i can't 'like' until i get to a real computer tomorrow as i am strictly mobile device at home for some time now, but thanks for the updates on both you and yours.
for those who haven't bookmarked it already: Grace Reaching | Without Borders
Hmmm...been a while since I posted here in my own "home" !!!
Soooo....Grand-Niece in Peru is "hitting the wall"...frustrated with the language difference, missing Family and Friends...BUT...her faith is keeping her going !!! Sent a "Care Package" (remember those ?)...hopefully getting something she can touch and feel, rather than digital stuff, will cheer her up !!!
Taxes done...owed more than I thought...messed up because of payments the Wife received for her beading classes she taught...time to get serious about doing an LLC, so we can deduct "business expenses" ???
Checking my "Buy-And-Hold" stocks, and dividends...pondering some adjustments !
"Earnings season" sending me all over the board !!!
- FIS pays a dividend below my 4% threshold, but it's had a big run-up since my purchase in 2/13...time to take profits ???
- Small lot of BGS paying a decent dividend against my buy-in price ; BIG run-up when they beat earnings !!! Gonna hold this one...
- Du Pont (DD) been in the news lately...big proxy fight !!! Dividend not so hot, but big run-up in stock price since the fight started ! I actually added to this position, and will ride it until I see what happens...
Hope your investment decisions work out well !!!
Stoplight...
"Too old to rock and roll...too young to die"... - I. Anderson
i can't 'like' until i get to a real computer tomorrow as i am strictly mobile device at home for some time now, but thanks for the updates on both you and yours.
for those who haven't bookmarked it already: Grace Reaching | Without Borders
Thanks, Burro ! I wasn't going to re-post the Kid's web site again, because this is, after all, (mostly) an investment site, but I'm glad you did ! Reading her latest blog post, "Things Nobody Told Me", you can get a sense of why I said she's hitting the wall...OTOH, she pulls the whole tone up later, with comments on all the "positives" so far...an interesting read !
Stoplight...
"Too old to rock and roll...too young to die"... - I. Anderson
Thanks, Skorch....just goes to show you how LITTLE I know about it ! Yes, she got a 1099 with "Nonemployee Compensation". I use TaxAct On-line, so it came back with the Schedule C, etc. I had NO records kept for "business expenses", so I just let it do it's thing...calculated the "self-employee tax" and the deduction for said tax
When all was said and done, I owed ~$200 more than I'd calculated on my draft...next year, I'll be better prepared, but I have no idea how to separate her "hobby" costs (beading jewelry, etc) for her personal use, from her "business" costs...she teaches classes at a Shop, and sells some stuff, every now and then. I ASSUME now we gotta get a license, collect state sales tax on sales, etc etc etc. I'd rather get her to give up beading, but THAT will never happen !
Stoplight...
"Too old to rock and roll...too young to die"... - I. Anderson
Trying to sell the FIS, but it keeps dropping in this market ! Geez...may dump it tomorrow, regardless of what it does...I'm still in the black on it...
Zeroed in on my second target, 3M (MMM). Planned to dump it and pick up some more WM. Hit my limit price at 3:59 PM and sold, but didn't have time to buy the WM...USAA doesn't "do" after hours trading. Maybe it'll be cheaper tomorrow anyway !!! Bought a little over a year ago @ 131.41 ; sold today at 156.47, for ~ +19% NOT complaining !!!
Stoplight...
"Too old to rock and roll...too young to die"... - I. Anderson
Sold the FIS today...bought 2/13 @ 36.80...sold today at 63.09... ~ +71% Sweet !!!
Geez...my USAA sweep cash account/"brokerage cash" is getting pretty big...better decide where to put these extra funds !!!
Anybody got any suggestions ???
Stoplight...
"Too old to rock and roll...too young to die"... - I. Anderson
I would suggest you look at IEV which is an I shares Europe ETF. It contains 350 European stocks and I'm buying some already for myself. USO is another place to look - it's United States Oil fund ETF. Just to mention a couple choices.
I should tell you that I'm still holding my FIS position with a gain of +120% and plan to keep holding until who knows when.
So....I have 1 full month of TSP withdrawal, and then a partial one in July...that'll draw my TSP balance down to zero, and I can say good-bye to the TSP. I must admit...kinda sad to say that, after messing with the TSP for all these years !
OTOH...now my attention shifts to the Wife and my USAA self-directed IRA's in earnest ! Since we'll probably start drawing from those accounts later this year, I needed to see where we stand, and what's in cash, so we don't have to "sell low" to meet a needed withdrawal.
Decided to take profits in a portion of my little "chip-maker that could"...already took some profits before ! Bought TriQuint 2/21/13 @ 4.87/share...after splits, mergers, and a huge run-up, sold half of my remaining Qorvo @ 86.25/share. Wish all my trades worked out that well...still holding a small lot, just to see where it goes from here !
Qorvo has not paid a dividend, though, and as we move deeper into retirement, I'm becoming more interested in those dividend-paying stocks, and less interested in these risky ones...
Still haven't decided what to do with the cash laying around, though...
Stoplight...
"Too old to rock and roll...too young to die"... - I. Anderson
KK,
Soooo....to pick back up on a previous discussion !
The Wife and I have drafted an itinerary and some dates to visit the Grand-Niece in Lima...just waiting for a confirmation back from her that the dates are cool with her...she sent us dates when NOT to come (kids have exams ; school breaks, other people visiting, etc)...looks like we'll go in October. We want to nail it down so we can still pick up the cheaper "advance purchase" air fares...She says we can stay with her and her "roomie" in their apartment in Lima...we'll see if that works out !
Anyway...looking forward to your suggestions, tips, ideas, and pix of what to see ! As you noted, hopefully WeatherWeenie and others contemplating a trip to Peru will benefit, as well !!!
BTW...for those following Sonja's website/blog (http://gracereaching.org/)...she hasn't posted a new blog entry in over a month ! HOWEVER, know she's just fine...she's been up to her eyeballs in work ! Her classes are doing well ; she has 7 adults she's tutoring in English ; she's writing procedures for the entire school ; and she's "Team Leader" for a large group of students from Pensacola Christian College, who just arrived, who came down during their school break, to help out at the school, and other facilities out in the city and country. The Kid is a workaholic ! I remember Sensui's advice that she should do this while she's young, single, and has energy !
Oh...and she FINALLY got her "Care Package", too ! The good ole USPS tracked it to Lima, arriving on 29 April...(Thanks, KK, for the work you guys do !!!) then it sat !!! SERPost says they left her a note to come pick it up, but who knows...here's an email we received from Sonja :
"Well. This package saga can come to a happy end. 😃 It didn't take me long at all, kinda.
So after much time spent on the phone, using my struggling espanol, I gave up and had someone call for me. 😉 I managed to gain an address and a confirmation number that my box was at Serpost in downtown Limá. Found a few extra hours this afternoon and went over there (ending up being about 35 mins away). The overseas package pickup was in the basement (super sketchy), and there was nobody there. But I waited for awhile and wandered and found a room filled with packages from the USA just on the floor. Figuring I was in the right place, I hung out and convinced this guy that my package was in there somewhere. After a copy of my passport, fingerprints, and signature in 4 places.....they brought me my package!
Besides all that, THANK YOU! I love opening that box, it was so much fun. I just wish it wasn't Friday so I could go use this stuff with my kiddos. I love it all and I know my kiddos will too! I appreciate it so much."
I suspect the local postal workers/Customs people were surprised to see her show up at their basement office, and were charmed by her...Probably not used to talking to a determined, strong-headed American woman !!!
She added in another email that the college students had brought her some stuff from her Mom. She said : "The missions team arrived late last night and brought me things from my mother, so it's been like Christmas this weekend! Never thought I'd be so glad to get shampoo and gum. Lol."
Anyway...glad I live in the U.S. of A. !!!
Stoplight...
"Too old to rock and roll...too young to die"... - I. Anderson
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