Figuring Your Gains for the Year

[billyjoe]

I've been seeing posts on other forums claiming gains of anywhere from 200% to 600% last year and thought why can't we all get in on this. The good news is we can. Here are some methods of achieving your goals.

1. only count stocks bought and sold Jan.1st - Dec. 31st. This is the most difficult method and not recommended.

2. count value of your holdings on Jan.1st even if they tanked previous year and you held.If they come back strongly you may show a great return without actually making money.

3.count value of stocks held at years end if price is up. Don't count value of stocks held at years end if price is down, because you haven't sold yet.

4. If stock is a winner from previous year and sold this year count all profits, if stock is a loser , but purchased previous year don't mess up your gains by counting it as current year loser.

5. if all your stocks are losers and you continue to hold them you have had a decent year and haven't lost a penny.

Please feel free to add to my list. With everyone pitching in we can all gain big in 2005.
billyjoe

[diz]

6. Don't count your losses, just count your gains.

7. Multiple your gains times 100 to make your numbers look especially impressive.

[Gatorman]

8. Count the gains on stocks from you watchlist that you did not buy after all as gainers and include them as if you did purchase them

9. Count the losers from your watchlist as positive gains since you were smart enough not to buy them in the 1st place.

10. Take 1/2 credit for those gainers that you were going to add to your watchlist but did not.

[billyjoe]

Gatorman,
You're good. Do you have a background in accounting?

[Gatorman]

Have a little experience in accounting but more in the insurance business making horrible statistics look like monumental achievements.

[Gatorman]

While we're speaking of watchlists, I remember seeing a message from you to Websman that listed AEOS as being one you were watching. Seeing what it is doing today, you were right on with that one. Hope you got in for the ride. I held the stock a couple of years ago and made a little but not much.