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Politics : High Tolerance Plasticity -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: rz who wrote (2915)	4/5/2001 3:59:46 PM
From: The Ox	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 23153

I suppose you are right about the expense side, but I rarely stay on margin for an extended period of time so the cost isn't that great, IMO. I only use it when I want to hold/enter positions that are greater than the current portfolio value (as I haven't transferred the necessary cash into the account by the time the trade is made). Part of my investing/trading discipline involves never having too much exposure in the stock market at any given moment in time. I come from the 'old school' that believes you never put money into stocks that you can't afford to lose. On any given day, news can come out of left field that can turn your current holding(s) into 'mistakes'. By keeping a very close eye on my allocations, I find I'm never over committed to stocks, even if I use 'max margin' in my retail/trading account. By going on margin, I allow myself to make a trade (or multiple trades) even though the money is not currently in the account. This also helps to prevent a major 'emotional' mistake/decision. I'm always willing to hear/read other people's views on this subject if anyone cares to add their input.