A small investor (me) facing rough choices: to save money or to invest it?

For once in a very long time, I left a $1 000 in my banking online savings account. That way, I won't have to pay and repay that $2.95 banking monthly fee. Banking fees can be really annoying, especially when you have that huge investment portfolio and have barely nothing at all in savings... The reason behind is the little money I have at my disposal, I am a small investor. I need to choose between saving and investing, and every single times, its my investor mood that win. But not this time. Investing in stocks is highly addicting.

I hope not to pay for banking fees ever again. I would like to have another 2k left in cash there just in case of needs. I don't know if banks with no monthly fee exist in Canada, but from what I know, the best checking accounts you can get is probably with Desjardins - or like I have - with the Caisse populaire acadienne, the best checking account for the fee. Having still my banking account in New Brunswick is my way to stay somewhat connected and to give a bit of my business to my homeland.

In 2 days, Glentel Inc. (GLN) will be acquired by BCE and I will be cashing in some $$$. This will leave me with a bit more than 2k inside my TFSA to reinvest. I am facing the same dilemma that one of my reader who asked by email what could be good investments for a TFSA. At first, I was thinking about investing - again - in the JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN). The fund performs well, no doubt about it, but its not a dividend payer in a regular basis and believe it or not, I need cash.

So I am now in the same situation that my reader, I am looking for a good growth dividend stock that will pay me a nice income to add up to my current dividend distribution. And when you already hold everything that I could imagines as good investment, its not easy to make a choice. I am searching for a grandpa stock - really save even if nothing is save when it come to stock - and a 4% dividend yield.

Currently, Bank of Montreal (BMO) with its 4.137% dividend yield could be a good stock pick.

Finally getting rid of Glentel Inc. (GLN) in my non-registered and TFSA portfolios

"FINALLY" is by far the most perfect word. I am too often an impulsive investor. But I only hope to become better while aging. After all, this hot chick will be turning 35 sometime in August. I like to invest in whatever announced a special dividend like the cutest rabbit. I invest in whatever BEFORE a stock split announcement, acquisitions... I adore. Nice, but sometime, following an announcement, it take a long time before a deal is being closed. And its been the case with Glentel Inc. (GLN). However, on May 20, the deal is supposed to be closed. I should received my money soon, May 20 if I got it right. I will be cashing in close to 4k.

This is very good news because I had enough of holding Glentel Inc. (GLN) in my TFSA and non-registered portfolio. In my non-registered portfolio, the sell of GLN will help to decrease my margin usage. As for the TFSA, the money will be reinvest. In what? I don't know yet.

Good Canadian dividend payers are common, its just a matter of doing the right pick.

A smart choice for investors: The North West Company Inc. (NWC)

Lou Schizas recently review a stock that I own, The North West Company Inc. (NWC), and the review is quite positive. So if you are looking for a great company that pay a decent dividend, NWC could be the right pick for you.

I had been holding JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN) in my portfolio since its early beginning and for this investment, I had decided to sell of some shares as soon as I hit on the $510 in profit. I had been able to successfully sell off some units at $510 one time since I had been holding JFS.UN. And I am patiently waiting for the second time. With the summer coming in a hurry, it would be nice to have a few hundreds extra to cover my expenses. I would be more in need of a 2k rather than just a $500, but hey, its how it goes. Currently, I am at $230 in profit with my JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN) investment. It shouldn't be

I still have a $19 000 in TFSA contribution room left, which is a shame. I selected a few stocks that I hold inside my non-registered portfolio that I can use for a contribution in kind for my TFSA. They are: 

 Black Diamond Group Ltd (BDI)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

TMX Group Inc. (X)

Crescent Point Energy Corp (CPG)

Emera Inc. (EMA)

After that, I don't see any other investments that I could switch over to my TFSA - so I will be getting a break from contribution in kind. And maybe a break from investment. With summer coming in, my expenses went up - on all kind of stuff from clothes to sunscreen and so on. CIBC Visa had sent me a 0% percent credit card balance transfer offer - but there's a catch - a 1%. However, I don't want to increase my debt level and I plan to slow down on my expenses for a little while. After all those years of investment after investment and more and more stock purchases, I am no longer the extra efficient saver that I used to be. I guess Quebec corrupted me. But in a way, my purchases were most of them needed, t-shirts and just a few summer clothes. A new pair of running shoes because the old ones gave me blisters - I have the most sensible feet of the word. What else can I say? could I really say no to a new mascara? NO.

Anyway, my next big thing is to save a $1 000 in my banking account. I never leave any balance in there and for a change, I would like to leave a little something so my banking fee will be free. Its kind of funny to switch from investing to saving. I hold close to $150 000 in net worth, but this girl have nothing that stay in her banking account. Emergency fund is not my style either way, but it's fully needed. Its not because I hold a stock portfolio that I don't need an emergency fund. I would like even a $2 to $5 000 to cover myself in case of need. 

Its about all I need right now, a bit more cash for savings.

RBC Royal Bank: stay away from these idiots

A few days ago, I received a call from an RBC Royal Bank representative. It was regarding that letter I received from them, saying that they wanted to review my account with them. Three years ago, RBC decided - over no reason - to increase the interest rate on my credit lines. At that time, I had a small balance on the credit line. Bank of Canada did not increase its prime rate in the past probably 5 years if not more. But no matter what, RBC Royal Bank came with that idea to increase the interest rate on my credit line, and that being for no reason at all. I was always paying the credit line on time. 

Also at the time, I had several thousands invested in different RBC mutual funds. So why in the world RBC target me for an increased of a credit line that I had been holding for several years now? I try to get that decision reversed. I visit my RBC Royal Bank, I call RBC, but nothing move in my favor.

Oh yeah? Really? Treating my like a shit slave did not serve any of RBC Royal Bank interests because I had decided to stop using my RBC credit line - I pay it off as quickly as possible. As for the mutual funds invested, I sold them and got the money transferred at TD Waterhouse. That was my answer to RBC Royal Bank. You don't need to treat like shit an honest worker for no reason at all. Especially knowing that there's been no increase to the prime rate. This was only made so that their CEO can touch his millions in annual salary.

I was very very upset to received a call from RBC representative asking me to review my assets with them. I didn't close the credit line neither the credit card that I hold with them because that would had affected in a bad way my credit score. So I kept everything open, but don't ever expect me as a RBC Royal Bank customer EVER never again for the rest of my living life. There you go sexy bitch!

Its really important to fight on until your last breath and no let anyone take out your dignity. In other words, do it like a Dividend Girl and FIGHT on.

A good reason not to vote for Stephen Harper and his blue clowns: Omar Khadr persecution

I never been able to understand clearly what had happened to Omar Khadr. I read the big lines of the story, but I never understood how a child soldier could had been put away for so long and the most disturbing thing: how and why was Omar Khadr put in prison for so long. But today, everything been clear up and Omar was released, under strict conditions, but release, at least. And during all that time, Stephen Harper and his bunch of blue clowns had publicly fight against the liberation of Omar Khadr. And its specifically why I won't be voting for Stephen Harper at the next federal elections. Just like at the last elections, I will vote for NPD. 

Was it already 4 years ago - I don't know - but at the last federal elections, I also vote for NPD. At that time, my vote was a strategic vote to quick out Duceppe and his Bloc whatever Quebecois. And this time, my vote will be a politic vote. I have enough of Stephen Harper. He's too arrogant and doesn't have strong community values.

I hope Canadians will wake up. Its the only way to give to this country another turn, another strong leadership, a government that will act with dignity on behalf and for its citizens.

Omar Khadr now live with his lawyer and its been said at the news that he'd pass 13 years away. I never understood how a child soldier could had spent so many years away in prison, and I don't have anything left for Stephen Harper and his Tories.

Alex Colville, a Maritime proud is exposed at the National Gallery of Canada

We are now in May. Its unbelievable, but we are in May. And in May, we'll be celebrating an holiday: the birthday of the Queen! The timing is perfect. I haven't go to Ottawa in a while. There's something exceptional going on in Ottawa right now. There's always great art show at the National Gallery of Canada, but this time, you'll all going to be very excited as a true Maritime jewel is being exposed. He wasn't born in Nova Scotia, but did his studies in New Brunswick and spent most of his life in Nova Scotia.

Prepare to discover the enigmatic world of one the most marvelous Canadian painter: Alex Colville. His painting style is very unique, minimalist, pure. And his mise en scènes are totally mysterious, extraordinary, with a lot of character and greatly inspired by the Maritime. We had inspired a very great painter. On the art scene, there's no one like Alex Colville. You can only dream of being Mr. Colville. One of a few genius of art that died just a few years ago, at a venerable age, but couldn't be possible to push away the death arrow for the ones like that. I adore Alex Colville. So you'll understand that I am very excited. I am very curious about the exhibition and cannot wait to see it. This is going to be fun!

The great thing is that Ottawa its only at 2 hours away from Montreal. No need to spend money on an hotel room (budget stretching still on no matter what, you are going to understand why soon).

If my calculations are correct, my net worth is probably around $143 000 right now. So close to the 150k! I am really not missing much at all. I used to read a blog name Fabulously Broke. I do still read from time to time but it is not as much interesting as she doesn't personally write on her blog anymore. And she's not a fanatic of the stock market. She had 155k in net worth, 4 years ago. She was a consulting - so making way much money than be, but I am following. Its just all very logical. 50k, 100k, and after 150k, and 200k, 250k, 300k... I am lucky, I may be able to reach the $200 000 net work by the time I am 40, and even maybe 250k. I don't know how much can cost a painting of Alex Colville, but it must be pretty expensive.

Very recently, Lou Schizas had reviewed a stock on which I made a small fortune on. They're some stocks like that who are the rock on my portfolio, stocks that I bought at cheap price, but became massive! And years ago, under the suggestion of Jean-François Tardif who had gave a positive BUY for this baby, I had invested in Premium Brands Holdings Corporation (PBH). Jean-François won an investing price from the Globe and Mail for that pick. When you really think about it, the goof pick, the best decisions had the power to make you a millionaire! I am smart enough to follow Tardif in his every moves and it only paid off so far. Lou review of PBH is pretty much all positive. I don't believe in any downturn anytime soon for PBH but my impulse is sometime wrong. In his next article, Lou is going to review another stock that I hold, another Maritime proud: The North West Company Inc. (NWC).

Other than that, beautiful day in Montreal, got to get ready and go outside.

Welcome in my TFSA portfolio Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners LP (BEP.UN)!

If I would had enough money, I would had invested in both Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners LP (BEP.UN) and Northland Power Inc. (NPI). But since a choice need to be made, I selected BEP.UN. BEP.UN win over my simply way of selecting stocks.

Today, I also collect the money from my sell of my Sprott Canadian Equity Fund units.It wasn't a difficult choice, but it wasn't a fun one either way. In the sell process, I lost $3 609.15. I have collected a bit more than 3k from the sale. I had no idea what to do with that money, so I reinvested it all in the JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN). It seem like a good option. I wasn't for sure going to invest in RBC Royal Bank (RY)! No way. Story short, I now hold JFS.UN in both my non-registered and RRSP portfolio.

I decided to say goodbye to Sprott Canadian Equity Fund inside my RRSP portfolio because since 2008, the fund had never been able to recover from the 2008 stock crash. Recently, the Sprott Energy Fund manage by Eric Nuttall featured in the Financial Post. I talked about this article previously, mostly because everything involving Sprott flash me straight in the eyes. I don't know if the author of the article was giving money by Sprott Asset Management because a wrong perception is being giving of the fund. Jonathan Ratner wrote an article that "sell" very well the Sprott Energy Fund. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Eric Sprott is buying journalists in order to promote himself and his businesses. But that is worthless because there will always be out there smart bloggers who are able to see after facts and give their own and honest opinion about what's going on.

The article of Jonathan Ratner start with this punch line: "Welcome in my TFSA portfolio Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners LP (BEP.UN)! Eric Nuttall’s Sprott Energy Fund has gained 16% this year, making it the sector’s top performer in Canada." Ok, well dummy, if you had invested in the Sprott Energy Fund before or way before the 2008 stock market crash, you wouldn't be sitting on a 16% gain, but on several thousands of money lost. 

Most financial journalists like Jonathan Ratner - if you can name that "journalist" - are really not deep thinker. Its a propaganda article. That poor Eric Nuttall might think of himself like he's doing a good job, but it is truly not the case.

Express investment portfolio Spring cleaning

The sky is grey in Montreal and its been like that for the past couple days. So while its not appealing to be outside, I stay inside, count my every single pennies and I try to figure out what I can to improve my situation in a way or another.

The first step was an easy: I needed to take advantage of the $20 000+ contribution room available inside my TFSA. I had called TD Waterhouse this past weekend but the broker couldn't take any orders for the TFSA. Anyway, I called today and I proceed with two contribution in kind. I had two investments hold inside my non-registered portfolio and got them transferred to my TFSA. Those investments are: Laurentian Bank of Canada (LB) and The North West Company Inc. (NWC).

I also proceed with a $1 120 cash contribution for my TFSA. This is for my next investment move. Yesterday, I announced that my next investment will be in Northland Power Inc. (NPI). I received a comment from a reader suggesting Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P. (BEP.UN) and  Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (BIP.UN) as investment. BEP.UN seem to be stronger than NPI and I have to say, BEP.UN appears a bit more appealing. I am still thinking as the money is getting transferred into my TFSA.

Another thing I did is to set up back a DRIP inside my non-registered and TFSA account. I never had a DRIP in my TFSA, but I had, back in the old days, a DRIP in my non-registered portfolio. What will be able to DRIP and reinvestment will be. EIF, PBH, JE and some other stocks will DRIP, some won't, because the amount earn in dividend is too low. I registered to a DRIP so that way, I will be more on a strict budget. I am spending too much these days and I came with this little trick to reduce the money I have at my disposal. I had a DRIP inside my RRSP since the start.

And finally but not the least, I had place a sell order for all of the units I hold of Sprott Canadian Equity Fund. I cannot wait to get ride of this investment. Every single investments I had been holding of Eric Sprott had turned into complete disaster. The money collect will be reinvested, probably in JFS.UN. I cannot wait.

His name is not Eric Sprott, but Eric Nuttall

In my investment life, Sprott Inc. (SII) was the first stock I ever bought. At that time, Eric Sprott was everywhere, Jean-François Tardif was shaking up the market with the hedge fund he was managing at Sprott Asset Management. With all that, the Dividend Girl couldn't do better than just go in and invest in everything that Eric Sprott was talking about.

And among those investments, I had invested, several years ago, in the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund. Back in the days, I couldn't invested in Jean-François Tardif hedge fund because the minimum required was $100 000. At the time, the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund was performing very well, it had a good history chart and well, so investing in the the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund inside my RRSP seemed to be the thing to do. Unfortunately, shortly after, the stock market crash deeply (2008) and the the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund haven't been able to fully recover the crash. In such market instability, the fund couldn't perfom and still can't.

I invested $7 000 in total inside the the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund and that invested currently worth $3 476.98, about half of its old value... It doesn't seem to me like the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund is going to be back on track anytime soon. Is there anything I can do to fix the situation?

These days, Eric, not Eric Sprott, but Eric Nuttall is stealing the show. Eric Nuttall manage the Sprott Energy Fund. Is being said that the fund he's managing gain 16% this year, but what the article is not sating is that year to date, just like the Sprott Canadian Equity Fund, the Sprott Energy Fund never been able to recover to its old days of glory. Both Sprott Canadian Equity Fund and Sprott Energy Fund never been able to reach back their value of BEFORE the 2008 stock crash.

What does this mean? BAD MANAGEMENT. My best advice: stay away from everything related to Eric Sprott and Sprott Asset Management. In front of volatile market, Sprott guys have no idea of what they are doing.

And option would be to sell of my investment in Sprott Canadian Equity Fund and reinvest the money in the JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN). JFS.UN never disappointed me and I think my money could recover and I would be in a better financial position with Jean-François Tardif.

My next investment move: Northland Power Inc. (NPI)

I always knew that RBC Royal Bank was just too boring to actually be my next investment. Just recently, I received a letter from RBC asking me to call them and fix an appointment with an adviser so my situation could be reviewed regarding my credit line I have with them and my general situation. I don't understand the point of sending me such letter because that credit line is completely paid off and I do no hold any investment with them anymore.

Back in the days, when I was building my portfolio and was at a critical point, RBC sent me a letter saying that the interest rate on my credit line was getting increased. I try to get that reversed, but all of my interventions fail. Terribly insulted, in result, I sold out all of the investments I was holding with RBC Royal Bank and I quickly paid off that credit line. Now that I have a net worth closed to the 150k and no debt that can be view on my credit score, who look like a loser now? The fact that my margin account that I hold at TD Waterhouse doesn't show up on my credit score is a real turn on. All girls have their own little dirty secrets after all and I am no exception to the rule.

LOL.

Am I really going to hold the stock of one of my enemies in? Deep inside, the answer is NO.

 

RY is a grandpa stock - not an investment for a hot chick. So I keep looking around, looking, searching... Come on, I can do better! And its when that I suddenly remembered a stock that been review by Lou and I just couldn't find it. I didn't remember the company name, but I clearly remember that it was involved in wind energy. I like the clean energy sector, and that company - from what I remembered and it still the case - had a very good overall chart. The company completely recover from the 2008 stock market crash and pay a very good dividend, 6% yield, way to go.

Want to know for real what is the name of that fantastic stock? Well rock on and get very excited, RIGHT NOW, because the name of my new baby is: Northland Power Inc. (NPI). Currently at TD Waterhouse, the stock has an 8 buy rate note. However, I wouldn't recommend to invest massively in that stock, but investing just a bit in it could be a nice way to have a feet in the clean energy sector. And all decent investors should be investing in that sector.

Even if they are disgusting, I might invest one of these days in RBC. Its really sad, but that bank is very solid  and unfortunately, I need that kind of stocks in my portfolio.

As you know, I reached 205k in investment value not long ago and I had to do something to celebrate! So I went and got my first gel manicure ever and of course, I picked a nice pink color. Going for a gel manicure is something I could get really addicted to, but I find that I have as good result doing it on my on. It stay on for about a week. And talking about money, my non-registered portfolio is currently at $139 186.65, which mean that my net worth is probably lightly exceeding the 140k. I never thought it was going to happen so quickly. My domain name is myfirst50000.com - and its not for nothing. I thought it would take me forever to even just reach the 50k. Surprise, making and loosing money on the stock market is SUPER easy after all. ;-)