I had a chat with my EDJ investment guy today and I am tracking on my retirement plan of 62. We figured things out at 7 percent growth. Probably won't retire then, but I want to push the envelope and have the option or be on the road to setting up nice any year after that.
My newest stock purchase is Intel (INTC). The stock bottomed out in February at $12 and is now $16. Its 52 week high was $24. The company owns its sector and is showing a profit. It is plowing that profit into R&D during the downturn and also paying a 14 cent dividend. Technology is not going away and I like how Intel has weathered this downturn. I see this as a good long-haul stock.
I also threw a bunch at my Roth IRA into an overseas mutual fund. Some folks who read this blog hate mutual funds, but I see it as a good way to mitigate risk while I get exposure to overseas markets. I don't have time to pay attention to what is going on in South Korea, Ireland or Australia.
If you are under 40 and do not have a Roth IRA, then can I sell you a bridge or some ocean-front property in Arizona? Taxes will only go up and (so far) all returns on a Roth are tax free.
My retirement calculations did NOT include social security and did figure in inflation. I suggest everyone else under 50 do the same.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Summer is Bad for Blogging, Please Read the Following
There are lots better things to do in the summer than blog -- like grilling venison/beef/pork/chicken and tipping a few beers with friends and watching the Twins beat the Brewers. So I expect things to continue being a bit slow throughout the summer.
With that said, everyone should read this.
With that said, everyone should read this.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Big Decision Update
I am now a Second Lieutenant. Now I get to salute everyone in the military except other 2LTs.
I remember when I was a squad leader and we had this particularly full of himself 22 year old second lieutenant who demanded that we salute him all the time (generally, you give your platoon leader the greeting of the day and then you are done saluting him for the rest of the day -- it's a practical thing). I instructed my squad to space themselves out at 10 yard intervals whenever they were near the LT and then make it a point to move in his general direction. An officer is required to return a salute rendered to him and only one salute is required when soldiers are in a group; however, when soldiers are more than 10 yards apart then individual salutes are required. Enlisted types call it the "salute formation". After about a day of being a salute machine, the LT got the hint and only required the greeting of the day.
I remember when I was a squad leader and we had this particularly full of himself 22 year old second lieutenant who demanded that we salute him all the time (generally, you give your platoon leader the greeting of the day and then you are done saluting him for the rest of the day -- it's a practical thing). I instructed my squad to space themselves out at 10 yard intervals whenever they were near the LT and then make it a point to move in his general direction. An officer is required to return a salute rendered to him and only one salute is required when soldiers are in a group; however, when soldiers are more than 10 yards apart then individual salutes are required. Enlisted types call it the "salute formation". After about a day of being a salute machine, the LT got the hint and only required the greeting of the day.
State Budget Update
The state senate passed the monster WI budget the other day and my senator, Jim Sullivan, was allowed by the Democrats to vote against it. The Dems hold a two-seat majority and had the wiggle room to let one vulnerable senator save face and cast a meaningless vote against the budget. There are others in that chamber who would have also loved that opportunity. What did those senators get and what does Sullivan have to do in the future? I would have loved to been a fly on the wall of the meeting where it was decided that Sullivan would get the one NO vote.
There were a herd of amendments submitted on various details of the budget. I am on the lookout for a list of these and the votes of each one. If I can find such an animal, then I will post what Sullivan voted for and against.
The house and senate versions will get hammered out into one document before a final vote is taken later this month. Will Sullivan be granted permission to wiggle away again or is that juicy prize going to a different vulnerable Senate democrat?
UPDATE: Sullivan voted against an amendment to strip all earmarks and non-fiscal policy items from the budget. He voted against the Dems on a 182-page "Super Amendment" that essentially held all the Dem changes to the budget. A person does not divide his vote on such a document and the budget.
There were a herd of amendments submitted on various details of the budget. I am on the lookout for a list of these and the votes of each one. If I can find such an animal, then I will post what Sullivan voted for and against.
The house and senate versions will get hammered out into one document before a final vote is taken later this month. Will Sullivan be granted permission to wiggle away again or is that juicy prize going to a different vulnerable Senate democrat?
UPDATE: Sullivan voted against an amendment to strip all earmarks and non-fiscal policy items from the budget. He voted against the Dems on a 182-page "Super Amendment" that essentially held all the Dem changes to the budget. A person does not divide his vote on such a document and the budget.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
State Budget Fun
I am represented (poorly) in the WI State Senate by Jim Sullivan. A first-term democrat, Sullivan is up for reelection in 2010. He won his race narrowly in 2006 against a weak, first-term incumbant.
The Wisconsin legislature is considering the Wisconsin budget that will jack spending by 10 percent as well as raise just about every tax imaginable.
The Dems control both the senate and assembly and this will be their budget. They will own every sentence in it and have to explain that to the voters in 2010. The Dems control the state senate by only 2 members.
The GOP Senators will put EVERY tax hike and spending increase within the larger budget document up for a vote before the whole budget can be voted upon. If two Dems buck their party and vote GOP on some of these individual items then some of the junk will get stripped out of the budget.
Some of the junk:
1) 1 percent sales tax increase for Milwaukee County
2) $9 per year tax on EVERY phone line--to include cell phones.
3) New tax on internet downloads
4) Oil Profits Tax--will be passed on to consumers
5) Sales tax on health care
6) Increase in most fees
7) Cigarette tax hike
Senator Sullivan's office phone number is: 608-266-2512. Call him and tell one of his staffers what you think about this stuff. Be nice, staffers are people too.
Once the budget has passed the Senate, I will detail what tax increases and spending increases Jim Sullivan voted for and those that he voted against.
Will he represent the taxpayers of Tosa, West Allis and Brookfield or treat us how a moose treats a VW Beetle?
The Wisconsin legislature is considering the Wisconsin budget that will jack spending by 10 percent as well as raise just about every tax imaginable.
The Dems control both the senate and assembly and this will be their budget. They will own every sentence in it and have to explain that to the voters in 2010. The Dems control the state senate by only 2 members.
The GOP Senators will put EVERY tax hike and spending increase within the larger budget document up for a vote before the whole budget can be voted upon. If two Dems buck their party and vote GOP on some of these individual items then some of the junk will get stripped out of the budget.
Some of the junk:
1) 1 percent sales tax increase for Milwaukee County
2) $9 per year tax on EVERY phone line--to include cell phones.
3) New tax on internet downloads
4) Oil Profits Tax--will be passed on to consumers
5) Sales tax on health care
6) Increase in most fees
7) Cigarette tax hike
Senator Sullivan's office phone number is: 608-266-2512. Call him and tell one of his staffers what you think about this stuff. Be nice, staffers are people too.
Once the budget has passed the Senate, I will detail what tax increases and spending increases Jim Sullivan voted for and those that he voted against.
Will he represent the taxpayers of Tosa, West Allis and Brookfield or treat us how a moose treats a VW Beetle?
Friday, June 5, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Happiness is .....
escaping the following annoying things while on a nine-day vacation
1) cell phone
2) internet
3) news
4) Wisconsin
1) cell phone
2) internet
3) news
4) Wisconsin
Friday, May 22, 2009
Personal Federalism
A rich guy in New York State penned an article detailing how he could save $5 million bucks by doing some Florida residency paperwork and spending 184 days out of New York State. Good for him.
This gentleman and millions of others throughout the history of this nation are practicing a primary freedom we (still) have in this nation -- the freedom to move somewhere else in search of greater opportunity or to simply find a place where they feel they belong. One is free to pursue opportunities anywhere they wish. Such a move can take one out Milwaukee and into Waukesha County in search of property tax relief, better schools and less crime or from Wisconsin to Florida in search of lower state taxes and a warmer climate. People can vote with their feet and find the situation that suits them better. This is perhaps the most vital, yet often the most ignored, aspect of federalism. Federalism is the nation having distinct levels of government dealing with issues specific to their level. We have national, state, local levels of government. There are checks and balances within all of these levels of government and one of these is the freedom of the citizen to move away if the situation is not of his liking or if his rights are being assailed. Don't like the schools? -- then move to a new school district. State taxes too high in NY? -- then move to Florida. Your local government is hopelessly corrupt? Then vote with your feet.
Tyrannical governments limit the movement of their people within their own nation. A man in China has to seek permission to pass between provinces and the East Germans built a wall to keep East Berliners out of West Berlin.
States with some of the highest taxes such as NY, CA, MI and WI are being abandoned by their middle class and wealthy as their state governments pass more taxes and spend more money in an unaccountable manner. These people sense that government only sees them as their cash cow. It is a slow, silent bleed -- one that takes years to be noticed. Few take the time to pen an article to explain why they are going -- they simply go. These are the people that make things work, build businesses, provide jobs, pay their own way. Many others simply work for someone else, pay their taxes, raise their families and do not demand the wealth of others.
The New York rich guy is being vilified as greedy for his decision. However, such petulance will undoubtedly provide validity to his decision and such insults do not solve New York's budget problem.
This gentleman and millions of others throughout the history of this nation are practicing a primary freedom we (still) have in this nation -- the freedom to move somewhere else in search of greater opportunity or to simply find a place where they feel they belong. One is free to pursue opportunities anywhere they wish. Such a move can take one out Milwaukee and into Waukesha County in search of property tax relief, better schools and less crime or from Wisconsin to Florida in search of lower state taxes and a warmer climate. People can vote with their feet and find the situation that suits them better. This is perhaps the most vital, yet often the most ignored, aspect of federalism. Federalism is the nation having distinct levels of government dealing with issues specific to their level. We have national, state, local levels of government. There are checks and balances within all of these levels of government and one of these is the freedom of the citizen to move away if the situation is not of his liking or if his rights are being assailed. Don't like the schools? -- then move to a new school district. State taxes too high in NY? -- then move to Florida. Your local government is hopelessly corrupt? Then vote with your feet.
Tyrannical governments limit the movement of their people within their own nation. A man in China has to seek permission to pass between provinces and the East Germans built a wall to keep East Berliners out of West Berlin.
States with some of the highest taxes such as NY, CA, MI and WI are being abandoned by their middle class and wealthy as their state governments pass more taxes and spend more money in an unaccountable manner. These people sense that government only sees them as their cash cow. It is a slow, silent bleed -- one that takes years to be noticed. Few take the time to pen an article to explain why they are going -- they simply go. These are the people that make things work, build businesses, provide jobs, pay their own way. Many others simply work for someone else, pay their taxes, raise their families and do not demand the wealth of others.
The New York rich guy is being vilified as greedy for his decision. However, such petulance will undoubtedly provide validity to his decision and such insults do not solve New York's budget problem.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Will Obama be like FDR?
....and do "preventive detention"???
The New York Times buried a story yesterday regarding a private meeting with President Obama, the Attorney General and human rights advocates about the need to incarcerate people who are deemed national security risks but cannot, for various reasons, be tried.
This is beyond picking up some terrorist types in Iraq or Afghanistan as part of a military operation, it appears to be something of a much broader scope. As I read the story, it implies Obama may seek to set up a legal process that will use law enforcement and the judicial system to detain people without full due process or existence of evidence and hold them for an indeterminate period of time.
The last time this nation did "preventive detention", President Franklin Roosevelt after Pearl Harbor signed an executive order that locked up several hundred thousand Japanese Americans simply for being of Japanese descent and living on the west coast.
As someone who agrees with President Bush's Gitmo policy and use of monitored enhanced interrogation techniques*** for high-level terrorists picked up on a battlefield, I find the policy of preventive detention proposed by Obama to be very disingenuous. Obama gave a speech today talking about all sorts of national values, etc. while explaining how he would do things different and thinks the Bush Administration methods on anti-terrorism and detainees is the most horrible abuse of power ever. This potential Obama policy of "preventive detention" flies in the face of that rhetoric and is exceedingly dangerous. Just who would be subject to "preventive detention"? Where would they be detained? How long would they be detained? This is definitely larger in scale than any Bush policy and, as a result, open to a much higher level of abuse of power. Could this expand to include people exercising their right to free speech or assembly? Veterans have already been targeted by this administration as potential terrorists. How would such procedures be applied in that respect?
The extreme right and left will run with this and take great liberties with it. Again, such things have not been formally proposed and the story stems from two people who leaked the meeting. Few know the agendas or veracity of the leakers. However, even Obama dallying in such proposals and then the very next day lambast the previous administrations more restrained policies tells me that Obama is a very dangerous man. One who is without any principle other than gaining more power.
*** No, it's not 'torture' because torture is a sadist proposition designed as much to punish, maim and kill as much as it is to pry information. Any honest appraisal of techniques used and how the process was implemented and monitored would immediately understand the difference between torture and enhanced interrogation.
The New York Times buried a story yesterday regarding a private meeting with President Obama, the Attorney General and human rights advocates about the need to incarcerate people who are deemed national security risks but cannot, for various reasons, be tried.
This is beyond picking up some terrorist types in Iraq or Afghanistan as part of a military operation, it appears to be something of a much broader scope. As I read the story, it implies Obama may seek to set up a legal process that will use law enforcement and the judicial system to detain people without full due process or existence of evidence and hold them for an indeterminate period of time.
The last time this nation did "preventive detention", President Franklin Roosevelt after Pearl Harbor signed an executive order that locked up several hundred thousand Japanese Americans simply for being of Japanese descent and living on the west coast.
As someone who agrees with President Bush's Gitmo policy and use of monitored enhanced interrogation techniques*** for high-level terrorists picked up on a battlefield, I find the policy of preventive detention proposed by Obama to be very disingenuous. Obama gave a speech today talking about all sorts of national values, etc. while explaining how he would do things different and thinks the Bush Administration methods on anti-terrorism and detainees is the most horrible abuse of power ever. This potential Obama policy of "preventive detention" flies in the face of that rhetoric and is exceedingly dangerous. Just who would be subject to "preventive detention"? Where would they be detained? How long would they be detained? This is definitely larger in scale than any Bush policy and, as a result, open to a much higher level of abuse of power. Could this expand to include people exercising their right to free speech or assembly? Veterans have already been targeted by this administration as potential terrorists. How would such procedures be applied in that respect?
The extreme right and left will run with this and take great liberties with it. Again, such things have not been formally proposed and the story stems from two people who leaked the meeting. Few know the agendas or veracity of the leakers. However, even Obama dallying in such proposals and then the very next day lambast the previous administrations more restrained policies tells me that Obama is a very dangerous man. One who is without any principle other than gaining more power.
*** No, it's not 'torture' because torture is a sadist proposition designed as much to punish, maim and kill as much as it is to pry information. Any honest appraisal of techniques used and how the process was implemented and monitored would immediately understand the difference between torture and enhanced interrogation.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Stock Buy Update
Haven't bought anything for awhile and not going to either. I think the market has found an equilibrium and will hover, barring some dramatic event, in the 8300 to 8700 range for awhile. I bought a number of stocks during the slide and have reached the limit of TosaGuy's stock buying rule number #1: Only buy stock with money you can afford to lose.
During the February crash, EVERY stock was getting killed to include those of companies that were making money. People finally realized that buying stock in companies that make money is a very good thing and acted accordingly. Other than my speculation in Ford, every stock I bought during this period pays a dividend. That did include a bunch of GE, which is still down from when I bought it. I have decided that I am going to dump GE as soon as it moves above my purchase price -- $18. This will be because I believe the company is now completely different than when I bought my first GE shares in the Jack Welch days (Part of a different account, which I am in for about $40 a share--ouch). Besides killing the stock price for 6 years, Jeffrey Immelt needs to go because he is transitioning the company from making stuff for the marketplace to positioning GE to leech off the gov't subsidized products that the marketplace doesn't want. While GE providing transmissions for the Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicle is a legitimate way for the company to make a buck from Uncle Sam, lobbying for mandates that will dictate people buying your wind turbine technology and CFL lightbulbs is not -- such political play will add a new dimension to the stock that I do not want to be involved in and do not want to account for. They also employ Keith Ubertool. I will take my money and get out.
Ford Update: The company needed some cash so instead of calling Uncle Sam, it issued some more stock and that tanked the price. Since that time, the stock has resumed its upward movement. If it hits $6 I will watch really close and may sell and if it hits $7, I am definately selling.
During the February crash, EVERY stock was getting killed to include those of companies that were making money. People finally realized that buying stock in companies that make money is a very good thing and acted accordingly. Other than my speculation in Ford, every stock I bought during this period pays a dividend. That did include a bunch of GE, which is still down from when I bought it. I have decided that I am going to dump GE as soon as it moves above my purchase price -- $18. This will be because I believe the company is now completely different than when I bought my first GE shares in the Jack Welch days (Part of a different account, which I am in for about $40 a share--ouch). Besides killing the stock price for 6 years, Jeffrey Immelt needs to go because he is transitioning the company from making stuff for the marketplace to positioning GE to leech off the gov't subsidized products that the marketplace doesn't want. While GE providing transmissions for the Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicle is a legitimate way for the company to make a buck from Uncle Sam, lobbying for mandates that will dictate people buying your wind turbine technology and CFL lightbulbs is not -- such political play will add a new dimension to the stock that I do not want to be involved in and do not want to account for. They also employ Keith Ubertool. I will take my money and get out.
Ford Update: The company needed some cash so instead of calling Uncle Sam, it issued some more stock and that tanked the price. Since that time, the stock has resumed its upward movement. If it hits $6 I will watch really close and may sell and if it hits $7, I am definately selling.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Speaking Truth to the Little Guy
Journal Sentinel: YAWN.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Milwaukee TV News: OUTRAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Milwaukee Media exposed a horrific environmental crime of some poor dude accidently putting a piece of concrete into the Milwaukee River, which resulted in the guy being fired. Meanwhile, MMSD gets a brief note every time it dumps 50 million gallons of raw sewage into Lake Michigan. Yawn, ho hum, nothing to see here. A piece of concrete...horrible, lets get a guy fired.
Glad the Milwaukee Media is speaking truth to the little guy. That piece of concrete might have created a nice piece of fish habitat, but only if MMSD quits dumping raw sewage into the very same river.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Target is Toast
I am a native of Minnesota and Minnesotans are raised to go to Target' Boutique. In undergrad, the city did not have a Target, but instead had a WallyWorld and a KameApart. In my world, a store is a store is a store and is not a "shopping experience". I am interested in three things when I shop, 1) price; 2) how convenient is the location of the store; and 3) how easy is it to checkout.
Target is a few nickles more than Walmart because they sell a better shopping experience and make middle class liberals feel better about themselves because it isn't Walmart (Every treehugging lefty in Shorewood will DRIVE to a Target rather than walk three blocks to the Capitol Drive Walmart). I usually shop Target because it is more convenient to my work than is Walmart. If the two locations were switched then I would be a Walmart guy.
In the larger scheme of things, Walmart is destroying Target during this economic downturn because Walmart always billed itself as the low price store while Target marketed itself is a more sophisticated "shopping experience". When people cut back, ambiance in the toothpaste aisle is one of the first things that is dismissed. As a result, Target's new marketing scheme is to "cut prices".
I was in Target' Boutique yesterday seeking some necessities and a new toaster because my 15-year old toaster was done. I was examining several fine toaster choices and they were, magically, ALL on SALE! according the special "price cut" tags all over the place. One of the price cut tags was askew and it revealed the regular price tag, which was the same as the sales price. I checked behind several other tags in the aisle and all were the same. There was nothing wrong with the price and I was ready to pay regardless of how it was marked, but their marketing gimmick just rubbed me the wrong way.
I returned my stuff to where I got it and left. While I will return to Target in the future to buy shaving cream, etc. because it is convenient, I am, as a matter of principle, going to Walmart (or TJ Maxx or Big Lots) for my toaster.
Target is a few nickles more than Walmart because they sell a better shopping experience and make middle class liberals feel better about themselves because it isn't Walmart (Every treehugging lefty in Shorewood will DRIVE to a Target rather than walk three blocks to the Capitol Drive Walmart). I usually shop Target because it is more convenient to my work than is Walmart. If the two locations were switched then I would be a Walmart guy.
In the larger scheme of things, Walmart is destroying Target during this economic downturn because Walmart always billed itself as the low price store while Target marketed itself is a more sophisticated "shopping experience". When people cut back, ambiance in the toothpaste aisle is one of the first things that is dismissed. As a result, Target's new marketing scheme is to "cut prices".
I was in Target' Boutique yesterday seeking some necessities and a new toaster because my 15-year old toaster was done. I was examining several fine toaster choices and they were, magically, ALL on SALE! according the special "price cut" tags all over the place. One of the price cut tags was askew and it revealed the regular price tag, which was the same as the sales price. I checked behind several other tags in the aisle and all were the same. There was nothing wrong with the price and I was ready to pay regardless of how it was marked, but their marketing gimmick just rubbed me the wrong way.
I returned my stuff to where I got it and left. While I will return to Target in the future to buy shaving cream, etc. because it is convenient, I am, as a matter of principle, going to Walmart (or TJ Maxx or Big Lots) for my toaster.
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