Have a question in mind that you think is so dumb you’re embarrassed to ask it? ย That’s what we’re here for today!
This bonus post was inspired by a reader who wanted to know “where to ask a dumb question” here on Stock Gumshoe… and while his question was not actually stupid, and I’m happy to see questions pop up in our comment threads anywhere on the site, I thought it would be a great idea to open the floor and be more welcoming for the shy, the embarrassed, or, yes, even the uninformed.
So this is a no-judgement zone… smart people do things we’d call “dumb” all the time: Warren Buffett didn’t invest in Google in 2004, Albert Einstein married his cousin, and I just had to go back and double check that I didn’t call him Alfred Einstein (which I’ve done before, in print). ย So if you have that question that you can’t ask your stockbroker or your brother-in-law or Twitter without feeling like a dummy, let ‘er rip by submitting it below. ย I’ll be nice… and we might all learn something.
And yes, the SEC is always watching, so I must remind you that I can’t give personal investment advice… but I’ll try to share whatever opinion or answers I can provide to any investment-related question you’ve got, though if we end up with a lot of them it might take me a little while to answer thoughtfully.
So please, let your questions fly using the friendly little comment box below… and thanks for being the best readers in cyberspace!
(I will moderate the discussion just to make sure we don’t get too much profanity or offensive stuff, or personal attacks, but I’ll use a light hand — you can be mean to me if you like, just don’t be mean to any other participants.)
Thanks, Travis. That change of ownership may be part of the problem.
what are the two stocks that are to soon join the new
china index boosted by stansberry?
I’m planning on transferring my IRA from one brokerage to another in the next two weeks. I have a few out-of-the-money call options that are worth less than the cost to sell to close them. Before deciding to switch brokerages, I had planned on allowing these to expire worthless.
Are equity and option positions essentially liquidated at the old brokerage and then purchased again by the new brokerage? Or is this really just a transfer, with no buying or selling taking place behind the scenes?
I’m wondering if I should pay now to simply close these positions: I wouldn’t want them re-purchased at the high end of the bid-ask spread.
Options positions should generally be just as easy to transfer as equity positions, unless thereโs something odd โ perhaps like different margins, or an account type that doesnโt allow options for the new broker. I would call the new broker if youโre concerned, but none of the transfer of listed securities should force a sell/rebuy transaction as far as I know.
More info here: http://www.finra.org/investors/understanding-brokerage-account-transfer-process
Thanks Travis. I’ve applied for the same level of options trading that I have on the other account, and I can’t think of anything else that would hold up a transfer.
Now, fingers crossed… here’s hoping this transfer goes through before CLQ releases its BFS! (couldn’t buy it through the old brokerage).
Anyone heard/ seen the ad about “ID COIN”/ could be 30 times bigger than Bitcoin…
https://orders.cloudsna.com/chain?cid=MKT347171&eid=MKT357230&encryptedSnaid=&snaid=&step=start#AST77725
Travis thinks Stansberry “might” be pitching OKTA, but there do not seem to be enough clues in the ad to make this a definitive answer. You might want to try typing “OKTA” in the Search Bar for a fuller explanation.
Travis,
May I ask about the latest pitch from Dr. Steve Sjuggerud about two stocks to buy before May 31st, apparently both China stocks. Once again, Stansberry has a great pitch, with Sjuggerud saying he learned of two top stocks that the International Monetary Fund has to drop a large chunk of 12.4 trillion into on 5/31.
Sold my last 5 lots of $IQ Sept 15 Calls for a 124% gain took some of the profit and put it back in for Jan 25 calls. Thanks again to this great site, without it I would not have been aware of this stock., up over up over $2.00 today. I still oven $IQ shares Dec 15 calls and Jan 25 calls
Hi Travis, my question is about IBM. It looks like the stock is not recovering quickly after Buffet dropped millions of IBM shares. .What is your opinion about the future of this company? Will the stock go back to its all time highs in the near future or will it take years to see this happen? Thank you for sharing your thoughts ๐
Travis, how do I delete my stupid response to a legit question? Made one earlier today, posted the comment, and then realized “Oops, that wasn’t the question being asked, duh.” I tried to edit out the entire response immediately after and the box went blank but my ID remained. I think the response got posted anyway. Apologies to “Beaced” and to you.
I donโt see anything objectionable under your name, but we can usually delete a post on request โ which post do you mean?
Oh, not objectionable; just not paying attention to what was being asked, as follows:
beaced
What is the new biotech that motley fool Canada claims that matsayoshi son is investing in.
My response was a comment on SFTBY in general, no input on the biotech company,
I feel the pain of the numerous people on this thread that are tired of, or have been swindled by, the barrage of โexpertsโ clogging our Inboxes. Tired of the hype, the solicitations for their expensive newsletters plus the lengthy videos they come with. Some of us want to sue the greedy liars; others want to put a sock in their hyperbolic mouths, and so on.
But wait, letโs rethink this! Those annoying pitches are why Stock Gumshoe even exists and why weโre on this site, right? We get that cathartic moment of sharing our annoyances, get the name of the stock being pitched replete with analysis more than we could have even asked for, benefit from the comments that others so generously share and, eventually, give back.
THANK YOU, TRAVIS, for enabling the process.
Geez, this is starting to feel likeโฆchurch? (LOL!) Thereโs even a high probability that church contributions cost more than being an Irregular, both of which are tax deductible. So the solution to anger with annoying sales pitches is to make note of the title/author if they perked our interest, then go to the Stock Gumshoeโs search bar and type it in or request for an answer. (Oftentimes, the topic is already there as these pitches, Iโve learned, get recycled for newer โvictimsโ.) Finally, let that index finger do a bit more walking and Delete the e-mail entry or simply Unsubscribeโฆtill the next pitch. (Theyโre like rats. We canโt get rid of them completely because they multiply so fast by sharing our e-mail addresses with each other.)
Je trouve cette discussion vraiment bien elle permet de ne pas se sentir a part.
Travis-Jason Stutman recently wrote an article on 3 stocks that will do well
because of the advent of 5G (computer speed and mobility). I wonder could you ID these 3 stocks ,if you have not done so in a previous article(in which event you might kindly refer me to your article).Many thanks/CG
VZN, CRNT and ZAYO
Hi
The same article has just been released today, 19 July 2018. Any idea which stocks they are?
Thanks
Manexco
Ok Travis this is the latest Youโre one of our loyal 1,000 readers who will have the chance to target investments with the potential to surge as much as 1,000% โฆ 5,000% โฆ and even 15,000% in the years ahead.
Thatโs enough to turn a $10,000 investment intoโฆ
$110,000โฆ
$510,000โฆ
And even $1.51 million.
As you snowball a modest account into a $10 Million fortune.
These gains are entirely possible by harnessing Paul Mampillyโs proven GAP strategy behind his brand new The $10 Million Portfolio research service.
He touted Gene adjustments at the generic level and for only $2997 you can get the names of these stocks,
Personally I think they ate $NTLA % CRSP And $Edit
can you use the thinkulator to see if I’m right
Those are certainly the primary CRISPR names that get teased all the time, though I haven’t looked at that actual ad yet.
Could you write something about “money tracking” and its putative efficacy. Nomi Prins ‘Dark Money Millionaires” and “Investitute” seem to base their strategies on this concept. It is intriguing, but how to distinguish between the bulls and the bears? And how is the scope of commitment determined?
Hi,
I am very interested to know what Shah Gilani’s latest “end of stocks” weekly trade is all about. What exactly are they trading on a weekly basis? I have listened to the pitch and it is well constructed but does not give me an idea of what sort of derivative or instrument is being traded. Does anyone know what they are buying or selling?
Thank you!
His history is to buy long dated puts on stocks he believes are dropping.
Don’t touch it. Guy is a fraud. You must buy his whole portfolio to profit on his few winners. He suggests you buy really close in out of the money options thus there is immediate decay.
Quote: “I do everything to make money, find every legal loophole” etc. Which means he will sell you every overhyped system he can think of for a lot of dough. My guess is he is buying and selling puts on the S&P 500.
Dear Travis, I would be grateful if you could convince your good friend Thinkolator to decode the names of the three US companies forming a new American Cartel as claimed in Tony Daltorio’s teaser ” 3 Tech Stocks to Own for the Next Generation Internet”. He claims these stock could triple by the end of 2018.
Grtx,
Zeflik
Money Map Press is pushing a “non-stock” algorithim (sp) developed by one of their guru’s named Sha something. He claims that it took him 8 years, 1 million dollars, and a host of Einstein like helpers to develop. It is supposed to make you up to $11,ooo a week! Now he is supposedly being offered a ton of cash by a major brokerage firm to buy it from him…..Of course you need to buy his expensive news letter to find out about it. Any info, or thoughts on this?
Steve (and also Prince here, below your posted question), here’s some info to consider about Shah Gilani’s “new” scheme, a “service” he calls “The Money Zone.”
First, see the question posted above by “bobarino” on 5/26 and the replies to it by “hedy1234” (Irregular #1409) and “cvairag”; so you’re not alone in wondering about Mr. Gilani’s latest pitch.
Second, be aware that Gilani is, as you’ve noted, one of the Money Map Press stable of writers touting (with appropriate disclaimers) their own “expertise” through a variety of educational/investment/advisory services. In addition to the new “Money Zone” offering, Gilani seems to be behind the “Wall Street Insights and Indictments” website, ads for which appear among the 88,000 hits Bing returns when you enter the words “shah gilani scam.”
Okay, maybe you’ve seen Gilani’s intriguing (but long, 1-hour m/l) video about what he calls “The Money Zone.” Sit through that whole presentation and you still don’t know what you’ll be paying for whatever it is you’re getting. You need to click the “Join the Money Zone” (or some such) button at the end to be taken to a page where you’ll read some of what you just heard Gilani say (but that still doesn’t reveal much) PLUS the annual cost ($1, 950) to become a “Founding Member” of the MZ. For just $50 shy of Two Grand, then, Gilani will provide 52 weekly alerts to the S&P’s projected direction the following week AND access to five or six videos about this “secret algorithm” trading strategy. So that’s about $38 per week to participate in his ploy which he says has a “93 percent chance of being right.” But wait, there’s more….
As with so many advisory newsletter/services these days, the subscription will auto-renew (roll-over) at expiration. And here’s the kicker (in their own words) about their Refund Policy: “For the next year, your subscription to The Money Zone” will be non-refundable. But, if after your one-year subscription period, your expectations are not met, you can contact us for a full 100% refund.”
Hope this helps. “Caveat Emptor.”
Just before this latest “I”m through with stocks” thing, Shah had a short lived weekly note where on Monday morning he predicted (to two digits to the right of the decimal) where the Dow would be at the end of the week. He was usually wrong, sonetimes by a lot. That was a work-up add to the current thing he calls Money Aone. If he is as good with this as he was with that, as Walker says above, “Caveat Emptor.”
It’s probably a scam. He says that each recommendation will cost $300 to $500 per contract and 5 to 10 contracts are necessary to generate the numbers he throws out in his spiel i.e up to $11,000. He then says the scheme is credit spreads on the SPY. A credit spread results in a credit of premium so why do contracts cost $300 to $500. His other service, Zenith, is a scam and is non-refundable. Out of the first 10 recos since I joined 9 have been a 100% loss, such as buying a $120 put on FB, or a $12.50 put on UAA which then rose from $13.81 on day of reco to $23.51 today 6/5/18. 100% losses on SBUX, M, LULU, FIT, MAT, FOSL and AET -2nd half of trade.
Tried to do a Visa charge back unsuccessfully.
Would also like to know more about Shah Galani’s new deal and algorithm and pricey “Money Zone” service.
Hi Travis,
I”m just curious – I have often seen you mention what analysts think, such as, “Analysts are expecting them to roughly double sales from 2017 to 2019 without becoming any more profitable” and “Analysts thing theyโll double their earnings over the next couple years, with revenue growth of something like 10%.” Who are these analysts and where do you find them? Why do you trust their opinions?
Thanks. I really enjoy your service and being an Irregular is a no brainer for anyone wondering.
Hi jrmudd… I just go by the consensus/average estimates, which are provided by many different brokers and websites (I usually use the numbers from YCharts, sometimes different services will have slightly different numbers). I don’t “trust them” in the sense that I expect them to be right, they usually aren’t right about price targets and they tend to be absurdly optimistic (it’s very rare to find “sell” opinions, still, even when a stock is well above the “target price” or otherwise undesirable — investment banks don’t want to say nasty things about companies they’d like to do work for, and they generally are biased to want people to invest more)… but they often do have good short-term analysis on the earnings and revenue that give a decent starting point for those of us who don’t have time to spend a week digging into the business or interviewing management. And if you have access to the actual analyst reports, which some brokers provide for some stocks, you can often find really useful analysis and commentary from those analysts. They do put a lot of time in to understand companies well, and they tend to be diligent in trying to model all the variables, so the data is useful and the opinions are useful even if they probably won’t be precisely right very often.
And, probably more importantly, sell-side analysts form the basis for Wall Street’s assumptions about the future — when you hear it said that a company “beats earnings” or is doing great, they mean the results were better than the average analyst assumptions, and that the company is outpacing those forecasts… investing is a game of relativity in any given period of a few months or quarters — it’s not so much the health and progress of the business that matters for the stock in the short term, it’s whether the top-line (sales) or bottom line (profits) numbers are “better than expected” or “worse than expected.”
Hey Travis, your coverage of $IQ has made me very happy over the last few weeks. It’s up over 40% from where I bought it never mind my Dec 15 and Jan 25 calls. If I knew where you lived I’d send over some dancing girls ๐
Thanks, I wish I would have known it would surge up this quickly!
Any opinions on twou or box?
I picked up TWOU maybe last July or August on a MFool recommendation. Itโs up over 70% since. Itโs been a slow steady climb. What intrigued me about this stock is that coming from a real estate background, I am required to take numerous continuing education hours annually. If you are in a live class, you can count the heads in the room and figure out how much the instructor or school made that day. There may be 50 heads in the class at say $100 per head. $5000 for the day, not too shabby. Move this to online. Iโll take a class online for the same $100, but I can read the #of students online at that particular moment, and there will be 300 to 1,000 students nationally. One Day! The class developer writes this class one time. Sells it over and over again, day after day, year after year. Itโs not hard to figure out that this is an absolute gold mine. Itโs not much different than creating a song on iTunes, and selling millions of copies. Same concept with TWOU. Create the content, sell It to thousands. While it may be more costly to write a college degree program, they certainly will charge accordingly. This is the future of education in my opinion, and is why I went long and overweight on TWOU.