Greece acting like gansters crew. The no to the referendum: revolutionary or a dumb show?

I didn't post anything in quite sometime, I had been busy, got a few vacation days and now I am getting back to the usual. I had been away, but I kept an eyes on what was going on. It was with no surprise that I learn that the No had won the referendum in Greece. Its a poor country and its residents are desperately trying to the get out of hell. Imagine having to live with the fear of not being able to access to your very own money. Not to be able to withdraw money without having to face long waiting lines and, even worst - having to face the lack of available cash.

Greece debt shouldn't be erase, but I hope the Euro zone will take in consideration all of the craziness that those people have to endure. There's no way out, but a long term solution need to be taking and Greece need to make commitments and have an in deep control of their finances.

With all that activity, my non-registered portfolio is down to $128 365.67 - far from the old 135 something... I really hate it when the stock market get so volatile. There's just no way out and there' seem to be no proper way to do things, no investment seem to be stable and strong enough to face the eventuality of a stock market crash.

The strangest thing ever is to actually have money, but the problem is: in what to invest in, is now a good time to buy? At this point, in the hot summer heat, after a cold winter, I do not really care and the strangest thing ever is actually not doing nothing with my money, for the really first time of my life. Like a big f off to the whole universe.

The Dividend Girl is about to turn into a Quebecker. What???!!! DAMN.

Even after now 3 years that I am back in Quebec, I still had my New Brunswick health card. I didn't want to get a Quebec one. My reason was that I don't need any cheap Quebec doctor to take care of me, I am never sick, I am not in need of any health care. I am invincible. We all know that of course. However, a few weeks ago, I decided it was time to get my Quebec health card, even it was only to cover my ass in case of an emergency, in case an accident arrive or something. Or in case I become pregnant. LOL. I tried to be intelligent, I place a call, said I arrived in Quebec in April (whatever!), got the form and than I went to a CLSC to depose the papers and it was about it.

Its the step I didn't want to make because it kind of make of me a Quebecker now and I am not too proud about that, but I needed to be practical so here am I. I definitely needed a Quebec health care because I am way too far away from my hometown now. Its just an administrative thing, its not because I will soon be holding a Quebec health card that I considered myself a Quebecker. A wild thing like me is way too smart to be define as a Quebecker.

I think the tragedy of my entire existence is not able to get what I want, not to do what I want and not to live where I really want. It a life I have no control on. My other lives must had been very bad because this one really suck so far.

Still bitching like always sexy, but I have to say, Montreal turn to be a magical place during summer time. I went to many free concert during the Francopholies and took many videos like this one that I will soon post, but it take forever to download. Ok, so enjoy this first one - but just prepare to change position at one point.

This was Radio Radio. They open the Francopholies of Montreal this year. We'll talk about money in another post sometime.

This blog title could had been: How to deal with the volatility of stock market without too much pain? Do it with a ganster spirit

I don't know if Greece situation will ever get better. With all those millions and millions of dollars won, where are they going to find the money to pay back - especially now. And I don't understand why the FMI let Greece go so down so badly. In fact, that so call organization is not capable to prevent crisis, it only deal with shit once its obvious that there is a problem somewhere... Anyway, if you want my in deep and very honest opinion, we cannot change the world, but we can certainly play things on our favor. Fact is, small investors are sometime way smarter than any government.We prove that we can do a lot with the little money we earn every single day.

One of the hardest thing to deal while investing is how to deal with such shit. Each time, my portfolio survive, but this is no fun. One of the most scary thing ever is when that nuclear thing happen in Japan. My opinion was that the stock market - mine - the Canadian one - was going to go down badly, but it didn't. So try to understand that shitty place that is the stock market - your going to turn crazy. I stop a long time ago trying to understand anything related to the stock market and this is why I am still on the run.

The honest answer to that wonderful question: How to deal with stock market shit without too much pain? - IS: DON'T GIVE A DAMN. Do your nails, have your coloration done, exercise, do something, move on, BUT CERTAINLY, DO NOT sell anything.

Et voilà. That is how to deal with market shit. :-)

Taking a good breath might help as well.

Currently, my non-registered portfolio is down to $128 876.57. Unfortunately, when the TSX go down, my portfolio take a hit and its a pain each time. I have a left margin value of $13 705.45, which is not to bad, but I am far from the usual 17k. I need to keep track of the situation just to watch out because in my case, I have a margin. And since I don't plan to pay back my $66 000 margin debt anytime soon, I need to watch what is going on, because in result, my portfolio value go down, as well as the value.

In 10 years from now, I hope that I will be able to look back and say, all that worth it after all. It still worth it in the meantime. I am pretty sure that my net worth still exceed the $100 000. I didn't do too badly. But I could had done certainly better, that's for sure. And its the reason why I am doing my best to stay in control of money. My newest investment in Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (BIP.UN) done well so far, I gain a 1.22% on the money already. I love when a new invest grow quickly like that. I am after all a pretty smart chick. And I am turning 35 in August!!!!

** DRAMA**

Other than looking myself carefully in the mirror each day, just like usual, I am still questioning myself on what will be my next investment and I have a pretty good idea. Once again, I will do just like Derek Foster. This one won't bring in the immediate a lot of dividend cash, but since the game is to invest for better tomorrows, maybe Canadian National Railway Company (CNR) is a good investment move. I am a fan of that stock. I made thousands on CNR inside my non-registered portfolio. Can I make possibly a thousands more on the stock? Probably. I didn't see CNR trading so  low in a very long time. I still have contribution room left in my TFSA, I feel this could be a good fit.

Life is really only about money

I guess you all wonder what meant the allusion to "Redwood City" in that post. I had been approached by an organization located in Redwood City. Someone from their social media team approached me, asking a few questions, which result in that post. And following what, the representative came back to me asking to add a link in my post to their free online calculator. I explain I could do so with a monetary compensation, but no cash had been offered. Sorry, but I don't sell myself for free. 

Fact is, the world of personal finance is a super HUGE business and its good business niche. Its not for nothing that a guy behind PayPal is the CEO of that X organization that I won't ever publicize for free on this blog because on my blog, I am the only star.

The TSX is doing doing very well lately and in result, I had lost a few thousands in value.

Welcome in my TFSA portfolio Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP (BIP.UN)!

Recently, Derek Foster invested in one of my top favorite: Canadian National Railway Company (CNR). I hold CNR in both my TFSA and non-registered account. In my non-registered account, CNR pop up to a +84 profit. I haven't been holding CNR in my TFSA account long enough to see a result., I am at -4.78% there. I agree with Derek with this new one, Canadian National Railway Company currently trade at a low value and it worth it to buy now - if possible inside your TFSA if you have any contribution room left - and hold on for many many years and just watch the capital gain going higher and higher.

I was excited to see that Derek Foster is finally getting back into Canadian stock, but unfortunately, CNR is nothing new to me, thanks to Susan Brunner. So I had been checking around for a new stock. Despite having a few thousands at my disposal since Glendel disappeared from the Canadian stock market, I haven't invested a penny, which is very unusual. At my early beginning, it was easier to invest because I wasn't holding nothing. But after investing for a few years now, it became harder and harder to invest. One reason being that I already hold many good stocks. And another reason is that I want to make sure I am making the best investing moves. 

As for the best investing move, nothing is never sure. However, I am always confident of all my investment choices and I never have any doubt when I decided to finally make that next investment. Another extraordinary life moment happen today when, after a couple of days, not to say a couple of weeks, I decided it was time to buy something new for my already very good looking portfolio.

I decided to invest in Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP (BIP.UN). This new investment bring my annual dividend income to $6 201 and 92 cents (and I am not counting here my RRSP dividend because they are out of reach). Another cool investment could had been Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM), but at this time, I found CM not cheap at all and since its more expensive, I decided to go with BIP.UN for now. My order will go on tomorrow morning.

Can dividend income help you take control of your money and life? In Redwood City, money means everything

It is now that I will be turning 35 in August that I realized that money never been a very fundamental part of my life. Yes, I am what you could considered a financial blogger, I do care about money, but not to point where I am searching for real richness or anything technically even near. My domain address is myfirst50000.com, and its not for no reason. All I ever wanted is a $50 000 net worth, after that, the money experience could take me to whatever.

Someone came by this blog saying that the "20s are typically the perfect time to start planning for retirement, but sometimes life gets in the way." You bet! LOL. Well, to that I can only reply, that the 20s were meant to be live, and not to care a minute about a financial future, but not to jump in excessive spending either. I studied until my late twenties, but I never came across a career path or something specific that I wanted to do. I am not a very career oriented girl, and I don't care about most stuff that society around us want us to care about: flashy big house, flashy big car, fancy clothes, expensive vacations and so on. 

In my twenties, what help me the most with what I have today is making very smart choices regarding my education. Most of young people finish university and other with huge student loan debt. It barely make any sens at all to start your live so heavily handicap by already owning so much when you barely had time to live. And young people get easily stuck in the pattern. They enroll into debt because its the way things are. But the choice is always there no matter what. I stop trying to understand a long time ago.

I don't think I could be in a better financial situation now, but I don't think a lot of people will agree on that for sure.

 

My new $10 000 credit line at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM)

I already wrote about this one, a few days ago, I received a call from a CIBC representative saying I was pre-approved for a credit line. I went to a CIBC branch to have it open. Without having to even ask for it, I got a brand new $10 000 credit line, just like that, at an interesting interest rate compare to the other credit stuff I have. The interest rate is less than 7%. Fine with me. No credit check was required, so why not. 

Glentel Inc. (GLN) is now out of my portfolio for good and doesn't exist on the TMX anymore. I had received cash for all of my GLN stocks in both my TFSA and non-registered account. And of course, like usual when I have money available, I am thinking of my next investments. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM) itself doesn't seem as a bad choice. CM stocks are super expensive, but its yield of 4.59% is not leaving me indifferent. I am still thinking of my old crush Northland Power Inc. (NPI). Another cool stock seem to be Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP (BIP.UN) on which Gordon Pape hugely publicized in the recent past weeks. Other than Gordon Pape, BIP.UN seems to be an interesting investment.

For now, my 2 top picks for my TFSA are: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM) and Northland Power Inc. (NPI). I should hurry up and place my investment orders, but I didn't do nothing since received cash for my GLN shares.

I am currently waiting for my JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN) investment to hit on the $2 500 value so I can sell some units and bring on a $500 cash, like I did in the past. However, this is not going to happen anytime soon. I was curious to see what the investment manager of JFS.UN, First Asset Investment Management Inc. have to offer. And I find this page interesting. One of the most profitable EFT presents on that page is First Asset Morningstar National Bank Québec Index ETF (QXM). QXM is a five stars Morningstar EFT. Its management fee is only of 0.50%. Its surprising, but QXM is one that brought in most of cash since its inspection and on a one year. But when looking at the holding, I see a lot of stuff that I don't like: Yellow Pages, Dorel, Power Financial, SNC Lavalin... No thanks. I pass. NEXT.

I am not in a hurry to invest because I am not exactly sure of what I want. I cannot mess  up with my next investments. I think CM will be my next investment in my TFSA. I will announce when it will be finally done.

For June - that is tomorrow... my rent is getting increased of a $10, making it to $635. I am really not very happy about it.

Tell me how many credit cards you hold, and I will tell who you are, even if you are a cheap Tequila girl

Those Canadian banks are always ready to make money on the back of poor people. When they are not looking to increase the interest rate of your credit line for no reason like did to me RBC Royal Bank a few years ago - or even worst - they offer you credit line when you did not even ask for one. Never mind, you are pre-approve dude! Ohh yeahh. But does that make any sense at all? Nope!

Credit cards, credit lines, name them, I love them all, especially at low interest rates. I am the perfect example of the typical very nice girl next door who only have to play of her sexy lashes to have all bankers of Montreal downtown throwing money at her with all sort of credit cards and credit lines, you can barely imagine.

Here is what look my credit portfolio:

X credit card with a credit card limit:  $2 600

X credit card with a credit card limit: $7 000

X credit card with a credit card limit: $5 000

X credit line with a credit line limit: $5 000

X credit card with a credit card limit: $500

X credit line with a credit line limit: $15 000

X credit card with a credit card limit: $11 300

X credit line with a credit line limit: $10 000

Best of all, I hold an invisible debt - my margin account debt - $66 000 - doesn't appear on any credit score. Its magic. And I have $17 000 of that magic left to be spend.

I  am currently holding on to $139 000 in term of credits, which is a one thousand more than my annual income for 2014... Is it being consider normal by banks in Canada to hold the equivalent of one year of salary before taxes in credit junk? Unfortunately, yes it is. And they are the ones who need to be blame for the sometime too high level of debt hold by young people.

But this is not the worst.

No matter what is being said about Canada, our beautiful country is corrupted all around. Another example of corruption in Canada is the extreme high cost of university education. Those who decided to enroll in those extremely expensive learning programs can only be a bunch of dummies. Still, its completely immoral to see that happening. University staff are just as corrupted as Stephen Harper government

Education is out of reach, and employment is out of reach too... We lost thousands and thousands of job in April. But during that time university staff keep their big paycheque deep inside their pockets.

Another matter of corruption is the too high cost of housing - especially in cities like Vancouver and Toronto. And guess who make huge bucks from that type of corruption? Banks. The same bank that is now offering me a credit line at less than 7% is also highly involved in the mortgage market.

I have an annual income salary of less than 60k, I have a net worth less than 200k, but no matter what, the Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce had approved me for a credit line... Don't you see that there's something wrong here? I would like to see Canada being on top of everything but here like in too many places worldwide, our system is all fuck up. We are not better. And I am a credit junkie.

I am getting the star treatment at CIBC

A couple of weeks ago, if you remembered, I had received a call from a representative of RBC Royal Bank, asking me to review my account with them. I declined their offer because a few years ago, for no reason at all - and no sign of change with the prime rate - RBC decided to increase the interest rate of a credit line that I had with them and that I was using. I only had a small balance and had several thousands in investment with RBC Royal Bank at the time, but no matter what, a decision was made to increase the interest rate. And in result of course, as you may already know the story, I sold all of the investments I had with the no class bastards and I quickly paid of my credit line. I stop using my RBC credit line, as well as my RBC credit card. For me, RBC Royal Bank mean nothing at all, if not only shit.

I had a very bad experience with RBC Royal Bank, but fortunately enough, its not every bank in Canada that like to treat the Dividend Girl like a real piece of shit. I am not repeating myself with my old dying stories like you may think, but I am coming to it. I had received a call from a CIBC representative. That one wanted to give me a credit line at a very low interest rate, something like 6.25%. So I told myself, why not? After that, my idea is to withdraw all of the credit I hold, all of the credit lines and credit cards I have, put the cash in a suitcase and fly to the in deep jungle of Vietnam where no one could find me. Of course, this is a joke, but... LOL.

I want to take advantage of the CIBC offers just to show off. After all, it won't cost me anything and it will be there in case of needs, just like the thousands of other dollars I have in credit at my disposal. CIBC bank did the right thing, they decided to treat me like a princess and you know what, they are totally right about it.

Glentel Inc. (GLN) is no longer trading on the stock market, but the stocks still appear in my online portfolio, but with the mark of an * so I guess it mean something is pending. I had been thinking of new investments to take over the left place - and why not CIBC? After all, Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM) pay a good 4.4% dividend yield distribution to its investor. I may invest in CM inside my non-registered portfolio. I am pretty sure that CIBC has a very good loan margin value. Maybe even 80% and I do need high margin value stock like that inside my non-registered portfolio.

And for my TFSA, to take the place of Glentel Inc. (GLN), I am still thinking. Maybe BIP.UN, but I don't know yet.

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.