Conference nyoss1::market_investing

    Ok, I'll go first:
    
    I'm a software engineer with a strong side interest in anthropology,
    which includes markets.  I'm also an investor.  I read the WSJ, the
    Economist and (every now and then) Forbes and Fortune.  I've been
    investing in mutual funds since 1982 (good time to start, eh?), and
    have basically bought the "save 10% and do dollar-cost averaging"
    theory which is being pushed in most popular advice books.
    
    		-John Bishop

    
    
    	I am a electrical hardware engineer and started to get strongly
    interested in investing in 1987 (post-crash).  Joined DIGITAL's Assabet
    Valley Investment Club in May of 1990. Presently the secretary and
    broker liaison for the club.  I found it to be very educational in
    investing in the stock market. Read as much on investing as possible
    such as this notes file, WSJ, Barrons, Forbes, etc which can be found
    in most DEC libraries. I invest in mostly mutual funds and the 
    stock market directly with some liquidity in cash.  Max on the DEC
    stock plan (sell the same day) and the SAVE program.  Also believe in
    dollar cost averaging and almost invariably sign up with any dividend
    reinvestment programs if the plan is available with the stocks I own. 
    Find I can manage about 12 - 15 stocks on my own but if I could find
    more time take that number up to 20. I strongly believe in long term
    growth which minimizes the pain of the fluctuations of the DJIA.
    
    	If I invest in a stock I do a lot of research first.  Read Value
    Line and Standard & Poor reports, any articles on the companies in the
    previous paragraph reading list, call the companies and ask for their
    latest annual and quarterly reports and ask for their 10K forms.  I
    then condense this information using the NAIC's Stock Selection Guide.  
    
    	Long term goals: To be able to pay for my children's college
    education (almost one down and two to go) and to retire without being
    dependent on my Social Security check (if there will be such a thing
    when I retire). 
    
    Ken Veseskis

    I'm a software engineer and became interested in investing shortly
    after entering the work force, but only as a place to store money.
    I don't have any goals at the moment, most of the typical ones are
    to far off in the future to really think about.

    If asked about investment I will deny any interest in it, claiming
    that I spend all my income and don't plan for the future.  This is
    a lie, but it seems the correct thing to say in order to uphold the
    image of irresponsible youth.
    
    I don't follow stocks, but instead rely on mutual funds.  I don't
    need ulcers, so I don't examine their performance more than a few
    times a year.

    I have been investing in Mutual Funds for about 8 years, but in the
    past have failed to watch my IRA Mutual funds cloosely.  So I
    wasn't always pleased with the return. Learned my lesson, I
    hope.  I also have some regular accounts with growth funds and
    invest every month. I subscribe to Fabian's newsletter and
    believe his methods are sound. 
    
    Tried my hand at being a landlord and have been watching the
    property value slide downhill for two years. Still, I'm
    hopeful it will eventually be a good investment - although I
    wouldn't buy another property right now.
    
    I don't buy stocks at the moment but have in the past and also
    used to speculate ( I won't say invest) in Calls and Puts.
    
    Ernie Mondou
    

My name is Jim Stevens and I am a New Products Project Manager in Augusta.

About 3 years ago I started the Down East Investment Club, and have been
investing ever since.

I have two goals:

	Retire at age 50. Spend summers in Rangley, Maine, and winters in Florida.

	Not work for a "living" after age 50. Which means live of my investments.

To these goals, I have the following strategy.

	Invest in Mutual Funds monthly. At this moment I am into three G&I funds.
	This is the strategy for a sort of "steady" growth. This is the investing
	stratgey.

	I invest in educated speculative stocks. I do reasearch with a modified
	NAIC approach. I look for stocks in the single digit price range, let them
	grow to about 40% profit, and sell. So far I've made money with this 
	approach.

	To ensure income after age 59.5, I am into the SAVE plan, and Janus Fund 
	IRA..

	I was doing 10% on DEC stock, but I need cash to make monthly payments
	on the land we bought in Rangley.

I read this notesfile, Barrons, Money, WSJ, Kiplinger Newsletter, and the montly
rags from the fund groups I own. I am also still involved with the investment
club.

Anyone got any hot tips ???

Jim

    I am a DEC sales rep in Austin Texas.
    
    I have been investing steadily now for the last 5 years; mostly in
    mutual funds -- money, bonds, and stock. Seems to be working pretty
    well and in alignment with my long-term goals.
    
    I'm a member of AAII and I also subscribe to Money Mag and Bottom Line
    for additional financial input.
    
    I consider myself quite a financial novice at this point, but I do look
    to diversify further into individual stocks and other investment
    vehicles. I'll let you know how it goes...
    
    Curt 

    My name is Kris Chandrasekhar, and I am in Digital Services EIS. I am a
    software specialist based in Atlanta.
    
     I follow the stock market, read WSJ, Money magazine and Value Line at
    the library. I have been invested in the market since 1990, mostly in
    growth stocks such as Wal-Mart.

    
    I'm Steve Sottile
    
    I work in the mill 
    
    I Know very little about market investing, but hope to learn

    Bonjour,
    
    My name is Pascal TRICHET, working with Digital since 4 years,
    in Telecoms internal supoort team (Information Services).
    
    I am very interesting in investing, especially warrants on
    CAC40 french indice , on big french companies and a few small ones.
    I invested my first french Francs in 1983 and since, follow every
    day the french evolution market.
    
    I am , too , interested in Technical Analysis and shall probably be
    a member of the IFTA (Internationnal Federation of Technical Analysis).
    I am used to build graphics with Microsoft EXCEL but am going to buy
    a specific french software.
    
    I have just had a look on this conference and like it very much.
    Only hope I won't have too many difficulties to translate the
    appropriate words.
    
    See you soon.
    

I'm Chris Fillmore-Gillett.  I work in Nashua on OSF/1 for Alpha.

Primary financial interests are:  

		1.  Mutual funds for fun and profit

		2.  Short term trading

		3.  Analysis and research methods of all sorts

		4.  Bashing the democrats  :-)

I'm fairly ignorant of, but pretty intrigued by, short selling and
options trading.  Hope to learn more about this in the future.

I've been actively investing for a couple years now with OK results.



		

    
    Since I entered a silly reply in the "humor" basenote, I figured I'd
    introduce myself.
    
    Bob Hanson, in Piscataway, New Jersey (KYO)
    
    Although I've been an avid noter for years, it just occurred to me
    today to check for Investment-related conferences.
    
    Up until about two years ago, I always seemed to live hand-to-mouth,
    never having enough of a stake to make a serious go of investing...and
    not that I cared too much.  However, age catches up to all of us, and
    I've recognized the need to take investments more seriously now.
    
    Luckily, I'm still young enough that I can be aggressive, and I've
    managed to work up enough of a kitty to get a nice start.  Mostly in
    stock mutuals, now, I've shown decent gains in the last two years,
    spreading my stuff between various Fidelity and 20th Century funds.
    
    My goal is to get more sophisticated in investments - perhaps more
    aggressive, too - and to understand the influences of the marketplace. 
    I'm really looking forward to the comments and insight that I've
    already seen while browsing this conference today.
    
    Here's to Health & Wealth.
    Bob, d: 323-4053
    

    Name: Gerhard Kornberger
    Location: Vienna/Austria
    Department: MCS / Service Delivery & Support
    Function: HW-Support for P9000e/i, PP405, P6390, ALPHA
    DTN: 754 / 2105
    Mail: utopie::kornberger_g
    

    
    	Peter Corson, Sales Exec, Chicago, AKA "the Greyhawk".
    
    	Very active investor. Six figure holdings now (I'm 48, been
    investing for over 14 years real steady). Do in-depth research
    before making major buys. Will start with 100 shares, but now most
    amounts are in the '000s.
    
    	Save max in 401(k) plus another 10% annually. Use virtually all
    investment vehicles - mutual funds, real estate (have two income
    properties), Treasuries, common/preferred stocks, bonds, and options.
    
    	Annual return running about 23% over the past 14 years. Always
    looking for new ideas, ways of doing things, etc. Happy to give
    help to anyone who asks.
    
    		the Greyhawk

    .....re 6.13...."the Greyhawk"...are you still around....and are you 
    married?????  Just kidding, of course; no offense intended.
    
    I need to place this in the intros, because I can't find a question/
    discussion topic relative to what I'm looking for.
    
    Anyway, I'm Lorraine Maguire, from north of Boston area; 54, 30 years
    at GE, outsourced to DEC in '93.  I've done a little investing, most 
    times not following my gut, and should have because they ended up being
    profitable!  But, right now, I'm in the middle of a big mess, and I have 
    some questions about what, if any,  my options might be as far as a broker 
    at a reputable brokerage who has done much unauthorized trading on my 
    behalf, and mostly succeeded in only getting commissions; i.e. I have 
    lost a substantial sum of cash in a fairly short period of time.  
    
    I literally get nauseas thinking/talking about this, but I can't not
    take some action any longer, and I really don't know where to start.
    
    If anyone can give me any help along these lines, **please** do so....
    I'd really like to get some ideas from ordinary people, rather than
    calling my brokers superiors, (which may be my first step), or some
    lawyer referral line...(which may be my second and could end up costing 
    me more cash), and I won't know who I'm getting.  By most investors
    standards, we probably aren't talking a great deal of money, but it was
    all I had to start.
    
    Regards,
    Lorraine
    

    re: -1 
    
    I have not (yet, knock on wood) been in your kind of position before.
    Therefore, I am certainly no expert on this subject. But, the first
    place I would start is trying to contact the SEC to seek for their
    advise on what they can help and where I should go. You'll probably end
    up with an arbitrator and work out some kind of settlement with your
    (Ex)broker. However, when you talk with your (ex)broker, don't give
    them the slightest hint that you will not go after them with ALL of the
    options available to you - including taking them to the court even if
    you have to mortgage your house. 
    
    Sorry to hear your unfortunate experience and I hope you'll have a
    satisfactory outcome at the end. (But, do expect alot of work ahead.) 
    
    Mike

    I would stay away from lawyer referral lines -- I used one of
    those a few years ago when I was about to write my rather
    complicated will.  I wound up talking to someone clearly
    sleazy, and I just walked out of his office after awhile.  A
    few weeks later there was a story in the newspaper that he
    was under indictment(sp?) for stealing from some estate he
    was managing.  I believe those lines have to include any member
    of the local lawyers' association, regardless of his or her
    reputation.  Instead, ask your friends for recommendations, if
    you do follow that route.
    
    The first thing I'd do is get your current funds out of that
    broker's hands.  If it's a well-known brokerage firm, I would
    call the office manager, but definitely contact the SEC or whatever
    so you know what your rights are.
    

     
    	Terrible.
    
    	Most brokerage houses have you sign a form when you first open an
    account that limits *their* liability and forces you (so to speak) into
    arbitration.
    
    	Did you authorize the broker to trade on your behalf, either
    verbally or written?
    
    	If not, you have a case for arbitration.
    
    	If yes, you got a problem beyond anyone's help here.
    
    	Do you have a family attorney?
    
    	Call them...
    
    	And yes, I'm married... although I'm still flattered ;-)
    
    			the Greyhawk

    I *knew* I'd find some help in here.  I hadn't even added this entry to
    my "list", but went looking for something on stocks or investing, thinking 
    it had to be here, and that it was the _first_ place I wanted to go for
    advice.
    
    Thank to each of you... for replies here, and in email.  In short, I'm
    stopping all activity on the account today, calling the manager when he
    returns from vacation, and writing to the Mass Securities Division.
    
    Everyone's objectivity and outlining of systematic steps to take have 
    been enormously helpful to me.
    
    Regards,
    Lorraine

    Sue-Lane Garrett
    Engineering Training 
    LKG2
    DTN 226-7065
    
    I know very little about investing, but I'm currently trying to
    learn.  So far my investments are mainly in the Digital SAVE 
    plan.  I really enjoy this conference, and thank all of you
    smart investors out there for the information you pass on.