Energy Savings Income Fund is an investment rock

The expression “investment rock” had been used by the Executive chair of Energy Savings Income Fund (SIF.UN) in her latest press release. I really like the expression “investment rock”. As a small investor, I am in great needs of solid investments. I truly believe that SIF.UN represents a good investment. I am very proud to have SIF.UN included in my portfolio.

Here is some of the context where the Executive Chair had used the expression “investment rock” to describe SIF.UN:

“I like to think of Energy Savings as the fund for all seasons. Since our IPO eight years ago, we have seen good weather and bad weather, skyrocketing commodity prices and collapsing commodity prices, good economic times, and the worst recession since the 1930s. I would like to think that Energy Savings has been an investment rock throughout the entire period, providing predictable, reliable and growing cash flow to our investors every year, just as I promised at the time of the IPO.”

And the good news just keep rolling and rolling through the rest of the press release. According to RM, SIF.UN fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 had been, to repeat her words: “the strongest quarter in the history of the company”. Is there anything better that can be said about SIF.UN?

While being in a major recession, SIF.UN declares its best result ever. Those are good news for unitholders of SIF.UN like me.

Just like Sprott Asset Management (SII) who had provided a special dividend to their stockholders, SIF.UN had paid a special distribution to their unitholders. In 2009, the special distribution of SIF.UN had been of 16.5 cents per unit.

But isn’t strange that SIF.UN had also a net income loss of more than 1 billion? Is it normal for the Executive chair to publicly declare that SIF.UN had its best result ever when they had at the same time a net income lost of exactly 1 107 473 000$? This is the most complicated part and I don’t know for sure – for this specific reason – if SIF.UN really represents a good investment.

At this point, it does begin to become just a bit too much complicated for me lol.

I finally received part of my May dividend

I just take a look at my broker account and I finally received my Pembina Pipeline Income Fund (PIF.UN) dividends. I earn 13.13$. Unfortunately, it was not enough to cover the cost of one unit. The value of PIF.UN is currently of 14.07$.

At this time, I am still waiting for my Fortis and Pengrowth Energy Trust dividend.

I am still waiting for my dividends

For the month of May, I should received about 129.36$ in dividend money.

I didn’t received my dividend from Fortis (26.26$), Pengrowth Energy Trust (51.90$) or either from Pembina Pipeline Income Fund (13.13$). It’s because I had enroll to a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP). I begin to worry for Fortis, because the distribution date was back on May 8 and I didn’t receive anything yet. A while ago, I was told by a TD Waterhouse representative that to receiving dividend when enrolling to a drip could takes a couple of days before actually receiving the new stocks. So let’s be patient for once lol.

The Benefits of participating in a DRIP

The dividends I am earning from Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS), Methanex Corporation (MX), Fortis (FTS), Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGF.UN) and Pembina Pipeline Income Fund (PIF.UN) allow me to earn new stocks at the same occasion as receiving dividends. I enroll in a DRIP for those companies by calling TD Waterhouse. I ask them to register to a DRIP for current investments. I was told that all new acquisitions will automatically DRIP – if eligible.

Its unfortunately not all companies who offer a DRIP program. There’s no DRIP available at this time for Sprott (SII).

The DRIP is a very good program for me. I am still at an early stage in building my portfolio. Later on, I might just cash in the dividend money and it will go directly to my pockets.

I find an ad for a part-time job in a newspaper. The hours are flexible and the workplace is located downtown Montreal, close to my evening job. I had been giving myself off until the end of May. But I will apply to this job tomorrow. I really want to earn more money in order to purchase at least 100 units of Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund (BA.UN) as soon as possible.

What will be my next investment?

I just have left 2 weeks until the beginning of June, than I will begin my job search for a day-time job. I just hope to be able to find something what will fit in my schedule. I am available at anytime from 8am or even earlier to 3:30pm. I would very much like to find something. The extra money made will allow me to increase my portfolio and I cannot wait to reach my first 50 000$ in investment. It’s getting interesting.

Those last few days had been quite chaotic. I really work hard at trying to make money online and currently, most of my free-time is being giving away on trying to make money online. I now reach over 700 followers on Twitter and I continue visiting my followers’ blogs from time to time.

I start a couple of blogs. Lately, I had been trying to make money online like crazy. I started a couple of blogs all over the place. One blog that I just started but I already like very much is a blog call The 200 Project Blogs. I am very proud of that blog even if I am still at the early beginning. If you like, you can check it out. I start out multiple blogs lately, but the funniest one is a blog that I title this way: International Organization of Prepaid Workers.

All of this of course have nothing to do with investment, but if it happen I can earn just a bit of money from those blogs than, automatically, they will become part of my investment plan. I would very much like to make money from Google Adsense program. I cannot believe I am going to be job searching in about 2 weeks from mine. The whole job searching process is already plan now and I wrote it down in my calendar…. Seem like I have no choice.

As for my next investment, I would very much to invest in 100 units of Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund (BA.UN). BA.UN annual dividend is of… 2.90$ per unit!! And BA.UN latest had been very strong and I truly believe it’s a good company to invest in. I might only be able to make another investment in 2 months from now…. Running out of cash…

Doing more with less: budgeting!

I am doing a lot better today than yesterday. I slept in very late. I actually wake up at 13 pm… The TSX is burning me. Today, the TSX gain some points and is now at 9 849.2. It’s part of the reason why I am feeling better today. It wouldn’t be the case if the TSX would had drop points again for 2 days in a row.

I took my day-time off until the month of June and it’s going to be very difficult for me to start getting up early in the morning again. But I might continue to sleep-in if it happens I can’t find a day-time job. I just got terribly lazy among the way. But not that lazy as I am trying very hard to make money online. I would very much to make a 200$ per month with Google Adsense. It’s the goal I gave myself.

For now, and let’s say if it happen I couldn’t find a day-time job in June, I would probably work at paying some debts of mine instead of investing. I am making 1460$ per month at my evening job and my weekend job is giving me an average of 620$ per month. At 2 080$ per month, my income is not that much, but its making enough to pay my usual expenses and pay-off some debts.

By “doing more with less”, I mean to minimize my expenses in other to maximize the payment of my debts. And to do so, I need to respect a tight budget.

And here it is:

Rent: 535$
Internet: 35$
Metro pass: 67$
Student loan: 150$
Groceries and coffees: 250$
TOTAL NEEDED: 1037$

2 080$ Income - 1 037$ Needed = 1 043$

This makes 1 043$ I have available to pay on my debts each month (this is the reason why I seriously need to begin job searching in June lol). I do not carry heavy debts, but it will be better if I could begin to pay-off some of them. At this time, I have 800$ in my bank account. I just received my pay from my weekend job. I currently have a balance of 645.46$ on my American Express. I like to use my American Express to received Air Miles, but at 19.99%, the interest rate is extremely high. Almost scandalous…

Anyway, I am going to send a check tomorrow to pay the balance I have on my American Express credit card. The remaining money of 154.54$ will go on my credit line at TD. For this month, it’s about all I can make as payment. But I guess I am going on the right direction.

Falling in my skin

The TSX had falled again… and I am falling too…

Just when I taught everything will get better, the TSX fall, again lol. Now, I truly understand Derek Foster who sell most part of his portfolio back in March. Seeing the TSX drop like this is quite awful and alarming. After spectacular gain, spectacular looses. Since I had been closely watching TSX ups and downs since 2005 – each time for whatever reasons – I shouldn’t be too shock about the whole situation, but each time, same destroying feelings and each time, same question: should I continue investing?

For me, it’s never been questioned to sale any of my assets under the impulse of some of those destroying feelings. The question being asked is if I should continue my journey and continue investing on a regular basis like I am doing right now or should I just sop and take that money in a ING Direct savings account.

But I never asked myself this question for really long as the TSX move a lot – maybe too much actually. But this is what expert call “market volatility”. That’s what I hate the most about investing but I am still able to manage it after all.

It’s soooo difficult just to be there, watching, without being able to do anything about the whole situation. And thing is I was really hoping the TSX would stay outside the trench of the 10 000 points for a while – I really had enough to see it under 10 000 points. As I am use to write: enough is enough lol.

On May 6th, when TSX was at more than 10 000 points, I was carefully looking at my portfolio and I saw an extremely potential and I was seeing 75 000$ on my overall portfolio. I was more closely looking at my Sprott Canadian Equity Fund investment. I originally invest 7 000$ in the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund. I was looking at the fund value just a couple of days ago. At that time, my investment in Sprott was at more than 4 000$. Which I was quite good. I was only missing 3 000$ to reach the original amount of my investment. But now, all those marvelous gains might me lost by now. It’s a very frustrating situation for me. But I am able to live with it.

I am still into this investment deal. It’s just a bit shack up by all those ups and downs. I completely exhausted. Good thing I gave myself the whole month of May off of day-time job. I am really in need of a rest but at the same time, I have so much to do and I have great ideas for other blogs and I want to start… Right now, I am in a flux of creative, angry and exhaustive mood. If not to say explosive.

In those difficult time, hope TSX Web site is making good money out of their Google Adsense ads. There’s actually Google advertisements on the TSX Web pages – which I find just so funny…

Building by portfolio one share at the time

I am currently waiting for my Fortis (FTS) dividend; I still didn’t receive anything yet, since I registered to a DRIP. In the meantime, I start working on another blog of mine, Advertisement for blogs. I had a hard time to find a nice template, but I am quite happy with my final choice.

The month of May should be, again, lucrative for my dividend earnings. For the month of May, it’s 129.36$ that I will earn in dividend income. I am still proud of the whole result, even if Livingston International Income Fund (LIV.UN) had announced yesterday that they had suspend the distributions to their “unitholders”. And I am one of them.

Back in March 7th, I had wrote about Livingston International Income Fund difficulties and on the fact that they should cut off their distributions instead of hurting their employees with hours cut. Seem like what I wanted to happen have… happen lol. But it’s not a huge surprised and I was expecting a dividend cut from LIV.UN.

I am fortunate enough not to have invested massively in LIV.UN. My overall dividend earnings for the year of 2009 won’t be too much affected.

But for sure, I won’t invest anymore into LIV.UN.

My initial 1 000$ now worth 1 080$: the magic of Creststreet Alternative Energy Fund

Thanks to the Creststreet Alternative Energy Fund my one time investment of 1 000$ made less than 4 months ago now worth 1 080$! I didn’t know what to expect back than when I invest in this fund. I was actually ready to loose some money – but it’s exactly the opposite that happens. And all around it is so mysterious. Like how in the world is it possible?

My answers:

-The fund is extra well managed.
-Their managers might have graduated from Harvard or something like that lol.

But who’s behind the top mutual fund of…. could it of all time? This fund will probably do history. Reason why? While facing recession, while Sprott Canadian Equity Fund and RBC O'Shaughnessy Canadian Equity Fund, among other, were falling and falling and falling again, the Creststreet Alternative Energy Fund was closing the year of 2008 with a 142-per-cent gain. And it’s not over… so far, 2009 results had been as great. But watch it out: results since inspection are of 190.20%!

And the manager of the fund, Steve Martin, is only 28 years old…. This is my age! I am 28 years old too lol. How impressive is that! And from my point of view, it could be the reason why the fund – having extraordinary results – is only managing 23.7 million. I am saying “only” because funds like Sprott Canadian Equity Fund, RBC O'Shaughnessy Canadian Equity Fund and CIBC Monthly Income Fund I invested manage billion of dollars.

I plan to keep Creststreet Alternative Energy Fund for a very long time and the age of the manager should not stop investor.

Another interesting fact: since the manager of Creststreet Alternative Energy Fund is so young, it make it a valuable investment for RRSP – probably the manager that is currently in place will remain in for a couple years – let’s wish until I reach my own retirement age – so I can benefit of his skills as long as possible.

For me, it’s Creststreet Alternative Energy Fund all the way.

My portfolio is looking good!

With the addiction of Energy Savings Income Fund (SIF.UN) into it, my portfolio is looking better than ever. And I have to say, I have added so far in my portfolio the majorities of companies I wanted to be a shareholder. I believe my portfolio is complete. Or almost. I am very happy at this point even if I have canceled my vacations at Halifax.

My next investments…

I would very much to purchase BA.UN units and other units of Pembina Pipeline Income Fund (PIF.UN). When I took a look at PIF.UN this morning, the value was 14$ per stock, but now, the value false down to just a bit less than 14$. PIF.UN is a good company to invest in. I really want to own more than 100 units of it.

A good reason to invest more in PIF.UN for me is that they have announced that they will maintain 1.56$ annual dividend for a couple of years from now. A raise have not been announced, but I prefer stability other than some other companies that provided big dividend earnings and who, later on, reduced their dividends whenever something happen, like a recession.

And I am thinking here about Harvest, Canadian Oil Sands Trust Units (COS.UN) among others. I one quickly read in the Globe and Mail that for companies paying too big in dividends come with risks. I do not know what’s the risk are about – but it might be in the sense that higher you pay, less you have in your pockets and in recession time, being generous in dividend might not be a good thing for companies. Again, it’s my interpretation.

I would also like to purchase 100 units of Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund (BA.UN). I really like Aliant.

What’s next…

And now…

I am pretty use to get up late and go to bed in the middle of the night now – its going be tough to wake up each morning. Only if it happens I can find a job for weekdays – half of the day or until 3:30pm. Having a day-time job will allow me to invest more in PIF.UN. I also want to begin to pay off some debts of mine. But for that, I need $$$ and it’s not my online revenue who will allow me to pay off some debts.

About my latest investment: 200 units of Energy Savings Income Fund (SIF.UN)

Earlier today, I purchase 200 units of Energy Savings Income Fund (SIF.UN) at 12.10$. At the end of the day the unit’s price was at 12.17$. I made a profit of 14$ on one day – not bad. This investment had increased my dividend income of 247.92$. For a total of 1 590.92$. I am almost at that 2 000$ goal of mine in dividend income I have.

Everything is good my now. For the next investment, I would very much like to purchase some more units of Pembina Pipeline Income Trust (PIF.UN).

I do no longer plan to go to the trip to Halifax as my friend plan to stop for a night to our hometown and I really do not want to stay for a night at my parents place for different reasons. So I cancel everything. The trip would had been a bit expensive anyway as my friend was playing to stay in Halifax for 2 tips. And it would be expensive for nothing. At this time of the year, it’s still a bit cold and I would prefer to take a beach vacation, not a moving one. Most parts of the day would have been spending at looking for an apartment for her.

As for now, I plan to take the rest of the month of May off until 4PM from Monday to Friday. After what, I will begin my search for a day job.