Notes for week ending 1/4/08

Well, I did not meet my level 3 goal for this week, which is ok. I'm focusing here on realized gains and losses, and not focusing on my portfolio gains. HTE has made a monster move this week, and since I am very heavy in it at bargain prices, I have seen a huge jump in not only my trading portfolio but also my IRA which I don't discuss here too often. I finally got it funded on December 19th, and in a couple of weeks I have seen it swell by 7.5% in just these couple of weeks. I was very lucky to get in near the 52 week low on that one, and I scooped up a whole lot of shares below 20.00. I can't wait for that first dividend to hit on the 15th!

A friend of mine mentioned his visit to the New York stock exchange again this week, and asked me if I have ever been. I have only been to NY once, for what amounted to a little more than a day, and the stock exchange was not on that whirlwind tour. Ever since then I've been dying to go back for a longer visit, so his comment has triggered a goal/reward for me. I have noted my account balance as of yesterday, and have decided that once I double that amount, I will plan a trip to New York for myself as a reward / vacation, and put visiting the stock exchange on my list of things to do while I'm there.

So, while I'm not pleased with the markets start for 2008, I am pretty pleased with my performance. I'm starting to find the balance between patience and speed that is necessary to making round trip options successful.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for popping in.

Always perform your own due diligence before making any investment.