Investor In The Family Radio

Damon Verial is one of 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Damon was what was his biggest mistake and biggest victory of 2016. We then go deeper to see what lessons he learned from both. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. Damon's biggest mistake and victory from 2016 (and lessons learned)... Traded with too little capital in his risk heavy account. Got flagged as a pattern day trader and lost account that was performing well. Noticed a trend in NUGT that led to 200% gains in 3 weeks. How to identify tradable patterns. The challenged of capitalizing on these patterns. More... This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on Damon's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors, and specific ways he's positioning for 2017. Enjoy the full interview with Damon and other top investors on Seeking Alpha. Registration for the su

Mark Bern is one of 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Mark was how is he positioning his portofolio for 2017. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. How Mark is positioning for 2017... Mark is currently fully hedged. Has built a special spreadsheet to model hedge values. Adding no new positions at present, but hopes 2017 will bring the opportunity to do so. Using DDM (double discount model) for valuation. More... This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on Mark's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors, and specific ways he's positioning for 2017. Enjoy the full interview with Mark and other top investors on Seeking Alpha. Registration for the summit is now open and free for a limited time. Don't like audio/video interviews? If you prefer to read content as opposed to watch and listen, detailed summary sheets ha

William Koldus is one of 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked William was what his biggest victory from 2016 and accompanying lessons learned. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. William's biggest victory from 2016 (and lessons learned)... Was well positioned for the inflationary trade in 2016. QE led to one of the worst downturns in commodity history, opposite everyone's expectations. Went from deflation (2011-15) to inflation (2016-). When fear builds it's natural to want to stay away from out of favor assets. More... This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on William's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors, and specific ways he's positioning for 2017. Enjoy the full interview with William and other top investors on Seeking Alpha. Registration for the summit is now open and free for a limited time. Don't li

Mark Hibben is one of 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Mark was what his top advice would be for DIY investors. We also discuss his personal investment philosophy, most influential investing books read, and more. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. Mark's top advice for DIY investors... There is no substitute for going through the primary documents of a company. Doing your homework is easier if you already have a base knowledge to build from in the industry. Focus your efforts on a few companies. Ignore what the market believes and focus on intrinsic value. More... This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on Mark's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors, and specific ways he's positioning for 2017. Enjoy the full interview with Mark and other top investors on Seeking Alpha. Registration for the summit is no

Avi Gilburt is one of 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Avi how he is positioning himself for 2017. What is he excited/concerned about? Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. How Avi is positioning for 2017... Looking for a minimum of 2500 in S&P 500 in 2017. If GDX can break above August 2016 highs, could reach $60-70 in next 12-18 months. Likes emerging markets, still bearish on bonds. More... This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on Avi's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors, and specific ways he's positioning for 2017. Enjoy the full interview with Avi and other top investors on Seeking Alpha. Registration for the summit is now open and free for a limited time. Don't like audio/video interviews? If you prefer to read content as opposed to watch and listen, detailed summary sheets have been created

Double Dividend Stocks is one of the 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Dividend was what he considered to be his biggest mistake and victory from 2016, and what he learned from them. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. http://diyinvestingsummit2017.com/ Dividend's biggest mistake and victory from 2016 (plus lessons learned)... Was too conservative in February when oil stocks were bottoming out. Should have stayed focused on fundamentals and not let fear and sentiment influence too much. Began looking for obscure stocks traded on the pink sheets (OTC). He found some great opportunities there. Also began looking into monthly dividend stocks to help smooth out his income. More... This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on Dividend's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors and specific ways he's positioning for

Ian Bezek is one of the 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Ian was how he is positioning himself for 2017. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. http://diyinvestingsummit2017.com/ How Ian is prepping for 2017... Ian likes consumer staples after the 5% decline in 2016. Analysts are negative on them for 2017 which he considers a bonus. He likes the yield on telecom stocks in the UK. Internationally he likes Mexico and Chile. Is nervous regarding energy stocks. More... This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on Ian's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors and specific ways he's positioning for 2017. Enjoy the full interview with Ian and other top investors on Seeking Alpha. Registration for the summit is now open and free for a limited time. Don't like audio/video interviews? If you prefer to read content as oppo

Eric Parnell is one of the 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Eric was about his personal investment philosophy and how it looks practically as he builds his portfolio. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. http://diyinvestingsummit2017.com/ Eric's investment philosophy... Eric takes an "absolute return hedged strategy" as his guiding philosophy for investing. This generates positive returns in all market environments. He gives equal priority to all asset classes. The key is in how they are blended together in his portfolio. He refuses to accept that 50% declines "just happen" when the market crashes. A non-correlated group of assets is key for protecting against major downside risk. More... This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on Eric's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors and specific ways he's position

Doug Eberhardt is one of 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Doug was what would be the main points of a "State of the Markets" speech to DIY investors. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. http://diyinvestingsummit2017.com/ Doug's "State of the Precious Metals Markets..."   Precious metals are currently in a small bull market but will likely top out this year. Expects a major, deflationary credity contraction (likely China related) that will put significant downward pressure on gold. His ideal buy price is $900, but after this deflationary cycle, expects gold to reach "undreamed of heights." More...   This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on Doug's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors and specific ways he's positioning for 2017. Enjoy the full interview with Doug and other top investors on Seeking Alpha.

Chuck Carnevale is one of 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Chuck was what his top advice would be for DIY investors. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. http://diyinvestingsummit2017.com/ Chuck's top advice for DIY investors... Focus on fundamentals and don't trust stock prices. Concentrate your portfolio (20-25 stocks) so you can actually have time to to research and follow them properly. At the same time, make sure to stay diversified enough to protect your money. Don't get caught up in hype, don't chase prices. Do yourself a favor and look at companies without the stock price in mind. "Inactivity strikes us as intelligent behavior." - Warren Buffett More... This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on Chuck's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors, and specific ways he's positioning for 2017. Enjoy the fu

Chris DeMuth is one of 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Chris was how he is positioning himself for 2017. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. http://diyinvestingsummit2017.com/ How Chris is prepping for 2017... Looking for ideas with hard catalysts. As markets get more expensive, investments require harder and more compelling evidence. Has big positions in Rite-Aid (RAD), BNCCorp (BNCC), and Bob Evans (BOBE). Believes that a double digit market decline could be on the horizon and wants to be ready. This is a good time to be comfortable with cash and value flexibility. A good idea to be more liquid than marginal counterparty. This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview is full of detailed tips on Chris's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors and specific ways he's positioning for 2017. Enjoy the full interview with Chris and other top

Chris DeMuth is one of 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked Chris was what would be the main points of a "State of the Markets" speech to DIY investors. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. Chris's "State of the Markets..." Markets are fully priced Overall market cap is 1.25x of GDP Markets historically don't do well at these levels We also have a bursting bond bubble Credit is tightening What we "think we know" about stocks may be changing due to shifts in the bond market This bull market will suck everyone in before it's done A dramatic environment does not warrant a dramatic response Be sure to always underpay Look for individual situations where people are panicking and not paying attention Would be in cash if there are no compelling ideas This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview if full of detailed tips on Chris's core investment strategies, top adv

J Mintzmyer is one of 25 Seeking Alpha Contributors participating in the 2017 DIY Investing Summit. In the summit, one of the questions I asked J was what his top advice would be for DIY investors. Below is an excerpt from the interview and a summary of his response. J's top advice for DIY investors... The more you invest, the more you realize you're fallible Limit your allocations to speculative investments (no more than 20-30% of portfolio) Don't let someone else dictate your style Never invest money you think you'll need in 3-5 years Try to limit your emotions as best as possible Your investments should be based on fundamentals (ex: earnings? cash flow? etc) and should be a story you believe in If the story changes, sell; don't try to hang around and get lucky If price drops and fundamentals are intact, don't panic Remember why you bought This is just a small excerpt of what's covered in the interview. The interview if full of detailed tips on J's core investment strategies, top advice for DIY investors,

This week we dive into one of the most significant threats to global trade: currency valuations. Will the U.S. and Chinese tensions lead to a currency war? How has the Mexican peso responded to foreshadowed Trump policies? Should we even care? I hope you enjoy the podcast. Don't forget to sign up for the DIY Investing Summit, created in partnership with Seeking Alpha. If you enjoy this podcast, you'll think the summit is the best thing ever. http://diyinvestingsummit2017.com/

Overview Even people who warned of big corrections if Trump were elected are now calling for bigger gains to come The volatility index (VIX) fell to it’s lowest level in 2.5 years last week The crude oil volatility (OVX) fell to two year lows Treasury yields (10-year) have jumped above 2.5% (up from 1.36%) The S&P 500 recently traded at 22.3 times what it’s companies earned in previous 4 quarters Higher than 92% of readings since 1929 The previous 9 times when trailing price/earnings valuations topped 22 times, the index saw pullbacks avg 2.6% 3 months later and 6.2% after 6 months Sentiment has improved, but data says household spending has not The US economy may be “humming along” but it needs a new catalyst to show investors we aren’t at the peak of the current cycle - Nicholas Colas, Convergex For now sentiment is enough, but in 2017 the new administration will need to deliver The IPO market was down big in 2016 and could be poised to rebound in 2017 Says Kathleen Smith of Renaissance Capital S

Overview Bank for International Settlements (central bank for central banks) posed the question, “A paradigm shift in the markets?” US elections have produced big changes in the markets based on expectations of strong growth in economy and corporate profits, and higher inflation Problem, expectations are so strong they border on certainty Assuming Trump platforms will be enacted as he presented them and promptly Most expect: GDP growth of 2% after inflation Interest rates (10-yr Treasury note) to 3% from 2.59% US stocks should return single digit % This tight range in consensus expectations has led two sage market observers (David Rosenberg and Doug Kass) to invoke Rule #9 of Bob Farrell (Merrill Lynch’s legendary former market guru) “When all forecasters and experts agree, something else is going to happen” Especially striking? VIX (measures risk) and hovers near year’s lows This serene confidence is also evident in high-yield bond market where investors are not asking for much for the risk th

Overview Shareholders owe a debt of gratitude to Trump as Dow approaches 20K (in reality a number with little meaning) US equities have grown in value by almost 7% since the election This all reflects perceptions and expectations, not yet realities This is a “hope and faith based rally” The outlook for growth and inflation shouldn’t change anytime soon since fiscal policy won’t change until next year at the earliest Regulatory changes that can be implemented by executive order would be the most immediate and potentially most powerful changes For the markets, this means more mediocre global growth, subdued inflation, tamped down volatility, more accommodative monetary policy from central banks Even so, the “animal spirits” of investors have been aroused The boost from a Trump presidency may be bigger for main st than wall st Berezin from BCA Research things that rising protectionism my hurt global economy, the effect on US will likely be modest since we’re a relatively closed economy. Exports are only 12% of

Overview What will happen to the White House press briefing room in Trump Administration? Trump’s last press conference was in July Favors addressing public directly, through Twitter and YouTube Not obligated to hold press conferences FDR preferred radio JFK preferred television No recent President has been as openly derisive of press as Trump Has called press: scum, lowlifes, the lowest form of life Will corporate America co-opt the press tactics of Trump? Wouldn’t most CEOs rather avoid “facing the press” in the wake of a bad quarter? Why not just Tweet an explanation directly 2016 word of the year: “post-truth” World where objective facts matter less in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief Apparently, those in corporate PR are fielding questions from clients about how to adapt their communication style for the “age of Trump.” Change is in the air and big corporations know it Pew survey in October: 5% of people have “great deal of trust” in media 33% in military

Podcast Overview: S&P, Dow, Nasdaq, Russell all at record highs last week BofA Merrill Lynch survey of global fund managers: Expect global real economy to strengthen over next 12 months: In october 19% agreed with this, after election 35% do Global inflation expectations vaulted to the highest level since 2004 Is all this optimism as sign the bull market will continue or that we’ve reached peak? Are current stock market gains stealing from 2017? Goldman Sachs strategist expects Trump tax reforms to lead to the repatriation of $200B Could be used to pay down raising company debt levels Nonfinancial companies are sitting on $1.6T in cash (12% of assets as opposed to avg of 7%) Goldman expects companies to spend $2.6T of cash in 2017 52% on capital exp, R&D, and mergers 48% on buybacks and dividends Small cap stocks that could benefit from infrastructure spending are stealing attention from multinationals that could be hit by strong dollar Market is behaving like Trump will fulfill promises

AT&T is buying TimeWarner, we think. Should T shareholders celebrate or fear this deal? What are the chances of the deal making it past regulators and becoming a reality? I sit down with Adam, the Dividend Sensei to discuss more. A quick overview: How much debt will the Time Warner deal add to AT&T? Will this debt load, in addition to DirectTV debt be manageable? How will the acquisition impact future free cash flow for AT&T? What new markets is AT&T expanding into? What does all this mean for the future of AT&T's dividend? Will this solve AT&T's "dumb pipe" problem? Will this make AT&T the new king of content? Did AT&T structure the deal to offer best value for shareholders? And more... Companies Mentioned: AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ), Time Warner (TWX)