DTEJD1997

Blockchain adds value...along with cannabis. How do we add cannabis to this? I almost forgot...obviously all of this needs to be put on the inter-webs too!

NO WAY!!!!!!! Crypto currency AND ForEx trading? It is simply too bad that they could not have added some amount of leverage, then they would REALLY have something! PERFECT for retirement accounts! There have to be CDS'es on these. Then we really are talking multibaggers. Jurgis: Thank you for pointing that out! I was working late in the office...and it slipped my mind...but can you just IMAGINE the possibilities? Crypto currency COMBINED with For-Ex trading ADDED with copious amounts of debt leverage THEN TOPPED OFF with CDS!!!!! Damn, I better get cracking on that! Maybe run ads on local radio stations? Seminars in hotel ballrooms? You would be STUPID not to invest!

NO WAY!!!!!!! Crypto currency AND ForEx trading? It is simply too bad that they could not have added some amount of leverage, then they would REALLY have something! PERFECT for retirement accounts!

I've been wondering for a while where we are in the economic cycle... Here in the USA, I've come to the conclusion that different parts of the country are in different parts of the cycle. For instance, NY & CA, which probably came back relatively quickly from the Great Recession, might be ready to start going downhill. Not all parts of the country have been in an economic recovery for 10 years. Here in MI, the state has been in the doldrums for YEARS after 2008. It is really only the past 1-2 years that things have really started to pick up. Hiring is up, wages are up. Wages & hiring has been only the past two years. Two years ago, hiring started to pick up. About a year ago or so, wages started to go up. Property values have been up...but they have been going up for 3-4 years. Property started going up BEFORE hiring and wages. There have been some "goofy" things going on with real estate. For example, there are some nicer houses in Detroit that have probably gone up 10X in the past 5 years. I've seen some houses that have gone from $40k to $290k. I don't think things are going to end well for those home buyers. Almost all property in Detroit now has some "value" attached to it. It is hard to find "zero" or negative worth properties. There is an incredible influx of "investors" or speculators. So I think that MI is a "lagging" state. I really hope that here in MI, we don't have just 1-2 of really good years. As to other parts of the country, people are most certainly doing better...but I still know PLENTY of people who are not yet back to their peaks back in 2008/2009. I suspect that some of those people unfortunately will never make it back to where they were. Some people were damaged just too much. If we could get another 4-6 quarters of good growth/good economy, it would allow a lot of good for a lot of people, all across the country.

I agree. I hold some OTC stocks and also get funny marks with Fidelity, IB and with Scottrade ( when I had them). It doesn’t concern me at all, but I can see this being a nuisance when you manage other people’s money and the funny mark gap owns to be at the end of the quarter. Of course, if you have a KT view, it shouldn’t matter. I've got to disagree...If TDA can't tally OTC correctly...what else are they F'king up? I'm not talking about small amounts or percentages either...this is major goofs. Even if you look at the spreads, and the likely trade price on the otc's, it still doesn't come close to the errors that TDA is making. Scottrade had NO problem at all doing this.

Hey all: I used to be at Scottrade, and that was pretty good. They got bought out by TDAmeritrade. I do not like the level of service or competence at TDA. For example, during the trading day, my account balances do not total up correctly in regards to gains/losses. I've called on this many times to tech support and they either have NO idea what is going on OR they come up with screwball excuses. I've been in to the local branch and the idiocy continues. I was asked by an account rep, "Why do you need to be checking your account during the day?" My reply was "why can't your servers do basic math? Did they get programmed at Detroit Public Skools"? So while I do not have a recommendation, definitely DO NOT consider TDAmeritrade!

hey all: This has been going for a lot longer than most people realize. The ways it can be done are truly staggering. For example, some years ago, I got some "fake" Cisco switch modules. How in the world could somebody fake high tech circuit boards and related things? At first, I though it was totally impossible. I thought IP theft was Nigerians selling fake hats in Times Square and videotaping movies in theatres. I was very wrong. One thing that was truly impressive in it's wile was how the fake Cisco takes place... One method is that mid level managers at the assembly company come in at midnight with a few trusted workers and will "work off the books". When they do so, they take returns, defective goods, WIP that didn't pass quality control and such, and will rework it to the best of their abilities and then pass it off as "good" stuff. Unless you are technician and know EXACTLY what to look for, you would not realize it until the piece craps out. Some of the companies I dealt with had long ago moved most manufacturing to China...a few years ago, they even started moving product design and engineering there too. A huge mistake I think... American politicians and company management has been too weak minded & downright stupid for too long a period of time.

Hey all: I can very much confirm that at least for YOUNG people in the Windsor ONT area, jobs (more than part time) were almost IMPOSSIBLE to get a few years ago (2015). It was so bad, that I knew several young people (very late 20' & very early 30's) trying to get jobs in Detroit! Think about that for a second...the job situation was so bad for young people, they were trying to come to DETROIT to get work. I've stayed in contact with some of those people, and the situation in the last 1-2 years has improved for many of them. A couple moved to Western Canada (Alberta?) and got decent jobs. A couple managed to get into Detroit and got jobs. One moved to Toronto area and got a job...and one stayed in Windsor and is semi-employed. I got the impression that Canada is a great place if you have money. It is great if you are established or connected...much more difficult if you are relatively recently out of college and looking to get a job/get established.

Eric: I might suggest some questions for guests on your podcast...maybe not a topic for a whole podcast. 1). Best/Worst investment 2). Biggest mistake you ever made 3). Investment(s) that didn't work out the way you imagined. Something with unusual circumstances. For instance. I once bought a quiet nano-cap stock. All of a sudden the bid was 50%+ higher than I bought a week previously. I sold. Several thousand shares traded...all this on no apparent news. A couple days later it went back down to about what I paid. Very odd activity on a small cap stock. Only time in my career that ever happened. Or a family member of mine had many thousands of shares in Greek shipping company. Shipping company stocks got caught in short squeeze, some of them went up 100x in a year. This one went up like 50X, IN LESS THAN A YEAR. Movement was all based on technical issues/short squeezes...Very odd. Once in a career type thing. 4). Most "off the beaten path" where you've invested. Anybody ever have money at work in Zimbabwe? Eritrea? North Korea? I bet some members of CofB&F have! Perhaps they might wish to share? 5). Unusual business(es) that you've been involved/worked at? Strip club? Gold refinery? Mercenaries in Africa? Used car lot on 8 Mile road in Detroit? Part of a card counting crew in casinos? 6). Best small business model that you've ever seen/encountered and know to be producing actual good returns? In my area of town, there are some small businesses that are COMPLETELY off the radar scope that are making their owners quite well to do. These are very low profile businesses. Several have even evaded my prying eyes and I learned about them from other investors... I look for odd/unusual stuff. I find interesting things...but there is TON that I miss, don't see OR even mistake. 7). Maybe the biggest return you've ever made. Turning $.50 into $20 does not count. It has to be something like turning $5k into $80k (or even more). Maybe put together several of these ideas and you might have an interesting episode or two?

Hey all: I bought some wonderful Hugo Boss & Canali Ties off of Ebay. I am very happy with the purchase, wonderful colors & silk....paid almost $40 for the two of them.

Hold up, wait a minute... if you are trading/doing deals in real estate, there is already a "block chain" it is the register of deeds/liens and what is called chain of title. It is all recorded down at the courthouse/city hall/local municipal government. In the USA, contracts/interests in real estate are very finicky and subject to specific/special legal requirements. Ownership interests in real estate have to be recorded. This just does not sound right at all. I would also be cautious in getting recommendations from 3rd parties to interview dudes like this....smells like a set-up.

I have to agree with most poasters here... Reporting 2 times a year is a terrible idea. It gives management more time to screw off. We are Americans...not Europeans. We report 4 times a year. Reporting 2x a year is for socialists & communists!

Hey all: One of my nieces turned 18 a few months ago. She is a wonderful young woman. She has also graduated high school and is going to college in the Fall. Of course, she is the daughter of my Aunt, also a wonderful woman. Both of these women are SMART and HARDWORKING. Unfortunately, they know almost nothing about finance. They know what bank accounts are, how checking accounts and credit cards work...but very little beyond that. I've been wanting to get them started with some financial education. I was thinking of some introductory books, easy stuff, easy reading....maybe Peter Lynch? HOWEVER, even this may a bit much to get started for them. My niece has learned almost NOTHING in her schooling thus far about finance...not that I learned a lot, but I was taught what stocks/bonds/options were, how the stock market worked and so on by the time I was entering high school. Of course, it was all just the most rudimentary overview, but I had some idea of what was what. She has been taught/shown almost nothing... She is 18 now, and if she learns about finance now, she'll have a big leg up in life. So I'm trying to come up with 1 or 2 concepts for them to think about every time I see them. I got started tonight with the concept of compound interest and the "rule of 72". $1,000 to my niece is a lot of money, but not an impossible sum. She just started working her first "real job" a few weeks ago. I gave her the example of her investing $1,000 today, and if she could make 12% on it, how much she would have when she is my age. Her eyes went wide when I did the math for her! So that got her attention. I then totally freaked her out by suggesting, what would happen if she could invest just $1,000 at the beginning of every year....how much would she have if she could make 12% AND do it every year.... I cheated a little by using 12% (a bit optimistic), as I wanted to get her attention, and get her thinking. Her mother was also listening in, and she chimed in, "where/how can we do this?"....They were wondering if any bank paid this rate...so I had to come back and say you would have to own a business, part of a business, or perhaps own real estate. It is difficult to do, but most certainly can be done if you are willing to work hard, have discipline, smarts, and a little bit of luck. So we talked more about compound interest, and the rule of 72. I hope that gets the spark started in their minds. I figure for the next time I see them, maybe talk about what a stock is, how they trade, and maybe leverage? Then maybe after that, budgeting, paying yourself first, tax implications.... Then maybe some actual examples of good stuff/bad stuff? Does anybody have any suggestions on concepts, books, or websites that will help get them on their journey? I want the first few things to be very easy to conceptualize, and something that can be discussed/understood in 20-30 minutes.

Every time I hear this argument I wonder, where do you draw the line? Curious to hear your thoughts. I don't draw lines. And who gave you the power to draw them? You do whatever you want to your body and let me do whatever I want to mine. Not much to add to this thread, but "do whatever you want to your body and let me do whatever I want to mine" isn't the best argument. There are too many real world externalities. Who pays for the hospital stays, police force, etc. etc. for people who are drug addicted non-productive members of society? Drugs users don't exist in a vacuum. Since violence would decrease substantially under legalization, medical costs (stabbings, gunshot wounds, etc) would drop dramatically as would police costs. Gang warfare and the cost of militarized police are not cheap. Your drug war doesn't exist in a vacuum. If drugs were legalized, crime would decrease by a bigly amount. How much crime is somehow related to drugs? I would estimate probably 75% is in some way. A lot of culture would change too! "Gangsta rap" would probably decline by 90%+ Dealing drugs would no longer be a viable option.

Hey all: Undervalued stuff & "value" is what I am looking for.... Oil & Gas certainly has some candidates in it. Up until recently, retail was a INCREDIBLY ripe area...bargains galore as "Amazon will sell everything, don't you know?" REITS up until recently were offering some great bargains. BDC's were offering some compelling opportunities. HOWEVER, I might think that the auto manufacturing sector is perhaps the most undervalued. Notice, I'm not talking about TSLA. I am talking about companies that are selling for 4 P/E's. Of course, in the next year or so, every car will be electric and everybody will be ferried about in a driver less vehicle...so it is amazing that these stocks are selling for even a 4 (or less) P/E. Then you've got the economy...if it goes down, surely the auto companies will be rushing to the courthouse to file the bankruptcy papers... Who knows though?

Are you sure you're talking about Windsor, Ontario??? I grew up in the Greater Toronto Area and we avoid Windsor. I used to subcontract for a friend and had some service calls there a few times, general retail renovations in malls and power centres. (maybe 5-8 years ago) We found Windsor the opposite of what you describe. I am 1,000,000% sure that I am looking at Windsor. I have been to Windsor more times than I can count. I have not been into Windsor for maybe 15 years though. Perhaps it is only the waterfront and maybe 1 block in that looks prosperous? You can easily look into Canada from downtown Detroit. From what I can see from that limited perspective, it looks great. MUCH better than Detroit (even with Detroit's recent good fortune).

Hey all: I would not be surprised at all if the AVERAGE Canadian is better off than their American counterpart. I simply marvel at how modern, clean and prosperous Windsor Ontario looks. I have not been there for quite a while, but I frequently see it when I go downtown, especially to the main post office. There is also another interesting observation that I have... 3-4 years ago I knew some young Canadians (mainly from Windsor area). They were ALL bitterly complaining about how bad the economic situation was for them. They would come over to Detroit and would try and work "under the table", would look for legitimate jobs, and would run all sorts of hustles. For example, they would buy cigarettes, LCD TV's, computers, and expensive consumer items to resell on Kijiji (sp?) They would also stuff their cars full of food items. One dude even went so far as to wear 2 pairs of pants and several shirts (that he bought in MI) when crossing the border. I always joked with these guys that if they are coming to Detroit for work...things must be catastrophically bad in Canada. So could it be that if you are ESTABLISHED and have a job/experience/wealth, things are generally pretty good for you in Canada? If you are young, fresh out of university, and have no job/experience/wealth, things are pretty tough for you in Canada?

Maybe a real estate attorney? :) No, I was a "contract attorney" brought in to work on massive lawsuits. It was preparation/sorting/analysis of documents. At that point in time (2015), there were attorneys POUNDING down the door to get in... A lot of attorneys did that work "for the big kash money!". I was surprised and dismayed at that. it was then explained to me that $21 an hour was SUBSTANTIALLY more than a lot of attorneys make in the Detroit market. Thankfully, I don't do that any more. I feel bad for the people who still do. It was boring, tedious work. It was the best outcome a LOT of people could hope for though. I could tell so many crazy/sad stories...

A family insurance plan costs $27k per year? That could almost be the wage for an employee per year! When I was working as an attorney a couple years ago, the pay rate was $21/hour. Something has gotten seriously, seriously out of whack. A lot of people in America (not just fast food workers & clerks) just simply can't afford to pay that...not even close.

A lot of truth and things to think about here.... One of the things I've considered doing is getting a "burner" system and using TOR or other system to mask your IP. I have heard stories/rumors of certain websites being recorded/backed up (by 3rd parties NOT law enforcement) and all of the posters IP recorded. Mind you, these are not illegal OR crazy OR porno sites... If you are really concerned about privacy, I guess that you have to be a step or three ahead of others...

Hey all: I thought NAFTA was supposed to eliminate and vastly lower tariffs on almost all products. If that is the case, why is Canada charging a 250% tariff on dairy products? I presume they have been doing this for a long time? What other items have significant tariffs on them? Was the USA charging significant tariffs on any Canadian products before this kerfluffle started? I heard somebody saying the other day that the USA charges a 2.5% tariff on autos entering the USA from Germany. Conversely Germany charges a 25% tariff on autos coming from the USA? German cars are typically VERY high quality & in demand. Why does Germany even need to charge ANY tariff on USA product? Especially if their items are so much better? Canadian dairy and German autos are but two examples, I wonder if there are others?

Well that certainly is interesting! I bought my 2 office buildings for about $11/sq. ft. Obviously, my buildings are not as nice, and in an inferior location...but they are NOT in the vast wastelands...and they are operating buildings (electric, air condition, plumbing, and so on). Hard to believe that there are differences that great in valuation in the same country. I look to buy other commercial real estate....nicer buildings in good shape WITH rent paying tenants can be had for $60 sq. ft. Once again, these are NOT buildings in the wastelands, tenants are professionals... I suspect that one group is "under priced" and another set is "overpriced"...time will tell...

Hey all: I am just thinking about WW valuation... I wonder how much the company is being valued at on a per square foot basis? Might it even be higher than the actual value of the real estate that they lease? If so, than I would think that is a pretty sure indication that valuation has gotten "silly".

Hey all: We Work has been around for a while now, about 8 years. They've got about 300 locations. They have about 2,000 employees. This is not some crazy startup in it's infancy. We Work will probably work well in NYC & LA. It also probably works well in large cities, say those of 1MM+ residents. However, would We Work do well in Toledo OH? I am skeptical of that. So I guess what I am getting at is that if We Work is not profitable now...when ARE they going to be profitable? Then, if they DO get profitable, just how profitable will they be? Say they raise rents, cut expenses & get things together, and they only wind up making a few million a year? 35 Billion market cap seems just "silly". Of course, maybe making a profit is not the goal here?

Was there any description/discussion of the new company she is looking to form? Can you really blame her? If there is no consequences for your actions, why not? Jon Corzine took a WHOLE lot of his customer's money and got away with it for the most part. Of course, he was a big wig in the Democrat party and was politically protected. In the financial crisis, almost nobody went to jail. Compare that to what happened with the S&L in the late 80's & early 90's. I could go on & on...but in the USA, justice is not being equally applied.