We Have NO Cash...

- in our investment accounts, that is.

Very strange for me as I am rarely ever fully invested, just in case a good company hits a bump and drops enough to fill one of my stink bids.

But towards the end of the year I actively invest all our cash, for two reasons:

• take advantage of tax loss selling
• institutional investors hop in at year end to bump up their annual numbers

It's a strategy I've used for the last couple years and it seems to pay off.

Here's what we currently own, in order of weighting:

• Student Transportation
• Alaris Royalty Corporation
• New Flyer Industries
• Superior Plus (the only stock I trade in and out of) ***
• Data Group Income Fund (converting to corp)
• Inter Pipeline
• Pembina Pipeline 
• Artis REIT
• Avenir Diversified Income (converting to corp)
• Crescent Point Energy

And I did some quick back-of-the-envelope math on our returns for the year.  Hopefully it won't all fall apart in the next week, but here's where we stand for 2010:

• Account #1    +2.76% in Dec    +20.48% on the year 
• Account #2    +2.01% in Dec    +18.48% on the year
• Account #3    +2.64% in Dec    +8.32% on the year (blah)
• Account #4    +3.16% in Dec    +21.74 on the year
• Account #5    +2.89% in Dec    +17.69% on the year  

All yearly returns are calculated after commissions and are a combination of dividend income (75%) and capital gains (25%).  And the cap gains are mainly in registered accounts and our TFSA's, which will delay or totally void the tax impact.

A portion of the portfolio was bought on margin, but it's less than 10% of our entire holdings.  And most of the positions were initiated during the lows of 2008 and topped up over the past couple years.

My Passive Income Goal  (PIG :)  has been steady around $50,000/year, tax free.  My goal is to double that over the next five years.  

But enough about our plans...

This Mexican pelican has big plans too.

Finish his nap, then complete his holiday shopping before Christmas Eve so he doesn't get stuck buying his wife that last can of tuna from the corner mercado.  

Only four more sleeps 'til Christmas...

***Portfolio update:  Traded completely out of Superior Plus again this morning.  I pocketed enough profit to cover the Dec dividend so I'll sit this one out until the new year.  The proceeds went right back into cfx.un.  

Yup, things change pretty quickly around here  :)

Comments

[Don]

Wow, you really did good with your investments!

[kelsi]

Mr P - I HAVE to do well - it's my only income :)
Plus I really enjoy investing and stock research and following the biz news. It's probably easier to get the returns if you like what you're doing.

[Brenda]

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

[kelsi]

You too Brenda. Did Roy get your last minute can of tune from the mercado yet? :)
My Fella got me a lovely box of wine for the holiday season. Can't wait til Christmas morning to open it... hee hee.

By the way, we're coming out your way in January. Hope we can plan that cheap lunch. Is there anything we can bring you from Tucson?

[Brenda]

Nope no can of tuna lol.
We did our Christmas shopping the easy way online, we bought something online that we can use online lol. how is that for utilizing technology lol.

Meeting for lunch sounds great. Let us know when you get here. We have a phone number I can send you if you have a phone that will work down here, or you can Skype us computer to computer if you use Skype or just a plain old email will do. Let me know if you want the phone number or our skype handle.
Off hand I can't think of anything that we need from there, thanks for asking though.
Have a very merry green/beige Christmas lol.
Give Shelbert a pet for us. Can't wait to meet her or hope to.

[DON SMITH]

"It's probably easier to get the returns if you like what you're doing." My Daddy who is 83 is fond of saying .... "Do what you love ... and love what it is that you are doing."

Merry Christmas

DS

[kelsi]

Brenda - we'll be there the second week in January and I'll touch base when we arrive. In the meantime, if you need anything from the grocery store or Best Buy (or whatever) that you can't get in Mex, let me know and we'll bring it with us.

[kelsi]

BoxCar - hope you and your lovely bride had a nice xmas as well. And all the best to you in 2011, my blog buddy :)

[Brenda]

OK thanks. See you then.