# 2010 A Look Back



## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

What mistakes did you make in 2010?
What did you learn in 2010?
Did you achieve your goals for the past year?
What disappointed you?
What surprised you?
What went right in 2010?


On the forum what thread did you like in 2010?
Anybody on the forum stick out as doing a good job in 2010?
Anything you consider memorable on the forum in 2010? 


My mistake in 2010 was being to bearish with to much company and missing out on some good gains.

I did learn to take losses quickly and accepted when I was wrong quickly and didn't lose a lot of money because of it.

I did achieve my goal of learning to trade and trade better but still need to work a lot on it.

Not getting a nice correction in the fall of 2010 was disappointing because I was hoping for a buying opportunity.

Holding a gold fund and trading HGU and TMM went very well in 2010 and I also did well trading HNU in late 2010. I however also had my biggest loss on HNU at the beginning of 2010 because I bought to much and held it longer taking a bigger loss then I should have.

The size of the rally and the extent the Fed went to after 2010 really did surprise me.

My first business here about the forum is I would like to thank first of all CanadianCapitalist and in second spot FrugalTrader for doing and great job on the forum in 2010. You guys kicked *** dealing with the spam and participating as well.

On the forum I like the thread "Young generation in trouble" by argos1 in the real estate forum for some reason. 

Four Pillars I would have to say did a good job on the forum. So he gets my vote for 2010.


----------



## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

What mistakes did you make in 2010?

Buying a new car
What did you learn in 2010?


Read lots of books about investing and retirement
Did you achieve your goals for the past year?


I believe so.
What disappointed you?


Some dividend stocks we hold were non-spectatular in price appreciation. 

Believing the markets would not beat our high mortgage rates by much, even after tax. 

Not maxing out my rrsp.

What surprised you?


The rally that started in Sept. S&P returning 15% with dividends. TSX doing almost the same.
What went right in 2010?


Buying some stocks in August. Selling $30K+ bonds in Oct.


On the forum what thread did you like in 2010?

Can't remember
Anybody on the forum stick out as doing a good job in 2010?

Pretty much everyone
Anything you consider memorable on the forum in 2010? 

Nope.



dogcom said:


> I would like to thank first of all CanadianCapitalist and in second spot FrugalTrader for doing and great job on the forum in 2010. You guys kicked *** dealing with the spam and participating as well.
> 
> Four Pillars I would have to say did a good job on the forum. So he gets my vote for 2010.


Suck up!


----------



## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

*What mistakes did you make in 2010?* - necessary learning mistakes, so actually they served a purpose as they have made me a better investor/trader! But if I had to name one, it would be the fact that I did not utilize DCA in the 1st part of the year as much as I should have; I rushed a bit thinking the economy was better than it was.

*What did you learn in 2010?* - so much because I read a lot, but the most valuable for me were 1) the incredible *global* opportunities that market volatility offered and 2) not to believe everything that's written, no matter the source!

*Did you achieve your goals for the past year?* - not quite all of them, but they'll just get carried forward to 2011.

*What disappointed you?* - the many buying opportunities I considered/studied [with respect to mining companies], but did not take and now they have grown x3.

*What surprised you?* - about myself: my patience [as I have little of it], as well, my risk tolerance and how much I enjoy the business! About the markets: the huge jump in stocks in September and that the market behaved pretty much like a yo-yo, however, this is what opened my eyes to trading as opposed to just buy & hold! Oh, also how much governments lie! rolleyes:

*What went right in 2010?* - picked good/common sense stocks! 

*On the forum what thread did you like in 2010?* - there are many informative posts & intelligent/kind/helpful participants!

*Anybody on the forum stick out as doing a good job in 2010?* - those who do double duty, that is, the moderators!

*Anything you consider memorable on the forum in 2010?* - not really memorable, no, but funny, yes and that would be certain disagreements!


----------



## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Jungle said:


> What mistakes did you make in 2010?
> 
> Buying a new car





Aren't you worth it?  Hopefully you'll be problem-free for at least 10 years!


----------



## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

It sounds like a suck up but after what I have seen on other forums, the administrators here did a very good job. And toronto.gal was also on my short list for doing a good job on the forum.

It also sounds like everyone was surprised by the size of the rally out of August.


----------



## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

I'm really grateful to the administrators for providing this space for these discussions. I really, really enjoy having a place to come and discuss all things financial (and recipes!).


----------



## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

dogcom said:


> My first business here about the forum is I would like to thank first of all CanadianCapitalist and in second spot FrugalTrader for doing and great job on the forum in 2010. You guys kicked *** dealing with the spam and participating as well.
> 
> On the forum I like the thread "Young generation in trouble" by argos1 in the real estate forum for some reason.
> 
> Four Pillars I would have to say did a good job on the forum. So he gets my vote for 2010.


You like me? You really like me?? 

Thanks for the vote.

I'll second the thanks to FT and CC for their moderation talents.

I can't think of any mistakes I made this year, although I did realize that I have been too busy. That probably means that next year, I'll uncover all the mistakes I made this year.


----------



## Soils4Peace (Mar 14, 2010)

*Mistakes:*
- Bought RIM
- Sold RIM
- Bought RESP for 17.5 year-old. Should have waited and topped his TFSA
- Bought a car, did not sell cars I did not need
- Bought an expensive, energy efficient HVAC, but ended up moving

*Learned:*
- MPT, risk management, diversification
- CAD-USD RSP gambit
- TD e-series ROCKS

*Goals Achieved:*
- Developed an asset allocation and modified portfolio to reflect it
- Moved all investments to TDW to get the trading discount
- Maxed TFSAs

*Disappointments:*
- ARE, JNJ, Europe
- no savings

*Surprise:*
- TFSA +35% 
- Edmonton insurance, property taxes and utilities costs 

*Went Right:*
- TDW service
- mortgage broker
- moving to a great new job
- CHL.UN, T.A, BNP.UN, MRD, CTC.A, TRE


----------



## I'm Howard (Oct 13, 2010)

Mistakes ,ignored tip on REE, went from $1.45 to $14.50.

10,000 shares bought at $14,500.00 would now be $145,000.

Next time, I'll listen.


----------



## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

I wouldn't worry about missing one like REE. I have owned and sold many small companies that could have been 10+ baggers for me.


----------



## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

*What mistakes did you make in 2010?*: While picking a particular stock, I made the mistake of thinking the current price was mis-pricing by the market and that the stock was worth more.
But it was undervalued for a reason...as I soon found out.
Lesson learnt, and moved on...next time I'll know how to look even deeper.

*What did you learn in 2010?*1. Deeper analysis of companies and stocks.
2. That rate of savings is still more important than rate of return.

*Did you achieve your goals for the past year?* Mostly yes.

*What disappointed you?* The weakness of the US$

*What surprised you?* The extent of the TSX bounce

*What went right in 2010?* 1. Current holdings continued their strength
2. Managed to come very close to overall savings goals for the year.

*On the forum what thread did you like in 2010?* Hard to pick one...most threads are interesting.

*Anybody on the forum stick out as doing a good job in 2010?* It's a wonderful set of people!


----------



## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

Good to hear from you haroldcrump.

You did learn some very valuable lessons by the sound of it.

One thing I have to ask you or others here and that is have you learned that almost no one gives a damn and will screw you over and ruin everything so they can get what they want. In the end you have your family and most on this forum will help because they can gain from the wisdom and knowledge they trade here. There is no free lunch and you can never trust anyone unless you can see what they will gain by it.

Is this statement above true or do you really think most CEO's, companies and so on really do care. I believe the above statement but maybe I am to harsh in what I believe.


----------



## Spidey (May 11, 2009)

*What mistakes did you make in 2010?*
Perhaps investing in HSE and MBT. Dumped MBT but I'm still not convinced HSE was a mistake. The fundamentals look good so I'm holding on.

*What did you learn in 2010?*
Nothing too overwhelming. Most of my learning came in 2009. Perhaps I've become even more sold on the couch potato model.

*Did you achieve your goals for the past year?*
Pretty much. I wanted to recover what I lost in the crash and I did that. Now taking lessons learned a step further and working toward putting my age as a percentage of fixed income. 

*What disappointed you?*
Nothing too much investing related, but perhaps in an economy related event I was laid off from my job.

*What surprised you?*
Pleasantly surprised by the strength of the markets.

*What went right in 2010?*
For me, it was most of the portfolio other than the disappointments mentioned previously. REITs, preferred shares, bank stocks, WTE.UN and some oil and gas trusts. 


*On the forum what thread did you like in 2010?*
I actually liked Rickson's thread on investing in depressed US real estate. (At least I think that was early this year.) 

*Anybody on the forum stick out as doing a good job in 2010?*
I think that Moneygal does a good job and even though I think my investment slant is a little different from hers, I think she provides sound advice. 

*Anything you consider memorable on the forum in 2010? *
No, I don't think so. (At least I can't remember anything overly memorable.)


----------



## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

Good to hear from you spidey and I am sorry to hear that you were laid off from your job. 

I also liked the thread from Rickson but couldn't remember if it was in 2010 or not.


----------



## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

dogcom said:


> Good to hear from you haroldcrump.
> 
> One thing I have to ask you or others here and that is have you learned that almost no one gives a damn and will screw you over and ruin everything so they can get what they want. In the end you have your family and most on this forum will help because they can gain from the wisdom and knowledge they trade here. There is no free lunch and you can never trust anyone unless you can see what they will gain by it.
> 
> Is this statement above true or do you really think most CEO's, companies and so on really do care. I believe the above statement but maybe I am to harsh in what I believe.


Your assessment is one 100% correct.
_Everybody is out there to screw you_ is very much a reality.
As the famous detective Miss Marple used to say: _I always believe the worst in people, because I find the worst is so often true._

This year has further re-inforced that belief in me.
My particular favourites remain the telecom companies and the local/provincial govt.
The telecom/cable companies are ripping people off day and night with crappy products, crappy service and huge fees.
I fight back as best I can by trimming services and pushing for discounts.

Govt. has been particularly problematic this year.
They are coming up with sneakier and sneakier techniques to screw up over.
What with the HST, hydro rates, eco fee, ADS fee and all other kinds of junk taxes tagged onto our daily existence, while enjoying cushy jobs and retirements for themselves and their cronies.


----------



## warp (Sep 4, 2010)

1) What mistakes did you make in 2010?

For me it was waiting and waiting for the "correction" around june/july 2010 that never materialized.
This put me in a "cash-rich" position, but I am now nibbling into the markets again.
Of course I cant be too mad about this, as all the equities that I own have done well since then.

2) Did you achieve your goals for the past year?

I didnt really have any goals other than to never work again.....so, since I didnt work in 2010, ( and havent for many years), its been a good year.
I now have laziness down to an art.


3) What disappointed you?

I have been disappointed by the US Dollar,, as I do have a big $US account, but I expected to wait a few years for a rebound, so I'll just keep waiting.
My US , and INTL, stocks have done pretty well though, but they are in $ US, so its been a wash.

4) What went right in 2010?

As always its been confirmed that patience, and trying to stay unemotional is the key to investing successs.
I made some great buys at cheap prices in 2009, and 2010.
My regret is not having bought more, as my list of stocks selling at bargain prices was long.
However being 100% in equities was not something i wanted to do or advise, although it sure would have been profitable!!

5) Anybody on the forum stick out as doing a good job in 2010?

I want to thank all the forum regulars for their input and thoughts.
I have learned from posts here, and i hope my 2 cents have been helpfull to others.


I must say in conclusion that not " everybody is out to screw you", etc, is totally true, as has been said in previous posts on this thread.
You must ABSOLUTELY keep an eye on your money, investments, etc,
but there are people who would want only to help.
I persoanally help many of my friends freely when the ask for advice or anything else, and I know the reverse is also true.

That being said.....i would advise everyone to be skeptical of any " financial advisor"..
As Ronald Reagan said about the Russians on arms control treaties:

" trust, but verify"


To HAROLDCRUMP:

Nobody hates the way goverments are constantly encroaching into our lives more than me........and its been getting worse and worse.
It has always been my contention that the bigger government gets...the poorer the citizens get.


A good New Year to all


----------



## warp (Sep 4, 2010)

DAM DAM DAM!

In my previous post I wrote, by mistake:

"I must say in conclusion that not " everybody is out to screw you", etc, is totally true, as has been said in previous posts on this thread."


Please let me correct this, as i ment to write the exact OPPOSITE!

what i ment to write is:

"I must say in conclusion that "everybody is out to screw you", etc, is NOT totally true, as has been said in previous posts on this thread."


In other , simpler words.......although you should be skeptical, not everyone is out to screw you.

thanks


----------



## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

I agree warp that not everyone is out to screw you. The odds however are very good that you will be screwed or lied to so like you said you need to verify if you can.

The correction that never came was the story in 2010 I think, excluding the April decline.


----------



## Belguy (May 24, 2010)

This is a test as I have been having problems posting of late.

Can anyone advise me as to why I have been having problems with the message at the bottom indicating that "You may not post new threads" etc. I have tried clearing my cookies and history/cache but this doesn't seem to help. Then, all of a sudden, I am able to post one reply before the problem comes back.

This is totally frustrating!!!


----------



## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Belguy said:


> This is a test as I have been having problems posting of late.
> 
> Can anyone advise me as to why I have been having problems with the message at the bottom indicating that "You may not post new threads" etc. ...


Welcome back. I thought you had gone south. It appears that only your computer has "gone south".

I am not technical about these things. When you press the Home key, does it say Welcome belguy at the top? If so I can't help you. If not, then it is not logging you in automatically. Clearing the cookies will force you to log in agan and tell it to do it automatically.


----------



## Belguy (May 24, 2010)

When I first sign onto the forum, it shows at the bottom that I may not post new threads, replies, etc. And so I try logging in and get the message "Thank you for logging in, Belguy" but it still shows that I may not post. So, I try to post anyway


----------



## Belguy (May 24, 2010)

and occasionally I am able to but then I am unable to edit my posts. This is weird!!

My apologies to dogcom for my butting in on his thread.

Has anyone else had similar problems? 

Any suggestions on what I might do to get everything back to normal?

I posted over 500 new topics and replies and edits prior to running into this problem and it is driving me nuts!!

I just tried to edit again and, this time, it let me do it!!

Please don't stop responding to dogcom's topic.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.


----------



## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

No problem belguy do what you have to do.

I was also wondering if you had gone south. 

I have a MAC and have had no problems, I got sick of all the crap that goes on with PC's and decided to bite the bullet and buy a MAC.


----------



## Belguy (May 24, 2010)

Is it hard to use a Mac after one is used to using a PC?

Overall, the past year has pretty much lived up to my investing expectations. The main indices have actually performed better than I might have expected and so I am happy with my core 'Easy Chair' holdings of low fee, broad-based ETF's. My biggest pleasant surprise has been with my holding of the RBC Global Precious Metals Fund.

For 2011, I plan to basically stay the course as I am a buy-and-hold investor and not a stock or market timer. My biggest dilemna remains what to do with the fixed income component of my portfolio which consists of the PH&N Bond Fund D as my core holding and some high yield bond funds and emerging markets domestic debt investments as well. My rebalancing time is approaching and my portfolio is overweight on equities and so I need to sell some of them and buy some additional fixed income which makes me very uncomfortable at this point in time.

As to who on the forum sticks out as doing a good job, does the name Belguy ring a bell with you?

Happy New Year to one and all and here's wishing first and foremost good health and happiness for you and your family and friends.

When all is said and done, that is what truly matters.


----------



## hboy43 (May 10, 2009)

What mistakes did you make in 2010?

None serious enough to notice.

What did you learn in 2010?

That I enjoy NOT being a landlord.

Did you achieve your goals for the past year?

Yes, I carried on my informal plan of being 100% + in individual stocks. I don't set goals as to expected returns - I control for method not output (results).

What disappointed you?

Well, when my goals are as above, can't be disappointed unless I lose discipline and change my investment style.

What surprised you?

That so many people believe in the fairy godmother (gold).

What went right in 2010?

I dumped my rental house when the opportunity came up. Killed 2 birds with one stone: Got out of landlording/speculating in RE, and reduced debt to be better prepared for the next financial panic. I specifically said speculating in RE rather than investing because at my net worth (and pretty much everyone else's here) owning a house is by definition speculating because it is not possible to diversify by owning say 10 houses in 10 markets.

On the forum what thread did you like in 2010?
Anybody on the forum stick out as doing a good job in 2010?
Anything you consider memorable on the forum in 2010? 

Don't follow closely enough to comment.

Regards,

hboy43


----------



## warp (Sep 4, 2010)

HBOY43:

funny what you said about being landlord, as follows:

" What did you learn in 2010?

That I enjoy NOT being a landlord"


I once had a tenant call me because a light bulb had gone out!

Another, ( who was only a friend of my tenant and staying for a few days), called the police when I asked to enter the apt , with a plumber, to fix a leak, that was causing grief to the tenant below.

Another couple decided to move , then proceeded to move all their furniture out at 2:00 AM, in a house I also lived in!!

Another owed me a months rent, and simply skipped out one night by stealth, leaving a god awful mess that I had to clean up, including dead fish in a stinking rancid aquarium.

There are many more,,but you get the idea.

I have always said that the govt should give landlords a break on the taxes they pay on rental income to compensate them for all the hassles they live through with tenants.

Renatl income should have lets say a 75-80 % inclusion rate.....that is you pay taxes on only 75-80 % of your rental income, the rest is tax free.


----------



## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

Being a landlord is a little more then sitting back and collecting rent. When you hear expert people talk about it they say the rent covers the mortgage and so on and you are done. I don't think it is as easy as that.

On gold all I can say is "it is how it is" everyone wants it the world is screwed so you ride that horse. Hboy43 you are a survivor by the sounds of your posts so you are the gold, where as the city folks can only hope to survive by owning the gold.


----------



## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

What mistakes did you make in 2010?

I made a big warrant trading mistake, I got greedy and it cost me. The big deal was not the money I lost on the trade but losing heart and taking a way too long break till starting back up again. 

My husband was very sick this year for about 6 months and it really got to me. I also did not ask for help from people who could have supported me

What did you learn in 2010?

I learned that I had some writing talent, I learned how to blog and solved a huge business problem I had. That is, my client base are very separated and hard to reach, now I reach them through the internet. Not only that but the quality of landlords I have reached though my blog is exceptional. It's like they are already prescreened for me. 

I really need to thank Frugal Trader for this, he got me started writing after finding me on this forum. He gave me a chance and he made a very big difference to me this year

Did you achieve your goals for the past year?

No, due to my husbands illness, I did not. Quite frankly, I don't give a sh$t either, when someone you love is seriously ill it changes your priorities. 

What disappointed you?

Well I am a little disappointed in myself. I expect myself to be a machine, instead of a human being  

I am still upset that I have not finished the CAIC Series and wrote more for Million Dollar Journey

What surprised you?

The success of the blog to my business this year. 

My husband getting better

My son continues to astound me with his sheer capacity for learning. I am blessed to know him and be around him. 

What went right in 2010?

Well sometimes out of adversity comes the greatest successes. My husband got sick and I started blogging and solved a significant business problem

On the forum what thread did you like in 2010?

All of them... I read them all every single one of them.  

Anybody on the forum stick out as doing a good job in 2010?

Well we don't see Frugal Trader and CC much, which is a sign of a great administrative team. That is they don't boss us or throw their weight around they just keep us safe. For those of you who have not been part of a site, it's a ton of work. Just dealing with the spam takes hours. These guys are awesome. Frugal Trader especially made a big difference to me. 

I also concur with others that Four Pillars also made a great contribution to the site. He also helped me when I was being picked on by that whack job. Plus he wrote a kick *** RESP book. 

Anything you consider memorable on the forum in 2010?

Well being stalked at this forum and others and on my site by an internet troll caused a lot of stress. It always mystified me why someone I didn't know would hate me and try to destroy me so much.


----------



## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

*What mistakes did you make in 2010?*
Purchased RIM as a temporary holding place for some spare funds.

*What did you learn in 2010?*
Always do my DD. Never, ever, ever, ever buy an individual stock (like RIM) without thorough investigation. 

*Did you achieve your goals for the past year?*
Absolutely, I achieved my financial goals. I saved 25% more than budget and the IRR on my portfolio was higher than expected.

*What disappointed you?*
Government debt levels and governments that pay for tax cuts with deficits. (Sorry if that is a political statement). 

*What surprised you?*
The stock market rally. 

*What went right in 2010?*
My investment in NEM. 

*On the forum what thread did you like in 2010?*
I'm new here but most of the investing and retirement threads were of interest to me. 

*Anybody on the forum stick out as doing a good job in 2010?*
Again, I'm too new to know anybody but the forum is spam free and polite. The admins must be doing an excellent job. 

*Anything you consider memorable on the forum in 2010?*
The thread about living in Canada in the retirement forum is memorable. It may not have been very useful to me personally but it was interesting.


----------

