Wiser Time: 2Q 2010

Today was an amazing day in the market, kinda.  It closed just about 10,000 for the second day in a row.  It convinced me that there are several investors out there waiting for the market to fall below 10,000 to buy.  For the record, I am one of them.  The last time I bought in was around June 29th when the market spent a couple days south of 10,000, but since that time, it has been as resistant to 9,999 as negatives are to each other.

Fortunately, my primary focus is on my overall asset allocation so I don't have to time the market quite as intently as others (I'll still pick up a good deal when it presents itself, however).  As I have explained in the past, and I'll be quoting myself from a prior blog often here, if you spend all your time timing the market, then you aren't making money in the market: you're earning money through a second job.  And personally, I don't even work hard enough at my day job to take on a second.

However, I am also very disciplined -- hence the reason this blog is dated in August instead of September.  On the tenth of every third month (February, May, August, and November), I review my account and I will rebalance it to a set asset allocation that I feel is comfortable for me.  If I change my asset allocation, I usually do it six months out and then work my way slowly into the new balance.  This month, I was a week late on getting to my rebalance (which wasn't surprising since it was a hellacious week!) but lucky for me, it was a simple shift because it barely takes me five minutes to do this anymore since I already know my target and my current allocations match those percentages. I just shift my real allocations to match the current allocations.

Fund # - Real / Current / Target
Fund 29 - 5% / 5% / 5%
Fund 84 - 10% / 10% / 10%
Fund 24 - 26% / 26% / 25%
Fund 113 - 9% / 9% / 10%
Fund 85 - 50% / 50% / 50%

Done, no further action was necessary. I plan to revisit my allocations when I have more opportunity to research and consider alternatives, at which time I could change my target allocations and then work on getting my current allocations to reflect the target, but the displine of revisiting investments once a year or once a quarter is the critical piece of a successful asset allocation.

It's easier than watching the markets like a hawk, and cheaper than paying someone else to do so.



DISCLAIMER: I am neither licensed nor permitted to give specific financial advice, so if you want investment recommendations, then please consult with a financial advisor or reputable financial sources; my favorite website is CNNFN.com and my favorite radio station is KFNN 1510 AM "Radio That Makes You Money." The investment decisions presented above were tailored to my risk tolerance and my financial goals.

Croweology

I'm a big fan of The Black Crowes (TBC). It's strange because I'm not sure how or why exactly, they were just one band on whom I never gave up and every now or again, I'll just get on a TBC kick.  They have been called the "most rock-and-roll rock-and-roll band" by music critics, and I like that tagline, but I have usually thought they were the sexiest rock-and-roll band.  Not physically speaking, although plenty of ladies will vouch for either Chris Robinson or Rich Robinson (and Chris marrying Kate Hudson is proof positive) but their music is the sexiest music I've heard.  I cannot pinpoint it either, because the lyrics aren't necessarily more sexually charged than other bands or genres, but the blend of so many styles probably has something to do with it.  The band itself is an intercourse of music.  Maybe that makes it sexy.

The Sexiest Rock 'n' Roll Band?

They released a new CD of old songs at the beginning of this month called "Croweology."  It features hit songs and deep cuts from their first five albums, which is cool for a flashback.  I find myself digging total remakes like "Let Me Share The Ride" where it sounds wildly different, at least more than basic updates like "Jealous Again" which were good enough the first time.  Highly recommended if you're a fan, but there's always the Best Of album from 2000 if you aren't.

The strange part about this band is that I can hear a CD and think it's a sub-par effort and put it away for months or even years, only to pull it out later and dig it instantly.  Such as "The Lost Crowes," which I bought on August 1, 2009, and I never enjoyed until this weekend when I was looking for new TBC songs.  I did the same thing with "By Your Side" and especially the first Chris Robinson (New Earth Mud) back in 2002, and I love those albums now.  I think I've bought New Earth Mud two or three times now, giving copies to various people like Raegan Sonnenberg (Kyle's wife) and Jeordie.  For the record, I dig other TBC albums instantly like "amorica." in 1994, "Lions" in 2001, or last year's "... Until The Freeze."

Listening to TBC while driving Jeordie home from a gig made me think of this last night, and I don't know where I developed this mentality, but I've always believed if you're a fan of a band, then you support the band.  Whether that means buying their new album, as I've done for TBC, Great White, and Overkill, or whether it means offering to help the band load up their equipment after a gig, as I have done for Chris Hiatt, Caterwauls, Jeordie, and Fanny Grace.  Which reminds me, I still need to buy the new Ra Ra Riot release!  I don't know if I'm a fan of that band or its label (Barsuk), but it's definitely an album I need to purchase, even if I already have a musical backlog from buying TBC on Tuesday and "The Essential Ozzy Osbourne: Limited Edition 3.0" today.

Speaking of Ozzy Osbourne, if you have any interest in his career, then check out his autobiography "I Am Ozzy."  I bought the book on a whim, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Very easy read, great page-turner!

Dead End To Start Again

This is a test to find out what exactly this website has to offer.  I had another blog for the past year or two, but I'm looking to privatize this one more.

This should be a fitting description of things.

First off, I can say that I like the easy formatting of pictures on this site (although the picture I had posted just disappeared for some reason).

 

So, this blogspot will most likely be a keeper.  I like to discuss the markets on an ongoing basis, as well as reviews or analyses of movies, books, music, sports (only during playoffs, typically), occasionally politics, and probably some other things on a regular basis.  But for the most part, I hope I will be able to discuss life's little progression and travels.

 
Hopefully I can make it entertaining as well, and link it to my Twitter (twitter/thekinaz) so anyone looking for more information/entertainment will fall in slightly above disappointed.