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
Fear is easier to market than facts
Despite the potential stability of a well-structured portfolio, stock-phobia abounds
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
Build your portfolio with international stocks
There are many reasons to diversify outside of the country. Get the details
My first three columns have covered a lot of ground, but there is more to cover. The stock market presents endless learning opportunities, but we want to keep our approach simple and effective because we have our farms to run and our lives to live. The first column covered the advantages of a TFSA; the […] Read more
The most important investment number
The “Rule of 72” is one of the most fundamental principles of investment
One of the most fundamental investment principles is the “Rule of 72.” Understanding this rule is key to understanding investment returns, the benefits of tax-advantaged accounts, and why starting with limited funds can still lead to great outcomes. The year 1972, for those of us old enough to remember, was a year that will forever […] Read more
How do we start building, secretively?
Get started soon, with a small portfolio, to build financial returns for your future
Have you kept our secret? You know, our secret about building wealth over time in the stock market. The secret that it’s about buying common shares in solid companies, and holding them for a long time. The longer we can keep this secret the more time we will have to build our portfolios, before others catch on. But […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
