with regards to stoozing, it depends, some people have awesome credit and can get huge limits (even just cash) at zero percent.

The obvious thing if you decided to do this would be to use less than not utilize more than 30% of your total credit (all cards) of your limit then pay it off after the zero time period (6, 9, 12, 18 months) ended. After that you would just leave the card open, in addition, you wouldn't do this more than once or twice a year (don't want to reduce credit score).

You must have the perfect combination of credit score, card, and offer. A lot of people don't factor in if you do something that lowers your score then the later interest cost can come back to haunt you.

PS. Even meeting these requirements I haven't done this.

[Edited on March 27, 2007 at 11:41 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on March 27, 2007 at 11:47 PM. Reason : .]

3/27/2007 11:40:33 PM

hindsight tells me that I should have sold off my HOG a while back

3/28/2007 1:00:56 PM

^^^ I was confused by this statement

Quote :

"if it it was that easy (essentially a risk-free profit), then it would be eliminated via arbitrage."

3/28/2007 1:18:20 PM

Wow, the market took a beating this week..

I'm looking to buy STX again at 23.. anyone?

3/29/2007 1:16:34 PM

Quote :

"I thought that was interesting, but there has to be more downside to this than missing a credit card payment and getting screwed...it just seems to sketchy / illegal"

This is just a carry trade. Nothing illegal. You are taking advatage of the bank's information ineffeciency. They cannot tell you from the shmoe who will get himself in 60K in debt and then windup paying 120K in interest and charges to get out.

They lose a little on the other end of the carry but they make it up in spades with the irresponsible borrower.

3/29/2007 1:41:37 PM

Yeah, they are losing 5% to let me have their money interest free but they are making 25% of some other sap.

3/29/2007 1:47:18 PM

here's what i'm long in now or will be long in very soon, and recommend:

TSO
VLO
OIL
XLE
IAU
SLV
MO
TEVA
CELG
GILD
CEPH

3/29/2007 2:11:52 PM

there is also another batch i will get into post-correction (not sure when that will be), and will post about it then

3/29/2007 2:12:59 PM

dang!

even if i did know about DNDN, i couldn't have said anything

3/30/2007 8:32:41 AM

Should have gotten out of Delta long time ago.

3/30/2007 8:33:13 AM

I flipped some Delta shortly after 9/11 and made a nice profit. Definately not a long term buy.

3/30/2007 10:00:50 AM

My longs - mostly high market-cap with dividends.

AZN
BAC
C
ETV
ETW
EWZ
GD
GE
JPM
KO
MO
PEP
SLE
T
TM
USU
VWO

Stuff that I write covered calls on or that I'm sitting on for now.

CTDC
CREE
GRMN
HAL
HOG
IDEV
ILMN
INTC
JCG
LACO
MSFT
ORCL
PCLN
PFE
SIRI
TGT
TIE
TRID
YHOO

I should probably sell off a bit before too much longer.

3/30/2007 3:11:12 PM

i also picked up some UCR today

3/30/2007 4:06:22 PM

how are you guys doing in the CNBC Million Dollar Challenge? From the confidence i see in this thread, i expect nothing less than the top 25% out of any of you. As for my performance, I should've done more of those bonus bucks things, and I'd be on my way to a cool Mil

Rank
35657
(Top 8%)
Week to Date
2.87%
Total Return
7.91%
Available Cash
$1,002.02
Stock Holdings
$1,078,147.59
Total Portfolio Value
$1,079,149.61

3/30/2007 5:33:03 PM

It has not been pretty for me in the past few days.

4/2/2007 9:40:40 AM

I almost crapped myself when I saw my MO shares today.

Then I realized that I had some new KFT stock.

4/2/2007 12:44:42 PM

should I increase my position in CTSH today?

4/2/2007 2:31:34 PM

i would hold out a bit longer

4/2/2007 2:34:39 PM

CTSH: hold out and see if it dips below 80



[Edited on April 2, 2007 at 4:10 PM. Reason : ctsh]

4/2/2007 4:10:32 PM

this Iran-UK sailor hostage thing is going to end nicely, so watch for TSO and VLO to come off a little. when they do, get in, so that you're well positioned for the start of the driving season.

4/3/2007 10:13:31 AM

^ btw, that's me parroting Eric Bolling from Fast Money (on weeknights at 8 on CNBC)

4/3/2007 10:18:07 AM

what about Home Depot (HD)?

i know it pays a nice dividend, and it's trading at a pretty low P/E, and it's a dominant company, and it's been a little depressed by the housing slowdown lately, but I don't quite get why I'm seeing so many analysts rating it as a strong buy...

I mean, it's hovered at a fairly stagnant value for years. What makes them think it's gonna outperform now?

it has things going for it, and I could be convinced to buy it, but not if I'm just buying it for steady buy paltry growth and a nice dividend.

[Edited on April 4, 2007 at 10:42 AM. Reason : asdf]

4/4/2007 10:35:45 AM

^ A slow down in housing sales means that people will be more inclined to make improvements on their current home rather than buy a new one.

In theory.

4/4/2007 12:55:38 PM

more homes also means more yardwork. there's also the possibility of a busy hurrican season -- more rebuilding.

4/4/2007 12:59:14 PM

yeah, thought about that, too. However, i'm not 90 years old. I don't want to buy it just so it'll pay me a nice dividend.

4/4/2007 1:10:45 PM

some boutique analyst said nice things about TRID that sounded legit.

the seem a bit oversold in the near term, and their cash position is still strong.

i'm considering buying on a pullback.





[Edited on April 4, 2007 at 2:45 PM. Reason : pullback]

4/4/2007 2:44:33 PM

Quote :

"^ A slow down in housing sales means that people will be more inclined to make improvements on their current home rather than buy a new one. In theory."

You mean, assuming they can get all this free money out of their home equity with which to make the improvements...oh shit, you mean their home equity doesn't exist anymore because of all the interest only loans?!

Not to mention, HD also supplies the new home construction.

I'm not sure where you get your "theory".

4/4/2007 2:50:05 PM

Its a theory that I've heard tossed around often. I put "In theory" because I have my doubts about it too.

On another note, if anyone does any options trading, American Eagle (AEO) is hovering above $30 and the premiums for 2 weeks out are looking pretty good.

[Edited on April 4, 2007 at 3:18 PM. Reason : .]

4/4/2007 2:53:59 PM

Quote :

"Not to mention, HD also supplies the new home construction."

that's already priced in

4/4/2007 3:37:31 PM

just picked up some TRID...

can't sit around and try to time it, and i don't want to miss any run up in the coming month

4/4/2007 3:38:17 PM

I am working on a mutual fund portfolio and don't have the tools that I had with my old company to be able to show 10yr. returns for the proposed hypothetical portfolio. Where can I do this? I have the individual fund returns, but I want to be able to plug in the individual fund names and get an overall return with 3/5/10 year total returns. Is there a place online I can do that?

4/8/2007 10:45:38 AM

Microsoft Excel

4/8/2007 12:44:12 PM

thinking about buying a little DRL, any thoughts. I think it has bottomed and can only come up.

4/9/2007 3:00:11 PM

Geez, where did you hear about that one?

It looks like its had a rough year.

4/9/2007 3:08:51 PM

So TRID's finally out of the woods with the NASDAQ delisting debacle. Continued strong Circuit City and Best Buy flat panel TV sales just scream good news for TRID.

Someday, right?

4/9/2007 3:55:42 PM

CREE is back to where I want it.

I'm still kinda mad at GRMN for not bouncing back to 55+ like it was before the Feb sell off.

4/9/2007 4:09:49 PM

delisting debacle?

4/9/2007 4:25:34 PM

i've been flirting with MVIS lately...anyone own this stock?

4/9/2007 4:28:43 PM

So I'm looking to buy some kind of stock/mutual fund

I have no clue at all how or where to invest money

I'm only looking to start small ($500-$1000) and I want some kind of longterm investment (some kind of bluechip stock?).

what's the best way to get started?

4/9/2007 4:29:37 PM

I've heard good things about the Vanguard Star? Fund.

4/9/2007 4:33:05 PM

Okay. Because I'm a blind son of a bitch, let's try this again...

http://quotes.nasdaq.com/Quote.dll?page=multi&mode=stock&mode=Stock&symbol=FLDR

Give me your unabashed thoughts on this one.

4/9/2007 6:55:01 PM

The dude, if you have a little more to invest I have had a decent run with AOD(dividend mutual fund) so far, pays monthly dividends and has gone up 7.5%.

Anyone with an opinion on DRL???

4/9/2007 7:10:37 PM

Surely one of you may have an answer for my question^^...

4/9/2007 10:18:33 PM

what other investments do you have, Dan?

(i.e., would this be a footnote in or a cornerstone of your portfolio?)

4/9/2007 10:53:15 PM

This ain't in my portfolio. I'm just interested in hearing some educated opinions on where this (what appears to be shitty) company is going.

4/10/2007 8:03:30 AM

to hell

4/10/2007 8:25:04 AM

Based on the chart a couple of news stories, I'm not sure that this is neccessarily a shitty company. That being said, I'm not sure why you're even wasting time looking at this company. There are thousands of other companies out there that are in much better shape--why are you intent on this one?

4/10/2007 8:37:41 AM

own gold, especially ahead of the Indian and Chinese wedding seasons. its going to 900/oz.

i like IAU as a gold play.

4/10/2007 9:46:56 AM

another thing. if you were planning a trip to Vegas, cancel it. stay at home and gamble the tiny biotechs.

on any given day, you can check the nasdaq most actives/unusual volume list and you'll see companies either making out like bandits or losing their shirt.

there are a lot of clinical milestones right about now, and the results/consequences are anybody's guess.

not even the pros are getting it right -- in some cases they talk a lot of shit about a stock because one their's of their customer's trading desks is being killed by outstanding shorts; or they'll make reassurances and upgrades in light of their positions tanking on bad news.

4/10/2007 10:16:23 AM

yo is "14 percent return" good?

4/10/2007 10:33:59 AM