Apple has accounted for virtually all the gains in my portfolio in recent months. My mortgage REITs have produced handsome dividends, but have lost between 1% and 5%. On balance, they’re still ahead. But nothing like Apple. HD is also doing well. Ditto for my short on RadioShack.
Meanwhile Apple keeps rising. What more can I say? I even bought a few more yesterday.
VectorVest’s portfolio — the one of the ten fast-growing stocks which I’ve highlighted twice in recent days — is down1.5%, but should bounce back.
Useful reading:
+ Knowing Cost, the Customer Sets the Price. Haggling works. The New York Times has a piece. Click here.
+ Five top price compare apps. Figure which place is cheapest. Click here.
+ All about 4G from Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. My view: the only decent, fast wireless network is Verizon’s 4G/LTE network — if you can get it. Click here.
+ 14 awesome gadgets for under $100. Click here.
+ The 15 iPad apps you must download. Click here.
Coachella Valley, California is retirement land. It’s small place with 140 golf courses and homes scattered around each of them. Some houses are multi-million dollar jobs. Many are under $200,000. If you like golf and want to play it daily, except in the summer when you should visit the grandchildren elsewhere, the Coachella Valley is for you.
I’ve met people who retired out here, having sold their businesses for millions. I’ve met working stiffs who retired happily on $500,000 and are living on $1,500 a month from their half million and their social security payments. Everyone seems happy.
Typically well-maintained golf course. View from the coffee shop:
Homes and view. You can see the mountains from virtually everywhere in the Valley:
No matter your physical condition, you can always play golf. These things are ubiquitous and mostly mandatory. I don’t know of a golf course that lets you walk.
If you’re wondering about taking up golf, you must watch Robin Williams’ hilarious take. Click here.
Favorite recent New Yorker cartoons.
Harry Newton who wishes to formally thank Time Warner for scheduling “maintenance” as I was writing this column early this morning. I had to switch over to Verizon’s painfully slow 3G network — since 4G/LTe is not available in this nice part of California. This sucks.
golf is the game of rich people and the effect of age is not on this game this game need accuracy and technique the fans of the game are very rare as compare to other games the grounds are so beautiful
On Harry's behalf I'd like to apologize to readers of this column that followed his advice and invested in that Vanguard long-term tax free bond fund early this year. It's basically flat on the year. If instead you'd simply invested in the Vanguard S&P 500 index fund, you'd be up almost 13%. I bought JP Morgan (up 35%) and Microsoft (+23%). But keep following Harry'sadvice, there are worse people to follow investment wise – I'm guessing.
Monday morning quarter backing is wonderful.
Notice that Fred is not telling us what he is investing in at present.
By the way, the Vanguard tax-free bond fund may be flat on the year — but it does pay a handsome tax-free dividend..
Do you feel old living in Palm Desert where you're surrounded by 70+ retired people? My folks have a winter condo in South Beach and it makes them feel young unlike all their friends that live in golf communities in Boca and Palm Beach where all they talk about are their ailments and age. Plus you can go watch some tennis in Key Biscayne right now….
My wife is not big on southern Florida, because of the variability in weather, the humidity and the fact that we friends here.
Harry,
Those working stiffs you refer to are called engineers.
Re: 3G/4G
Suck it up Harry; could be worse,
Your wireless speed could be this: D: 0.40M,U 0.05 MOr you could be on dial-up.
Even the big alphabet phone company(you know who I mean) only offers dial-up at my location.
Turn off your computer and enjoy this gorgeous day.
The birds are singing and the sun is warm.
Go outside.
LIVE!
P
There are some satellite providers who will give you much much higher Internet speed. Try Viasat. I've tried them and they're fast — equivalent to 4G/LTE speeds.
ViaSat is scheduled to serve my area later this year.
P