# Investing is boring :(



## MrMike (Sep 30, 2020)

As the title implies, I'm bored. I get to reinvest my TFSAs once a month (after the 9th when H&R pays) and I get to do the Smith Maneuver once a month (on the 16th after most of my funds pay their dividends). But for the other 28/29 days, I'm bored. 

It's like making your own wine. It's a little work but the vast majority of the time is waiting. You only need to do something on 4 different days out of the 30 day process.

Just thought I'd share


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## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

MrMike said:


> It's like making your own wine.


If you don't follow the process, you don't get what you want?


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## AbleEng (May 9, 2021)

@ MrMike
I made my own wine too, but I went sailing and took glider lessons. But that was before I invested all my money. (sigh).


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

If it's boring - you're doing it right.

But more importantly, why are you not adding to your investments on a weekly basis?


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

KaeJS said:


> If it's boring - you're doing it right.
> 
> But more importantly, why are you not adding to your investments on a weekly basis?


Completely agree. If this is boring you... excellent.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

KaeJS said:


> If it's boring - you're doing it right.


Says the guy who was trading sub-weekly diagonal spreads to try and bring in 50% income ROI's and quit his job. 

I kidd... How's that going, btw?


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

peterk said:


> Says the guy who was trading sub-weekly diagonal spreads to try and bring in 50% income ROI's and quit his job.
> 
> I kidd... How's that going, btw?


I actually did that for almost 4 years and was completely unemployed. It was the best time of my life. I don't regret it at all.

I made quite a bit.
I did have some drawdowns along the way, of course. But it definitely is a viable strategy.

Like anything in that type of field, you have to make sure you have a bankroll. You can't just go in with 25k and hope for the best. You'll blow yourself to bits. 100k makes it easily doable.

My best trade ever was making 19.3k in 4 days.
My worst trade ever was losing 22k in 3 weeks.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Also, fun fact:

My return in 2016 was 96.6%.
So I almost doubled my 50% target.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

KaeJS said:


> Also, fun fact:
> 
> My return in 2016 was 96.6%.
> So I almost doubled my 50% target.


Why not do this instead of more traditional investing?

Some people really are good traders. You could also save the portfolio statements as evidence and use it to apply to hedge funds and investment banks, maybe.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

How much work was this, though? Why'd you quit your day job? And if this was so good for making money, why'd you stop and go back to working?

I dabbled with selling some spreads a little bit in 2017. Only made a few hundred bucks off it. Seemed too stressful and risky, and I realized I didn't know what the hell I was actually doing and should stop.

I think Altared also was doing some option trading as a retirement project a few years back? Haven't heard anything about that though lately.

Sorry OP - yes boring investing is good. A good way to not lose your money.


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## newfoundlander61 (Feb 6, 2011)

As Mawer Investment Management says" " We like boring. It works".


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

I haven't stopped doing it entirely, but I am a lot more selective in when I do it and with which companies I do it on. It is still a great strategy, but it relies on general market fear or volatility to some extent. Since the governments have been printing money and the market has been basically parabolic, the risk premium on most put options does not justify the amount of risk you are taking.

Essentially, the VIX has been too low or flat for too long and the companies that are out there are at or near ATH's.

This makes for a bad scenario because you are usually being paid less to take on more risk. Premiums are less because people don't think things will go down, the problem is that you can get caught with your pants down. If you take a position when the market is at ATHs and then things DO go down... Well... You've just sold your soul for pennies.

The strategy is not as rosy in the current market. But there are still some good opportunities. For example, Suncor is probably a great opportunity for this strategy if you think it could ever hit $28 again at some point in the future.

You could be selling the $25 puts on SU for an OCT 1 expiry. You get a 2% window on this and it will pay you about 0.8%.

As long as Suncor is above $25 on Friday, you just made 0.8% in a week. If you used leverage you could make up to 2.4% in a week. The worst scenario would be that you are bag holding Suncor at $24.80.

If you think Suncor will be over 24.80 in the future, though, then you have nothing to worry about if you are wrong. You can just start selling the $24.50 or $25 calls to try and get out of your position. You'd sell the 24.50 calls if you're scared and you'd sell the $25 calls if you want to double up on your return and play both sides.

It could seriously work very well. =)


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

james4beach said:


> The level of complacency in the market is incredible.
> 
> Nobody really thinks stocks will fall and nobody has any fear. I wonder how long we can go on like this... it's just amazing how quickly everyone forgets.
> 
> ...


I'm quoting something @james4beach said in another thread. This is exactly why the strategy is not ideal right now.


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## Juggernaut92 (Aug 9, 2020)

Read a book called "more money than god" to see what exciting investing is like but you will also see the cost as well.


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## MrMike (Sep 30, 2020)

KaeJS said:


> ....But more importantly, why are you not adding to your investments on a weekly basis?


1st, I get paid bi-weekly so if anything, I'd be investing every 2 weeks, not weekly.

2nd, I invested $240,000 from my HELOC (starting last June 2020 - present) so our 15%/pay goes onto that. If a great deal comes up I can jump on it but until then, we're just paying that down.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Ah, that's why you are bored.

Paying off a LOC is nowhere near as fun as buying stock. You've already bought and now the fun is over.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Isn't watching your current stocks go up (which they surely are right now) more fun that buying new stocks? This is as exciting (good exciting, not bad exciting) as it gets. My portfolio has gone up like 5+ years worth of savings in only 1 year. Pretty fun!


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## MarcoE (May 3, 2018)

I like my investing boring. I'm a couch potato investor. The least amount of work -- the better. I prefer finding my excitement elsewhere.


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## MrBlackhill (Jun 10, 2020)

MarcoE said:


> I like my investing boring. I'm a couch potato investor. The least amount of work -- the better. I prefer finding my excitement elsewhere.


You're doing things right. To each their entertainment.


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## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

peterk said:


> Isn't watching your current stocks go up (which they surely are right now) more fun that buying new stocks? This is as exciting (good exciting, not bad exciting) as it gets. My portfolio has gone up like 5+ years worth of savings in only 1 year. Pretty fun!


of course once you said that, my stocks went down.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

^Glad to be of service.


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