Stocks

[dw]

Satellite Radio, I've done well with both in the last 6 years.

Tom


Got a stock symbol for us???

I actually have been looking for something to break up my nest egg on....My company 'rewards' us with stock options and over the years I have gathered quite a bit...however, its all of course in my co CAH and tho it is doing well, I need to break it up...I am not "all the eggs in one basket" kinda gal... I started my building at 8 bucks a share...and now one split later I think its enough to get nervous over.

XMSR and SIRI

TASR, anyone? Get it while it's low!

[dw]

I'm messing around with my 457, anyone have some favorite stocks?

I wish I'da bought more Google when it was a mere $280!

[Tom]

Satellite Radio, I've done well with both in the last 6 years.

Tom

[Your Mentor]

Video games.

[retchp]

I keep all of my money tied up in ready cash!
Seriously, did you know that if you take advantage of the 457/401k program offered by the state and start once you graduate the Academy with just a $100.00 per month investment and then EVERY TIME you get a raise, compute what it will be (in after tax cash) and for argument's sake say it averages out to $100.00 dollars. Put another $50.00 into your 401k and you still get a $50 buck raise and now you are saving $150. As I say, do this with each step raise and contract raise and by the time you reach top step you should be putting away $400 to 500 a month.
Keep adding to it as you get raises until you max out. By the time you reach retirement age you could have over a million dollars in the plan. This is all separate from your PERS retirement benefit and amounts to a second pension, or a hell of an inheritance to leave your kids and grandkids.
I started mine back when it first became available, but wasn't serious about it and didn't invest it properly for some years. It is still worth a LOT of money.
There are several reasons this is the way to go. First, your money grows tax deferred, meaning you are not taxed until you pull it out many years from now. Second, if you start early in your career, you have the TIME to allow the BLESSING OF COMPOUND INTEREST to work in your favor. Third, if you just put half of any potential raise into the Deferred comp plan, you still will get increases in salary as you go along.
I cannot believe that there are still officers on the department who don't do this.
Please, if you are not already in the plan, sign up and if you are not yet on the department, sign up as soon as you are able to. It is the difference between a great retirement and a glorious retirement, financially speaking!
As to how to invest...just be diverse...70 to 80 percent in mutual funds split between small, medium and large cap funds offered in the plan and twenty to thirty percent in fixed income investments such as an indexed bond fund.
Now, don't glaze your eyes...go and do this. Now! :biggrin:

[PharmGirl]

Satellite Radio, I've done well with both in the last 6 years.

Tom


Got a stock symbol for us???

I actually have been looking for something to break up my nest egg on....My company 'rewards' us with stock options and over the years I have gathered quite a bit...however, its all of course in my co CAH and tho it is doing well, I need to break it up...I am not "all the eggs in one basket" kinda gal... I started my building at 8 bucks a share...and now one split later I think its enough to get nervous over.

[CHPwannaBE]

I have oil stocks. They have done very well in the 1.5 years i've owned them.

[Tom]

DW, beat me to the punch. XM has done me proud.....but I prefer Sirius. (listening - wise) What was TASR 7 bucks a share or something?

Tom

[dw]

DW, beat me to the punch. XM has done me proud.....but I prefer Sirius. (listening - wise) What was TASR 7 bucks a share or something?

Tom

Funny you mention that... I have factory XM in my car and really only listen to the comedy and news -- never liked any of the music. I have friends with Sirius and I like their programming much more.

Taser actually went up a bit in the last few days to $7.40.

[Tom]

My wife has XM in her car and I have Sirius in my truck, I really enjoy the programming on Sirius (especially Classic rewind) I have the home stereo and boombox as well.

Tom

[dw]

I guess my main complaint about satellite radio is the low quality/bandwidth of the music. I'm not audiophile, but the fidelity sucks. I read somewhere that many of the music stations are crammed into something like a 64k stream.

[Tom]

I guess we hi-jacked this thread...but....a lot of the quality issues arise from fm modulation. Was the unit you listen/listened to being modulated? There are helps for that...ie...wiring the modulation antenna directly to the cars antenna. My wifes XM, included in car, has great quality. My add-on Sirius system stunk prior to the hard-wiring.

Tom

[dw]

I guess we hi-jacked this thread...but....a lot of the quality issues arise from fm modulation. Was the unit you listen/listened to being modulated? There are helps for that...ie...wiring the modulation antenna directly to the cars antenna. My wifes XM, included in car, has great quality. My add-on Sirius system stunk prior to the hard-wiring.

Tom

Okay, let me rephrase that. I'm no audiophile, but I'd lose sleep at night if I used an FM modulator on anything. ;) The XM is hardwired into my car. I actually spliced into the XM input with a relay so my iPod is hardwired in as well. (Acura used the only AUX-in for the XM). Some XM stations are better than others. I think some of the classical stations (which I don't listen to) get more bandwidth -- again, from something I read a long time ago.

Good to see you today, we should really get together under better circumstances next time.

[x MAIT]

I have both XM and Sirius. How about Ceradyne? They make ceramic plates for military body armor. I bought at less than $10 :biggrin:
I also did just as retchp suggested. I started the 457/401 at $100, and every time I got a raise I put that amount in until I was maxed out. I'm still not old enough to use it but it will be a very nice addition to my retirement check :biggrin:

[Lucky Seven]

TASR, anyone? Get it while it's low!

Taser Intl should have been purchased sometime around Jan. 03. Take a look at the PE and the EPS. Then follow the chart for five years. After three splits and losing steam around $30/share it will take awhile for it to come back enough to be worth purchasing.

The bad press it has been getting isn't going to help either.

[Lucky Seven]

I have both XM and Sirius. How about Ceradyne? They make ceramic plates for military body armor. I bought at less than $10 :biggrin:



Did you get in before the splits. It looks like you bought in mid-03. If so, with the splits you have done well. The chart is showing a third run up...looks like it might be its last for awhile and could roll over if sales are sagging.