Weekly Roundup - August 2, 2014

Well this past week was just grinding away in the blistering heat down here in south Texas.  Luckily I don't actually work outside but man it was extremely hot.  We should be able to finish this well up sometime this weekend and I can't wait to get back home and spend some more time with my wife.  I'm not sure what all we'll be up to but I want to take advantage of her last few free days before the next school year really starts kicking into gear.  I'm also glad to report no big expenses this past week so that is very good.

What a difference a week makes.  The S&P 500 was down 2% on the last day of July and the DJIA retreated about 1.8%.  That makes for a happy investor especially since both indices were already a few percentage points off their recent highs.  I was quite busy over the last week or so by adding to my position in Realty Income (O) and then adding to 3 positions on Thursday, write up on those coming early next week.   I just tallied it up and I invested over $9k in July which was quite surprising to me because I didn't think it was anywhere near that.  I've still got a lot of capital to put to work though so hopefully the markets continue to sour.  I'm very happy to announce that with dividend increases and the new purchases I made in July my forward 12-month dividends are now up over $4,800.  I've got my eye on a few more companies to purchase during August, of course there's no telling what Mr. Market will do.  I actually had to log out of my brokerage account because all of that red on Thursday.  Not because there was so much red but there were lots of companies moving into the high ends of my buy ranges and I had to keep from going through my whole stash.  Got to keep some powder ready, right?



I'm still looking for a rental property although that might be on hold.  I need to sit down with my wife and have a serious discussion about it.  I like the possibilities and cash flow that the right property can provide but I think given my current work situation it might be a bit too much to handle.  I guess I'll have to try and meet up with some real estate investors near where I live this next time I'm home to get their feel on it.

I'd just like to say thanks again to everyone that visited, commented, or shared posts from Passive-Income-Pursuit this past week.  I truly appreciate it more than I can ever put into words.  If you want to get real time updates of companies I'm buying then make sure to follow me on Twitter@JC_PIP.  Also make sure you don't miss any posts by signing up to receive them in your inbox.

Now on to the links!

Dividend investing over the past seven years was never easy by Dividend Growth Investor - Hindsight is always 20/20 and everyone saw the last crash coming.  But in real-time no one knows what's in store.  There's never going to be a perfect time to buy a company and you'll always have at least some doubts in the back of your mind.

Why overpaying for stocks can still beat bonds by The Conservative Income Investor - The beauty of stocks and the underlying companies is that they can in fact grow.  Fixed income can't give you that.  But growth can help make up for overvaluation of a stock purchase.

Are you just treading water? by Dividend Mantra - I won't fault anyone for wanting to be in the rat race forever so they can always afford the luxury cars every few years and have a house or two and maybe a boat.  But what's interesting is that in most cases that doesn't add to your overall happiness level.  Sure, I don't think I've seen someone frowning on a boat but I'll take my shot at freedom first.

Why aren't we getting better with money? by Done by Forty - Education isn't the be all end all to getting people to be better with their money or to change any kind of bad habits.  The behavioral and psychological aspects have to be addressed to truly make a change.

Three new stocks in my no-fee portfolio by Retire Before Dad - I've spoken before about Loyal3 and I think this is a great way to get started with investing.  No fees and only $10 minimum purchases is absolutely awesome for the small investor and I'll probably be starting up my own account with them later this year.

6 signs of a good investment process by Clear Eyes Investing - Too often we equate the short term price movements of the companies we buy as justification for the underlying process.  It's much more important to have a solid process that you can follow and in the long term the process is what will lead to better investing results.

Benefits of dividend investing by DivHut - I can't speak enough about the pros of dividend growth investing and this is a great list for anyone thinking of following this strategy.

Why I've quit my "dream job" by Cashville Skyline - Quitting your job is definitely a big decision, especially since the economy for the most part isn't exactly booming.  But we all have our limits and dreams change.  Best of luck Addison!

7 reasons to give your ideas a try even if they might not work by Create My Independence - Trying out something new is a very difficult idea especially when it comes to striking it out on your own as an entrepreneur.  But just look at what Craig has done in the short time that he's been at it and it's truly inspiring.  He very well could crash and burn in his current venture, although I doubt he will, but he'll still have so much more knowledge and come back swinging.

Coca-Cola and modern slavery by Joshua Kennon - It's always interesting to see the backlash that some companies take.  Coca-Cola did a great thing but is receiving a bunch of flak for the way they did it.  I just don't understand some people's criticisms.

Initial experiences as a landlord by Financially Integrated - Since I'm still looking for rental properties, at least every now and then, this is definitely something I've thought about.  There's a big difference between owning pieces of established companies and embarking into rental properties.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Comments

  1. Its been our duty to get the best property for us to market into our real estate. Look into the things that our customers are look for. That may give us some hint on what kind property we will get for us to market into our buiness.

    Real Estate Investment

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you so much for listing my article JC PIP. I never know what is in store in the future, but I stick to my plan and execute it. I think by dollar cost averaging every month into good dividend paying companies, I am building the foundation for my future financial independence. To me it is really nice to see people like you, who are also trying to achieve the same thing.

    Good luck in your investing journey my friend!

    DGI

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DGI,

      No problem. Your post is a great reminder to everyone that investing, whether it's dividend growth or some other strategy, is never easy. There's always some issue that is going to keep you from being 100% convicted in your decisions. Could be interest rates, Israel/Palestine, Russia/Ukraine, profit margins being at all time highs or most likely something you aren't even thinking about that is the real issue. Continuing to invest is the best route in my book.

      Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

      Delete
  3. PIP,
    Thanks for including my piece in your round-up this week. I'm excited about becoming a new shareowner in DIS and BRK.B. Gotta keep on feeding the machine!
    -RBD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RBD,

      No problem. I think DIS is great and I'm looking forward to adding it to my portfolio in the future. And well BRK.B is obviously great.

      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  4. Hey PIP,
    I really like your O purchase for the month. The price dipped a little and I was also thinking of adding a position soon. I really like the dividend yield. I am also looking to purchase an investment property in the next 12-18 months and was thinking of where I should save the down payment money. I currently keep the down payment money in a savings account that has an APY of .95% which isn't bad compared to most other savings accounts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mongrel,

      I really like O and it's a proven commodity in the REIT business. Unfortunately I'd say the downpayment money should stay in the savings account. Especially if you're serious about a 12-18 month timeline. You can't risk having the markets dip at an inopportune time. You might want to check out the APY on some CDs to see if you can squeeze out some extra yield if you know it'll be 12 months at the earliest.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  5. Internet millionaire looking for student
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    Why hasn’t it happened for you yet?
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVM7LZpF14w

    ReplyDelete
  6. JC,

    Thanks for the mention. Much appreciated!

    I had a crazy busy weekend full of fun. I hope you had a great weekend as well.

    Best wishes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DM,

      No problem. Always enjoy your posts.

      My weekend had the fun of work but I was home throughout the week and got to spend most of that time with my wife which is always welcomed.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete

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