THE SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS EDITION
19 AUGUST 2011
SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!
And Become an ICLUBcentral, BetterInvesting Tour Guide
When your most extroverted reporter hears about or experiences something out of this world, she can't help herself. She climbs right up onto the nearest building and shouts it from the rooftop! Why keep it under wraps?
That's her take on the ICLUBcentral and BetterInvesting communities. They have oh-so-much to offer (keep reading through this issue of The Gazette for a testimonial of this very nature).
As investors, we know that word-of-mouth trumps all — even a company's most expensive, glitziest advertising campaign can't compete. So, though rooftops in your reporter's neighborhood abound, the constant climbing can be taxing. She needs your help, and she's whittled her request down to three small ways in which you can make a huge impact:
Spread the Word: Introduce people you care about to the "educated investor" community experience. People need to experience the unique value of the ICLUBcentral and BetterInvesting communities to truly understand the benefits of joining.
In mid-July, BetterInvesting conducted a short webinar that gave a tour of the new Open House program. The webinar is suitable for both existing community members as well as for prospective new members. The public link is here (it's the second session on that page). The webinar link is also posted here on the members section of the BetterInvesting website. At your convenience, please listen to the short session and feel free to invite others to listen, too!
Become a Tour Guide: After you do, perhaps you'll consider becoming a tour guide and taking others to: www.betterinvesting.org/openhouse.
Mark Your Calendar: BetterInvesting will offer an improved version of this session in September. Invite friends, family, colleagues and anyone you think might benefit from sampling what BetterInvesting offers to that webinar on Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. EDT. Please register here.
LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED
Share Ideas, Tips, Tricks in The Exchange
First of all, your reporter would be remiss if she didn't send out a GREAT BIG WELCOME BACK AND HELLO to SC member and treasurer emeritus of the ICLUBclub Dan Abraham, whom she last saw in Iceland, where they rode Icelandic horses together through the mountains. (She's not making that up.)
From Dan Abraham in The Exchange:
Hey, folks! After a bit of time away, I find myself in a position to be an investor. Credit card debt paid off (Rule #1), lovely new job with a 401k that allows me to pick the stocks myself rather than a some-size-fits-many plan, and I'm ready to dive in. I figured this would be the place to start asking questions.
First off, any pitfalls in managing my own 401k to the hilt? I'm starting my investigation, but I suspect I'll pay for churn more than the basic plans will. Long-term investing is the name of the game.
Second, my plan gives me the choice between standard 401k and Roth. Roth appears to be the more attractive package, as for a little more up-front, no taxes when I retire. Any opinions on the subject?
After that, I'm starting in on my stock screening, beginning with the Roster of Quality Companies. CTRP (Ctrip.com International, Ltd) looks pretty interesting. Can we get a discussion forum for them going, Doug?
Doug Gerlach, who your reporter points out is always on top of his game, no sooner saw Dan's request when poof! He made it happen! Check out the brand-new CTRP Forum and join in on the discussion!
And SC member Danny Matthews chimed in with his own thoughts for Dan on the Roth. To see his feedback and add your own, drop into The Exchange.
SPEAKING OF IDEAS . . .
Toolkit 6 User Group, Club Operations Need Input!
We're currently working on the 2012 schedule of topics for both our Toolkit 6 User Group and our Investment Club Operations webinar series. Are there any parts of the Toolkit 6 program you'd like to see demonstrated in a webinar? Are there burning topics about starting or running an investment club you'd like us to address?
Please post your ideas on The Exchange and we'll see whether we can cover them in an upcoming webinar. And don't forget — the prior webinar topics are all available on the ICLUB.com website in the webinar archives.
SC FOUNDER DOUG GERLACH'S TAKE ON . . .
When to Buy a Stock in the "Investor Advisory Service"
Charles B. is a subscriber to the Investor Advisory Service, and he recently wrote me to ask, "I think I heard in a past webinar that you had advised to only consider the stock highlighted that month when making new buys for one's portfolio. Do you still feel that is the best way to use IAS, or should every stock in the list with a "Buy" indicator in the Company Sorts listings be considered when making new buys for one's portfolio?"
Each month, we feature three companies in the Investor Advisory Service with in-depth profiles. These are the only official purchase recommendations that we make for subscribers.
However, we recognize that subscribers may not find any of those three companies suitable for their personal portfolios. The companies may not fit with the existing holdings in an investor's portfolio diversification plan, or may not fit within the investor's equity risk-tolerance levels, or they may prefer to avoid certain industries. On top of that, it may not be practical or affordable to buy shares of additional stocks each and every month.
In those cases, investors may still have cash with which they would like to be putting into the market. (After all, investing regularly is one of the keys to long-term investing success.) If you have cash and don't like any of the three recommendations in an issue, then turn to the sorted lists and News of Companies sections to review our assessment of any stocks that you currently own that are actively tracked by IAS. In the "Buy" column, any stock that meets our mathematical criteria for purchase at its current price will be indicated with a "B." We recommend that you use this indicator to find companies (most likely that you currently own) upon which you can do more research. Then, you must decide for yourself whether a particular company would fit with your portfolio diversification plan, personal tolerances, and total return goals.
For more, we've covered this topic on the Investor Advisory Service's blog in a recent posting, as well.
— Doug Gerlach
TODAY'S ENTIRELY RELEVANT QUOTATION
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
— Winston Churchill