Harold,
In investing, you have to go with the style you're comfortable with, so your 'KISS' method works for you and I wouldn't disparage you for it.
It doesn't especially work for me, but that's just my orientation. I'd never be a day trader either, even if they can make better money. It's just not my thing.
One item you mentioned, I'd have to question you about. Capital Gains taxes. You said that if you sold at $8, with a 25% CG tax, you'd pay $2 in taxes, "hardly insignificant".
That's right only if you have a $0 cost basis. If you had 100% gain, you'd still pay just $1 in CG tax.
"I have in the past, found a nice 25 to 40% gain became nothing better than a CD return after taxes." How? With a 25% CG tax, you still end up with 18% to 30% gain. None of my CDs ever paid that well. [And if you netted 30% gain after CG tax for a 6-month investment, your CD would have to pay 60% annually, to match it.]
Unless you invest with perfect abilities, somewhere during the year, you'll have some losers. Those losses will offset an equivalent amount of gains. Those gains are then effectively tax-free.
Finally, what are you doing with your IRA/SEP/Keough money? Any amount of capital gain is tax-free then, until you start taking distributions from your account in your retirement years.
Commissions are commissions, what can I say? Still, I've seen $200 Schwab commissions go down to $30, simply by entering the trade at Schwab's online site. Other online brokers are cheaper. And these days, at most full-service brokerages, you can negotiate substantial discounts for telephone orders. Just ask for them. Those guys need to stay competitive and that's one way they do. If you don't ask, you don't get. I count on getting a $200 commission knocked down to $75. That's still too expensive, but it's no longer exorbitant.
Are you sure, Harold, that you're not using taxes and commissions as an excuse for not looking to see where you can improve your returns by just a bit more timely selling and buying? |
