Defining Yield on Cost (The YOC!)

This post will be an investing lesson regarding a certain investing topic that dividend investors will occasionally use when they discuss performance and metrics.  It is similar to your yield and is a huge proponent for how long you hold onto an investment, the activities that happen within that investment, as well as the pros and cons of measuring such a metric.  The topic that I’d like to discuss today is the Yield on Cost or, as I like to call it – The YOC!  And no… this is not the same thing as in the NFL or YAC (Yards after catch), close though!  Let’s talk about The YOC! Continue reading

Bert’s Recent Purchase – NSC

Man has it been a busy couple of weeks purchasing stock and I couldn’t think of a better reason to be busy.  Lanny purchased shares of Johnson and Johnson recently, and I am pretty jealous of him.  JNJ is a great company and is a foundation stock that should belong in every dividend investors portfolio at some point.   Nice pickup Lanny!  But I couldn’t let him purchase stock without a response, right?  So I also decided to purchase stock this week, and it is a company that fills a void in my portfolio.  Let’s see which company was added this week!

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Lanny’s Recent Purchase – JNJ

Phew… almost thought for a minute or a month there, that I may go a full 30 days without a right on stock purchase.  Well, I guess I couldn’t hold back for 30 days and have made a new stock purchase!  Always having tricks up my sleeve and am able to make a move on Thursday of this last week, which is great, even if it wasn’t a large investment.  However, it was a NEW investment to my portfolio, let’s take a look at who I was able to scoop up!

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Recent Purchase – ADM

The last couple of months has been pretty active for me.  Since the beginning of February, I have either initiated a new position or re-upped my position in 6 stocks, with the most recent transaction occurring a few weeks ago when I purchased both CVX and PM.  Well, I had some extra capital laying around and wanted to purchase a stock that has been on my radar for a while now.   If you have followed our website over the last month, you will probably know which stock I purchased, as it has appeared in several articles recently.

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Bert’s March Savings Rate Summary

Each month Lanny and I challenged ourselves to save at least 60% of our income.   This high savings rate will allow us to jump-start our dividend income snowball by allowing us to invest as much as possible now and allow the power of compounding interest to do the rest!  Not only that, but I have found this exercise very beneficial as it allows me to take a hard look at my expenses each month and help me trim the “fat” of my expense outflow.   I have had a very successful beginning to 2015, as I was able to save 60% of my income in both January and February.  Can I keep the streak alive in March? Let’s dive into my March savings rate summary and find out!

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Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) Stock Analysis

Chugga, Chugga, Chugga… Chugga, Chugga, Chugga – DIVIDENDS!  That’s the sound that the stock up for this week’s analysis is all about.  I’ve been on a hunt for a good dividend paying stock and what better than a stock that is down over 8% this year but has been consistently raising dividends and laying down stronger tracks each year?  What stock am I talking about?  Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC).  Let’s see the analysis!

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Lanny’s Debt Update

Debt.  What is debt?  Is this America’s Horror Story?  Is it chains strapped to your hands and ankles?  Well, by definition, Debt is “An amount of money borrowed by one party from another. Many corporations/individuals use debt as a method for making large purchases that they could not afford under normal circumstances. A debt arrangement gives the borrowing party permission to borrow money under the condition that it is to be paid back at a later date, usually with interest.”  Thanks Investopedia for that.  Debt can be used in two ways – to pay for something that we use day in/day out as a liability that does not generate cash for us OR debt can be used to leverage buying an asset that produces a greater return than the cost of the debt itself.  I have debt and I wanted to share an update where I stand based on today, Mid-April.

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