Down markets are great if you’re in the stock buying mood. Markets ended 2018 with a thud. In the fourth quarter there were declines of about 16 per cent in Canada and 20 per cent in the U.S., closing the year slightly off these lows. Financial headlines were dire, with many suggesting the worst December […] Read more
Down markets aren’t bad markets
A review of 2018’s market performance shows a slight gain from the sample portfolio
2019 SMART Investing Goals
Setting personal financial goals for the upcoming year is a good way to make sure you grow your portfolio
2018 has been a challenging year for stock and bond investors around the world. Virtually every asset class, in every country is down year-to-date. Following is a sampling of stock market declines (not including dividends) around the world as at mid-December, 2018: China is down 22 per cent, Germany 16 per cent, Canada 10 per […] Read more
Re-think what you thought, Part 2
Four more common financial investing myths, de-bunked by Herman VanGenderen
This article is a continuation of my previous column, and a summary of the themes of my 30- to 45-minute presentation. Most stock investing perceptions are actually misperceptions. I outlined five common misperceptions in the previous article. Here are another four. 1. You have to sell to make a profit The three companies I have […] Read more
Fear is easier to market than facts
Despite the potential stability of a well-structured portfolio, stock-phobia abounds
A phobia is defined as an extreme or irrational fear. I Googled phobias. There is a fear of money officially called chrematophobia, but no official fear of stocks so I will just refer to it as stock-phobia. Why are so many individuals afraid to invest in stocks when they represent one of the best wealth […] Read more
Investing in speculations: an oxymoron
Is that investment you’re considering an actual investment? Or are you speculating?
Are cryptocurrencies and marijuana stocks investments? How about a technology company like Tesla? I can’t seem to have a conversation without being asked about these types of companies, although the cryptocurrency discussion has declined with their prices. Let’s look at the financials of Tilray, a marijuana stock, and Tesla. At the time of writing Tilray […] Read more
Is market level relevant? If you’re an investor, not a speculator, market predictions are futile
Investing for Fun and Profit with Herman VanGenderen
I am about to question one of the sacred beliefs of market pundits. It is my belief that market level isn’t very important to our investing success. What? Does that make sense? First, let’s look at how accurate market predictions tend to be. Reading about the topic leads me to believe the prediction success rate […] Read more
Cash flow is king. A simple measurement that helps you evaluate a company
Investing for Fun and Profit with Herman VanGenderen
What’s more important than profits? Well of course family, friends and health, but what about in a business? My favorite valuation measure is actually cash flow. Everyone has heard the saying that “cash is king.” At today’s interest rates I would argue that cash is a waste of money, but cash flow is king! Most […] Read more
Sorting through the mumbo jumbo of financial investments
Herman VanGenderen puts his model portfolio to the test for Grainews readers
There is a lot of mumbo jumbo surrounding the stock investing field, and quite frankly a large amount of horse exhaust as well. Let’s cut through a bunch of that, in this and the next column, to illuminate what’s really important to us as independent investors. I have taken the portfolio I described in my […] Read more
Starting your self-managed accounts
Getting accounts started is a simple as a visit to your local bank
So you have emptied your piggy bank, read my book, and are now motivated to start a stock investing account. Or you already have accounts at a few different places and want to consolidate them to start managing yourself. Perhaps you are working with a financial advisor but want to take more control. How do […] Read more
Where in the world should we invest?
Time to get down to the details and choose the stocks for your TFSA portfolio
With the groundwork for international diversification laid in my previous column, let’s now complete “construction” of a prospective TFSA portfolio begun on March 27. This prospective portfolio would be suitable for an account of $15,000 to $57,500, the current maximum TFSA contribution if you hadn’t made a previous contribution, and you were 18 years of […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
