Investing Thread

[Skatastrophy]

No annuities?

Fr or jokes?

[MU82]

No annuities?

No.

Although Social Security and pensions are annuity-like, and they'll do nicely for us when we start receiving payments from them.

[rocky_warrior]

Well, I hit the jackpot with BROS (I know, gloating after the fact...but most of my friends that I told to buy didn't either).  I still believe in the company long term, but sold 2/3 of my holdings on Wed, because despite the optimistic projections (they're a great growth story), I think the consumer will get crushed in the in next 6+ months.  I think I'll pick up those shares again in the future at a discount.

[rocky_warrior]

While I'm being very honest...let me tell you my story about precious metals.

The internet would have you believe they're so easy to trade, and that's why you should always have some physical precious metals.

I bought some over a decade ago, have now (thankfully) gotten rid of them.  I made some good money...but not as much as I should have.

First off...when you buy, you're paying a 5-10% premium over spot.  If you can  do better...kudos.  The real kicker is selling.  If you've actually got quantities to sell, it's hard to get more than 20% UNDER spot price.  Sure it's easy to sell...if you want to take a haircut!!!

Again...I should have just purchased an S&P index fund and reinvested dividends.  Would have been richer...

https://www.google.com/finance/quote/GCW00:COMEX?comparison=INDEXSP%3A.INX&window=MAX

[Jockey]

You may have a little better luck when selling by going through small dealers - especially coin dealers. I think you'll get a better return in relation to spot price.

[SoCalEagle]

Well, I hit the jackpot with BROS (I know, gloating after the fact...but most of my friends that I told to buy didn't either).  I still believe in the company long term, but sold 2/3 of my holdings on Wed, because despite the optimistic projections (they're a great growth story), I think the consumer will get crushed in the in next 6+ months.  I think I'll pick up those shares again in the future at a discount.

Real time report on BROS from Southern California.  A few of these have popped up here in Orange County.  Drive by on any Friday or Saturday night and there is is a line around the block.  What's the deal, it's just coffee, right? Anyhow, they seem to be really popular right now. 

[Skatastrophy]

I'm concerned about US brain drain. ~20% of the US professionals at my friend's global company have asked to leave the US this year. They have 15,000 white collar employees globally. 

Visas are hard to come by in desirable countries, but the trend will only ramp from here with the uncertainty domestically.

I've been lazy about my international fund allocation, letting my US allocation ride the wave of incredible gains post pandemic,  but I think it's time to reap some profits and rebalance.

[rocky_warrior]

You may have a little better luck when selling by going through small dealers - especially coin dealers. I think you'll get a better return in relation to spot price.

I looked at a few around here, but they all got pretty bad reviews   Anyhow, it's all gone and I'm happy about that!

[rocky_warrior]

Real time report on BROS from Southern California.  A few of these have popped up here in Orange County.  Drive by on any Friday or Saturday night and there is is a line around the block.  What's the deal, it's just coffee, right? Anyhow, they seem to be really popular right now. 

Coffee, coffee drinks, and their own line of energy drinks.  They're supposed to add some food options this year too.

Visited a few times during my days in the PNW.  Most of their stuff is too sweet for my taste, but obviously works for a lot of people.  The exclusively drive up model is appealing to people as well.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I see the Atlanta Fed revised it's forecast today and now predicting -1.5% GDP for 1Q2025. 

[tower912]

Samuel L Jackson in Jurassic Park...
hold onto your butts.

The market hates uncertainty.

[Shaka Shart]

Creating Buzzcoin so I can rug pull everyone like he did with scholarship offers

[tower912]

So, the economy takes a dump.   What does that do to NIL? 

[Jockey]

More money. More money.

Not sarcasm - it will put more cash in NIL coffers.

[ATL MU Warrior]

So, the economy takes a dump.   What does that do to NIL? 

Probably not much. Those that are the major sources of funding for NIL operate above/independently from the economy, meaning they make money whether the economy takes a dump or is chugging right along. In other words, for that class of people, the economy no matta.

[Billy Hoyle]

Well, I hit the jackpot with BROS (I know, gloating after the fact...but most of my friends that I told to buy didn't either).  I still believe in the company long term, but sold 2/3 of my holdings on Wed, because despite the optimistic projections (they're a great growth story), I think the consumer will get crushed in the in next 6+ months.  I think I'll pick up those shares again in the future at a discount.

I bought them during their IPO as I was living out west and saw first hand the cult like following throughout the region they have and heard about their expansion plans. We've put in a sell order if it drops to 2x what we bought it at but are willing to rid it out for a while to see if it goes higher.

[The Sultan]

I see the Atlanta Fed revised it's forecast today and now predicting -1.5% GDP for 1Q2025. 

Down to -2.8 today. But this isn't an official forecast, just a snapshot.

[Uncle Rico]

The greatest economy we'll ever see is thriving

STONKS

[tower912]

Have fun.

[Skatastrophy]

It will be interesting to see the farming industry shift to production for domestic needs. That may break factory farmers, because market gardening is much easier to do at a non-industrial scale because of the diversity of food needs if we suddenly become unable to import fruit and veg.

But those farmers probably saw this coming a mile away because this is the same thing that was done in 2018, just at a grander scale this time. I suppose this is what they wanted.

[Jockey]

The greatest economy we'll ever see is thriving

STONKS

Hum!

Hum!

Hum!

[MU82]

It will be interesting to see the farming industry shift to production for domestic needs. That may break factory farmers, because market gardening is much easier to do at a non-industrial scale because of the diversity of food needs if we suddenly become unable to import fruit and veg.

But those farmers probably saw this coming a mile away because this is the same thing that was done in 2018, just at a grander scale this time. I suppose this is what they wanted.

When the first trade war was launched 7 years ago and China responded by freezing out US farmers, we had to enact a welfare program for our farmers. And we still lost the war.

[Uncle Rico]

When the first trade war was launched 7 years ago and China responded by freezing out US farmers, we had to enact a welfare program for our farmers. And we still lost the war.

Farmers can learn how to code

[The Sultan]

It will be interesting to see the farming industry shift to production for domestic needs. That may break factory farmers, because market gardening is much easier to do at a non-industrial scale because of the diversity of food needs if we suddenly become unable to import fruit and veg.

I am all for the US to be more self-sustainable with its farming, but growing huge volumes of staples and inexpensively getting them to world markets is something we do better than almost everyone.

It's not like these farmers from Iowa and Illinois can move away from corn and start growing strawberries or something. At least not easily.

[Uncle Rico]

I am all for the US to be more self-sustainable with its farming, but growing huge volumes of staples and inexpensively getting them to world markets is something we do better than almost everyone.

It's not like these farmers from Iowa and Illinois can move away from corn and start growing strawberries or something. At least not easily.

I'd love to quit exporting farm goods completely.  America First.  Starving parts of the world would exert our dominance and I think is something we ought to consider