# are you addicted..



## daddybigbucks (Jan 30, 2011)

I was wondering how long each of us can go without checking quotes, checking bank balances,etc.

Would it bother you to not know and just let things happen?
I'm not sure if its an addiction, control or what but im thinking about testing myself.


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## MoreMiles (Apr 20, 2011)

What if you don't check and find out money gone by bank error... you only have 60 days to speak up. So it's not possible just to ignore it for let's say a whole year... you may be in big shock if you do.


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## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

Guilty.

Every day, seven days a week. Business accounts more out of necessity but most accounts its really mostly out of interest.

I am also addicted to spreadsheets and tracking...


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

Once or twice a month is about how often I look (at my balances). Is that healthy?

Less often for quotes because I haven't gotten into stocks yet.


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

Most days I check quotes.
I see myself more as a student or observer, less a preoccupation. WHen on holiday, I can easily forget about the markets, but when I'm in my routine, I like the opportunity to check how things are going, reading and learning more about how to invest efficiently. I see myself more as a student than an addict.


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## DayTek (Sep 26, 2013)

I would say I check balances every other day. We pay bills as they come and pay off anything on the same day, so I see balances regularly. I have a lot of savings accounts, so it's nice to know where they are at on a regular basis. I don't play the markets.  I also use weekly spreadsheets for budgeting, so I will check balances to make sure I've stayed on budget for that week.

I would probably get antsy if I couldn't check balances on a regular basis. I wouldn't call that addicted, just like to be informed


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I make a couple trades a month. I update my portfolio value at least every couple days, as I don't have a good source for historical options prices.


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## birdman (Feb 12, 2013)

I'm guilty. I normally watch BNN on for 1/2 hr in the AM and at noon. Check quotes and my "watch list" several times a day. Once a day while on vacation. Only take a cursory look at my bank accounts about once a month or so and pay pretty well everything by credit card. I like to think of it more as a hobby as opposed to an addiction. Same as drinking wine.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

I check my stocks daily, however I would like to move to a portfolio that I don't need to check more than a few times a year. I hold too many volatile stocks and intend to replace these with broad based ETFs.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

We have a stock spreadsheet and an 'overall worth' spreadsheet and generally update five days a week.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

I have a Watchlist of stocks I own and ones I am interested in. I have set up Alerts for those I have interest in. If I am home, I might check the Watchlist and Alerts 1-2 times a day to see where things are at...certainly more often if market prices of stocks are reaching my target levels, and especially if I am bidding at Level 2 quotes. 

Otherwise, if not in buy/sell mode, I will not check these lists more often than about once per week. If home, I update Quicken 1-2 times a week (using update feature) for stock prices. Again, if home, I usually check each of my financial accounts online once a week to see what activities and transactions have taken place. If on vacation, I tend to NOT watch anything going on in the market until I get home.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

A bigger problem is watching business news. I think that does more harm than good.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

If I wasn't working during trading hours I think this could be a real problem for me. My shift is from 6:30 to 3:00, which overlaps almost completely with the stock market hours here on the Left Coast - if a job site is unusually sedate, I can sometimes find a way to slink away and check my accounts on my iPhone - but my job is all about maintaining the appearances of "high production", so this is quite frowned upon. 

I particularly like to check in to see my cash component swell upon payment of dividends - like this morning, fired up the online brokerage to see that ZDV just payed me $220 - yes, addicting. Once I leave my job, I can't imagine how all consuming this might get.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

For me it's more about learning. I'm not frantically checking my individual holdings every hour, each day, etc. I'm researching, learning about markets, etc. It's actually quite interesting and kinda fun to learn about the economy, stock markets, individual companies, etc. I keep a closer eye on my watch lists as I generally have some cash on the sidelines waiting for opportunities to arise. A portion of my portfolio is indexed so I don't pay much attention to it...


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Not often enough damn it. Missed both of the TDW emails notifying of Aimia 6.25% pref issue on Monday and the Pembina 5% pref issue today - closed now :upset:


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> Not often enough damn it. Missed both of the TDW emails notifying of Aimia 6.25% pref issue on Monday and the Pembina 5% pref issue today - closed now :upset:


I don't sweat those things. Chances are they will trade below par at some point in the near future*. Perhaps within the week. I learned some years ago to avoid IPOs in most situations. You may wish to check the credit rating of Aimia (AIM) in particular before salivating over the high yield (and reset).

* Look at their peer issues as well. The PPL one is knocking the stuffing out of existing issues in the market.


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## NorthKC (Apr 1, 2013)

I check all my stuff at least once a week. It's far easier for me to revise my spending when I enter it against the budget and making sure that there were no errors on my statements. I was daily when I was really short on money for a few months to ensure that I had enough funds (down to the penny) for my upcoming bills.


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## the_apprentice (Jan 31, 2013)

Jon_Snow said:


> If I wasn't working during trading hours I think this could be a real problem for me. My shift is from 6:30 to 3:00, which overlaps almost completely with the stock market hours here on the Left Coast - if a job site is unusually sedate, I can sometimes find a way to slink away and check my accounts on my iPhone - but my job is all about maintaining the appearances of "high production", so this is quite frowned upon.
> 
> I particularly like to check in to see my cash component swell upon payment of dividends - like this morning, fired up the online brokerage to see that ZDV just payed me $220 - yes, addicting. Once I leave my job, I can't imagine how all consuming this might get.


I love reading about your life. My goal is to be in a similar financial position as you where my biggest worry is the amount of money I'm receiving each day. It's comforting knowing it is a realistic goal.


I am also an addict! I check all of my accounts daily - bank account, investment accounts, Google Finance, and Globe & Mail when I get home from work. I don't know anyone else who does this, but then again I don't know anyone that invests.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

I like CNBC for when I am awake.........and when I want a nap, I watch BNN. It is so boring it helps me drift off.....

"Hi, I was wondering what your guest thinks of the TD bank. I bought some a year ago and it is up nicely. Is it a buy, hold or sell?

I will hang up now and listen to your answer"...............zzzzzzzzz.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

sags said:


> and when I want a nap, I watch BNN. It is so boring it helps me drift off.....
> 
> "Hi, I was wondering what your guest thinks of the TD bank. I bought some a year ago and it is up nicely. Is it a buy, hold or sell?
> 
> I will hang up now and listen to your answer"...............zzzzzzzzz.


We don't watch TV now, but have seen BNN a few times in the past......this person has called in EVERY time! :biggrin:


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## Oldroe (Sep 18, 2009)

I did all of the above. All the calculations, spread sheets on and on.

After 25 years I read the Globe 5 days a week sort of. I'm hopelessly addicted to the head lines then get 1/3 of the story read and move on. I browse some web stuff most mornings.

Right now I find the markets boring.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Synergy said:


> For me it's more about learning. I'm not frantically checking my individual holdings every hour, each day, etc. I'm researching, learning about markets, etc. It's actually *quite interesting and kinda fun* to learn about the economy, stock markets, individual companies, etc. I keep a closer eye on my watch lists as I generally have some cash on the sidelines waiting for opportunities to arise. A portion of my portfolio is indexed so I don't pay much attention to it...


+1.

Never been addicted to anything, except my kid when he was a baby/music [and maybe one other thing]. 

On a serious note, I generally follow a very disciplined schedule, so nothing gets too much or too little attention. 

As long as there is a good balance in all, there is no addiction IMHO.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

sags said:


> I like CNBC for when I am awake.........and when I want a nap, I watch BNN. It is so boring it helps me drift off.....
> 
> "Hi, I was wondering what your guest thinks of the TD bank. I bought some a year ago and it is up nicely. Is it a buy, hold or sell?
> 
> I will hang up now and listen to your answer"...............zzzzzzzzz.


Yes. It really is awful. But it's a cheap way to fill air time.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Then again, Jim Cramer is just as bad. He is literally just a noisemaker. Signal to noise ratio of 0.


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## richard (Jun 20, 2013)

I check and update my portfolio spreadsheet weekly, mainly because it's a nice reminder of what I've accomplished. At times when I'm too busy or not around to do this I don't miss it at all though. I'm fine with not having an expensive house and car that the neighbors stare at all the time, but I want something to look at for all my work  Maybe I can get it to display in a digital photo frame on the wall...

I've also been checking the markets daily for most of the last year (just a quick look at Google Finance) because it's interesting to watch how they act as they pass record highs, like a therapist having a hidden camera to watch a patient. When the market settles down I'll probably lose interest very quickly.

Really the most interesting part is times like this week when I get to add up all the dividends that are coming in. Sadly that doesn't happen every day so there's not much to see most of the time.


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## wendi1 (Oct 2, 2013)

Well, that's the test, isn't it? It's addiction if it interferes with your life, but otherwise it's just a hobby. An avocation. An interest.

I spend a lot more time on this than my husband, but it's because I take it seriously. And I try not to listen to Kevin O'Leary or Jim Cramer because they make my blood pressure spike.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

I look at my banking everyday.
I have my business acct linked to my investment acct and personal acct all in one
I like to monitor everything
I don't think it is a addiction at all,it is just plain good common sense(might take 10/15 min a day)
I normal do it multi tasking anyways(coffee break/eating breakfast/having a beer after work ect)
Looking at banking/investments is far better than being addicted to brag/complian book or most of social media and throw tv in as well.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

richard said:


> the most interesting part is times like this week when I get to add up all the dividends that are coming in.


For me, aside from the learning aspect, is probably when I get to add all the shares purchased [DRIPped] with said dividends, which are now in the thousands in the 4 years of DIY.


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## livewell (Dec 1, 2013)

Guilty. I have 3 Google spreadsheets that I check at least daily. One shows the daily gain/loss of my brokerage accounts and each individual stock, I just manually update the account cash balances monthly, google finance functions do the rest. One that tracks my overall portfolio with ROI, sector weights, here I update all trades, and dividends paid twice a month, and a third that tracks each broker account which is mostly automatic apart from updating cash balances monthly.


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## Canadian (Sep 19, 2013)

andrewf said:


> Then again, Jim Cramer is just as bad. He is literally just a noisemaker. Signal to noise ratio of 0.


Watching him yell and flail all over my TV screen makes me feel anxious so I don't watch him lol. I wouldn't know if what he says is any good because all the nonsense happening around him on his show distracts me from his words.


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## Canadian (Sep 19, 2013)

I track my portfolio on Google Finance because I don't like the way my brokerage displays everything. When I'm at work I'll usually have Google Finance open in the background and I'll briefly check it 5, 6, 7+ times per day. I also have alerts emailed to me when there's news on one of my stocks or one on my watch list. I don't check it frequently for the stock prices. I just like to be up to date with news, market information, etc. It's also nice to know if something plummets so I can take advantage of a buying opportunity. I check my bank accounts once every week or two - usually when I'm paid so I can move money around, pay bills, etc.

I also don't consider this an addiction. It's a hobby for me and I'm still very much in the learning phase. I'll also check non-financial news periodically throughout the day. When I'm on vacation I completely disconnect myself from the internet and my phone and have no problem with it.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

I don't know huccome that guy hasn't had a heart attack yet.
I thought he was going to have a heart attack, stroke, or brain aneurysm right on the show at least 8 years ago.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

We have 21 individual stocks and about 10 mutual funds between our various accounts so I do check them every day.90% of the stuff we own are long term so although I check them it is not like I will sell them regardless of the activity.The bulk of the cash we got from sale of our business I am buying every month a portion of e-series index funds each month trying to DCA them.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

I enjoy checking on this daily, and getting my read on. I think it is more concerning for some who may be stressed upon checking daily, but I find it relaxing, not stressful at all.


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## capricorn (Dec 3, 2013)

I check my watch list compulsively (like every other hour or so). I would say it is mostly for news around the stock list. 
My portfolio is split between ZRE, VCN, VTI, VEA, VWO, XSB, XRB and mawer balanced. 
I don't trade more than few times a year. Still, I find it difficult to get away from the yahoo finance page.
I think it would be a long time before I buy anything on my watch list.


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## BC_Doc (Apr 8, 2010)

I index with VTI and VEU. Unfortunately, RBC DI doesn't have drips for these products. If they did, I would happily tune out from market noise, I mean news, and let the magic of time and compounding do their thing. I'm sure if I pulled a Rip Van Winkle and woke up in 20 years I'd be pleased with the outcome.


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## Pvo (Jul 4, 2013)

Definitely addicted here. I check my bank balance and quotes several times daily.

I also often fiddle around with my budget spreadsheet at least once a day.


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## lightcycle (Mar 24, 2012)

When the market is up, I'm updating the portfolio by the minute like a dope fiend.

When the market is down, the head is in the sand like an ostrich.

My portfolio's last update was Dec. 31st...


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## Calgary_Girl (Apr 20, 2011)

Jon_Snow said:


> I particularly like to check in to see my cash component swell upon payment of dividends - like this morning, fired up the online brokerage to see that ZDV just payed me $220 - yes, addicting. Once I leave my job, I can't imagine how all consuming this might get.


+1

I check "My Watchlist" multiple times throughout the day...in particular IPL and PPL, which are our biggest holdings. My favourite day of the month is the 15th when IPL and PPL dividends are paid out and are reinvested via the DRIP :biggrin: Bank account balances are only checked every 2 or 3 days.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Oh yes, the 15th is our favorite day of the month too... not only dividends, but REIT distributions, and my wife and I are both paid on the 15th of every month. January 15th is going to be a record haul for us. :encouragement:


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## Murph (Sep 9, 2009)

Guilty as charged, in addition to checking quotes and balances on a regular basis, I spend a fair amount of time trolling forums such as this. The worse part about it is that I also work in the financial industry. 

I'm a self-confessed investment junkie that needs some kind of rehab, or a real long vacation :chuncky:


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