My first contribution in kind of the year... 2017

This past Friday, I proceed with my first TFSA contribution in kind of 2017. I took the shares of Park Lawn Corporation (PLC) and Andrew Peller Limited (ADW.A) that I was holding inside my non-registered account and have them transferred. I already had some ADW.A stocks in my TFSA, so it was "kind" of logic to have all ADW.A shares standing together in the same spot. With all those changes, my non-registered portfolio closed today session at $145 547.78.

I got stuck in a messy situation today. I received a call from my bank saying that my rent check didn't have enough fund... I totally forgot about my rent. I had proceed with a money transfer to my margin a couple days ago and I was real excitement because the amount was closed to 3k. Today incident make me think that this time is the good one.

This kind of things happen when you have no money at the bank. Its great to have a net worth of very close to $190 000, but it would be nice to have a couple thousands to show off and no more bank call please and no more stupid money problem.

Its time to proceed with new TFSA contribution in kind investments!

January is a great month for Canadian investors because it allow us to make a new contribution to our TFSA accounts. Investments made inside a TFSA are FREE OF TAXES. Which mean that the capital gain AND dividend earn inside a TFSA account are not tax, and will never be. For 2017, the TFSA contribution limit is of $5 500. Knowing how much I am pack of stocks inside my non-registered portfolio, no need to have new cash available to invest in my TFSA. 

What I like to do from time to time is call contribution in kind to my TFSA. A contribution in kind is when you take an investment from a non-registered account and transfer it to the TFSA. While doing so, when a stock is involved, the broker will ask if you want to invest at the lowest or highest value of the day. I never totally understand that question because at the end of the day, the stock price is fix. Anyway, proceeding with a contribution in kind is the easiest way to contribute to the TFSA when no fresh cash is available.

While doing a contribution in kind, there's a couple of things you need to watch out. The following is basically the TFSA contribution in kind "bible", so please enjoy and read carefully.

-Before proceeding with any contribution in kind, make sure you have contribution room left. If you exceed the amount you have left in contribution room for the TFSA, you'll pay very hard for your mistake. Its going to cost you money. You'll be very badly penalize, and you don't want that to happen because you are too sexy smart for that!

-If, inside the non-registered portfolio, if you have a margin account, you need to watch out carefully the loan value of the investment you think about switching over to the TFSA before doing the famous move. Because once the move is completed, your loan value left on the margin will drop. Personally, I try to only pick non-registered stock that have a low loan value.

-I like to pick non-registered stocks that are dividend payers.

-While proceeding with the contribution in kind over the phone with your broker to the curious question lower or highest level, I suggest to always ask for the lower value, that way, you'll have more room left to make even more investment inside the TFSA!!!

The TSX begins the year in fire and so does Donald Trump

So far, 2017 start the right way. And its very strange because whenever I don't feel it right, the market react very often exactly on the opposite way. If the stock market would be a male, we wouldn't be sexually compatible. I would be left without a lover. Like not at all. On a more serious note, Donald Trump is in my opinion playing with fire and is provoking the leader of North Korea by publicly declaring that North Korea doesn't have the technology it take for their nuclear weapons to reach the US. It take a very incompetent leader to declare such thing. And it scare me to death because its now official like it never been before; Donald Trump is going to drive us crazy!! Its like a Third World War is on the making. Maybe North Korea won't be able to reach the US, but it could hit on South Korea or Japan.

For people of my generation, grandfathers, grandmothers lived the Second Word War. Our parents lived under Korean and Vietnam war, and now, what is coming up for people of my generation could be much worst. We could believe that after so many loses their lives and that we still carry  Syria is already devastated. It could take not that much to provoke a world conflict under Trump.

During the US election, I was mostly in favor of Donald Trump because I just couldn't stand the Clinton. And I taught that Donald Trump would had calmed down once he had the power in hand. Now Trump just keep pushing his luck and if he continues, he could provoked unprecedented conflicts. And he could even get killed.

What is wrong with Donald Trump?

Happy New Year 2017 Investors!

I happily welcome the year 2017. 2016 had been quite major for me. I am praying for a good 2017. 2016 mark my 10 year blog anniversary. After 10 years, its unfortunate, I begin to have quite an history of my own and I am slowly but certainly getting older even if age haven't broke in my skin yet. This being said, 2016 had been the year of the almost $200 000 net worth. I closed the year sitting on a pot of gold of $184 074.35.

In 2016, I realized how bad I can be as an investor - but not in every way. Whenever I try to play a quick buy-and-sell game to make money fast on the market, most of the time, it won't work. It was the case with SWY and my US gun stock SWHC. I cannot be good at everything. Since I began to invest in stock in 2008, my goal was to build a portfolio for the long run, with many many stocks that could take place as beautiful diamonds. This make 9 very long years of investing for the long run, its where my instinct work at its best. I don't make the greatest choices when I picked for the sort term, so I decided to flush on the short term right now and only have the long term in my mind for my 2017 investment brand new fresh year. 

Think about this. In a flash, back in 2014, my net worth was at $101 172.99. 2 years later in grow up to $184 074.35. I haven't invest much in 2016. I expect 2017 to be about the same in term of new investments for many reasons. Two of them would be to leave some money in my bank account for once and try to reduce my usage of margin. But even before paying down my margin, I would be very happy just to have a couple thousands in the bank.

My investment portfolio on date of December 30, 2016

Non registered Investments:
Stocks and Units investment portfolio $CAN
Timminco (TIMNF): $0.27
Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS): $8 672.16
Blue Note Mining Inc. (BLNMF): $0.01
Methanex Corporation (MX): $6 065.67
Fortis Inc. (FTS): $4 767.90
Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL): $20 854.12
Just Energy Group Inc. (JE): $6 628.02
Enbridge Income Fund Holdings Inc. (ENF): $12 482.43
Corby Distilleries Limited (CSW.A): $2 766.44
Premium Brands Holdings Corporation (PBH): $31 859.52
iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index (XRE): $2 464
New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI): $4 410.72
TMX Group Inc. (X): $572.16
K-Bro Linen Inc. (KBL): $4 215
WesternOne Inc. (WEQ): $14
TransCanada Corp (TRP): $1 513.50
Canadian National Railway Co (CNR): $8 132.40
Enbridge Inc. (ENB): $1 582
Agrium Inc. (AGU): $6 208.16
Canadian Utilities Limited (CU): $1 519.98
Black Diamond Group Ltd (BDI): $113
Emera Inc. (EMA): $1 134.75
Cineplex Inc. (CGX): $1 280.50
BCE Inc. (BCE): $1 276.66
Stella Jones Inc. (SJ): $871.60
Saputo Inc. (SAP): $1 900.40
Lassonde Inc. (LAS.A): $2 230.10
Loblaw Companies (L): $850.08
Savaria Corporation (SIS): $5 456.74
Stornoway Diamond (SWY): $1 685
Open Text Corporation (OTC): $1 658.40
Andrew Peller Limited (ADW.A): $1 755
Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM): $3 286.80
Park Lawn Corporation (PLC): $943.80

TOTAL: $149 171.29

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $US:
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B): $1 303.84
(SWHC): $1 475.60
Cash: $163.68

TOTAL: $3 951.73 CAN

Tax-free savings account (TFSA):
EnerCare Inc. (ECI): $53.52
Dumont Nickel Inc. (DNI): $14.35
RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust (REI.UN): $932.05
AltaGas Ltd (ALA): $1 017
CT Real Estate Investment Trust (CRT.UN): $1 500
Canadian National Railway Co (CNR): $3 614.40
Exchange Income Corporation (EIF): $9 894.75
Firm Capital Mortgage Investment Corporation (FC): $550.40
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (BIP.UN): $3 009.64
Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P. (BEP.UN): $1 195.50
Laurentian Bank of Canada (LB):$1 154.60
The North West Company Inc. (NWC): $1 376
Andrew Peller Limited (ADW.A): $2 211.30
Barrick Gold Corporation (ABX): $859.60
Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM): $1 643.40
Hydro One Limited (H): $2 381.58
Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD): $1 324.40
Boyd Group Income Fund (BYD.UN): $2 566.80
Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (CAR.UN): $2 195.90
Keg Royalties Income Fund (The) (KEG.UN): $1 477
Data Communications Mgmt (DCM): $12.66
Westshore Terminals Invest Corp (WTE): $5 540.46
Morneau Shepell Inc. (MSI): $1 727.10
Royal Bank of Canada (RY): $3 634.80
Morguard North American Residential Real Estate Investment Trust (MRG.UN): $2 043
Parkland Fuel Corp (PKI): $1 800.32
Stornoway Diamond (SWY): $1 830

Cash: $111.19

TOTAL: $55 671.72

RSP investment portfolio:
Emera Incorporated (EMA): $11 571.90
EnCana Corporation (ECA): $1 702.08
Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD): $1 986.30
Barrick Gold Corp (ABX): $1 073.50
Stella Jones Inc. (SJ): $4 349
Telus Corp (T): $2 133
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATD.B): $486.56
Royal Bank of Canada (RY): $1 817.40
Savaria Corporation (SIS): $2 182.86
Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI): $2 348
Park Lawn Corporation (PLC): $3 126
Richards Packaging Income Fund (RPI.UN): $811.80
Cash: $287.38                                       

CIBC Dividend Growth Fund: $779.40
CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund: $464.01
CIBC Monthly Income Fund: $1 330.16

Energy and Base Metals Term Savings (Indexed term savings): $577.30
Natural Resources Term Savings (Indexed term savings): $502.45

GIC National Bank: $1 312.89                                  

Manulife Fidelity NorthStar GIF CAP B: $1 588.97
Manulife Simplicity Growth Portfolio: $1 248.31
Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund: $1 182.72
Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund: $1 234.75
Manulife GIF MLIA B World Invest: $1 020

Other various: $8 253.07

TOTAL: $53 369.81

Social Capital at Desjardins Membership share: $35
Pending online income: $93.80
Savings + Stocks, units, mutual funds + Tax-free Savings account + RRSP:

$262 293.35

My debt situation on date of December 30, 2016

$78 219 at 4.25% = $3 324.31 in annual interest

Merry Christmas best wishes from the Dividend Girl!!!

Its not Christmas yet, but this is probably going to be my last post until we hit on December 25 because I am getting too busy. Hopefully, the TSX will stay on my side. Right now, the TSX is treating me like its favorite girl. I hope things will continue this way so I can keep a good souvenir of 2016 and so I can hit on the magic $200 000 net worth. I am so close, its unbelievable. My non-registered closed today session very close to the 147k, which is now my new regular standard. I can see popping up tot he 150k just like magic really soon.

A 200k won't change my world, but it will secure my positions. And what come next? A $250 000 net value - of course. And it will continue like that over and over again. I hope to jump in a pool of $300 000 by the time I hit 40.

I had some good money in the bank this month but with the holidays coming, I put the money to low down the usage of my margin. I hope the markets will remain calm during the holidays.

I just have very boring things to say write now because right now, I barely have my eyes on the market. I am getting so stress and tired at work that I have little time for myself or just to keep up with the markets. Its not true that I will keep up like this until 65 years old. When I see older folks at work, I feel sorry for them. Some must like what they do, but at a point, all the time and energy burn is wasted to the glory of someone else. The more I am getting older, the more I get to understand that working for somebody else will always be for somebody else. If you get fired, what if left of what you had done? Its all gone in the wind. 

And more than probably ever before, I understand the power of savings and I make the commitment to save more money in 2017 than ever before. Watch me if you can or keep reading. And post only good comments because very deep inside, you don't hate me, you don't love me, you ADORE me.

Happy Holidays to all of my readers and keep it real.

Quebec financial criminal latest star: Gilles Vaillancourt

I would like to start saying that its possible to post comments on my blog, but I moderate them and I only post a few of them. Mostly, comments are very welcome, but only to satisfy my ego and for compliment purpose only.

For now, I suspect my net worth to be around 177-$178 000. At a point last week, my non-registered portfolio exceed the 147k mark - I couldn't even believe my eyes. I knew I was good, but I mean, really that good? Oh yeah. Just really nothing can stop this portfolio from growing extra large! I am in good road to get back on the $150 000 value. You can try, but you won't be able to do half better. One thing for sure, I am doing way much better than Jean-François Tardif and his JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN). In your face gorgeous baby. I am so happy not to be holding on to some JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN) units anywhere in my portfolio anymore. I no longer have to pay for JFS.UN management fee and I am really relieve because the manager was just going no where for at least the past year. I won't ever let a Quebecker abused of me, or even any man, good looking or not. My like story with Jean-François Tardif didn't last long. And really soon, my bad luck with DH will just be a souvenir that I won't even remember in 4 years from now when I will be.. 40 years old. I am getting older and I am just really really happy not to have any kids of my own to take care of.

This being said, that money, I earn it, I invest it, I make it grow. But some people has money, don't really deserve it, has mommy and daddy to pay for studies, to find internships, and even to find jobs. Where is the merit of such individuals? They have none. Leave them all by themselves, they cannot achieve anything. They won't be able to survive. And you'll be surprise of what I see on my everyday life in Montreal. I saw the owner giving year after year an internship to his son in his own business. Great, but what's the value of such internship? In my sense, none. Because the little guy didn't sweat his ass off to get his internship. That a business owner give work/internship, to his sister, son, its not so bad in term of corruption. But when an employee get an internship for her son, it become a bit more problematic, in my very good perfectly balance common sense. And that the same little mother get her relations work so that her son get a good paying job, there again, I find it disturbing. Leave the poor kid alone, he won't be able to get anywhere. And that the same mother talked of her son saying of him that he has an old soul when he doesn't have any achievements of his own, I find it awkward, hilariously funny, dumb. In such work environment, there's no place for personal growth base on distinction. Its all a game base on who you know and who's your friend. I am basically in a  workplace with poor ethic. I guess you can find worst or better in Montreal.

I like to reserve my love and admiration for self-made individuals who are working terribly hard, who are dealing alone against the market monsters and are standing by themselves, with no one to really rely on. Quebec has an in deep culture of debauchery and corruption. Its start with simple little things in everyday life and it just extend to proportion out of control. The latest Quebec biggest shame has the name of the former Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt. For years, I always found that Laval appears to be a rough city to live in, even worst than Montreal. An answer to that problem reside in Gilles Vaillancourt. Before being sentence to a too short 6 years in prison, this criminal had been Laval mayor for too many years: from 1989 to 2012! He earned millions and millions of dollars by manipulating municipal contracts. A 6 years sentence is a joke. Its really relevant of Quebec society who tolerate corruption in every field of its system.

Quebec is well know for being the home of all sort of gangsters and hypocrites. I am not one of them.

Canada has to say NO to Justin Trudeau pipeline projects

Its a sad day for Canadians. Two pipeline projects obtained the federal government approval. We are in 2016 and I don't understand why we should move forward with more pipelines in our country. Justin Trudeau said that those 2 pipeline projects are "in the best interests of Canadians". Like always, Justin Trudeau got it all wrong.

When spills happen, things remain quiet. Journalists don't do their job properly. I remember that this summer, a spill happen in Canada, but I don't remember where or exactly when. But it happen during the summer and I remembered hearing a woman at the radio saying that because of the oil spill, water supply were shut off, so she didn't have any water to take a shower, drink, or do her laundry. Oil spills happen from time to time very viciously. And once the spill is being discovered, its often too late. Oil will go deep down in the earth and ruined the quality of water.

If we allow new pipeline projects to move forward, we'll have to live in the fear that some day, the worst may happen. Its a fear that will destroy our quality of life forever. And if a spill happen, it will leave people in total misery. You can be rich, but if no clean water is available, rich people turn out to be like anyone else. 

Justin Trudeau is so incompetent that he's willing to jump on everything and anything just to create jobs. And not only to create jobs, but to pay off for his big deficit he had created since he had been elected Prime Minister. I didn't vote Liberal at the last election - I am of course too smart for that. But to all of the idiots who vote Liberal, look at what you had done.

Pipelines is not our worst enemy. The legislation of marijuana is. Trudeau see is marijuana an easy opportunity to cover up for his mistakes and super big deficit. Our streets are the home of too many homeless and we have problem to take care of them. We are suffering from lack of resources to help people suffering from alcoholism and other addiction. We already cannot offer health care to the community, its not everyone who has the chance to have a family doctor - but those things don't really matter right? We are just going to add marijuana to the list of problems we have. I wouldn't be pride to live in a country of pot heads. Marijuana is a drug, not a recreational activity.

I have to say that currently, I don't find myself in this country. I am not very proud to be Canadian these days.

Goodbye Fidel Castro

Now that winter really kick in with the ugly snow, slush and rain, the idea of going back to Cuba with my mom suddenly felt like a good idea. I was lucky enough to book a cheap one week getaway at $899 somewhere in Cuba with Air Transat sometimes later on this winter. Its with Air Transat that I also book my Cuba trip last year at Mercure Playa de Oro and it went well. 

Things won't change overnight in Cuba even if Fidel Castro died, but it open the door to change. Once again, the little Justin Trudeau with just no brain - so typical of Quebecker - had made a fool of himself, this time by giving too much good words to the late Castro and celebrating him. Cubans don't have freedom of speech, they cannot travel. Many Cubans that left their country cannot go back - and that is probably all of them. Its very sad to see how Cubans are living. Many of them are very poor. They depend very much on tourists.

Donald Trump has the right attitude toward Cuba. The world shouldn't open to Cuba when Cuba doesn't open itself to its own people. Its quite outrageous. They don't even have access to a proper Internet connection. 

On my first trip to Cuba in Varadero last year, I was curious about Cubans and their culture. I spend sometimes in their markets, trying to catch what they have, what was expensive, what wasn't. They don't have any "discount" stores. They have stores that are managed by the government. Sunscreen was very expensive. Cigarettes are not expensive at all. Cubans smoke everywhere. They don't have many clothes in their stores. Shoes are very expensive, even basic beach flippers. I didn't see any nail clippers - it could seem strange but I tried to find nail clipper after reading online that it was a rare item in Cuba. Last year, I brought many items, including a big bag of beauty samples that I gave to one of the barista at the coffee bar who was nice. It seem to be appreciate. 

Among other items, I gave away Tylenol, soap bars, toothpaste, toothbrush, kitchen linens, nail polish, shampoo, body cream, big white candles, pencils. Since my trip cost $899, I can easily spend $100 on gifts. I have so many nail polish and beauty products at home, I can certainly pick a bit on my own stuff. This is what Fidel Castro did to his people, this his legacy to Cuba. Castro made them live in poverty and make them live an existence of beggars, like if the Cuban nation wouldn't deserve more than cheap gifts coming from tourists. That's something very sad that I cannot handle but I going back only for my mother who beg me to travel.

Since I already book my trip using my credit card, I decided not to make any new investment for the year 2016. I will do my best to stand by the decision and not to invest. My so wanted super investment in TFI will have to wait.

 

But no matter what, these days, the TSX is treating me like its favorite princess. I am still pretty close to the 180k net worth without new investments. At this time, its exactly what I need. I may calm down at a point and leave some money in my bank account. Its a strange thing being me. A 180k net worth, but NO saving. This had been going on forever now. Its the challenge of my life.

180k is no big deal money. But holding on to a net worth of 180k is something inaccessible to most Cubans. Not giving the opportunity to its own people to accumulate richness is a crime.