OT: Crypto, Stocks, Bonds, Real Estate, Investments, IRAs & Finances, etc.

[Stannis]

I transferred a little ETH from my Coinbase account to Coinbase Wallet so I can purchase an altcoin. But the fees are insanely high.

Is this the norm now with ETH transactions. Or will it be cheaper if I use something like Gate.io?

[Garbagelo]

I transferred a little ETH from my Coinbase account to Coinbase Wallet so I can purchase an altcoin. But the fees are insanely high.

Is this the norm now with ETH transactions. Or will it be cheaper if I use something like Gate.io?

It tends to be cheaper than Kucoin

Idk about Gate

[Stannis]

I transferred a little ETH from my Coinbase account to Coinbase Wallet so I can purchase an altcoin. But the fees are insanely high.

Is this the norm now with ETH transactions. Or will it be cheaper if I use something like Gate.io?

It tends to be cheaper than Kucoin

Idk about Gate

So if it's expensive on Coinbase Wallet it's probably expensive on all others as well?

[Stannis]

I sold most of my token portfolio yesterday

Does this include CRV?

[Stannis]

Looks like the market is betting on a turnaround story for Peloton.

[Garbagelo]

I sold most of my token portfolio yesterday

Does this include CRV?

I have nothing but BTC right now along with some metaverse plays that are not worth talking about lol (down big)

I'm betting big on some NFTs that I think have higher upside than tokens short term

[Stannis]

It would've been funny if Amazon reported bad earnings or issued low guidance. I think market would've collapsed.

[Stannis]

some metaverse plays that are not worth talking about lol (down big)

Your DOMI call is doing pretty well

[Stannis]

I know the advice is to buy a hold forever. But I'm honestly really lucky I never took that advice. I sold a lot of "good" companies for a profit like PayPal, Etsy, Pinterest because I just think they lost their moat. And they tanked hard. Also, I sold a lot of BS like Virgin Galactic and BlackBerry.

I'm not gonna just sit here a brag though. I still lost a lot on options. And made some crappy moves with $SFT and sold $AMC too early before their soar. I also sold shipping companies like $ZIM way too early.

I'm sooo close to liquidating a lot more now, but just can't because I'm basically only in the mega-caps like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Nvidia, TSM, and ASML. I like their moats. These are literally my only individual stocks lol. I used to have a stock portfolio of over 20 stocks. I'm thinking about trimming my SP500 and VTI but I only hold those in retirement accounts.

I did open a new position in $SMH (semi-conductor ETF) because I'm bullish on chip companies long-term (much more than the QQQ and ARK tech stocks). I didn't want to be too much in cash. And the SMH fits my agenda and outlook.

I do have an actively traded account where I trade steel, copper, and aluminum stocks. I work in the industry so it's just something I know. I did sell all of $AA today, which is the last of my aluminum stocks. With what's going on in Russia and China though, I could see it going even higher.

Cleveland Cliffs reports Friday, and the CEO usually does a good job on earnings. I'm eyeing an exit here tbh. The market usually keeps these stocks on a short leash. And they can only beat earnings 4 times a year...

I've never invested/traded in an increasing interest-rate environment tbh. So I know nothing. But I still think the market hasn't "valued" it in yet. Lot of the big banks are predicting 5-7 rate hikes in 2022-2024.

[Garbagelo]

https://coinrivet.com/ubisoft-set-to-bring-rabbids-franchise-to-life-within-the-sandbox-metaverse/amp/

Expect to see alot more of this

$SAND

[SA37]

I know the advice is to buy a hold forever. But I'm honestly really lucky I never took that advice. I sold a lot of "good" companies for a profit like PayPal, Etsy, Pinterest because I just think they lost their moat. And they tanked hard. Also, I sold a lot of BS like Virgin Galactic and BlackBerry.

I'm not gonna just sit here a brag though. I still lost a lot on options. And made some crappy moves with $SFT and sold $AMC too early before their soar. I also sold shipping companies like $ZIM way too early.

I'm sooo close to liquidating a lot more now, but just can't because I'm basically only in the mega-caps like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Nvidia, TSM, and ASML. I like their moats. These are literally my only individual stocks lol. I used to have a stock portfolio of over 20 stocks. I'm thinking about trimming my SP500 and VTI but I only hold those in retirement accounts.

I did open a new position in $SMH (semi-conductor ETF) because I'm bullish on chip companies long-term (much more than the QQQ and ARK tech stocks). I didn't want to be too much in cash. And the SMH fits my agenda and outlook.

I do have an actively traded account where I trade steel, copper, and aluminum stocks. I work in the industry so it's just something I know. I did sell all of $AA today, which is the last of my aluminum stocks. With what's going on in Russia and China though, I could see it going even higher.

Cleveland Cliffs reports Friday, and the CEO usually does a good job on earnings. I'm eyeing an exit here tbh. The market usually keeps these stocks on a short leash. And they can only beat earnings 4 times a year...

I've never invested/traded in an increasing interest-rate environment tbh. So I know nothing. But I still think the market hasn't "valued" it in yet. Lot of the big banks are predicting 5-7 rate hikes in 2022-2024.

The "buy and hold" strategy assumes you are investing long-term (25+ years), which requires patience through the ups and downs just about every company goes through.

I don't think picking individual stocks is a long-term investing stategy because you're trying to pick needles in a haystack, especially if you're looking at companies that are not established. Just watching which stocks shoot up daily -- companies no one has ever heard of -- gives you an idea of how difficult it is to pick the right companies. The hard part is not just getting in early, but re-investing in that company, holding long enough to get the massive gains some companies' stock produces, and then cashing out at the right time. Way more people sold Amazon, Facebook, Apple, or Google too early than those who got in and held long enough to reap extraordinary profits.

A great example of all this is Domino's. Its stock was selling at around $3-5 a share back in '08-'09. It is now worth around $440 a share (it's peak was about $560 a share in Dec 2021). How many people do you think got in early on Domino's, re-invested continually in the company, held to around the $560 high, and got out before the stock fell about 30% in a 6-7 weeks?

I don't see any issue with using some money to try and hit a home run, but stock picking doesn't induce long-term investing habits for most people because you have so much risk in so few companies. The only thing that might keep you on the long-term path is if you continually see short-term gains and that motivates you to keep re-investing; the problem is, most people overreact to the downturns and this is where they start to get in trouble. They start trying to time the market, waiting to buy the dips, and keep making short-term trades that either lock in losses or incur higher taxes on any gains over and over again. Between fees, taxes, and short-term losses, you end up losing a lot more money than you realize and you end up with less money to get back into the market with. And all this makes you miss out on the compounding interest that makes investing so powerful.

[coopnyc74]

Can anyone provide some guidance on missing NFTs in Coinbase and on OpenSea? Cant find a clear answer anywhere.

[kNicksGmen]

It would've been funny if Amazon reported bad earnings or issued low guidance. I think market would've collapsed.

their earnings/guidance honestly wasn't good outside of AWS. AWS is their bread winner.

[Stannis]

The "buy and hold" strategy assumes you are investing long-term (25+ years), which requires patience through the ups and downs just about every company goes through.

I don't think picking individual stocks is a long-term investing stategy because you're trying to pick needles in a haystack, especially if you're looking at companies that are not established. Just watching which stocks shoot up daily -- companies no one has ever heard of -- gives you an idea of how difficult it is to pick the right companies. The hard part is not just getting in early, but re-investing in that company, holding long enough to get the massive gains some companies' stock produces, and then cashing out at the right time. Way more people sold Amazon, Facebook, Apple, or Google too early than those who got in and held long enough to reap extraordinary profits.

A great example of all this is Domino's. Its stock was selling at around $3-5 a share back in '08-'09. It is now worth around $440 a share (it's peak was about $560 a share in Dec 2021). How many people do you think got in early on Domino's, re-invested continually in the company, held to around the $560 high, and got out before the stock fell about 30% in a 6-7 weeks?

I don't see any issue with using some money to try and hit a home run, but stock picking doesn't induce long-term investing habits for most people because you have so much risk in so few companies. The only thing that might keep you on the long-term path is if you continually see short-term gains and that motivates you to keep re-investing; the problem is, most people overreact to the downturns and this is where they start to get in trouble. They start trying to time the market, waiting to buy the dips, and keep making short-term trades that either lock in losses or incur higher taxes on any gains over and over again. Between fees, taxes, and short-term losses, you end up losing a lot more money than you realize and you end up with less money to get back into the market with. And all this makes you miss out on the compounding interest that makes investing so powerful.

For sure. I usually do reinvest the profits when I lose faith in a stock into a better stock or an ETF. But honestly, I have not done that recently and continue to increase my cash position. The rate increases will be a learning experience for me, and I'm building up a cash position to keep my sane. Keep in mind, like 3-4 months ago, I was like 97-99% invested.

Luckily during the Covid-crash I didn't panic sell any stocks. I was mostly invested in strong companies and continued to add to my holdings.

I still have my 401k and HSA where I make consistent contributions to via low-cost index funds. So, there's always going to be that.

EDIT: I still think people should learn to sell if they think it's necessary, mostly because of opportunity costs and if the certain company lost their competitive advantage. There was a lot of stocks that I sold at a loss because my buying thesis for them didn't hold up anymore. $TDOC was one, and another one was $SFT. I lost a lot in those. But I would have lost more if I continued to hold. Luckily, I accepted my losses, and invested elsewhere and made some of the money back. But yeah, I see your point. I might think I've won now, since it's been like a year and not +10 years.

I do have some bad sells as well, particularly in oil stocks which I sold too early after the election lol. I wish I could get that one back.

[KOA]

I know the advice is to buy a hold forever. But I'm honestly really lucky I never took that advice. I sold a lot of "good" companies for a profit like PayPal, Etsy, Pinterest because I just think they lost their moat. And they tanked hard. Also, I sold a lot of BS like Virgin Galactic and BlackBerry.

I'm not gonna just sit here a brag though. I still lost a lot on options. And made some crappy moves with $SFT and sold $AMC too early before their soar. I also sold shipping companies like $ZIM way too early.

I'm sooo close to liquidating a lot more now, but just can't because I'm basically only in the mega-caps like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Nvidia, TSM, and ASML. I like their moats. These are literally my only individual stocks lol. I used to have a stock portfolio of over 20 stocks. I'm thinking about trimming my SP500 and VTI but I only hold those in retirement accounts.

I did open a new position in $SMH (semi-conductor ETF) because I'm bullish on chip companies long-term (much more than the QQQ and ARK tech stocks). I didn't want to be too much in cash. And the SMH fits my agenda and outlook.

I do have an actively traded account where I trade steel, copper, and aluminum stocks. I work in the industry so it's just something I know. I did sell all of $AA today, which is the last of my aluminum stocks. With what's going on in Russia and China though, I could see it going even higher.

Cleveland Cliffs reports Friday, and the CEO usually does a good job on earnings. I'm eyeing an exit here tbh. The market usually keeps these stocks on a short leash. And they can only beat earnings 4 times a year...

I've never invested/traded in an increasing interest-rate environment tbh. So I know nothing. But I still think the market hasn't "valued" it in yet. Lot of the big banks are predicting 5-7 rate hikes in 2022-2024.

Tomorrow will be a big day. The expectations for CPI are that it will come in hot, if its even worse than expected, I can see the Fed hiking 50 bps in March which will cause a very large correction.

[Stannis]

I sold all my ETH and invested half of the proceeds into BTC. I'm keeping the other half in cash.

I'm still in DOT, which tends to follow ETH anyways.

Dumb question, but in Crypto can one platform buyout another one? Or merge?

[SA37]

Spoiler:

The "buy and hold" strategy assumes you are investing long-term (25+ years), which requires patience through the ups and downs just about every company goes through.

I don't think picking individual stocks is a long-term investing stategy because you're trying to pick needles in a haystack, especially if you're looking at companies that are not established. Just watching which stocks shoot up daily -- companies no one has ever heard of -- gives you an idea of how difficult it is to pick the right companies. The hard part is not just getting in early, but re-investing in that company, holding long enough to get the massive gains some companies' stock produces, and then cashing out at the right time. Way more people sold Amazon, Facebook, Apple, or Google too early than those who got in and held long enough to reap extraordinary profits.

A great example of all this is Domino's. Its stock was selling at around $3-5 a share back in '08-'09. It is now worth around $440 a share (it's peak was about $560 a share in Dec 2021). How many people do you think got in early on Domino's, re-invested continually in the company, held to around the $560 high, and got out before the stock fell about 30% in a 6-7 weeks?

I don't see any issue with using some money to try and hit a home run, but stock picking doesn't induce long-term investing habits for most people because you have so much risk in so few companies. The only thing that might keep you on the long-term path is if you continually see short-term gains and that motivates you to keep re-investing; the problem is, most people overreact to the downturns and this is where they start to get in trouble. They start trying to time the market, waiting to buy the dips, and keep making short-term trades that either lock in losses or incur higher taxes on any gains over and over again. Between fees, taxes, and short-term losses, you end up losing a lot more money than you realize and you end up with less money to get back into the market with. And all this makes you miss out on the compounding interest that makes investing so powerful.

For sure. I usually do reinvest the profits when I lose faith in a stock into a better stock or an ETF. But honestly, I have not done that recently and continue to increase my cash position. The rate increases will be a learning experience for me, and I'm building up a cash position to keep my sane. Keep in mind, like 3-4 months ago, I was like 97-99% invested.

Luckily during the Covid-crash I didn't panic sell any stocks. I was mostly invested in strong companies and continued to add to my holdings.

I still have my 401k and HSA where I make consistent contributions to via low-cost index funds. So, there's always going to be that.

EDIT: I still think people should learn to sell if they think it's necessary, mostly because of opportunity costs and if the certain company lost their competitive advantage. There was a lot of stocks that I sold at a loss because my buying thesis for them didn't hold up anymore. $TDOC was one, and another one was $SFT. I lost a lot in those. But I would have lost more if I continued to hold. Luckily, I accepted my losses, and invested elsewhere and made some of the money back. But yeah, I see your point. I might think I've won now, since it's been like a year and not +10 years.

I do have some bad sells as well, particularly in oil stocks which I sold too early after the election lol. I wish I could get that one back.

There are merits to holding a % of your portfolio in cash in order to take advantage of buying opportunities and simply for sanity. Similarly, I agree that "buy and hold" is not going to be an applicable strategy for all stocks, especially if we're talking about small or mid-cap stocks that are still in the very early stages of their growth or even large cap companies that may not necessarily have a strong business model in place yet (hello Peloton) or may be pivoting to a new area while their old revenue model crumbles (hello Meta/Facebook).

The issue you run into when you're trying to make these decisions in real time is just a lack of information and a lack of patience. The fear of staying in too long or the famous FOMO are emotional responses that are generally going to push you to make rushed decisions because in the back of your mind you believe time is of the essence. I am sure lots of people with big positions in Meta/Facebook could not have fathomed that the company could lose 25-30% of its value in a day. So what do you do now if you have a big position in Meta/Facebook and it has dropped 30% and you're not completely sold on the metaverse? Do you sell at a loss? Do you risk it and see if the stock recovers 10-15% and then jump out and cut your losses? Or do you just bet against your instinct and hold (despite the fact you know their revenue model is drying up quickly) and cross your fingers and hope you are completely wrong about the metaverse?

Very few people have the time, patience, and expertise to make optimal decisions most of the time. All the research shows active managers generally underperform the market on a regular basis. There are exceptions to that and there are definitely active managers that can and do beat the market, sometimes over 5-10 year periods even. But again, what are the chances you are picking those managers?

When I started reading about investing, very little time was spent talking about P/E ratios, alpha, beta, and other measures commonly seen; however, there were incredible amounts of time spent talking about diversification and the psychology of investing (your risk tolerance), and, basically, learning how to stay out of your own way. This is kind of where all investing roads lead: find a level of risk tolerance you can live with, hold a diversified portfolio, keep your fees as low as possible, re-invest regularly, and try not to check your portfolio unless you have to because time in the market is what is going to get you the incredible gains you're looking for.

At any rate, from what I've seen you post, it sounds like you have a stable base in your portfolio, but have money to play with and you're generally interested in being active with some part of your portfolio. Being an active investor will give you some incredible wins and loses like the ones you've mentioned, but that is part of its appeal! It sounds like you've got the right balance, and that is the most important.

[Stannis]

My steel trade didn't go as well as I thought lol. But the runup to earnings was good and I was taking profits on the way up, so I'm still up. I sold because $CLF earning call was my last hope. But I kind of wish I held after I heard the Russian news. Steel usually follows oil, which tends to do well during international turmoil.

I sold A LOT of stocks last week. I'm keeping my index funds, but I'm not that confident holding individual stocks during this time.

I'm currently only in Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, $SMH for a semi-conductor ETF. I actually sold $ASML + $TSM and rotated into $SMH ETF. I sold Amazon and put the proceeds into Nvidia.

I have $ARKK puts which are doing very well.

Lastly, I opened a new position in a commodity trade, $BOIL. This one was mostly to satisfy the itch to gamble a little bit lol. I'm looking to buy $WEAT and maybe $GUSH.

Once again, I'm really thankful I left the unprofitable small/mid cap stocks. Some of my friends are still holding names like PINS, $SPCE, and some SPACS. I took my 20-50% gains and left. I rather play smaller Crypto projects than gamble on small-cap stocks.

As far as Crypto, I exited ETH and will be only buying Bitcoin for the time being. Though, I'm still holding DOT and SPELL (holding this one because I'm down so much on it lol).

I'm 65% Cash now, not including my retirement accounts.

[SA37]

My steel trade didn't go as well as I thought lol. But the runup to earnings was good and I was taking profits on the way up, so I'm still up. I sold because $CLF earning call was my last hope. But I kind of wish I held after I heard the Russian news. Steel usually follows oil, which tends to do well during international turmoil.

I sold A LOT of stocks last week. I'm keeping my index funds, but I'm not that confident holding individual stocks during this time.

I'm currently only in Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, $SMH for a semi-conductor ETF. I actually sold $ASML + $TSM and rotated into $SMH ETF. I sold Amazon and put the proceeds into Nvidia.

I have $ARKK puts which are doing very well.

Lastly, I opened a new position in a commodity trade, $BOIL. This one was mostly to satisfy the itch to gamble a little bit lol. I'm looking to buy $WEAT and maybe $GUSH.

Once again, I'm really thankful I left the unprofitable small/mid cap stocks. Some of my friends are still holding names like PINS, $SPCE, and some SPACS. I took my 20-50% gains and left. I rather play smaller Crypto projects than gamble on small-cap stocks.

As far as Crypto, I exited ETH and will be only buying Bitcoin for the time being. Though, I'm still holding DOT and SPELL (holding this one because I'm down so much on it lol).

I'm 65% Cash now, not including my retirement accounts.

So I guess you are expecting an even bigger drop in the market at some point in the next ~6 months? Any reason you don't have Apple?

[Stannis]

So I guess you are expecting an even bigger drop in the market at some point in the next ~6 months? Any reason you don't have Apple?

I really don't know. If I HAD to take a guess, I would say yes. Russia, fed-hikes, and there's always potential for more Covid-variants and China news. Oh, and mid-term elections.

But I mostly cashed out of a lot of positions because I do plan on buying a house and a new car. So, I didn't feel comfortable parking that much cash in equities.

What about you, what do you think?

As far as Apple, I have to do more DD on them. But at the moment, I still like Microsoft, Nvidia, Google better. I haven't found a reason why I should buy Apple over those 3. I know Apple has some more under-the-radar health devices (not fitness stuff, but actual healthcare equipment/devices). I need to read up on that some more. I believe Steve Jobs foresaw Apple going in that direction.

And my retirement accounts are all index funds, so I have some Apple.