I have posted before that Chris and I have been doing a little of our own buying and trading of stock. With interest rates the way they are, money just is not earning anything in a savings account, even if it is a "high" interest online account. So, for now, Chris and I are trying to invest more money and just keep our emergency fund in the high interest savings account. I wish we could save and invest more, but doesn't everyone? Our kids each have a Berkshire share, which was just split into 50 shares each. Chris and I had 3 Berkshire shares, which split into 150 shares. We are not sure if that is a good or bad thing yet. What else is in our portfolio and how do we decide what to buy?
Well, I do the buying on TD Ameritrade. They have tools to let you know what is recommended - buy, hold, avoid, etc. We have been investing in stocks that we are interested in: Walmart, Gamestop (which has tanked but is still labeled as a BUY, go figure), Apple, Adobe, etc, and most recently Google which we purchased for Addison. We plan on depositing the kids' Christmas money and investing it as well.
Anyway, last January I wanted to purchase Google. I Google EVERYTHING! I even use Google to find stock symbols for companies! But, it was so expensive at $275 or something a share. Now, it is something like $580 a share! Ooops, I totally missed that one. Let's see how Addison does with her Google Stock. Chris wants me to come up with the money so Alivia, Asher and Chris and I can purchase Google, too. Since I try to purchase a minimum of 2 shares at a time, I have to dig for that kind of money.
On our stock watch list are our favorite stores such as Target (TGT), Bed, Bath and Beyond (BBBY), Coke (COKE), and Yahoo! (YHOO) - which is currently tanking and on a major HOLD. These are all companies that we have an interest in and contribute to their business. For example, I could never invest in Walgreens because I do not like that chain. They are overpriced and are only out to make a big buck (I know this from being a drug rep. Our drugs were always priced way higher at Walgreens). Anyway, I hope to watch these stocks for the next few weeks before deciding where to invest the kids' Christmas money. Each kiddo has their own Ameritrade Account (which is time consuming to start but easy to do once it is started. I have each of their accounts linked to our account so we can toggle between accounts to keep a close eye on all of them). I typically consult with Chris on what I plan on doing before I purchase anything. Chris has put a lot of trust in me in doing this. No pressure!
I do have a couple of mentors, whether they know it or not. Warren Buffet is my first one, for obvious reasons. That is why we bought Berkshire first. Warren clearly knows what he is doing. The second mentor is my Dad. As a farmer, one has to know how to play the market. There is a lot of risk involved in knowing when to sell grain. Well, he clearly got good at it as I am sure he makes more dollar per dollar than Chris and I do with our money that is invested with a money manager. One really has to shop around for a money manager. As I understand them, they get commissioned more for certain things they buy over others. Therefore, they may not always have their clients interests at heard. Additionally, they have numerious clients. They can not possibly be looking at all their portfolios daily! Chris and I are slowly trying to take back the money from our money manager as he has just managed to lose all that we give him every month. At this pace, we will never retire.
Since the Berkshire stock split, I am sure the stockholders meeting will be hopping this year and Nebraska Furniture Mart will make big bucks in those few days of the meetings. Maybe with any luck, Chris and I will be able to purchase Alivia a desk during those days and get some bang for our stockholder buck!
Now, back to being a Mommy/Day trader. What else is there to do during naptime. Oh yeah...blog and do laundry.
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