The Dividend Girl

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

My newest investment idea: AG Growth International Inc. (AFN)

My investments closed slightly lower today, but it was not too significant. The TSX closed in positive territory, remaining at 20,700 points. My non-registered portfolio closed today's session at $149,000.53, my US portfolio at $5,080.08 US, my RRSP stocks-only portfolio at $65,457.75, and my TFSA portfolio at $128,432.29. Yesterday, I noticed that my non-registered portfolio was about to reach $150,000, so I immediately updated my investment portfolio. As a result, I discovered that my net worth had reached $366,000. It felt like receiving a small gift just before Valentine's Day.

One of the things I enjoy most about updating my investment portfolio on good days is that it enables me to determine whether or not I have exceeded my highest net worth. I keep a record of my investment portfolios and net worth for my personal satisfaction. If, for any reason, the stock market takes a bad turn and experiences a significant decline, which can happen at any time, I will always have my highest net worth recorded somewhere as a reference. It will act like a little souvenir from my hottest point. I always hope for the best, but if I have to endure a period of loss, which has occurred to me before, I will always have that highest net worth to refer to. The logic behind this is that if I have been there once, I can make my way back there, even if it takes some time. It's always the same pattern: at some point, the stock market declines, and when it does, I just need to hold on to what I have. If anything, I can invest in stocks when prices are low.

To add to the fun, many of the stocks I currently hold have recently announced dividend increases. Today, both TC Energy Corporation (TRP) and Toromont Industries Ltd (TIH) announced that they were increasing their dividend distributions. It is now official that the dividend income generated from my non-registered and TFSA portfolios amounts to the equivalent of $850 per month, plus a few pennies. This is enough to cover my rent in Montreal, as well as my cell phone and internet bills.

Overall, my annual dividend income, including the dividends earned inside my RRSP, is getting closer to $12,200. If I can earn $12,000 annually from both my non-registered and TFSA portfolios, that would be great.

However, I am not in a rush to see that happen. Recently, I have been considering the Hamilton Enhanced U.S. Covered Call ETF (HYLD). Its yield of 14.25% is extremely tempting. I enjoy creating financial scenarios, and my dividend income is no exception. For example, if I invested $5,000 in HYLD, I would earn $57 per month, increasing my non-registered and TFSA dividend income to over $900 per month. Who wouldn't be tempted by that?

When it comes to HYLD, my heart says yes, but my head says no. A dividend yield of 14.25% does not make sense, and it is not sustainable. No high-quality stock can reasonably pay such a high dividend yield. Therefore, I have decided to stay away, and I can control myself, believe it or not. While investing, dividends should never be your number one focus. Many super high-quality stocks pay a low dividend distribution. It's way better to build your dividend income slowly rather than throwing your money in an ETF that doesn't make any sense. HYLD doesn't make sense to me.

Lately, I discovered a stock that I haven't noticed before and that I actually never heard of: AG Growth International Inc. (AFN). It's the second-largest position in the JFT Strategies Fund Class A Units (JFS.UN). Why did I never notice it before? I don't know. I may have come across this stock while I was a user of Stockopedia, but I may have quickly passed it by due to its volatile chart. While browsing for stocks on Stockopedia, I used to check everything, but I selected my stocks based on the overall chart of each potential investment.

Currently, I have a couple of hundred dollars available in my RRSP to invest, which is why I have been actively searching for a new investment. I have to admit, without my Stockopedia subscription, I feel a bit lost. Ideas for investments are taking more time to come by, and it's extremely annoying. It's times like these that I really miss Stockopedia.

Monday, February 13, 2023

Historic of my Total assets and Net worth values on date of February 13, 2023

2023

Total in assets: $413,311.52/Net worth: $366,524.01: February 13, 2023 - My highest net worth value EVER!!!

Total in assets: $411,186.99/Net worth: $364,399.48: February 10, 2023

Total in assets: $408,656.95/Net worth: $361,844.12: February 7, 2023

Total in assets: $407,606.87/Net worth: $361,043.28: January 17, 2023

Total in assets: $405,708.89/Net worth: $359,060.31: January 16, 2023

Total in assets: $404,983.22/Net worth: $358,324.64: January 13, 2023

Total in assets: $403,429.72/Net worth: $356,771.14: January 12, 2023

Total in assets: $399,232.95/Net worth: $352,574.37: January 11, 2023

Total in assets: $396,629.76/Net worth $349,971.18: January 10, 2023

Total in assets: $395,568.27/Net worth $348,909.69: January 9, 2023
Total in assets: $393,444.59/Net worth $346,786.01: January 6, 2023

2022

Total in assets: $384,602.29/Net worth $337,875.65: December 30, 2022

Total in assets: $394,205.35/Net worth $347,621.02: November 25, 2022

Total in assets: $383,659.43/Net worth $337,227.95: November 11, 2022

Total in assets: $373,493.10/Net worth $327,061.62: November 4, 2022

Total in assets: $356,147.14/Net worth $309,920.82: October 11, 2022

Total in assets: $396,620.95/Net worth $350,590.82: August 14, 2022

Total in assets: $369,523.83/Net worth $323,815.43: June 24, 2022

Total in assets: $367,287.71/Net worth $321,579.31: June 20, 2022

Total in assets: $364,145.55/Net worth $318,437.15: June 18, 2022

Total in assets: $398,010.84/Net worth $352,164.94: June 2, 2022

Total in assets: $385,843.39/Net worth May 20, 2022: $340,156.47

Total in assets: $407,547.23/Net worth $361,442.42: April 20, 2022

Total in assets: $405,658.35/Net worth $358,941.11: March 29, 2022

Total in assets: $403,792.28/Net worth $357,075.04: March 25, 2022

Total in assets: $402,081.01/Net worth $355,363.77: March 22, 2022

Total in assets: $400,979.64/Net worth $354,262.40: March 21, 2022 - First time I ever hit on the $400,000 in total assets!

Total in assets: $398,652.13/Net worth $352,071.24: March 18, 2022 - First time I ever hit on the $350,000 in net worth value!

Total in assets: $396,355.91/Net worth $349,713.01: March 10, 2022

Total in assets: $393,037.13/Net worth: $347,573.53: March 4, 2022

Total in assets: $391,766.36/Net worth: $345,622.80: February 9, 2022

Total in assets: $382,726.19/Net worth: $341,862.36: February 2, 2022

Total in assets: $386,320.32/Net worth: $340,128.37: February 1st, 2022

2021

Total in assets: $385,979.66/Net worth: $339,434.39: December 31, 2021

Total in assets: $382,726.19/Net worth: $336,268.16: December 23, 2021

Total in assets: $388,421.37/Net worth: $340,312.77 - FIRST TIME I EVER REACHED A $340,000 NET WORTH!
November 8, 2021

Total in assets: $387,068.51/Net worth: $338,959.91: November 5, 2021

Total in assets: $384,785.92/Net worth: $336,781.52: October 20, 2021

Total in assets: $382,580.80/Net worth: $334,576.40: October 19, 2021

Total in assets: $379,263.95/Net worth: $330,680.17: October 14, 2021

Total in assets: $364,072.52/Net worth: $315,407.64: July 26, 2021
Total in assets: $358,867.59/Net worth: $311,858.22: June 15, 2021
Total in assets: $354,774.64/Net worth: $307,559.30: June 10, 2021
Total in assets: $348,042.77/Net worth: $300,799.45 - FIRST TIME I EVER REACHED 300k in net worth, on May 26, 2021
Total in assets: $346,583.88/Net worth: $298,486.93: May 20, 2021
Total in assets: $349,651.45/Net worth: $298,435.31: May 7, 2021
Total in assets: $347,002.53/Net worth: $297,614.64: April 16, 2021
Total in assets: $338,188.16/Net worth: $287,914.75: March 11, 2021
Total in assets: $333,970.92/Net worth: $283,675.99: March 9, 2021
Total in assets: $328,881.12/Net worth: $279,611.57: February 10, 2021
Total in assets: $326,670.02/Net worth: $278,758.37: February 8, 2021
Total in assets: $324,891.52/Net worth: $276,979.87: February 4, 2021
Total in assets: $322,236.52/Net worth: $274,318.36: February 3, 2021
Total in assets: $327,639.01/Net worth: $274,298.23: January 19, 2021
Total in assets: $316,192.85/Net worth: $268,180.14: January 7, 2021
Total in assets: $313,003.95/Net worth: $264,915.22: January 6, 2021
Total in assets: $310,587.36/Net worth: $262,498.63: January 5, 2021

2020
Total in assets: $310,392.38/Net worth: $259,661.24: December 31, 2020
Total in assets: $307,812.05/Net worth: $259,070.79: December 24, 2020
Total in assets: $306,444.25/Net worth: $258,948.73: December 4, 2020
Total in assets: $304,701.39/Net worth: $257,331.58: November 27, 2020
Total in assets: $300,956.84/Net worth: $253,587.03: November 24, 2020
Total in assets: $298,903.01/Net worth: $251,533.20: November 23, 2020
Total in assets: $296,643.60/Net worth: $249,158.71: November 20, 2020
Total in assets: $294,514.87/Net worth: $247,145.87: November 11, 2020
Total in assets: $291,172.40/Net worth: $243,802.59: November 10, 2020
Total in assets: $287 803.13/Net worth: $240 433.32: November 9, 2020
Total in assets: $277,872.92/Net worth: $226,678.26: August 5, 2020
Total in assets: $276,627.27/Net worth: $227,745.47: June 6, 2020
Total in assets: $263,304.63/Net worth: $211,395.63: April 29, 2020
Total in assets: $241 461,13/Net worth: $194 558,29: March 13, 2020
Total in assets: $282,640.61/Net worth: $235,284.72: February 21, 2020
Total in assets: $304,955.72/Net worth: $257,187.44: February 12, 2020
Total in assets: $296,200.07/Net worth: $250,595: January 16, 2020
Total in assets: $292,715.58/Net worth: $244,970.41: January 9, 2020

2019
Total in assets: $288,237.52/Net worth: $239,582.44: December 31, 2019
Total in assets: $278,823.27/Net worth: $230,902.04: September 17, 2019
Total in assets: $271,896.19/Net worth: 226,137.05: June 24, 2019
Total in assets: $269 950.21/Net worth: $222 942.87: April 5, 2019
Total in assets: $251 634.94/Net worth: $206 278.84: January 18, 2019
Total in assets: $238 656.07/Net worth: $191 009.83: January 4, 2019

2018
Total in assets: $270 679.86/Net worth: $204 306.57: November 16, 2018
Total in assets: $332 750.88/Net worth: $232 609.15: August 3, 2018
Total in assets: $331 413.83/Net worth: $232 280.40: June 20, 2018
Total in assets: $326 085.75/Net worth: $226 801.92: June 3, 2018
Total in assets: $322 479.23/Net worth: $222 850.15: May 4, 2018
Total in assets: $319 644.86/Net worth: $217 246.23: March 16, 2018

2017
Total in assets: $318 544.64/Net worth: $221 989.65: December 29, 2017
Net worth on the date of November 17, 2017: $211 430.89
Net worth on the date of October 27, 2017: $212 633.39
Net worth on the date of September 29, 2017: $206 352.49
Net worth on the date of April 24, 2017: $204 277.66
Net worth on the date of March 31, 2017: $200 325.69
Net worth on the date of March 29, 2017: $198 299.73
Net worth on the date of March 18, 2017: $193 969.21

2016
Net worth on the date of December 30, 2016: $184 074.35

Net worth after debt on the date of January 1, 2014:
$101 172.99 (yes, finally, IN NET WORTH!).

On the date of February 16, 2011, the TMX hit 14 000+ points, and I exceeded the 150k in assets! (Not net worth yet).

On September 9, 2010, I reached $100,000 in assets! (not in net worth yet).

On the date of August 5, 2009, I reached my investment goal: I reached $50 000 worth of assets! (NOW, net worth).

On the date of December 5, 2009, I had exceeded $60 000 in assets! (not in net worth yet).

My investment portfolio on date of February 13, 2023

Cold cash: $16,359.37

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $CAN

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

Methanex Corporation (MX)

Fortis Inc. (FTS)

Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL)

iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index (XRE)

New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI)

TMX Group Inc. (X)

K-Bro Linen Inc. (KBL)

TransCanada Corp (TRP)

Canadian National Railway Co (CNR)

Enbridge Inc. (ENB)

Emera Inc. (EMA)

Loblaw Companies (L)

Savaria Corporation (SIS)

WSP Global Inc. (WSP)

George Weston Limited (WN)

Power Corporation of Canada Subordinate Voting Shares (POW)

BCE Inc. (BCE)

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM)

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A)

TOTAL: $149,905.77

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $US:

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B)

General Mills Inc. (GIS)

Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund (VONG)

Pfizer Inc. (PFE)

TOTAL: $5,143.38 US: $6,913.73 CAN

Tax-free savings account (TFSA):

Dumont Nickel Inc. (DNI)

CT Real Estate Investment Trust (CRT.UN)

Canadian National Railway Co (CNR)

Exchange Income Corporation (EIF)

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (BIP.UN)

Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P. (BEP.UN)

Andrew Peller Limited (ADW.A)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Boyd Group Services Inc. (BYD)

Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (CAR.UN)

Data Communications Mgmt (DCM)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY)

Park Lawn Corporation (PLC)

Toromont Industries Ltd (TIH)

BCE Inc. (BCE)

Boralex Inc. Class A Shares (BLX)

Savaria Corporation (SIS)

Northland Power Inc. (NPI)

Calian Group Ltd. (CGY)

Canadian Utilities Limited (CU)

WSP Global Inc. (WSP)

Granite Real Estate Investment Trust (GRT.UN)

Cargojet Inc. (CJT)

Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)

TFI International Inc. (TFII)

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM)

SIR Royalty Income Fund (SRV.UN)

ATCO Ltd. (ACO.Y)

Aecon Group Inc. (ARE)

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A)

Metro Inc. (MRU)

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATD.A)

Fortis Inc. (FTS)

CGI Inc. (GIB.A)

TMX Group Limited (X)

Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BIPC)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BEPC)

Suncor Energy Inc. (SU)

Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI.B)

Telus Corp (T)

JFT Strategies Fund Class A Units (JFS.UN)

Bitcoin Fund The Class A units (QBTC)

Purpose Bitcoin ETF CAD ETF non-currency hedged units (BTCC.B)

3iQ CoinShares Ether ETF (ETHQ)

Tilray Inc (TLRY)

North West Company Inc. (The) (NWC)

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

National Bank of Canada (NA)

Stelco Holdings Inc. (STLC)

Hammond Manufacturing Company Limited Class A Subordinate Voting Shares (HMM.A)

Saputo Inc. (SAP)

Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corporation (LIF)

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (ITP)

Parex Resources Inc. (PXT)

Wescan Energy Corp. (WCE)

Verde Agritech Plc Ordinary Shares (NPK)

Wajax Corporation (WJX)

Whitecap Resources Inc. (WCP)

Goodfellow Inc. (GDL)

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN)

TOTAL: $127,758.35

RSP investment portfolio:

Emera Incorporated (EMA)

Ovintiv Inc. (OVV)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Telus Corp (T)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY)

Savaria Corporation (SIS)

Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI)

Park Lawn Corporation (PLC)

Richards Packaging Income Fund (RPI.UN)

Toromont Industries Ltd (TIH)

CAE Inc. (CAE)

CGI Group Inc. Class A Subordinate Voting Shares (GIB.A)

Boralex Inc. Class A Shares (BLX)

Quebecor Inc. (QBR.B)

Logistec Corporation Class B Subordinate Voting Shares (LGT.B)

Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP.UN)

Leon's Furniture Limited (LNF)

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BEPC)

Cascades Inc. (CAS)

JFT Strategies Fund Class A Units (JFS.UN)

AirBoss of America Corp. (BOS)

Suncor Energy Inc. (SU)

Pender Growth Fund Inc. (PTF)

Rogers Communications Inc. Class B Non-voting Shares (RCI.B)

ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. (ATA)

Algoma Central Corporation (ALC)

Finning International Inc. (FTT)

Guardian Capital Group Limited (GCG)

Information Services Corporation Class A Limited Voting Shares (ISV)

Interfor Corporation (IFP)

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (MFI)

National Bank of Canada (NA)

Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)

Open Text Corporation (OTEX)

Taiga Building Products Ltd. (TBL)

Vitreous Glass Inc. (VCI)

Power Corporation of Canada Subordinate Voting Shares (POW)

North West Company Inc. (The) (NWC)

Whitecap Resources Inc. (WCP)

Parex Resources Inc. (PXT)

North West Company Inc. (The) (NWC)

Wajax Corporation (WJX)

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM)

Total: $65,483.88

CIBC Dividend Growth Fund + CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund + CIBC Monthly Income Fund: $3,402.50

Others: $1,159.90

NBI Income Fund: $1,232.99

Manulife Fidelity NorthStar GIF CAP

Manulife Simplicity Growth Portfolio

Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund

Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund

Manulife GIF MLIA B World Invest

Total: $8,336.14

Other various: $32,682.24

TOTAL: $112,297.65

Social Capital at Desjardins Membership share: $35

Online money: $41.65

Savings + Stocks, units, mutual funds + Tax-free Savings account + RRSP:

TOTAL: $413,311.52

On the date February 13,2023

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Reflecting on my Investment Journey: A Detailed Review of My Debt and Portfolio Development from 2007 to Present

A few days ago, I received a special request on Twitter from @jdilillo suggesting an idea for my next blog post: a comprehensive review of my debt situation.

I accept the challenge, my friend! For the past 14 years, my personal finance has provided me with various subjects to write about and I've never grown tired of it. One subject I frequently address on my blog is my debt. However, I've never written a comprehensive review of my debt over the years, so let's get started!

I do discuss my debt regularly. Whenever I publish an update on my investment portfolio, I also update my debt situation at the same time. These posts are labeled "debt situation" and can be easily found on the right-hand side of my blog under the "LABELS" column. This makes it simple to review my debt situation over time.

The Early Days: 2007

So, let's take a trip back in time to August 13, 2007. I was 26 when I published my first blog post. At the start of my financial journey, I had a mix of credit card and student loan debt. Here's a snapshot of my financial situation at that time:

Total credit card debt: $2,815.85

Student loans: $12,369.03 at 8.75%

Total debt: $15,184.88

I never felt uncomfortable with debt, but I always knew that I needed to avoid or quickly pay off credit card debt. I started my financial journey with a student loan of less than $15,000, which is a manageable amount. Fortunately, I was able to progress in my education without taking on too much debt. I have always been good at managing my money, even as a teenager. I was born in 1980 and the Internet became available when I was around 15-16 or 17 years old. I remember going to the high school library to access the Internet. At the time, we didn't fully understand what we were looking at, and we would browse slowly on big, heavy computer screens. Social media didn't exist then, and we weren't exposed to as much advertising and social trends as today's teenagers are.

In my opinion, today's world is not conducive to saving money for young people. There are too many temptations, and social media is not helping the situation. In my day, we read books, played outside, and spent less time online. My fondest childhood memories are from playing in that sand pit that my father made for us behind the house. I loved playing with bricks, and we had plenty of them. Social media, YouTube, etc. have both good and bad aspects. On the positive side, for those who want to learn about saving money and investing, information is now more readily available than ever before.

And that's because of the Internet. The abundance of information available online can be both good and bad. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of parents to educate their children about money matters. I was taught the importance of saving money, to avoid credit card debt, and to be mindful with my finances. Money was important, but not a source of stress or obsession. I believe that growing up in New Brunswick, as I did, helped shape my relationship with money in a positive way. Being raised in the 80s in a smaller town probably made life less stressful and more manageable than living in a big city, where life can be more complicated and expensive.

I remember that before starting my blog in 2007, I made payments of $1,000 per month for about 6 months straight on my student loan, and after that, I only made the minimum required payment. So my student loan debt was probably slightly over $12,000 when I completed my studies, but it never reached 40k or 50k. Today, everything is more expensive, including tuition fees. Many young people are starting their adult lives with a significant amount of student debt, which can be a difficult burden to bear.

I am aware that many millennials are facing complex financial situations due to high levels of student loan debt. Making minimum payments on these loans every month can make it challenging to save money. I have never had to deal with severe limitations, and I have always had a fair degree of freedom in my choices. Personally, I never experienced much stress in regards to paying off my student loan debt as it was small, and I could claim the interest on it as a deduction on my income tax. I view debt as a normal aspect of life, up to a certain degree.

In September 2007, I managed to pay down my credit card debt to $3,800.

Back in February 2008, it appears that I was still grappling with credit card debt.

In April 2009, this was my debt situation:

Student loan debt: $10,627.99

Credit card debt: $3,000 at 4.99% interest for 6 months

Credit line debt: $2,992.74

Total debt: $16,620.73

I recall receiving credit card balance transfer offers with low-interest rates, and I took full advantage of those opportunities at that time. Back then, there was no need to pay a current 1% balance, those were the good old days. I used the money to invest, of course.

In August 2009, I was still enjoying the benefits of credit card balance transfers, and I had a credit line debt...

"I have $4,813.02 on my TD credit line, and $2,675.53 on my TD Visa at a 3.99% interest rate. In about two weeks, I plan to transfer my debt from my TD Visa to an RBC Visa so I can take advantage of the 2.99% interest rate for a while, until I can get a third job or something."

I was ambitious, but I only dealt with small amounts.

2010: The Year I Opened My Margin Account

In February 2010, I took out a $10,000 RRSP loan.

Here's what my debt situation looked like in February 2010:

$8,517.94 at 4.75% = $404.60 in annual interest

$4,817.03 at 3.5% = $168.60 in annual interest

$4,436.21 at 3.9% = $173.01 in annual interest

$3,587.13 at 8% = $286.97 in annual interest

$10,000 at 4.75% = $475 in annual interest

Total debt: $31,358.31

Total annual interest: $1,508.18

Back in May 2010, I became interested in opening a margin account for my non-registered Canadian investment portfolio. In September 2010, I had a mix of student loan debt, RRSP credit line, and credit line debt, but no more credit card debt. In December 2010, I opened my margin account at TD Waterhouse. At the time, TD Waterhouse had an office located at the Eaton Center in downtown Montreal. I signed the papers for my margin account at that location. I still remember the day I opened my margin account because it was an exciting day for me. When I went back home, it was dark outside and there was a lot of snow.

When I opened my margin account on December 11, 2010, my non-registered portfolio was already established to a certain extent. At that time, the value of my non-registered portfolio was $72,232.12, while the value of my margin was $43,653.66. I had three years of experience investing in stocks. Although not a lot, I started investing just before the 2008 stock market crash, which in my opinion gave me the equivalent of ten years of experience. I believe I made the right decisions. When I opened my margin account, I did so because I wanted to have a greater holding than what I had at the time. I don't recommend that anyone start investing immediately with a margin account. It's better to first establish and build up your investment portfolio, observe its performance, gain some experience, and then consider opening a margin account.

I went from having a $0 debt on my margin account in 2010 to a $100,141.73 margin debt at 5% in August 2018. However, I only remained in the $100,000 margin debt range for a few months. At one point, I wasn't feeling comfortable anymore with my $100,000 margin debt situation. One reason was the uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump, and another reason was that I knew that at some point, the interest rate would eventually increase, and I didn't want to be stuck with a large $100,000+ margin debt. By November 2018, my margin debt had decreased to a more manageable level of $66,373.29, with an interest rate of 5.50%.

I went from having a $0 margin debt in 2010 to a $100,141.73 margin debt at 5% in August 2018. However, I only remained in that debt range for a few months. I started feeling uncomfortable with my debt situation due to uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump and the potential for an increase in interest rates. By November 2018, I reduced my margin debt to a more manageable level of $66,373.29, with an interest rate of 5.50%.

I feel comfortable when my margin debt is under $50,000. Currently, that debt is at $46,787.51 with an interest rate of 7.75%. I have been building up some savings and I am considering using it to partly pay down my margin debt. If I need money for any reason, I could withdraw it from my margin account. At 42 years old, I think it is the right decision.

You can follow me on Twitter, @SunnyJNB

Celebrating a Financial Milestone: Reaching My Personal Best Net Worth of $364,399.48

With the help of yesterday's paycheck, I was able to jump right into the $364,000 net worth, bringing it to exactly $364,399.48. I sincerely believe in my chances of reaching a net worth of $400,000 by the end of 2023. Currently, I am only missing $35,600.52 to make it happen. Although this represents a significant sum, there are still 10 months left before the end of the year, so everything remains possible.

I like to build little scenarios to see how I can reach my goal, and here's one based on my current $364,000 net worth:

I will add $15,000 to my savings by the end of the year;
I will earn an equivalent of $1,013 per month in dividend income over the next 10 months, totaling $10,130;
I will receive a 4% return on my current investment capital of $348,040.12 over the next 10 months, which would add up to $11,601.33.

When these amounts are added together, the total comes to $36,731.33, which is more than the $35,600.52 I need to reach my goal of a $400,000 net worth. However, the value of $348,040.12 is subject to fluctuations, and it is difficult to predict if I will be able to close with a 4% gain over the next 10 months. Nevertheless, I need to maintain my initial capital of $348,040.12, including a 4% annual gain, in order to reach my goal. We'll just have to wait and see how it all unfolds.

It seems like I keep writing this quite often these days, but I am not looking forward to investing in anything at this time. However, I closely monitor my investment portfolio, and I like to keep track of my stocks. This helps me stay focused and motivated. Obviously, I hold many of them, so it keeps me busy.

Recently, I have noticed that my investment in Goodfellow Inc. (GDL) has really begun to increase in value. Unfortunately, I only have a small position in GDL. In times like these, I wish I had invested more in the stock, but sometimes it's hard to predict success. Investing can sometimes be seen as a mini-gamble each time. The only way to protect myself from the risk is to reduce my exposure to the stock.

Recently, I opened a High Interest Savings Account with National Bank. The interest rate is only set at 1.50%, but I am willing to accept that. I don't want to lock down my money in a GIC, even though these days, locked GICs pay more in interest. I just never know when I might need the money. Right now, I only have slightly over $16,000 in savings. Even with $20,000 in savings, I wouldn't probably put any money in a GIC. Right now, building up my savings is my main priority, so I can be more financially secure. I am trying to build an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses, or even expected ones. I have been living paycheck to paycheck for almost 15 years, using all my money to invest.

In the past, I made things difficult for myself, but I have always been quite resourceful. For example, my debit card is not linked to my checking account, as I have always had low savings. Instead, it is linked to my credit line. So, when I withdraw money from an ATM, it doesn't come from my savings or checking account, but from my credit line. This was a good plan when interest rates were lower, but it no longer makes sense to continue this way.

Here in New Brunswick, I use cash payment more often than I do in Montreal. I need to make a change, especially now that I have more savings. I dislike calling customer service, but I won't have a choice if I want to make this change. Withdrawing money from my credit line, even if I put the funds back using my savings, incurs interest fees, and that's not necessary now that I have more than a couple of thousand in savings.

Saturday, February 11, 2023

Historic of my Total assets and Net worth values on date of February 10, 2023

2023

Total in assets: $411,186.99/Net worth: $364,399.48: February 10, 2023 - My highest net worth value EVER!!!