Account Activity

[cemanuel]

This chart shows my account activity - number of trades - since I started in the market in March, 2017. Some of the early frequency is due to just buying - had money to spend. But some of it was experimenting with short-term trading (technical, not day) and my initially being what I call a "twitchy" investor - doing something new and not being particularly confident. Fortunately early 2017 - until August anyway - was a good time to be learning. Even my screw-ups made money. I mention this where I posted my portfolio.

I have not entered my December 2021 trades yet but if I had it would look the same - I have made none. Unusual. Usually I'm looking at tax-loss selling or at least selling to have my cash for the next year's Roth contribution. Not this year and unless MO goes to $50 in my Roth (it'll go there in my Taxable Account too but not selling there), it will stay that way. This year will be my most active since that first year as I have made a lot of moves to make my accounts "retirement ready."

I have no idea what happened with the chart - I copied and pasted an Excel chart which showed up fine before I clicked to post it. Then it was a pile of html text. So I saved it as an image and tried to include it as an attachment - nothing. I'd welcome any advice and if this isn't possible, Kerim, please delete this post (and thread).

[fenders53]

That was tough to read.

Just so you know. Divmenow and Crimsonghost have editing powers here. They can probably tell you how to post it.

[cemanuel]

(12-17-2021, 08:29 AM)fenders53 Wrote: That was tough to read.

Just so you know.  Divmenow and Crimsonghost have editing powers here.  They can probably tell you how to post it.

Thanks. Dunno what happened - I've been keeping charts on just about everything the last 5 years. Some might make interesting conversation-starters. I was able to copy/paste an image from SA but that may have already been formatted for web. Or something. Looked fine in the composition window. Once posted it was junk.

[fenders53]

I look forward to finishing my transfer to Schwab so I can analyze my activity more efficiently. Vanguard is fine for holding some ETFs but never mind in depth analysis of trades. I'd literally have to print out 100 pages and hand jam most of the info I wanted for a year. There are times my income strategy has 50+ round trip option trades so 100 lines in a month and this is year four at that pace. No thanks.

[cemanuel]

(12-17-2021, 09:10 AM)fenders53 Wrote: I look forward to finishing my transfer to Schwab so I can analyze my activity more efficiently. Vanguard is fine for holding some ETFs but never mind in depth analysis of trades.  I'd literally have to print out 100 pages and hand jam most of the info I wanted for a year.  There are times my income strategy has 50+ round trip option trades so 100 lines in a month and this is year four at that pace.  No thanks.

I don't know how I'd track options on a spreadsheet. It's how I keep records of everything so I'd sure try. Just not sure what it would look like.

[fenders53]

(12-17-2021, 09:51 AM)cemanuel Wrote:

(12-17-2021, 09:10 AM)fenders53 Wrote: I look forward to finishing my transfer to Schwab so I can analyze my activity more efficiently. Vanguard is fine for holding some ETFs but never mind in depth analysis of trades.  I'd literally have to print out 100 pages and hand jam most of the info I wanted for a year.  There are times my income strategy has 50+ round trip option trades so 100 lines in a month and this is year four at that pace.  No thanks.

I don't know how I'd track options on a spreadsheet. It's how I keep records of everything so I'd sure try. Just not sure what it would look like.

It's not a lot different than a stock trade, except I do it in reverse 98% of the time.  Just making this up but I decide I wouldn't mind owning CAT at 190.  It trades for 200 today. I sell an option giving somebody the right to sell me 100 shares at 190 expiring in a month.  Maybe they own the shares and are hedging, or just speculating CAT will dip. They pay me $200 for the right to sell me 100 shares at 190.  Probably it expires worthless, or maybe I buy the contract back at whatever market price is for the contract in a few weeks.  Anyway it's mixed in with my core holding DGI buys or sells.  I may need separate accounts to truly segregate it.

[Kerim]

(12-17-2021, 08:08 AM)cemanuel Wrote: I have no idea what happened with the chart - I copied and pasted an Excel chart which showed up fine before I clicked to post it. Then it was a pile of html text. So I saved it as an image and tried to include it as an attachment - nothing. I'd welcome any advice and if this isn't possible, Kerim, please delete this post (and thread).

Hey cemanuel -- here are some instructions for inserting images as attachments. It definitely is not as simple as it ought to be (extra steps), and your images won't show up in "preview" mode, but it does work. (More or less!)

[cemanuel]

(12-17-2021, 10:51 AM)Kerim Wrote:

(12-17-2021, 08:08 AM)cemanuel Wrote: I have no idea what happened with the chart - I copied and pasted an Excel chart which showed up fine before I clicked to post it. Then it was a pile of html text. So I saved it as an image and tried to include it as an attachment - nothing. I'd welcome any advice and if this isn't possible, Kerim, please delete this post (and thread).

Hey cemanuel -- here are some instructions for inserting images as attachments. It definitely is not as simple as it ought to be (extra steps), and your images won't show up in "preview" mode, but it does work. (More or less!)

Thank you Kerim. I did all of that except I may have skipped the final "Insert Into Post" step. Here goes again - this is (I hope) the chart I meant to include in the first post in this thread.

   

[Dividend Watcher]

(12-17-2021, 11:07 AM)cemanuel Wrote:

(12-17-2021, 10:51 AM)Kerim Wrote:

(12-17-2021, 08:08 AM)cemanuel Wrote: I have no idea what happened with the chart - I copied and pasted an Excel chart which showed up fine before I clicked to post it. Then it was a pile of html text. So I saved it as an image and tried to include it as an attachment - nothing. I'd welcome any advice and if this isn't possible, Kerim, please delete this post (and thread).

Hey cemanuel -- here are some instructions for inserting images as attachments. It definitely is not as simple as it ought to be (extra steps), and your images won't show up in "preview" mode, but it does work. (More or less!)

Thank you Kerim. I did all of that except I may have skipped the final "Insert Into Post" step. Here goes again - this is (I hope) the chart I meant to include in the first post in this thread.

   

[fenders53]

That looks VERY tame compared to my trading frequency, but mine comes with a disclaimer as it is part of a deliberate conservative (IMO) income strategy. When I get bored I'll hand count my 2021 trades. I'd be shocked if it didn't average 50+ at least 9 months per year. My DGI port is left mostly unbothered.

[cemanuel]

(12-18-2021, 05:03 PM)fenders53 Wrote: That looks VERY tame compared to my trading frequency, but mine comes with a disclaimer as it is part of a deliberate conservative (IMO) income strategy.  When I get bored I'll hand count my 2021 trades.  I'd be shocked if it didn't average 50+ at least 9 months per year.  My DGI port is left mostly unbothered.

I expect to trade more when I open the IRA. Not enough to really be called a trader but there are fairly reliable ways to make money on short-term market moves. When I don't need to worry about tax implications, why not? No fees helps too.

[ken-do-nim]

If 2021 taught me anything, I need to sell less. I see my # of trades going way, way down in 2022 and beyond, being more like a 99:1 ratio of buys to sells.