blackbyrd2

LJ is being a pig, loading slow, if at all, and making commenting difficult. I'm still reading, although not posting so much.
I spent this morning catching up on investment information, ideas, learning/education.

Please insert standard disclaimers about me not being a financial advisor or a professional, liability, doing your own due diligence, these not being recommendations to buy, information being for informational, entertainment and educational purposes only, blah blah blah. I'm just updating my personal financial info/philosophy for your amusement.

Here's a full list of my positions:
ABT (Abbott)
ADP (Automated Data Processing)
CTL (CenturyTel) (I recently re-initiated a position with them because they're solid, pay a high yield, and may be acquiring Qwest soonish)
CVX (Chevron)
FSC (Fifth Street Financial) (This is the only one I wouldn't recommend unless you like a little risk. It's the only financial I own, and pays a very high yield of over 10%- This generally means high risk.)
INTC (Intel)
JNJ (Johnson and Johnson)
NEE (Next Era Energy- used to be Florida Power and Light)
PG (Proctor and Gamble)
T (AT&T)

I also own 3 MLPs;
CPNO (Copano)
EXLP (Exterran Partners)
MWE (MarkWest Enterprises)
All three MLPs are high yield, both CPNO and EXLP are very volatile, but have been trading in the same (wide) range for several months. MWE is less volatile, and has grown significantly in the past year. I don't recommend any MLP unless you are willing to hold for a long, long time, and don't mind the additional headaches involved with taxes; they all issue K-1's, which must be dealt with in itemized deduction schedules, and are never issued before Mar 1, sometimes as late as Mar 31, thereby both complicating and delaying your tax return. On the other hand, they have performed admirably since I purchased them, growing much faster and farther than traditional equities. I think they've stabilized to some extent since the crash of Mar 09, so growth is not likely to be so spectactular for newer purchases. However, I still anticipate some growth, and plan on holding them for years to come.

In the next 6 months, I hope to open a position in KMB, possibly COP, and maybe some standards such as KO, PEP, MCD, SYY, CLX. I also plan to open at least one more utility to go along with NEE, as the utilities pay a bigger starting dividend. Obviously, I won't be able to open all of these this year. My big focus is paying down debt, specifically my current HELOC, as it expires in two years, and it has to be gone by then or they'll convert remaining debt to a fixed rate loan, probably at a horrendous rate of 8 or 9%! However, the plan is in place, and unless something drastic happens, this will be paid off in time.

My average yield on current value has fallen as low as 4.85% now, while my average yield on cost is still around 6.5%, down from over 7.5%.
The reason for the reduction is the opening of several positions where the divvy is in the 3% range. As each of these has a long, long history of growing dividends annually, I expect my yield on cost to go up as time goes by.
On the other hand, prices are up an average of about 29%, which isn't bad. This last isn't so important, as I expect lots of ups and downs before I get around to selling anything. I monitor it, and I have to admit that runups like the recent increases for CVX (and the MLPs, of course) make it difficult to sit on my hands. However, I am certain that the eventual sell price will be an increase over cost, and it's the dividends that I really care about. I consider large increases in share price to be buffers for volatility down the road. Thus, if the divvy is threatened, I should still be able to sell out at a profit, even if I'm not hovering over the portfolio page, updating prices hourly. (I aim to have a portfolio that can be ignored for days at a time, even weeks or months, eventually. That buffer is a part of this plan.)
Timing is not a part of my investing philosophy. The common knowledge is that no one can time the markets, and I've never tried to. I buy when the market dips, and if I miss the bottom, it isn't going to hurt me. By the same token, if I miss the top, that won't matter either. In the long run, a few cents in price is not going to make the difference between success and failure. Income and stability are what's going to define that.

Current financial issues prevent me from investing at the rate I'd like to, but I have a plan, and I'm working it. This is, to me, the most important thing. Make a plan, work it, and check the progress regularly.
There is, unfortunately, a good deal of hoping and wishing going on as well, because one needs a bit of good luck to get through any plan. There's just not a lot that can be done about unforeseen circumstances, health issues, etc.

Also just realized that at least half that last entry got whacked clean off.
*sigh* That changes the whole tenor of the post.
That's just frustrating, that is.
I'm not going to try to recreate it now. *grumlefrakkinrackinfrazzinspaz*

( Boring financials below the cut )

Not cross posting, because it's huge and boring.

This is my first try at homemade bread;

3 3/4 cups whole wheat bread flour (King Arthur Brand)
1 pkg rapid rise yeast (The very fast acting stuff, not the normal 'active')
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk (Recipe called for nonfat dried milk, in smaller quantity))
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp rosemary
3/4 tsp oregano
dash of black pepper (maybe 1/8 tsp?)

Mixed 3 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, pepper and herbs. Nuked the water to approx 120 degrees and added it. Added oil and milk, mixed and kneaded by hand, adding flour as needed to get it all mixed and approx the right consistency. (It was too thin to start.) Let it rest for about 20 minutes. (The water felt less than 120, so I wanted to give it time to rise.) Punched it down and separated it into two bread pans. (Should have been one.) 375 for 25 minutes, and it was just fine. The herbs barely even register, so I could have been more aggressive with them.

This could be slightly sweeter, and (depending on how it turns out tomorrow, when it isn't all warm and fresh,) could probably use some butter or honey for moistness. One of the recipes I butchered for this said to use 1/4 cup of honey, molasses or maple syrup.

Made my fingers awfully doughy, which I guess is normal, but not something I remembered from when I was a kid.
I suppose I could have used the bread machine, but I wanted to do this batch this way instead. I enjoyed it, and will probably do it again sometime, with the noted modifications.

So, in an attempt to recreate what was lost yesterday;

( Take Two )

This is a rather unsatisfying and pale rendition of the original post, but that's how it goes.

I've had this Dreamwidth account for several months, and have been debating what to use it for.
For now, I'm going to track my investments and personal finances here. I'll use this to keep track of what I buy and sell, (although not quantities. Who really wants to know that sort of thing?), and my thoughts on the market, what things I'm unsure of or puzzled by, and my perspectives and recommendations, for those crazy enough to want to follow me.

( Boring financial history )

I want the Dreamwidth account to be more about things I'm doing which might act as a resource for others. Along with my financial commentary, I hope to post some recipes, maybe some artsy-craftsy stuff if/as it comes up, etc.