The retirement calculator of TD Canada Trust

It’s still looking good for now. My non-registered is popping up on the $124 400. I gave a quick look at my stocks, everything seem to be fine. CHR.B is giving me awesome profits. I will take them as long it will last.

TD Canada Trust has a fun calculator tool. I adore online calculators. They let you imagine all kind of scenarios.... Like what if I make a 15% (!!!) per year from my investment, how I will have when I 45, 55 or 65?

I would qualify myself as being a good investor and in control but sometimes, I get adventurous and I guess at a point, even “good” investors can turn bad. Take for example Jean-François Tardif. He used to rock out the place. And now? His JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN) closed its first year on the market, the year 2012, at -6% or something like it. WHY?

Jean-François Tardif simply stops trying. He’s not as hard as he had been on himself because he no longer has Eric Sprott as boss. Now millionaire and on a more relax lifestyle, Jean-François Tardif is simply letting it go. And I am going to explain to you why we should all be doing the same: LET IT GO.

To be able to understand, we need to move back on that retirement calculator thing from TD Canada Trust.

First, play the game for real. Enter all the information needed in the section 1. About you.

Me: I am 32. I would to retire – let say 45.

I earn about 43k annually before tax.

NEXT.

2 – Retirement plan

How many years of retirement are you saving for? I enter 40.

How much income will you need for your desired retirement lifestyle? I enter $25 000.

If you expect to receive additional income after you retire, please enter it: I enter 0. But at a point, I guess at 67+, I will qualify for a small Canadian pension.

NEXT

3. Savings and investments

RSP accounts

How much have you saved? I enter $38 097.97

How much do you regularly contribute to these accounts? I enter 0 because I no longer contribute to my RRSP.

Other retirement savings and investments

How much have you saved? I enter $125 488.61 (non registered account + TFSA values on date of December 31).

How much do you regularly contribute to these accounts? I enter $1500 – Monthly. (realistic savings of 1k per month AND reinvestment of the dividend earn, $500. Even there, we could say $650 instead of $500, for a total of $1 650...)

4. Rate of Return

How much do you expect to earn on your investments annually, as a percentage?

I enter 6%

RESULTS:

Your Retirement Savings Goal is: $563,114

You are projected to save: $637,959     You will have a surplus of: $74,845

With that scenario that is quite realistic, I will be able to retired at 45 and I will still have a surplus of more than 74k. You need 7%, 8%, 9% or 10% in annual results on the stock market to be able to make it happen. In this case, I did not even enter any possible pension income that I will probably receive once I hit 67.... So that’s quite impressive, isn’t?

Lesson learns: you can be easy going, not to say lazy, like Jean-François Tardif on the TSX angel stock market. A 6% annually as income is quite realistic goal. You don’t have to try really hard. The early retirement dream is really that simple and easy. You really had to read this post tonight just to find out that yeah, money easy with the Dividend girl and Jean-François Tardif (sorry buddy, but I do really like u that much :0)).

In other words: TAKE IT EASY.

Little Miss Sunshine is hitting on the block: hello 124k non-registered portfolio

Whenever the TSX goes up, generally speaking, my portfolio also increases in value. This time is no exception. My non-registered portfolio is at a very good $124 313.24. I got a nice hair cut and I have my coloration done this evening. I was in need of a beauty fix. Now that I look pretty again, I don’t know what I am about to do next. Sorry, I cannot write no more, I am getting tired.

Black Diamond Group Ltd (BDI) and the Dividend Girl effects

As usually for a Saturday, I got up late, but this time extremely late, at 2 pm. I moved quickly when I realized than I spent more than half the day on my beauty sleep. I got ready to go outside and check my lottery tickets (I haven’t won ANYTHING, one more time), I stop by my favorite bakery oh lala (I am soon about to post this Montreal wonder), I talked to my mom and hit by a Second Cup to make a change. And here am I. I couldn’t believe when my mom told me how cold it is in New Brunswick. For tonight, a temperature of ... are you ready... -29°C had been announced!!! It’s going to be cold. My dad is already fishing on the lake! ALREADY? Yeah yeah. I wasn’t expecting it would be so soon, but only in about 2-3 weeks from now.

One of the few benefits of being in Montreal is that the weather is usually not too cold during the winter. At least not as cold of where I am coming from! Where I come from, you know how to survive on less. You ate the fish you catch on the lake and you kill little birds to feed yourself. LOL Remember the picture of the kill little bird? Those pictures still make me laugh on date of today.

I don’t like winter too much but what I do enjoy all year long is to blog about my usual blabla and also, well you know, is to invest in stocks whenever I have a chance. It took me quite a while to invest in stocks. I started investing while being a young and sexy 25 year old. In 2005, I started investing in GICs. And later on, I started investing in mutual funds. It’s actually only in 2008, while being a 28 year old chick, that I started investing in stocks. And now at 32, I am sexier and richer than ever before.

The reading of Derek Foster’s The Lazy Investor changes my life for... the best. I got richer on Derek stocks. From 2008 to 2012, it hasn’t been easy. First of all, my guru decided to quit the stock market, sometime I believe in 2008 or 2009 it was. That event left me alone with my dream of becoming financially independent. In 2008, the stock market went crazy, I went crazy (lol), got laid off, got hiring again and so on. Luckily, because I am sooooo damn good looking, my income increased years after years. And because I am good looking I never too much problems finding work. At a point, I was even working just 25 hours on my main job and a few hours more at another job on the weekend. I wasn’t earning much but I still was able to find a couple of hundred here and there to feed my portfolio. 

At this point of the journey, I realize this: why should I dream of living on $1 000 dividend income a month or so while I can earn 40k+ a year only by working at a job? Well the point is, the ultimate goal is to live from the dividend I earn, but as long I will have the chance to be on the work field and earn good money, I won’t quit the employment world. Fact is, it take a lot of money to be able to live from dividend. While being on the work force, building a dividend income is a way to protect ourselves from a laid off. A dividend portfolio is there to help you become independent of your employer.

My living expenses are quite low and I can put them lower so in case of laid off or whatever else, I will be able to survive. You have to think and act for the worst. That’s why it so important to have some savings. I had been smart enough not to enroll myself into a mortgage. I am not a home or condo owner. I don’t own anything if not this blog and my portfolio. Getting enroll in a mortgage is a trap. Your house or condo will never generate cash to live on, unless you rent it. With the actual market, owning a place doesn’t worth it, unless being already rich. A house or condo will always generate a bunch of expenses. And where are you taking the money from to cover it up? From your very own pockets, nothing elsewhere. A mortgage makes you a slave to employment forever. I have personally much better things to do than giving away my valuable money on a mortgage so a bank can take financially make money out of me and take advantage of me. NEVER. I rather be warm in a tiny one and half apartment located close to everything and everywhere.

Basically, you need to come with your own rules and live and fight for what you believe in. I guess you understand by now that I don’t believe in mortgages and home ownership. Unless you have big money and are a millionaire. But I am not a millionaire and I don’t blog for those who are and for those who are money freaks. Don’t ask me what I mean by money freak because I don’t really know. Ahah I never have been really into money. What I want is to be able to build something strong with what I have and with what I am able to save as money. Other than that, my life is not really money orienting more than that. I guess one day I will be finally taking those English classes lol.

But until that time, what I do know for sure is that my non registered portfolio closed Friday session at $123 702.67, -1.51%. A natural anti-wave of less than 2% is not that of a big deal. While investing in stocks, you need to be ready for everything. That’s why it took me so long before investing in stocks. It’s not an easy thing to be able to understand our wonderful TSX and understand what it’s all about.

And guess what, my Black Diamond Group Ltd (BDI) is up of closed to 3% increase in my portfolio! I really like it when my newest acquisitions just rock it on the stock market. You know, the usual stuff. 

My investment in Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B) is doing better. I am up of +0.8%... I just received in December my really first Bombardier stocks. This investment in a Quebec company is almost making a Quebecker out of me. The headquarters of Bombardier are located just downtown Montreal. One day, I will do peek peek some pictures and show you up some Bombardier stuff. But I guess you know what jet plane and tramway wagons look like anyway. Because that’s what Bombardier business is all about.

What my investment plan for 2013 is all about

In 2012, I took some risks my investing in companies like Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B), Veresen Inc. (VSN), Chorus Aviation Inc. (CHR.B), Keg Royalties Income Fund (KEG.UN) and Heroux-Devtek Inc. (HRX). But now that my non-registered is exceeding the 120k+ value, I am looking forward to add some more value in, more very great quality stock. Emera Incorporated (EMA) is exactly the kind of things I need to hold more in my non-registered portfolio. Next week is payday and I am looking forward to invest a couple of hundred in my Emera Incorporated (EMA). I know this Martitime company very well. I had been holding EMA in my RRSP portfolio for a couple of years now.

The Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador are very rich provinces, but the richness hasn’t been exploited to their maximum so far. In New Brunswick, the Tories are slowly killing our province. We haven’t been lucky in the past couple years, but we are fighter and we’ll get rid of the extremely poorly skill people like Bernard Valcourt one day. At a point, New Brunswickers are a bunch of suckers for voting such a creep. Anyway, while New Brunswick is living its poverty, other provinces are doing much much better, even while being under the federal authority of the Tories.

Right now, Newfoundland and Labrador is the place to be. I guess it is really cold there in winter too, if not colder than New Brunswick. No matter what, Newfoundland is booming. Federal government is giving millions and millions in form of a loan for the Lower Churchill River hydro-electric projects in Labrador to finally be. I have read about the Lower Churchill River project many times in the past and I always have a great feeling about it. Emera will directly benefit from it. If you have an interest on the Lower Churchill project, EMA is the only stock you can invest in to get an involvement in the project. Newfoundland provincial electricity company is owns of course by the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the “company” is not on the stock market. But Emera is. And that’s why next week I will be investing in the fabulous Emera Incorporated (EMA). So be ready because I am.

Welcome in my investment portfolio Black Diamond Group Ltd (BDI)

I had set up an automatic purchase order in the morning of December 31 to get my hands on some Black Diamond Group Ltd (BDI) shares before the end of 2012... And now, I am a proud Black Diamond Group Ltd (BDI) investor. Be ready, 2013 is going to be hot hot hot!

Today was a very relax day. I was working yesterday until 6 pm. I haven’t anything plan for the New Year. Each year, there’s something going on in the Old Montreal, so that’s where I went. I didn’t want to stay outside from 6 to midnight – 4 hours outside in the cold weather. So after done with work, I went to the movies and I saw This is 40. This is 40 is a nice comedy. A dirty one, but a really nice one. I have a couple of good laughs. I truly recommend, it worth the $12.99 ticket.

After the movies, I went to the Old Port and walked around and I finally stopped close by the stage where a band call something like Rafi was playing. The band was really good, but I couldn’t wait for midnight to kick in. I WAS COLD. I have a good pair of boots, but despite it all, my feet were cold.  

Midnight finally kicked in, hello 2013! And then the beautiful fireworks, very nice and then I walked my way back home as quickly as I could. I could no longer stand myself in the cold weather. Today I was off and I stay all day in ALL DAY in my pyjama counting my money...

As you can see, I update my portfolio and my debt situation, so we have in the result for the year end of 2012. My non-registered portfolio closed the year 2012 at $122 421.19, for a book value of $125 147.65. I am experiencing a loss of -2.18%.

So far for 2012, my dividend income is of $7 714.78. I am saying so far because I am just missing a few dividend payments for December 2012, like iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index (XRE).

My net worth is of $87 633.44. I hold $78 010.31 in debt. The interest own on the money is of $3 086.11. Of that interest money, I have a $342.99 interest on my student loan, which qualifies for a tax credit. I also have $2 591.12 in interests that I can declare for a tax credit because the money was used for investment purposes. So to talk roughly, I have a $2 934.11 that I can and will declare for tax credit.

Overall, I don’t care if you agree or disagree with me on the point that is about to follow, but if I add my dividend income and my tax credits, I am making a profit of about 6% for 2012. Can anyone do better than that? I doubt. You won’t find any better on the whole Wild Web. I am beating the TSX index ONE MORE TIME. With everything that is going on in the US, (and even Canada), and especially for the Euro zone, I mean, 2012 was a difficult year. However, I did some very smart investment moves, like in Agrium Inc. (AGU) and Chorus Aviation Inc. (CHR.B).

A couple of months ago I received a voting package for AGU, asking if I wanted to sell some of my shares for something like $90 or something. I taught it was a joked. AGU baby, do you really think that I am that dumb and leave you alone out of my portfolio? I just ignored the paper. I spoke to a nice lady of TD Waterhouse regarding this situation. Even if it was in French, I couldn’t understand what the paper was about, but she explained it to me. A sell offer for AGU? ARE YOU CRAZY? AGU is among my best stock performers! It’s not anytime soon that I will let it go.

Thanks to my mommy, I have a clear mind and I can distinct – most of the time – a good move from a bad one. AGU will remain in my portfolio as long as I want.

In 2012 like for the past like what, 5 or 6 years now, I have invested in new stocks. Here’s a list of my new stock comers for the year 2012:

Canadian Utilities Limited (CU)
Veresen Inc. (VSN)
Chorus Aviation Inc. (CHR.B)

Crescent Point Energy Corp (CPG)
JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN)
Keg Royalties Income Fund (KEG.UN)

Geovencap Inc. (GOV)

Healthlease Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (HLP.UN)

Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B)

Heroux-Devtek Inc. (HRX)

Black Diamond Group Ltd (BDI)

I am very happy because my last investment of 2012 was made in Black Diamond Group Ltd (BDI). I have a great feeling about this company. I won’t earn that much in dividend with this one, but what matter for me now than ever is quality. I try not to focus exclusively on dividend income – even if I am the Dividend Girl. That is what I call being smart.

My 2012 year in review

2012 had been an adventurous year. I left my hometown for Montreal after I have been laid off from my job because they could no longer manage to pay me. I was promised a permanent job in New Brunswick, but shortly after, only after 6 months of full-time employment, I had been laid off. Basically, I was giving money that was laying in their what we could say their emergency fund. The company was in bad shaped even before I stepped in. So I was laid off. And I later on pursue to court the gang of bastards and I win my cause in October 2012, all alone, without any stupid lawyer money suckers. Je les ai bien torchés. (Sorry, no English available for that sentence).

A couple of weeks after, I open my very small business (you are reading right, I am a business owner (but a very small one). In the meantime, RBC Royal Bank increased the interest rate on my line of credit. I had (and I still) have good assets (physically and monetary) so I went there, crash in, make a scene to a RBC representative in New Brunswick. He was able to reduce the interest rate of something like 1%, but I was still under an increase of 2%. Got the picture? So the bitch that I am and will always be wasn’t too happy out it. I even call RBC and I was told that because i was now out of job and I was a self-employed, they needed something like a 5 years record of my self-employment to be able to reduce my interest rate.

So I told myself, what the f, and I decided to accept whatever job will present to me and I sent a couple of résumé here and there. In the meantime, I was working as a self-employed. I had that idea to start gardening. I bought everything needed to make grow tomatoes, flowers and everything you can think of in term of veggies. My grandmother has a huge land. I had the land and the desire to start a HUGE garden. But I wasn’t able to take care of the garden of my dream in the spring-summer of 2012 because... I left my New Brunswick behind and I moved back to Montreal!!!

I was very surprised, but I received a response from a Montreal office, for a contract. I accept the job, keeping in mind the 5 years record for self employment coming from RBC. This is true with RBC, but also with other banks. As soon you are self-employed, it’s harder to get things from banks. You need a good and long record history of self-employed.

Just before leaving for Montreal one more time, I found something great as self employed that provide me some cash for a few months, until September 2012. So from May to September 2012, I was working on a full-time position AND I was also working as a self-employed. That’s why you didn’t hear me very often in 2012 (not that many posts compare to 2011 and 2010). Later on, the contract leaded to a permanent job and I am still there at the present time and I take it one paycheck at a time (it’s really how I am taking it). The work can be very hard sometimes, including long hours. I am grateful but I would have prefer to stay in New Brunswick gardening.

That’s what my life was like in 2012.

And for 2013? Bah, you know, the usual money stuff.

It’s weird! 2013... OH GOSHHHH. Another year where I am wrinkles free. So that the year past by, I don’t care. As long as I don’t see direct sign of aging on the pretty chalala me, I don’t care about getting older. I am still looking if I will be in my twenties for now. The older I am getting, the better I am getting on the investment game. It’s like an old Stoch (sorry I cannot find the correct spelling at this time, obviously I don’t drink it) – only getting better with age.

For 2013, I would like to invest in some Emera Inc. (EMA) stocks for my non-registered portfolio. I already own some Emera Inc. (EMA) stocks inside my RRSP portfolio. However, adding on more ne serait pas de refus. (I wouldn’t say no to some more Emera Inc. (EMA) stocks). Other than Emera, in the immediate, I don’t have anything I want for my non-registered portfolio.

For 2013, I will do my best to focus on quality stocks. I will try to reduce my impulsive stocks buy and I will do my best to control myself and my investment hunger. And I won’t purchase stocks using leverage. Enough is enough. I am in 78k in debt for God sake! Ahah!! I certainly won’t borrow more money. I would like not to use more than 50k on my margin to keep it safe. I have left 14k of unused margin money.

The numbers are looking and are great.

I am wishing me the same for 2013 and, if possible, even better. Go go go!!!

Once again, have a Happy New Year 2013. For once, I love you all.