A Beginning

I've been struggling with the use of Facebook to post links to articles that I think those with whom I interact might benefit in one way or another from reading.  I mainly use FB to keep in touch with friends and family in a "short and sweet" sort of way.

I have worked for pay since I was twelve (12) when I began mowing lawns, raking leaves, and shoveling snow. I was not the brightest bulb in schools but did above average work. I successfully completed high school, college, and post-graduate college. I made a career from teaching at a California Community College for 36 years. I worked hard and often always teaching an extra class or two or three as well as trying my hand at running a small business on a couple of occasions.

I put aside some money each month for "the future" and tried to "grow it" with the use of time and compound interest.  It worked a wee bit.  Then in the 80's I began investing in mutual funds a wee bit.  Two conservative funds and one "risky" fund.  The "risky" fund outgrew the conservative funds by a bunch.

Then in the 90's I was reading about choosing one's own portfolio of equities (stocks) and when doing so only use money I was willing to lose all of and it wouldn't interfere with daily life.  About the same time online stock companies began to emerge and I found one (BCL) which bought and sold stocks for $17.99 per transaction.

And so I began to invest directly in stocks with the approval and knowledge of my wife.  I invested a small amount each month or at least I put a small amount of money each month into the brokerage account to invest at some future date.

I began by buying APPLE Computer Inc (10-01-99) and Walt Disney Co (10-01-99).
BCL gave way to Harris Investor which got out of the business so I had to move to a different brokerage.

"My little portfolio" has a few winners and a few losers.  My strategy is not very "schooled" it simply is buy what I know, listen to what friends say, and pray!  I buy and hold. I've sold some "dogs" and some stocks have become worthless.

When the dot.com BUST hit "my little portfolio" went from +50% to -40% which was a steep loss.  I just held what I had and bought more of a few stocks I had that were WAY DOWN IN PRICE.  Then "my little portfolio" went up to +75% and I stopped setting aside money each month and buying stocks regularly.  Then of course the 2008 BUST hit and my stocks went into the "dumper" but did not slide into the NEGATIVE.  So I just held them and sure enough even though things have been stinky with the economy "my little portfolio" has grown since 2008 and considerably.

Also in 2008 those conservative mutual funds GOT PUMMELED so I sold them and put the remaining money in a GOLD AND PRECIOUS METALS Fund which has turned out to be a good decision.

I read "Freefall" by Joseph Stiglitz soon after the 2008 BUST and I was "fit to be tied" with what was happening, what had happened, and what was likely to KEEP ON happening.  Then this past year I read "The Black Swan" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.  Taleb's book confirmed Stiglitz and had been written earlier than Stiglitz's.  Taleb also confirmed "my plan", that is, take a small amount of money that I could lose all of and invest it with the possibility of having a positive Black Swam. (Of course, when I began investing I had no notion of "Black Swans.")  At the same time keep the rest of my discretionary money in a least likely to sustain any loss kind of investment, e.g., savings, CDs, etc.

So what I am going to do with this blog is share nuggets from "The Black Swan" and other sources I encounter and find make sense to me.  And comment or point out the most appealing message. Also it will keep my FB page friends and family focused.
Cheers
Wm the Commoner