I’ve been contemplating what topic I should select for my first blog post, with ideas ranging from commentary on the hottest financial news story to what stock I believe may be under or overvalued. Then it hit me; the writers that demand a permanent tab on my iPhone are the ones that I can personally relate to the best.
With that being said, I want to provide a little insight to my fellow iBankCoin contributors and the readers as to what has driven me to take up an interest in finance, investing and the stock market; my strengths and weaknesses; my investment approach; and what topics/articles I will write about. My end goal is that you will learn a little from me, but I will learn much more from you.
As someone who is dubbed a “Millennial”, we are notorious for being weary and quite frankly pessimistic about the stock market. However, from a young age, I’ve always been captivated by the market and commerce. This fascination stems from two familial influences. First, my mother and father always encouraged me to learn about business and how money works (to the novice investors and traders, yes this is a skill).
Second is my late aunt, who was an avid investor and trader. I can still remember sitting on her couch with my siblings, and the CNBC ticker would constantly be running at the bottom of the television. I assume this is some sort of ingenious hypnosis method that the Illuminati have perpetrated.
Switching gears, I want to lay out from the start that technical analysis and catching the short-term moves are not my strengths. I will defer this sort commentary and analysis to the first string contributors on iBankCoin (Fly, OA, Raul, RC, BlueStar, and Mr. Thaler). They also happen to be gifted long-term investors that provide transparent fundamental outlooks better than anyone.
When I do get the occasional itch to make a quick trade, which is a small part of my portfolio strategy arsenal to obtain additional alpha, I read their posts, and analyze their recommendations via the Technical and Hybrid score and the Community Notes in Exodus (extra product plug).
The skills that I will bring to the table are fundamental analyses and a long-term outlook on individual stocks, industries, and the economy. I want to point out up front that I do not limit myself to the traditional undervalued stocks with low P/E’s, high EPS’s, etc. In this type of multiple expansionary environment and vast amount of information available, the majority of these companies deserve these multiples because they operate a maturing business model, or they are simply not a growing entity.
However, we all know Mr. Market can occasionally visit the funny farm and loose his mind. If he didn’t, then there would be no reason why the smartest people on Wall Street wouldn’t just buy and hold the S&P 500 ETF. Exhibit A: Look at Tepper’s holdings. I search for catalysts or analyze current/future products and services that the market has yet to understand its impact.
My articles and post will include topics on the rules I implore and also learn about as it pertains to portfolio positioning, risk management, and asset allocation. This is for both general brokerage accounts, which I manage for myself and others much more actively, as well as retirement accounts (both IRA and 401K). One area I hope to get a lively discussion on is whether individual securities, ETFs, or a mix should be held in a Roth or Regular IRA.
I will have a weekly feature, in which I will analyze an individual stock (whether I own it, I am considering to own it, or receive suggestions from the readers), provide a price target, key stats and multiples that I used to derive the price and investment thesis, and SWOT analysis (extra McKinsey); the difference here is that my reports will be as if a Goldman or JPM’s analysts decided to provide their unfiltered opinion, eliminate conflicts of interest, and throw in humor, wit and sarcasm. Finally, I plan on relaying my real life experiences and interests while providing a financial and business spin on them.
I want to personally thank The Fly for selecting me to add content to this already top notch site; it’s an honor and privilege to work with you and I pass the same message along to my fellow iBankCoin writers who have taught me along the way. In return, I promise to provide rich content that not only enlightens, but also entertains.
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Boyaj – great intro.
Positive or negative, let’s talk coal one day..
Thanks Buccs. I don’t know much about coal, so you’ll have to turn to graystoke for that one. I’ve got a good friend, an old law school buddy, who lives in WV. He tells me the industry has been constantly slowing down throughout the years. The only other thought I have is if a Republican wins in 2016 and Congress is still conservatively controlled (you would need both), the industry may see an uptick. However, to me, that’s a spec play.
“One area I hope to get a lively discussion on is whether individual securities, ETFs, or a mix should be held in a Roth or Regular IRA.”
Excited to talk about that…. And coal.
I Specifically would like to look for single stocks with strong fundamentals, great management, and in the right industries, to fund in iras and Roths that young people can hold for long term.
I second this.
This is definitely a topic that could use more attention here at IBC. I look forward to reading more of your blogs and the commentary that follows.
Game, it’s difficult to argue with you on that, especially for most people in their mid 30’s or younger. I’m glad you already threw your ideas out there; that’s my hope for my posts. The symbiotic learning process will be key, and that’s what I hope will attract others. While I will discuss this in a further post, the difficulty is having people hold through the tough times. I’ll offer ideas on how to make this process easier.
Mav, fundamental analysis and long term investing outlooks are my strengths. The IRA and Retirement discussions take a little more time to write about, but I see them as valuable tools in a market participant’s arsenal. I’m hoping my contributions can round out these skills on iBC, and all readers can learn the various areas of the market.
With regard to long term, if you are young and have your head on right, and it’s dollars for retirement- not a yacht and strippers- then low prices should bring excitement to lower your basis in companies you like. Assuming the management is still doing the right things.
I think there’s value in being flexible with some buckets of funds, and a long term buffet approach in others.
Welcome
Thank you good sir, thrilled to be a part of it.
Welcome to iBC, looking forward to your posts
Thank you good sir. I’m pumped about the opportunity, and hope to keep everyone involved and encourage interaction.
Fabulous. Looking forward to your work and commentary.
Thank you rahagar; I’m looking forward to your contributions as well.
Excellent sir.
Welcome.
RC, thank you for reception. Also, I appreciate how responsive you are on your posts and the insight you provide; everyone needs to check out you posts as well. Your technical skills are on point.
“…my name is Richie Cunningham, and this is my wife, Oprah.”
Great post. Looking forward to reading more.
Thanks OA, you’ve taught me a ton about market sentiment, price action, and sticking with a plan. While some may say those first two areas run polar opposite to someone with a long-term view, I would contend that you need to at least have a general sense of the market on how you want to position your allocation in terms of risk on vs. risk off. I will write about this too down the line. BTW: If anyone is new to iBC, read OA’s posts over the past two months. He has literally called each market move like Babe Ruth pointing to left field.