software because in addition to all their great online features, one can also download trading software which has everything rolled up into one. This site has more information, terminology, features and stuff than I know what to do with. It is probably a day traders nirvana. Unfortunately I am not a day trader, I do not have that type of trading nerve and mentality, nor do I completely understand everything that goes along with it or everything on this site. So, if you are a day trader extraordinaire, dig in, if not, then though I am sure it is probably the best around, it is not for me.

So, have I settled on one of these sites to compile my watch lists?

No. But I have used them, Yahoo Stock Screener, and this site




Magic Formula Investing is based on "The Little Book that Beats the Market" by Joel Greenblatt. This is one of the first, and best books, on investing that I have ever read. It is also a good site to screen for well run, profitable companies.

By combining features, results from different screens I come up with, hopefully, a diverse list of stocks to choose for my watch lists. The diversity often spans not only sectors withing the market, but also trends and types of stocks.

So, how did I do last year? Overall, not too badly.

















The monthly returns are from when I posted the monthly watch list until year end 2009.

Meaning, if you, or I, had invested equal amounts in all of my starting January 2009 watch list stocks, we would have had a return of 31%. Not too shabby. For the entire year, everything balances out to about 25%. Again, not too shabby.

Of course, I had my share of winners and losers and interestingly enough, both my biggest gainer, and my biggest looser, comes from my February Watch Lists.





Hopefully I will be able to do just as well, if not better, (keeping in mind one of my new years resolutions to do 50% better with my stock picking).

So with that in mind, here we go!

January 2010 Starting Lineup!

DO , Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc
NE , Noble Corp
STEC , STEC Inc
USNA , USANA Health Sciences Inc
UTA , Universal Travel Group
BKE , Buckle Inc
CNU , Continucare Corp
LANC , Lancaster Colony Corp
SYNT , Syntel Inc
GHM , Graham Corp

January 2010 Bench!

FLR , Fluor Corp
MSFT , Microsoft Corp
ODSY , Odyssey Healthcare Inc
SOHU , Sohu.com Inc
BCR , C.R. Bard Inc
BMY , Bristol-Myers Squibb Co
CSCO , Cisco Systems Inc
KFT , Kraft Foods Inc
MMM , 3M Co
IDC , Interactive Data Corp

I'll cover these in more detail later this week but for now I'll leave you with a bumper sticker quote I saw the other day which seems to go along with my tag phrase of ... Be good. Do well. Have fun.

"Live so the preacher doesn't have to lie at your funeral"

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