Ugly Day III

I have to admit it. I actually listed all my stocks in the red and considered selling them en masse and buying the 12 stocks in the top 25 over 50m that I don't own. But I did not push the button. It has been an exceedingly frustrating 5 days where I have gone from being about 6% ahead of the benchmark to 1.5% ahead AND I have lost actual $ as well. The chart tomorrow will show my ugliest week ever (easily) unless we get a bounce tomorrow.

But despite everything, the sun is still shining. While the market may have gotten a little ahead of itself, I don't think it is anything like 2001. I will hold my stocks through the despair, I have no reason to sell.

My question of changing to the approach of simply buying all 25 over 50m raised record commentary. Some people questioned whether it is putting everything on one date and that would I not be better the average in. I don't think that is valid, either way I am fully invested. The question is whether I should hold my current holdings until I have had them all at least a year and then on a common date sell them all and invest in top 25 equally.

I have to say I am STRONGLY leaning towards this approach. It is what JG really did in his book, is it not? I'd probably do it next June. So I would essentially put my MFI transactions on ice from now until then. I know it will take some "fun" out of stock picking etc, but the tracking portfolios have been kicking my butt. In my MFI stock contest, that portfolio is currently 6th out of 44. We're talking real money, it is not like I have $1000 invested, so I need to go with what gets me the best return, not what strokes my stock-picking ego. I go have "fun" with some of the gains at the casino. Anyway, I am on hold for trades until September when ASEI, BBSI and VPHM come up. Then I'll decide whether to continue the freeze and implement new approach or not. There are other variation, say 14 in January and 14 in July but I want to remove my bias entirely.

I apologize if people bought TGIS because of my bullishness. I am just an investor like people reading this blog and I strongly encourage people to do their own research. I know people know I am not pumping and dumping or anything like that, I certainly had my share of that recent 26% drop.