Wall Street Gambling, Price Manipulation, etc

Discussion in 'All Things Boats & Boating' started by brian eiland, Feb 17, 2013.

  1. powerabout
    Joined: Nov 2007
    Posts: 2,944
    Likes: 67, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 719
    Location: Melbourne/Singapore/Italy

    powerabout Senior Member

    little choice now that the man in the street that relied on a pension ( believed his/her government and they have all lied) has found out its not liveable due to inflation or it has been stolen. Its a scam industry, "I have my commissions from your cash and have retired now"
    you would have been better off buying property and blue chip shares in most western countries and with compound interest you would have an inflation proof retirement created over your working career.

    The biggest scam of all is that they predict a rate of return and when the current investment goes over that the industry pockets it and when its under its your bad luck. You never get the good only the bad.
    Long term thats how you lose when you do a calculation and work out the market indices that work on say the top 100 or so shares is always higher. You also miss getting the 2:1 discounted and free shares thats a huge jump up that the fund pockets.
     
  2. GTO
    Joined: Jul 2007
    Posts: 143
    Likes: 9, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 101
    Location: Alabama

    GTO Senior Member

    Since I just recently hit 50, I took a closer look at my financial situation concerning retirement and realized I was hurting, assuming that social security will either be gone or greatly reduced.

    First I reviewed my 401ks and realized I had a few mutual funds that over the last 10 years or so had only averaged 1 - 3 % growth per year. Those I moved over into the highest rated no/low cost funds that I could find. Admittedly, this was not an extensive search, but I did diversify and have small and large cap , biotech, energy, and real estate funds. The other two funds that had averaged approximately 5% and 7% over the same time period I left alone.

    Next, I moved my Dave Ramsey emergency fund out of the credit union savings, with its 0.75% per year interest rate, into a low cost trade account.
    Since this is my emergency money (layoff, medical, etc.) I didn't want it to be high risk so I went primarily with energy stocks that had shown modest but steady growth over the last 10 - 20 years or life of company, along with a > %3 dividend. I did put about %20 of the money into slighty more risky stocks, but all but one has > %3 dividends.

    This was done at the end of October. Certainly the market is on a bubble at the moment but I'm still happy I reorganized by savings.

    My 401k is up %14 at the moment and my savings are up %10.

    I now plan on watching my assets more closely and if the market does appear to start a long term contraction, I'll pull out my risker 401k assets and reinvest in something more conservative. The savings money I'm willing to pull out of the market completely to preserve it and buy back in when, or if, things look better.
     
  3. WestVanHan
    Joined: Aug 2009
    Posts: 1,373
    Likes: 56, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 746
    Location: Vancouver

    WestVanHan Not a Senior Member

    I have said it before a couple times and wonder why I waste time posting it: find an advisory service,do your due diligence,pay their monthly fees and put a couple grand into it and do exactly as they say.

    Imagine putting 3-4 hours a day into something worthwhile,instead of the mind stealing garbage on TV. Within 2 weeks you'll be immersed in a whole new mindset.

    My tip-watch the Euro when rumblings about Spain/Italy needing bailout money..it's free money-there for the taking.
     
  4. powerabout
    Joined: Nov 2007
    Posts: 2,944
    Likes: 67, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 719
    Location: Melbourne/Singapore/Italy

    powerabout Senior Member

    From the Financial Times:
    ‘The Federal Reserve leaked the minutes of its last rate-setting meeting to bank lobbyists as well as congressional aides and trade associations.

    ‘On Wednesday the Fed published its March minutes in the morning rather than the afternoon as had been scheduled. The central bank said it was doing so because they had already been accidentally released on Tuesday afternoon to a distribution list, comprising “mostly congressional staffers and trade association members in Washington”.

    ‘However, on Wednesday afternoon, the Fed published that list, which included lobbyists at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup, among other banks.

    ‘Though the list was predominantly comprised of staffers to members of Congress, it also included a significant number of employees working for banks, opening the possibility that they could have passed on the information to traders.’
    **************************************

    Yes its all about insider trading
     
  5. bntii
    Joined: Jun 2006
    Posts: 731
    Likes: 97, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 1324
    Location: MD

    bntii Senior Member

    Dow theory states that all information known to the 'market' is reflected in price.
    It's always been true that this information is unevenly distributed among market participants.
    The primary reason is a failure to find and understand relevant information- not fraud.

    The big boys will always have more time, money and brains thrown at the problem of pricing equities.
     
  6. Leo Lazauskas
    Joined: Jan 2002
    Posts: 2,696
    Likes: 155, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2229
    Location: Adelaide, South Australia

    Leo Lazauskas Senior Member

  7. missinginaction
    Joined: Aug 2007
    Posts: 1,103
    Likes: 254, Points: 83, Legacy Rep: 512
    Location: New York

    missinginaction Senior Member

    This is market timing. You can do what you wish but remember that cash that you transferred into the market (your emergency fund) no longer exists for emergencies. Consider this when you hear financial services employees speak of money "rotating" into stocks or "money on the sidelines moving into stocks":

    Excluding new stock issues, there is no such thing as money "moving into the market". For every buyer there is seller. For every dollar that you recently invested in stocks, someone or something (pension plan, mutual fund, etc.) sold a like amount of stock in nominal dollar terms. You got the stock (less commissions) and they got your cash. It's actually worse since over the past few years interest rates at abnormally low levels have enabled businesses to take on record amounts of debt in a effort to buy back their stock. These buybacks do help increase shareholder value (PE ratios can rise as the amount of stock in the market decreases) but it's at the cost of vastly increasing corporate debt. As the stock market in the US reaches record highs consider an aspect of corporate finance that is rarely discussed. Corporate debt is also at record highs.

    There is absolutely no substitute for cash during times of market turmoil. Sooner or later this market will regress to it's mean. If history is an example it will happen extremely quickly. Be careful.......you no longer have an emergency fund. I wish you good luck and above all good health as you get older. Good health is more important than anything!
     
    1 person likes this.
  8. powerabout
    Joined: Nov 2007
    Posts: 2,944
    Likes: 67, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 719
    Location: Melbourne/Singapore/Italy

    powerabout Senior Member

    this guy used that defence
    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203914304576627191081876286.html
     
  9. missinginaction
    Joined: Aug 2007
    Posts: 1,103
    Likes: 254, Points: 83, Legacy Rep: 512
    Location: New York

    missinginaction Senior Member

    Raj certainly has some time on his hands now, huh?

    James Saft recently wrote an op-ed piece on Reuters. Apparently a study was done on stock trading in Finland. According to the piece, Finland is considered the least corrupt nation on earth. It turns out that people are apparently trading on insider information using custodial accounts set up for children. Looking at the study, the kid's accounts outperformed accounts held by adults by a significant amount. It seems that regulators look less closely at the kid's accounts. The point of the piece is that if it's happening in Finland, it's got to be worse just about everywhere else.

    http://blogs.reuters.com/james-saft/2013/04/11/insider-trading-all-the-cool-kids-are-doing-it/

    Have a great day! MIA
     
  10. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
    Likes: 170, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2078
    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    Interesting place, Finland. I got into studying its history after buying a couple of Mosin Nagant M39's, one of their adaptations of the classic Russian bolt-action battle rifle.

    The Russians invaded Finland before WW2, because they wanted a peninsula and a couple of islands to fortify for the upcoming war. They eventually got what they were after, but it cost them dearly. As one Russian general put it, 'we captured just enough land to bury our dead.'

    If you click on the thumbnail, you'll notice that Russian casualties were five times what the Finns lost....

    During WW2, the Finns invaded Russia along with the Germans. Not because they were particularly pro-German or pro-Nazi, but because they were seriously pissed at the Russians and wanted their territory back. The rest of the Allies understood that, and never declared war on them in return.
     

    Attached Files:

  11. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 4,862
    Likes: 116, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1180
    Location: spain

    michael pierzga Senior Member

    The history of the region... its borders, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Russia , The Hanseatic League, Kalmar.... is complex and very very long. You could spend your whole life studying it.

    http://[​IMG]






    The border area, Saimaa

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saimaa_Canal
     
  12. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
    Likes: 170, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2078
    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    Saimaa, the lake district of Finland, was the graveyard of thousands of Soviet soldiers. A typical encounter would be the advancing Soviets finding their way through the forests between the lakes blocked by felled trees. While they were figuring out what to do, the roads behind them would be sealed by more felled trees, that had been hewn almost through in advance. Then they would be starved out.

    If in desperation they tried to break out by venturing onto the frozen lake surfaces, they were felled by machine guns set up to cover the open ice.

    The Finnish general in that area was known as 'the Motte Master.' Don't know what a motte is? Look up 'motte and bailey' castles.....
     
  13. Leo Lazauskas
    Joined: Jan 2002
    Posts: 2,696
    Likes: 155, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2229
    Location: Adelaide, South Australia

    Leo Lazauskas Senior Member

    It's time for Lithuania to take back that territory.
    When Poland invaded us the last time, we had to borrow Latvia's tank, but one day we'll have our own. Then watch out!

    Latest update:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ-8xj8CUZw
    It's on! First we start with the parking infringers!
     
  14. Leo Lazauskas
    Joined: Jan 2002
    Posts: 2,696
    Likes: 155, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2229
    Location: Adelaide, South Australia

    Leo Lazauskas Senior Member

    But remember that a lot of old Russians also believe that the actions of the
    Finns helped the dreadful siege of Leningrad. Some still hold a grudge.
    Fortunately, the young do not have to take responsibility for the stupidity of their ancestors and can do stupid stuff themselves.
    I particularly like this one:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rv1CTZSIU0

    Troy, I suspect this one is more your style :p
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI9KBLb_8ro&feature=related
    Although you probably have to have the sound range of a bison
    to hear the low notes.
     

  15. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
    Likes: 170, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2078
    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    So ask a lot of old (and young) Finns what they think of the uprovoked invasion of their country by the Soviets, during the Winter War.... maybe the Russians shouldn't have started a fight with Finland to begin with. Payback's a biotch sometimes.

    The Leningrad Cowboys performances with the Red Russian Army Choir are some of my favorite videos. But I hadn't run into the tape of the Choir doing Sixteen Tons before; tks for posting it.
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.