Expats who want to leave, if they could

[BritManToo]

18 hours ago, fathersicksendmoney said:

This is where it all falls down. Mixing with thais! I live in lower sukhumvit and mix with westerners who dont confuse you with their Buddhist mentality bull shit. Sure there are some bad apples among them but no different to any other western country , just choose your friends wisely

Better still, stay in your home and don't mix with anyone.

[JAFO]

I filtered through many of the pages of posts. I enjoy reading peoples take on things in life and what some people get all spun up about that it eats them up and yet in most cases its all noise but they make rash decisions to move versus finding other things to do.. I still to this day do not understand why anyone would go on and on about about Thai politics and how it affects them or the perceived bad driving that people just harp on and on about. And because of those few things they will pack up and leave figuring its better back home.  

 

I find that most of the expats that leave are just bored. I can completely understand that because a great majority of the expats are older, quite a few are ailing and are gripped by medical fears and costs and they seldom do much outside the house and not having their western creature comforts they grew up knowing, it wears them down. Couple that with living out in some remote area it just didn't work. 

 

I have been coming here and living since 2005 mostly on business. I genuinely like it here. Now maybe because I could return to the US gives me a different perspective on it but I am extremely active with hobbies here and love the freedom and I personally live better. My colleagues envy me as they are stuck in jobs and cannot get off the US hamster wheel because of financial obligations.  I also spend very little time on the internet and usually do things outside. I live in a very nice area up North with good folks. I do not care about Thai politics just like I do not pay any attention to US politics or World politics in general. In fact I never ever read the news here or there and the only way I hear about stuff is when a colleague friend of mine messages me and says "Did ya hear about this or that" or my wife says "Did you see read that story in the US", then I might go look. Usually I say. I will look later and forget.

 

Answering the OP, I do not want to leave. My wife and I have a nice house and I have everything I need and want at this juncture in my life. My living expenses are extremely low even with my hobbies. I could return to the US but that would mean an entire upheaval and then I would definitely have to return to the workforce and honestly I am not convinced moving back really fixes any issues people rant about living here. Deciding to stay here afforded me the opportunity to retire very early so returning and having to jump back into the workforce to afford debt does not sound appealing to me at all.

[lannarebirth]

3 hours ago, AYJAYDEE said:

what is paying 6% interest or dividends these days?

 

I have two promissory notes, very well collaterized (less than 50% LTV). One pays 6% due in 6 years, the other pays 7% due in 7 years. 

[AYJAYDEE]

3 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

I have two promissory notes, very well collaterized (less than 50% LTV). One pays 6% due in 6 years, the other pays 7% due in 7 years. 

I have things paying that too but no municipal bonds

 

[moontang]

Detroit, Cleveland, surely a few cities in California.....6% is gonna be junk, even at current higher rates..much better fish to fry.  Wells Fargo preferreds..over 7%..

 

TGPPRA...over 8%..LNG shipper.

Edited July 21, 2018 by moontang

[AYJAYDEE]

11 minutes ago, moontang said:

Detroit, Cleveland, surely a few cities in California.....6% is gonna be junk, even at current higher rates..much better fish to fry.  Wells Fargo preferreds..over 7%..

I wouldnt be buying preferreds right now

 

[altcarrbob]

Aging/medical matters are a reason to leave I guess,but 2 hours away the finest and possibly cheapest medical care in the world,myself used it a'plenty.

  Heart,cancer checks coming up..missed them last year for reasons   heart , calcium, blood,stress,echo etc   cancer up the ass down the throat ,skin,mri frozen shoulder..all for less than 2000 baht,here in Thailand 70 to 80,000 baht at least, 5000 baht return.....did prostate surgery there last year   best part 6 days in hospital,around 700 gbp.   helps that not held hostage by these medical scumbags  govt.  not inc

[Weasel100]

All of this discussion I think has been useful and I've followed it for the past day since I appear to have kicked off a lot of it with my long and hopefully not uninteresting post yesterday morning about my experiences in Thailand since I moved here nearly seven years ago.
What it all comes down to is that some falangs appear to be very happy living in Thailand while others, like me, have a hard time here but just IN SOME WAYS.
Most of my problem is with the attitudes that most Thais appear to have to life and money and basic honesty. Their religion, like most other religions, teaches them good ways to live a life and five basic things that they should not do:

• harming living things.
• taking what is not given.
• sexual misconduct.
• lying or gossip.
• taking intoxicating substances eg drugs or drink.

I may be wrong but I suspect that something around 80 to 90 per cent of Thais would, if asked, claim to be good Buddhists. If I am right, this to me illustrates huge hypocrisy as I believe that probably 80 per cent of Thais routinely lie and gossip, 50 per cent take intoxicating substances such as alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, most Thai males at least could be said to lead sexually dissolute lives and a significant percentage of Thais appear to have no trouble with taking money improperly through scams and dishonest business dealings. The only one of the five basic tenets that, to me, appears to be observed by a large proportion of Thais appears to be that dealing with not harming living things. But, even there, there are problems.
A few years ago, a falang friend near where I live had a dog that developed a nasty and obviously cancerous tumour on its side. It had been confirmed to be malignant. The tumour grew to such an extent that it ruptured one morning so I loaded the dog and my falang friend into my car and drove to a Veterinary Teaching Hospital near where we live. They recommended treatment despite the fact that the dog was clearly suffering and was about to die. Not even the staff at a Veterinary Hospital were prepared to do what was necessary and put the poor dog out of its terrible distress. And no, this was not a case for treatment; it was a case for euthenasia. So, that's where the one tenet of the Buddhist religion which appears to be followed by most Thais can also cause a bad result.
And, please, I am well aware that quite possibly the majority of professed Christians don't follow the good things that whatever their brand of Christianity demands or recommends. There is hypocrisy everywhere.

But, my friends, here's the difference. In Western countries, dishonest people who go into business are not allowed to deal with their clients dishonestly or, if they do, they will find themselves in trouble with Police and Government regulatory agencies that do actually give a shit about shady businesses and prosecute them when they're found. There is little if any protection at all for people in Thailand who find that they've been ripped off by Thais as happens so very often here in my view. The Police are corrupt and useless and no Government agency wants to get involved in such things particularly when there's money to be made through back-handers.

I MUST STRESS that these are simply my observations of Thais and Thai society after having lived in Thailand for close to seven years. If others have had different experiences and do not agree with anything I've said, then that's great and fine. Everyone is entitled to an opinion so please don't seek to deny me mine.
I confess that I am a loner by nature; I always have been, even as a small boy. I cope with the problems that I have living in Thailand by keeping very much to myself. I see my one local falang friend for a few hours every week or ten days but otherwise I spend the great majority of my time at home alone.

I have plenty to keep me amused with a very large collection of DVDs and Blu-rays (I don't have TV service because I don't want any possibility of getting Thai TV shit in my house), and I have books and musical instruments that I fiddle about with.

This may sound like a pretty sad sort of life to many others but it works for me so that's all that really matters. It's fine for me and for my Thai wife whom I love to bits and who I'm quite sure loves me too (and not just the money that I have).
Am I (un)happy in Thailand. No, not really.  It's just that there are so many ways in which Thailand could be much better if it really wanted to be.

[AYJAYDEE]

23 minutes ago, Weasel100 said:

All of this discussion I think has been useful and I've followed it for the past day since I appear to have kicked off a lot of it with my long and hopefully not uninteresting post yesterday morning about my experiences in Thailand since I moved here nearly seven years ago.
What it all comes down to is that some falangs appear to be very happy living in Thailand while others, like me, have a hard time here but just IN SOME WAYS.
Most of my problem is with the attitudes that most Thais appear to have to life and money and basic honesty. Their religion, like most other religions, teaches them good ways to live a life and five basic things that they should not do:

• harming living things.
• taking what is not given.
• sexual misconduct.
• lying or gossip.
• taking intoxicating substances eg drugs or drink.

I may be wrong but I suspect that something around 80 to 90 per cent of Thais would, if asked, claim to be good Buddhists. If I am right, this to me illustrates huge hypocrisy as I believe that probably 80 per cent of Thais routinely lie and gossip, 50 per cent take intoxicating substances such as alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, most Thai males at least could be said to lead sexually dissolute lives and a significant percentage of Thais appear to have no trouble with taking money improperly through scams and dishonest business dealings. The only one of the five basic tenets that, to me, appears to be observed by a large proportion of Thais appears to be that dealing with not harming living things. But, even there, there are problems.
A few years ago, a falang friend near where I live had a dog that developed a nasty and obviously cancerous tumour on its side. It had been confirmed to be malignant. The tumour grew to such an extent that it ruptured one morning so I loaded the dog and my falang friend into my car and drove to a Veterinary Teaching Hospital near where we live. They recommended treatment despite the fact that the dog was clearly suffering and was about to die. Not even the staff at a Veterinary Hospital were prepared to do what was necessary and put the poor dog out of its terrible distress. And no, this was not a case for treatment; it was a case for euthenasia. So, that's where the one tenet of the Buddhist religion which appears to be followed by most Thais can also cause a bad result.
And, please, I am well aware that quite possibly the majority of professed Christians don't follow the good things that whatever their brand of Christianity demands or recommends. There is hypocrisy everywhere.

But, my friends, here's the difference. In Western countries, dishonest people who go into business are not allowed to deal with their clients dishonestly or, if they do, they will find themselves in trouble with Police and Government regulatory agencies that do actually give a shit about shady businesses and prosecute them when they're found. There is little if any protection at all for people in Thailand who find that they've been ripped off by Thais as happens so very often here in my view. The Police are corrupt and useless and no Government agency wants to get involved in such things particularly when there's money to be made through back-handers.

I MUST STRESS that these are simply my observations of Thais and Thai society after having lived in Thailand for close to seven years. If others have had different experiences and do not agree with anything I've said, then that's great and fine. Everyone is entitled to an opinion so please don't seek to deny me mine.
I confess that I am a loner by nature; I always have been, even as a small boy. I cope with the problems that I have living in Thailand by keeping very much to myself. I see my one local falang friend for a few hours every week or ten days but otherwise I spend the great majority of my time at home alone.

I have plenty to keep me amused with a very large collection of DVDs and Blu-rays (I don't have TV service because I don't want any possibility of getting Thai TV shit in my house), and I have books and musical instruments that I fiddle about with.

This may sound like a pretty sad sort of life to many others but it works for me so that's all that really matters. It's fine for me and for my Thai wife whom I love to bits and who I'm quite sure loves me too (and not just the money that I have).
Am I (un)happy in Thailand. No, not really.  It's just that there are so many ways in which Thailand could be much better if it really wanted to be.

Lol! you just couldn't leave without one last massive anti-thai rant could ya! good riddance to ya pal! your poor wife. having to keep quiet , smiling and agreeing with everything you moan about while knowing how you despise her country and culture

[JLCrab]

9 hours ago, The manic said:

14 hours ago, altcarrbob said:

just a pair of women's tits and arse on show keeps the pecker up...I'm <deleted> well sick of it,just want out even for a short spell

Wherever you go you take your emotional baggage with you. You create your own reality.

Maybe you get to take your emotional baggage with you but, if you are not married and she is 30 years younger than you, you probaby don't get to take her pair of t*ts and arse with you.

[spidermike007]

20 hours ago, fathersicksendmoney said:

"Since I moved to Thailand, I have frequently been deceived and misled. Thais have told me bare-faced lies on many occasions and I have been ripped off more times than I care to remember. This lying, deception and misleading is always related to money and it is therefore my conclusion that the very, very great majority of Thais are interested in only three things in life - money, money and money and that they really don't care how they get it, especially from all of us rich falangs. And we are in their eyes all rich and ripe for f*cking over."

 

This is where it all falls down. Mixing with thais! I live in lower sukhumvit and mix with westerners who dont confuse you with their Buddhist mentality bull shit. Sure there are some bad apples among them but no different to any other western country , just choose your friends wisely

I suppose that is part of the issue for some of us. It seems like a shame to not be able to mix with the local people. I do have a few Thai women friends, mostly through my wife. The men seem beyond indifferent. Hard to get to know them. In the PI, I know I would have some good local friends. Too bad the entire country is one big Tijuana. I do have a friend who met some upper class Thais at university in the US. They remain close to this day, and he says they are quite fascinating, not at all typical, and open minded, cool guys. In all the years I have been here, I can say I have a few Thai friends, but not really the kind of guys you hang out with. 

[altcarrbob]

The more you get to know about Thai society .the less you want to know,lying cheating ,scamming,part of life.  Surrounding yourself with dash cams no help,they will come up with a tale the dash cams were lying

[Weasel100]

35 minutes ago, altcarrbob said:

The more you get to know about Thai society .the less you want to know,lying cheating ,scamming,part of life.  Surrounding yourself with dash cams no help,they will come up with a tale the dash cams were lying

I do agree

When I first moved to Thailand, I bought a ten CD course regarding conversational Thai language. I wanted to learn to speak the language here reasonably well because I previously liked the Thais I had met when on holiday.
I listened to the first disc only soon after I arrived and I haven't touched them since. The reason is not laziness on my part; I'll leave that to the Thais. The reason is actually that I have little if any respect for Thai people, so-called Thai culture or the Thai authorities including the Police and the Customs Service (both corrupt to the core), Banks etc (although I dislike banks everywhere in truth).

My disenchantment with Thailand and Thai people in particular has been complete for many years and now I just live a pretty reclusive life here with all the material things that I could want or need and alcohol when I need or want it. This life largely suits me fine.

[The manic]

7 hours ago, AYJAYDEE said:

what is paying 6% interest or dividends these days?

 

P2P banking and property

[The manic]

38 minutes ago, Weasel100 said:

I do agree

When I first moved to Thailand, I bought a ten CD course regarding conversational Thai language. I wanted to learn to speak the language here reasonably well because I previously liked the Thais I had met when on holiday.
I listened to the first disc only soon after I arrived and I haven't touched them since. The reason is not laziness on my part; I'll leave that to the Thais. The reason is actually that I have little if any respect for Thai people, so-called Thai culture or the Thai authorities including the Police and the Customs Service (both corrupt to the core), Banks etc (although I dislike banks everywhere in truth).

My disenchantment with Thailand and Thai people in particular has been complete for many years and now I just live a pretty reclusive life here with all the material things that I could want or need and alcohol when I need or want it. This life largely suits me fine.

I bet you have a great Christmas day!

[Weasel100]

In fact, I always have a great Christmas Day every year. I cook a roast for my Thai wife and I on Christmas Eve and have left-overs for lunch on Christmas day. Sit down, watch a traditional Christmas Day movie often on my own as my wife has a shop and works most Christmas Days, and I have a few beers of glasses of wine (if I can afford wine - who can in this bloody country with criminally high taxes on wine because it's predominantly consumed by falangs).

No complaint about Christmas Days Mate.

[The manic]

7 minutes ago, Weasel100 said:

In fact, I always have a great Christmas Day every year. I cook a roast for my Thai wife and I on Christmas Eve and have left-overs for lunch on Christmas day. Sit down, watch a traditional Christmas Day movie often on my own as my wife has a shop and works most Christmas Days, and I have a few beers of glasses of wine (if I can afford wine - who can in this bloody country with criminally high taxes on wine because it's predominantly consumed by falangs).

No complaint about Christmas Days Mate.

Ah good on ya mate. Pleased to hear it. You diatribe about disenchantment sounded like you were clinically depressed and needed to return to Australia. You don'tsound  very happy here and so I am genuinely fascinated by people who hate Thais and Thailand but continue to live here. Poor life decision made in the past leading to bitterness and misanthropy perhaps?

[Gecko123]

@Weasel100

 

Sorry, bro, but after reading your follow up posts on this thread, I have concluded that you are more in need of a swift kick in the pants than any words of encouragement or commiseration. You are starting to sound like just another maladjusted farang who ia a self-appointed expert on everything that is wrong with Thailand. Just another guy who claims to love his Thai spouse to death but then turns around and spews contempt for the people and culture which shaped her as a person. A guy who faults Thais for not speaking better English when you've scarcely made an effort to learn the language of your adopted country. You need to look in the mirror and get off your butt. The majority of Thais are decent and honest people. Many know a lot of things you don't know. Many have a great sense of humor. Many know how to enjoy life...

[jak2002003]

18 hours ago, Pilotman said:

While rampant corruption and backhanders exist and flourish,  where the Police are next to useless and  the  rich, urban elite have the power and influence, they will keep  the rural poor in their place,  which is down, and their education will suffer.  

 

It's all about money, money, money. ….. the elite,  do the  same and get rich doing it.  No social security net, a poor heath provision, no pension provision, little  and basic education.  Its a symptom of those things and is not a National trait that can't be changed if the other things change. 

You are describing America here right?

[Weasel100]

Thanks for what I accept as your genuine concern.
I do suffer from a diagnosed psych disorder (Bipolar Type 2) but I'm actually fine most of the time. This often sounds like an excuse to other people I think but psychiatric illness is very very real to those who suffer.
Leave me alone and don't make me have to deal with Thais and Thai authorities and I'm OK.
The truth here is that there were many things about Australia and Australian society and Australian people which drove me made for the 56 years that I lived there and it was I guess disenchantment with Australia that prompted my move to Thailand. I think I'm probably even more disenchanted with Thailand because I expected that it'd be better than Australia which makes me more than a bit down on Thailand and Thai people in particular.

I will say that one of the things that truly drives me crazy here in Thailand is the lack of proper education of the local people. My Thai wife is as intelligent as anyone I've ever met here (Thai or falang) and she has a University degree in something or other which I've never quite been able to nail down. But, here's the point. I love her and respect her but what she didn't know after having been schooled and university educated in Thailand would fill an encyclopaedia.
I find myself constantly having to lecture her regarding things that were routinely taught in school in Australia when I was young.
When we met, my intelligent wife had next to no knowledge of world history including such things as two pretty significant world wars, the great depression, Hitler and the Nazis, US, UK, European, Australian and other famous world leaders and those countries' political histories, next to no knowledge of geography and little if any knowledge of other countries and their cultures. It is gratifying to me that she often thanks sincerely me for my efforts to inform her about these things, something I might add that I am very pleased to do. We have travelled widely together in the nearly six years we've been together and she has become much more a citizen of the world. Quite different to the uneducated masses in Thailand.
It is often said that the Thai education system is deliberately designed to keep the populace "dumbed down". After all, an uneducated populace is much easier to control than an educated one. What is the very first thing that any dictatorship does? Yup. Round up and murder the educated classes. The m**itary in charge in Thailand now is not up to that I don't think but stay tuned folks.

Edited July 21, 2018 by Weasel100

[The manic]

Just now, jak2002003 said:

You are describing America here right?

Nice one!

[Weasel100]

16 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

@Weasel100

 

Sorry, bro, but after reading your follow up posts on this thread, I have concluded that you are more in need of a swift kick in the pants than any words of encouragement or commiseration. You are starting to sound like just another maladjusted farang who ia a self-appointed expert on everything that is wrong with Thailand. Just another guy who claims to love his Thai spouse to death but then turns around and spews contempt for the people and culture which shaped her as a person. A guy who faults Thais for not speaking better English when you've scarcely made an effort to learn the language of your adopted country. You need to look in the mirror and get off your butt. The majority of Thais are decent and honest people. Many know a lot of things you don't know. Many have a great sense of humor. Many know how to enjoy life...

Better now??

[Weasel100]

Just now, Weasel100 said:

Better now??

Perhaps it's the maladjusted and self-appointed experts on everything that's wrong with Thailand who are right and that you're mistaken.
Ever consider that possibility?

[Odysseus123]

14 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

@Weasel100

 

Sorry, bro, but after reading your follow up posts on this thread, I have concluded that you are more in need of a swift kick in the pants than any words of encouragement or commiseration. You are starting to sound like just another maladjusted farang who ia a self-appointed expert on everything that is wrong with Thailand. Just another guy who claims to love his Thai spouse to death but then turns around and spews contempt for the people and culture which shaped her as a person. A guy who faults Thais for not speaking better English when you've scarcely made an effort to learn the language of your adopted country. You need to look in the mirror and get off your butt. The majority of Thais are decent and honest people. Many know a lot of things you don't know. Many have a great sense of humor. Many know how to enjoy life...

'Many know how do enjoy life.."

 

I agree with that-they certainly have a concept of "La dolce vita"

 

I just don't think that it has to be a dualistic thing,an "us against them" mentality as you can take the best of the culture-indeed any culture-including your own and be happy.

 

Even tho' I have returned to my own country I am bombarded with photos from the extended Thai family most days..those photos make me very happy,indeed.

[altcarrbob]

Only the mutts I have keep me here.  Discussed it with vet having them PTS,seems heartless,which it is after all these years together,but I'm at the end of my tether.

    More and more surrounding houses coming empty,nobody to buy or rent at farang prices,even Thais appear flat broke  and absent friends upped sticks,its bloody frightening the ones leaving/are about to leave

[Weasel100]

Despite all my bitching about what I find either annoying or nearly intolerable about living in Thailand, I'll be here until stumps unless health problems force me to return to Australia for a time. I'm in fine fettle right now at age 62 so no immediate cause for concern.
I'm not truly unhappy and thankfully not suicidal as some others have regrettably indicated here. I feel for them very much and I urge any of you out there who may read this to try withdrawing to a quiet and somewhat solitary way of life. Thailand I find can best be tolerated when largely on my own. It'll work for some and not for others I guess.

Having said that, I will retire for a while now as this thread, as engrossing as it has proven to be, is taking up way too much of my time. 

[stereolab]

On ‎7‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 6:52 PM, BuckleUp said:

Chiang Mai is great for 2 months every year. More than that, no thanks. Too many hassles here long term. Too expensive too. 3 kids, education in Melbourne completely free at one of the top govt schools in the state. Here, what, $50,000/year for 3 kids at International school? And although Thai food is delicious, eating in restaurants every night is not sustainable nor healthy. 35 baht noodles and various dishes get boring as well, the outside 7-11 cart variety.

 

Buying foreign supplies runs expensive, 100g of smoked salmon was 180baht at Rimping,  Coles back home $5 for 200g. I think for a family, education and all up wrt to kids safety, thing to do, free activities, it's definitely Melbourne for us. I mean just playgrounds, in the last year we've been to a dozen or more playgrounds on the weekends in the parks. every park has a playgrounds, some amazing. Where are the playgrounds here? You have to pay for artificial plastic play-center in Big C or similar with flashing lights - where's all the natural playgrounds that blend natural landscape?

 

Other thing i'm amazed by is the lack of education. where are the libraries? Where are the community centers? The play groups? We're in our local library every week, kids borrow all sort of books. Libraries and community centres hold group activities. Here, apart from Kumon (and that's paid per hour), there is nothing to stimulate the young minds. Only more Big C style play centres.

 

I guess it's different for everyone. Great place for a month or 2. Anyways, another 3 weeks for us here, and back to Melb.

 

 

Our village has a small library, it is the quietest building in the village, apart from staff, no one visits. It is simply another job for the boys post.

[gk10002000]

On ‎7‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 5:24 PM, AYJAYDEE said:

what is paying 6% interest or dividends these days?

 

 

In summary: I hold:  NLY, T, PFXF, PGX, PRTAX, PRHYX, NEA, NUW, some MUNI bonds, and an Intermediate Term Bond.  Below are the approximate interest or dividend rates for these holdings.   T that I bought in at a low price and NLY are my two biggest payers, while most everything else pays over 5%.  Net capital gains and price increases have not been much but I don't care.  I am not buying to sell.  I bought for Dividends and Interest and retirement or out of work income cash flow.

 

  I hold in my regular Brokerage account:   T (6%) (all qualified dividends),  PRTAX (3.6% but tax free), NEA ( 5.2% but tax free), NUW ( ~ 4%),, and a several Muni bonds I bought and have held for years that are tax free and all pay (5.2%).  In my ROTH whose distributions are all tax free I hold:  NLY (11%), PGX (5.5%), and PRHYX (5.2%).  In my traditional IRA I hold PFXF (5.2%, NLY and PRHYX and T again.  I don't touch any of this money as I am still working.  The dividends and interest just keep coming in and compounding.  NLY which is a REIT is the highest dividend and I have about 14% of my portfolio in that.  T is my next biggest holding.  Then my tax free stuff.  I have another 75K that will be about 115 K in my company 401k by the end of next year that will roll over half  to my ROTH IRA and half to my Traditional IRA next year when I retire.  I currently have those 401k monies in an intermediate bond fund paying about 3% which is OK since I don't plan to have the money in that 401k for long.  I will roll that over to my own IRAs where I can invest it in better things.

  I try to keep things simple and see no reason to have too many holdings.  Many are variations on a theme.  I plan to add some energy or oil, and I have been almost pulling the trigger on some drugs/pharmaceuticals.   I like dividends and interest and not too worried about chasing ups and downs and trying to buy and sell things, market time, etc.  very very few people do that well and you hear people say "play the market". I don't play.  I like reasonably steady dividends and interest.   

 

 

[AYJAYDEE]

1 hour ago, gk10002000 said:

 

In summary: I hold:  NLY, T, PFXF, PGX, PRTAX, PRHYX, NEA, NUW, some MUNI bonds, and an Intermediate Term Bond.  Below are the approximate interest or dividend rates for these holdings.   T that I bought in at a low price and NLY are my two biggest payers, while most everything else pays over 5%.  Net capital gains and price increases have not been much but I don't care.  I am not buying to sell.  I bought for Dividends and Interest and retirement or out of work income cash flow.

 

  I hold in my regular Brokerage account:   T (6%) (all qualified dividends),  PRTAX (3.6% but tax free), NEA ( 5.2% but tax free), NUW ( ~ 4%),, and a several Muni bonds I bought and have held for years that are tax free and all pay (5.2%).  In my ROTH whose distributions are all tax free I hold:  NLY (11%), PGX (5.5%), and PRHYX (5.2%).  In my traditional IRA I hold PFXF (5.2%, NLY and PRHYX and T again.  I don't touch any of this money as I am still working.  The dividends and interest just keep coming in and compounding.  NLY which is a REIT is the highest dividend and I have about 14% of my portfolio in that.  T is my next biggest holding.  Then my tax free stuff.  I have another 75K that will be about 115 K in my company 401k by the end of next year that will roll over half  to my ROTH IRA and half to my Traditional IRA next year when I retire.  I currently have those 401k monies in an intermediate bond fund paying about 3% which is OK since I don't plan to have the money in that 401k for long.  I will roll that over to my own IRAs where I can invest it in better things.

  I try to keep things simple and see no reason to have too many holdings.  Many are variations on a theme.  I plan to add some energy or oil, and I have been almost pulling the trigger on some drugs/pharmaceuticals.   I like dividends and interest and not too worried about chasing ups and downs and trying to buy and sell things, market time, etc.  very very few people do that well and you hear people say "play the market". I don't play.  I like reasonably steady dividends and interest.   

 

 

are those % based on the face values, present values, or your book  values?

[gk10002000]

55 minutes ago, AYJAYDEE said:

are those % based on the face values, present values, or your book  values?

assuming we are using the same definitions, only the bonds are really defined by face value which is the PAR price or what I would get if the bonds were redeemed.  I always buy bonds below the Par value since once I was burned when I paid above PAR for a bond that paid an attractive interest rate, but there then was some emergency/extra ordinary call bullshit and I lost money when they called it back and I got back less than I paid for it, and barely had collected one interest payment. 

 

The stocks and ETFs are based on present value.   You can go to any finance site and see the current % calculation which is basically based on the current dividend/current price, google, yahoo, (I like morningstar (the old format not the new that just has colors and horribly presents even less information than the older layout) and see the current % estimates.  I have been accumulating since 2005 when my job really started paying off, and I could start socking things away.  As I said, my capital gains or price appreciation really has not been that much, so my purchase prices are relatively close to the current prices.  But I have been getting and compounding the divvies and interest since then, and heading into retirement or part time contracting and then social security in a year if I want it, things are looking pretty good.  The market ups and downs have not bothered me.  When things were down, the dividends stayed about the same and I accumulated more shares on the DRIP (Dividend reinvestment).

 

  I know many people say the market did this, the market did that.  Yep, it did.  Good luck to the arm chair people that have a few thousand in there and think and try to trade up to millions. They often pay out as much in commissions as they make in capital gains after taxes.   I have had some good picks now and then, Intel (INTC) made me a lot and I sold and took the gains to invest in more income producing things.  BP made me a lot as I bought that at a low and it recovered after the lawsuits mostly ended. 

 

Slow and steady sets the pace, slow and steady wins the race.