# Investment question



## Chiefster23

Not trying to get into anybody’s business, but just wondering. Has anyone here already sold off all their stocks and bonds and gone to all cash? I’m considering this but still wavering. My track record and timing making big financial decisions sucks.


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## Maine-Marine

I mentioned this months ago... 

I moved all my 401K money from the stock offered funds into a money market fund.. I made the move when the market was going down and the DOW was at 28,xxx.... I almost got back in at 19,000.. but was scared.. it is now back up to 26xxx

Earning DO NOT support what is going on right now and most of the people that are smarter then me say that just a few companies are driving the up tick

I do not have cash in hand but it is in cash/ultra short term bonds in a safe harbor fund


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## Denton

Chiefster23 said:


> Not trying to get into anybody's business, but just wondering. Has anyone here already sold off all their stocks and bonds and gone to all cash? I'm considering this but still wavering. My track record and timing making big financial decisions sucks.


I'm the idiot who waits too late. I'm still in.


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## Chiefster23

Denton said:


> I'm the idiot who waits too late. I'm still in.


Me too, for now. The wife thinks we should wait till Oct. to make a decision. That may be too late.


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## Denton

Chiefster23 said:


> Me too, for now. The wife thinks we should wait till Oct. to make a decision. That may be too late.


I'm thinking she's right.

The Dems are going to back more riots and I can see states shutting down, again. I think the shortages are going to get worse as the weeks go by. Exuberance is going to fade a bit after the next Covid spending waste.


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## bigwheel

Chiefster23 said:


> Not trying to get into anybody's business, but just wondering. Has anyone here already sold off all their stocks and bonds and gone to all cash? I'm considering this but still wavering. My track record and timing making big financial decisions sucks.


Cash seems to be going the way of the Doo Doo bird. Not sure I would want to invest in that if I had any money to invest. Guns and ammo seem to be increasing in value pretty rapidly,.


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## Smitty901

Not running. Still buying some funds. Cost averaging over a life time. Not a weekend by and sell type. Select investing in firearms, copper,brass and lead when it is right.


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## Inor

I sold off about a year and half's worth of expenses about 3 weeks ago. I expect a slow meltdown starting next month and culminating in October. So I will just sit in cash (making about 2%) until then. Then I will reassess with the notion of going back in.

As for the rest of it being lost... If it gets that bad, fiat green paper will be the least of my concerns.


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## Chiefster23

Inor said:


> I sold off about a year and half's worth of expenses about 3 weeks ago. I expect a slow meltdown starting next month and culminating in October. So I will just sit in cash (making about 2%) until then. Then I will reassess with the notion of going back in.
> 
> As for the rest of it being lost... If it gets that bad, fiat green paper will be the least of my concerns.


How are you getting 2% in cash? I would jump on that in a second if I could find someone paying 2% on cash or CDs.


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## Denton

I’ll say this for my laziness. My son tried to scare me into cash a couple months ago. My lack of action made 46% percent more. Of course, I can’t let lack of action punish me.


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## jimcosta

*I am being honest here for information sharing only.*

We have NO paper contracts where someone else owes us money, with the exception of one residence we did owner financing on.
That has a balance of $6,000 and we decided to walk away from it as soon as the SHTF. We will deliver a lien release to the buyers so they can go in peace.

After all Prepper supplies and expenses *were done*, we purchased Silver Eagles (U. S. Currency.)
We hold a few thousand dollars in hundreds at home. 
Each month we empty our bank accounts and only leave what we intend to write checks on. The wife (boss) is a check person and I am a cash person only.

Our only debt is $4,000 on our rental home mortgage. We can pay that off at any time we wish with cash at home (that the banks cannot seize as a bail-in).

We are plaintiffs in a suit against our Homeowners Insurance company. They offered us $6,000 to cover damages of $50 and *80 thousand dollars. Been going on for almost two years now. Two months ago we hedged our bet that the system will collapse and the insurance company will go bust and never pay off. We did this by buying some extra silver.
Example: A $500 investment may possible yield $750,000. So at this point we are not fretting about an unpaid insurance claim.

We purchased Silver Eagles as they are U. S. Currency so they cannot be counterfeited like silver jewelry.

As the currency devalues the silver will go up in value. It is the safest way to protect your wealth.

We purchased silver three years ago at around $17 per ounce. Today it has a street value of around $35 per ounce.
I know, someone will say "it closed today at $24 Jim." But try to buy at the phony price published without paying the seller a broker's fee to get the physical!

*Chiefster*, I hope this helps you in some way. My advice is get out of any stocks, bonds, pensions and any other promises to pay you later because more than likely those that promise will be bankrupt (as many of them now are unofficially).


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## Slippy

I'm convinced The Lord does not intend for me to be wealthy...


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## jimcosta

My advice is to hold a *minimum amount of cash* and get out of the rest.
Look at silver and gold prices rising now. It is because the value of the dollar is falling and it will continue to fall as the PetroDollar collapses.

How much reserve cash should one invest in metals? On advisor said "Only the amount you want to keep after the collapse."


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## Inor

Chiefster23 said:


> How are you getting 2% in cash? I would jump on that in a second if I could find someone paying 2% on cash or CDs.


It is a short municipal bond fund. It has a maturity of something like 60 days.


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## bigwheel

The first step in getting rid of paper currency should be to give folks a chance to turn in a certain amount for credits..marks of the beast etc..20 k maybe. Past that amount they will only need to know where you got it..and you might get credit for it maybe. Should put a lot of drug dealers and counterfeiters out of bidness. Heal the budget deficit nearly as quick as nationalizing all the public and private pension plans..dumping it all into the Social Security Fund and dole it back out to those deemed worthy to have it..really need it..and vote for the right politiicans etc. An intermediate step would be to issue new currency. Seems like some Ruskie controlled area did that one time. Holland changing its Guilders for Euros. That maybe was the place. 
[


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## stowlin

Well it depends on the stocks - seriously. 

Chicom virals got my attention in January and I moved out of about 1/2 of my stocks the first week of Feb. I had very high exposure of Apple and some chip makers I expected would get hurt. That 50% represented all of my 2019 gains plus some of what I call my equity mostly in those same stocks. The other 50% left in got hurt but my over all port was ok. I got in and and am now about 33% out. I’m suggesting stay out until Election Day unless you have a stock on target pricing. My only gains the last mont were AAPL and silver ETFs.


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## stowlin

BTW if no anyone has old life insurance policies check and see what rates of interest they pay on prepaid premiums. My parents got me one in the 70’s and it pays over 4%


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## Chipper

So at what point do I say it's enough??

Of course it will continue to increase til I sell then it will explode in value. Unless it all collapses. 

So do I buy more shinny stuff?? Cause when it gets to the point that I'm eating squirrels, hopefully. A back pack full of shinny stuff will get me what??


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## stowlin

Well my take was to take profits. How did you do last year? I've been investing my money and others for the last ten years and to a small extent my retirement funds since I was 12-13 years old when dad stole my money and gave it to some IRA chick who kept it for herself. In all my years there was never one like last year. It was so awesome I bailed easily when I feared Covid. All I took though was my profits of last year and 10% of my original investments. I consider locking in gains.

Silver ETFs are not for SHTF but are for those staying in the market. I buy small sums of them almost very three months and they are going up with bullion as they should.



Chipper said:


> So at what point do I say it's enough??
> 
> Of course it will continue to increase til I sell then it will explode in value. Unless it all collapses.
> 
> So do I buy more shinny stuff?? Cause when it gets to the point that I'm eating squirrels, hopefully. A back pack full of shinny stuff will get me what??


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## CapitalKane49p

Chiefster23 said:


> Not trying to get into anybody's business, but just wondering. Has anyone here already sold off all their stocks and bonds and gone to all cash? I'm considering this but still wavering. My track record and timing making big financial decisions sucks.


Sold everything but some gold stocks. Get out now or you will be what we call in the biz "a bag holder". You are going to need your dry powder for what's coming next.

Godspeed


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## CapitalKane49p

Slippy said:


> I'm convinced The Lord does not intend for me to be wealthy...


You are six feet above ground and I am presuming in good health. If that is the case you are rich.

Godspeed


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## Prepared One

I am no genius when it comes to money and the markets but I don't see things getting better. We are digging the whole deeper and eventually the sides will cave in on us. The election wont matter. Going into the next few months I look for more chaos so I am considering moving half my retirement to cash in the next couple of weeks. Before my wife passed she was on me to pull the trigger on this but I was hesitant. I don't think I want to wait much longer. I've added to my cash on hand reserves here at the house but if this whole thing goes sideways I am not sure how good the paper will be except for maybe lighting fires.


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## Chiefster23

The whole elephant in the room here is that NOTHING is safe. The stock market could crash. Bonds could go into default. Cash faces inflation and all the problems with fiat currency. Real estate isn’t safe now with covid and folks unable to pay rent. Progressive leaders are apt to declare rent hollidays and other policies to screw landlords. Precious metals are in fashion now but I believe these markets are manipulated and relatively easily controlled by “the big boys”. 

To add insult to injury, social security is basically bankrupt already, pension funds (if you’re lucky enough to have one) are underfunded and invested in the same stocks and bonds that may soon crash. What’s a poor boy to do?


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## jimcosta

*Fitch Revises United States Credit Outlook To "Negative"*

...citing "ongoing deterioration in US public finances and the absence of a credible fiscal consolidation plan..."

Link


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## Elvis

I sold lot October 2016 expecting Hillary to win; not a good move. I've since moved back into the market and done well but avoided some sectors like healthcare. I'm going to hold this election.


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## BamaDOC

Prepared One said:


> I am no genius when it comes to money and the markets but I don't see things getting better. We are digging the whole deeper and eventually the sides will cave in on us. The election wont matter. Going into the next few months I look for more chaos so I am considering moving half my retirement to cash in the next couple of weeks. Before my wife passed she was on me to pull the trigger on this but I was hesitant. I don't think I want to wait much longer. I've added to my cash on hand reserves here at the house but if this whole thing goes sideways I am not sure how good the paper will be except for maybe lighting fires.


Hey Prepared one...
I think youre right about markets and stocks being very iffy/unstable.
the other thing I worry about cash is inflation...
they've printed 6 trillion dollars of stimulus money... and are about to print another trillion or three.
youre cash may devalue quite a bit ... 
you may want to diversify some of it in other things.. gold silver


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## Krackentoa

I work in finance. No one knows what the crazy train is going to do. It's been bastardized by options and short selling long before this happened(RONA). Day traders pull the stock up down and sideways. No investment advisor will say by this do that. Just put you in models. To be honest the best thing you can do is out your money in consumer staples and forget about it. Buy your Amzn, your msft, your aapl, but your jnj, and camblles. Thrown in a financial stock or two like boa. I'd even do some Raytheon. Set it and forget it unless you hear news. Buying gold and silver isnt any good. Ask your self if you have these physicals, what will you do with it if the market crashes? Who will ypubsell it to, who's bartering for gold and silver when you need sugar and flour? Precious medal investing imo is a scam that prays on the old and survivalists. If you really want to divest and are worried about a market meltdown then get some molar bags and store flour and salt and sugar. Cigarettes will be a good one too. Again just my opinion.


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## stevekozak

Krackentoa said:


> I work in finance. No one knows what the crazy train is going to do. It's been bastardized by options and short selling long before this happened(RONA). Day traders pull the stock up down and sideways. No investment advisor will say by this do that. Just put you in models. To be honest the best thing you can do is out your money in consumer staples and forget about it. Buy your Amzn, your msft, your aapl, but your jnj, and camblles. Thrown in a financial stock or two like boa. I'd even do some Raytheon. Set it and forget it unless you hear news. Buying gold and silver isnt any good. Ask your self if you have these physicals, what will you do with it if the market crashes? Who will ypubsell it to, who's bartering for gold and silver when you need sugar and flour? Precious medal investing imo is a scam that prays on the old and survivalists. If you really want to divest and are worried about a market meltdown then get some molar bags and store flour and salt and sugar. Cigarettes will be a good one too. Again just my opinion.


I'm curious what you do in finance?


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## stowlin

Preppers and stocks are not a match made well. I can relate to many posts in this thread on some things with a lot of partial truths to them.

US Econ over printing, spending, and it can’t go on! I first read it in 1994 in a book called something like the Great Reckoning by James Davidson I believe. It was touted that revolution in Mexico was also inevitable. 

Derivatives, mutual funds, ETFs will be the death of us all was one I read a lot about in 2010.

Precious Metals especially the ETF version are worthless, but even the physical you can’t eat. (Doubt they taste well) 

Someone posted a list of stocks to buy and forget, and said in the same post no advisor says buy this or that. I guess he is right. My clients don’t expect me from”say” buy this or that they have me do it for them and report to them what I’m doing, I’m engaged in their accounts and mine daily but I am not a day trader I’m a value buyer. We look for undervalued stocks due to their worth, growth, profits etc. I focus on about 120 stocks, ETFs and glance at others for consideration when something warrants it. We also trade the market some. 

Right now we have uncertainty which negatively impacts the market yet it’s at near record highs. That bothers me. We’ve done beyond the norm well in the last 20 months so we’ve taken our profits and ran for now. I still have about 90% of the stocks I had 20 months ago, but I’ve taken all the profit out. That is because those companies 20 months ago were a good value and still are. I just don’t trust it enough to leave such gains on the table. If we made nothing in the next 16 months, our 3 year return would still exceed goals and expectations.

Prepping makes me feel secure. Sustainable living makes me feel secure. I can’t have an AR here but I can a pump shotgun, a lever rifle and I have other options that make me feel safe and secure and none of my stocks do. So I get the disconnect between preppers and stocks. Stocks are for the great norm we enjoy. Prepping is for a world where by we don’t care about stocks anymore. We live in the one we enjoy, and we prepare for the other.


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## Brandau Sousa

Chiefster23 said:


> Not trying to get into anybody's business, but just wondering. Has anyone here already sold off all their stocks and bonds and gone to all cash? I'm considering this but still wavering. My track record and timing making big financial decisions sucks.


I can't consider myself a qualified investor but a lot of my friends who are way more skillful than me think that due to quantitative easing in 2021 we will witness huge dips on stock exchange. Of course no one knows the future but the fact that there will be over 1 trillion dollars on the market can make stock prices go to the bottom. Time will tell. I am thinking about new options of investing but it is hard to choose some dependable asset. Maybe real estate but I know nothing about this business *scratches his head*


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## MisterMills357

Brandau Sousa said:


> I can't consider myself a qualified investor but a lot of my friends who are way more skillful than me think that due to quantitative easing in 2021 we will witness huge dips on stock exchange. Of course no one knows the future but the fact that there will be over 1 trillion dollars on the market can make stock prices go to the bottom. Time will tell. I am thinking about new options of investing but it is hard to choose some dependable asset. Maybe real estate but I know nothing about this business *scratches his head*


If you don't know the peculiarities of real estate, you should stay out of it. I think that it has become corrupted, with things like flipping houses.

Which seems to be nothing but using the system to make a quick buck. It is a Ponzi scheme and it is a sucker bet; because the last one holding the house, when the market crashes, ends up losing their shirt.

BTW: who was the genius that came up with quantitative easing? It is nothing more than printing money, and it will come back to haunt America, with 30 % inflation rates. Because it is one more dumb stunt, piled on top of a 20 trillion dollar debt.


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## The Tourist

Well, Sousa, even though I was a financial manager for a several years, the game changes faster than I do.

I usually take about 15 percent of my stash and split it between my broker and a business he might recommend. I leave that business money in that current suggestion, and I let my broker make deals "on the run." Sometimes the long term investment makes a nice return, and sometimes my broker is fast on the trigger and saves me from poor options. So far I haven't lost anything really big because I don't do what most guys do, and check their options every 20 minutes. Those guys jump from one catastrophe to another. They fret over every minor dip. I've found that it's best to stick with professionals.

My guy handles my account and I polish his knives...


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## Brandau Sousa

MisterMills357 said:


> If you don't know the peculiarities of real estate, you should stay out of it. I think that it has become corrupted, with things like flipping houses.
> Which seems to be nothing but using the system to make a quick buck. It is a Ponzi scheme and it is a sucker bet; because the last one holding the house, when the market crashes, ends up losing their shirt.


Thanks for the post *MisterMills357* :vs_cool: I also think that if you don't know all the peculiarities of the field of potential investing then you should better stay clear of it. What would you recommend to choose for investment then? Gold, silver?


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## Brandau Sousa

The Tourist said:


> Well, Sousa, even though I was a financial manager for a several years, the game changes faster than I do.
> 
> I usually take about 15 percent of my stash and split it between my broker and a business he might recommend. I leave that business money in that current suggestion, and I let my broker make deals "on the run." Sometimes the long term investment makes a nice return, and sometimes my broker is fast on the trigger and saves me from poor options. So far I haven't lost anything really big because I don't do what most guys do, and check their options every 20 minutes. Those guys jump from one catastrophe to another. They fret over every minor dip. I've found that it's best to stick with professionals.
> 
> My guy handles my account and I polish his knives...


Hi *The Tourist* :vs_peace:
It is great that you have such a trustworthy broker by your side. Lucky you are! Are there any books, podcasts or YT channels to improve financial literacy? I would be really grateful to you for the recommendations :tango_face_smile:


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## MisterMills357

View attachment 111203

If I am reading that right, America currently owes 140% of its current Gross National Product. I don't have to an investment counselor , to know that is portentous. When it's time to pay the piper, America will print money.

It seems like there is a suicide pact in America. Somebody please explain it to me, how do we get out of that trap?


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## MisterMills357

Brandau Sousa said:


> Thanks for the post *MisterMills357* :vs_cool: I also think that if you don't know all the peculiarities of the field of potential investing then you should better stay clear of it. What would you recommend to choose for investment then? Gold, silver?


Gold would be my answer, but I am an utter novice. And you will love this, I don't think that gold is a long term answer. I think that we may be on the edge of a paradigm shift.

And we may see the death of the dollar, and a shifting towards digital money. But until then precious metals are a sure bet, until they aren't.

Buy gold, and pray, because there is a firestorm ahead


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## The Tourist

Brandau Sousa said:


> Hi *The Tourist*It is great that you have such a trustworthy broker by your side. Lucky you are! Are there any books, podcasts or YT channels to improve financial literacy? I would be really grateful to you for the recommendations!


I wish it was that easy. I actually believe that pick out a broker the way you pick out a girl for the prom. A guy you can trust is not going to come off like a used car salesman. The best broker is the one who handles your money like he does his own--and frankly some of the successful business money does wind up in his pocket.

In fact, a broker and successful car salesman could really exchange jobs. The superior broker knows your safety, your success and your happiness. I don't return a dull knife to a client and a broker doesn't blow you off on Friday afternoon. I think you should pick the man, not the latest spiel...


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## Prepared One

Screw it, the way things are going with Biden and his band of thieves I am taking all my money out of the market and blowing it on hookers and booze. :tango_face_grin:


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## stevekozak

Prepared One said:


> Screw it, the way things are going with Biden and his band of thieves I am taking all my money out of the market and blowing it on hookers and booze. :tango_face_grin:


If you decide to take that show on the road, I will be in the tar-paper shack in Kauboy's backyard.


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## CapitalKane49p

Gone to cash other than some copper stocks and some junk that is so far gone I'm waiting for a miracle (unfortunately nobody wants to short that junk). Was lucky enough to buy a house in a smaller town that I am currently renting until I can retire. I believe in land and tangible assets. If you are on the fence about that property you have been looking at now may be the time to pull the trigger as the great migration is happening and lots of good land/properties will be swallowed up by the big boys as their next speculative bet. I work in the financial services business and am way too cynical to have any faith in the markets or the regulators. Seen way to much insider dealing an corruption during my travels. One of the most significant events in financial history is developing as we speak. The big boys have been caught off guard with this Game Stop, et al squeeze. They are frantically trying to once again gain the upper hand over Joe Retail Investor. The next few weeks and months they will regain control at the expense of the little guy with the assistance of the "regulators" all in the name of "market integrity". That my brothers an sisters will be the next crime of the century. Be very careful with your money folks as the little guy is always left holding the bag and then will have to pay more taxes to cover the bail out.

Godspeed


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## Nick

As long as the socialist democrats in Washington keep pumping stimulus money into the country the stock market is going to rise due to all that money stimulating the economy. The problem comes when they stop giving away free money and we are left with a stock market that will drop like a rock, ridiculous inflation, and a US dollar that will probably be worth somewhere from 0.00 - .30 cents. The only reason the dollar has value is because there is supposed to be gold backing it up. It's well known that the US doesn't have the gold to backup all the $ in circulation. Add to that the fact that many countries are now seeing what's going on and are asking the US for their gold back (the US holds the gold for many countries in the world) because they are afraid it's not there, and you have the fall of the US dollar as a national currency. If your going to invest in anything invest in gold. Unlike the dollar gold in itself actually has value and with the decline of the US dollar the price of gold can only go up. Even if the US somehow manages to hold it all together and the value of the dollar doesn't tank, gold has still always been a good long-term investment.


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## stowlin

History says we are in an ideal two years if you believe history always repeats. Democrats will need a great deal of time to revoke tax breaks and impose new costs enough to impact the jobs are re opening post Covid. A split congress would have been better and ideally we will get that in 2022 before SHTF comes along. 

As of Jan 29 I am 75% in and 25% out. I have no lean to going out further unless a get a rise like I did from Albertsons and Ford the past few weeks. Two stock I own, but I only own my profits in them now and have no old principle in them.


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## Brandau Sousa

The other day I was looking through the catalogue of Spanish real estate (namely I watched apartments in Alicante, in Area de Rojales https://virtoproperty.com/property-for-sale/costa-blanca/valencia-alicante/area-de-rojales).Despite the fact that the guys above discouraged me from investing in real estate but I would buy some apartment in this very region :vs_cool: 2-storey villa for over 500 k euros is outside my price range but a townhouse for 130+k euros is quite ok, I guess.


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