Behold the newborn dragon

GAZ

My Investment Portfolio Return for 2010

My portfolio was up 8.9% in 2010. It is disappointing given that the S&P500 was up 12.8% (15.1% including dividends).

The reason for the lackluster number: not following my stops. On at least 5 occasions I did not have a hard stop in place and I decided to hold on to the trade after it went against me, for much larger losses. I should really put a hard stop in place every single time.

It is now 2 year in a row that I underperform the S&P500. Time to step up my game!

Health Care FSA Eligible Expenses for 2011

The recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 also known as Health Care Reform has changed the rules for the purchase of over the counter (OTC) products using my Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

FSA funds can no longer be used to purchase OTC medicine and drugs unless a medicine or drug is prescribed.

The OTC items affected include items in the following categories:

Acid controllers, allergy and sinus, antibiotics, anti-diarrhea, anti-gas, anti-itch and insect bites, anti parasitic treatments, baby rash ointments, cold sore remedies, cough, cold and flu, digestive aids, laxatives, motion sickness, pain relief, sleep aids, stomach remedies.

FSA funds can still be used to purchase OTC items that are not considered a medicine or drug (e.g. bandages, splints, contact lens solution, etc).

2011 Retirement Plan Contribution Limits

The IRS has announced the retirement plan limitations for 2011.


2011 Contribution Limits
401k - $16,500
Roth IRA - $5,000 if Modified Adjusted Gross Income below $107,000 ($169,000 if married filing jointly)

2010 Contribution Limits
401K - $16,500
Roth IRA - $5,000 if Modified Adjusted Gross Income below $105,000 ($167,000 if married filing jointly)

Stock Market Snapshot as of Sep 14, 2010

SPY is sitting just below resistance after a big move the last 2 weeks.
A move above resistance may send the shorts for cover.



In the meantime, TLT has bounced off resistance and seems to be heading higher, which is not a good sign for stocks.



Trade idea for tomorrow:
If SPY moves above today's high and TLT shows some weakness, go long SPY with a stop below today's low.
Inversely if SPY trades below today's low while TLT is moving higher, short SPY with a stop above today's high .

Fidelity Commission-Free ETFs

iShares ETFs with free online trading in a Fidelity account:

US Equity Index Funds:
IWF
IWB
IWD
IWO
IWM
IWN
IWV
IVW
IVV
IVE
IJK
IJH
IJH
IJJ
IJT
IJR
IJS

International Equity Index Funds:
ACWI
EFA
SCZ
EEM

Fixed Income Funds:
AGG
TIP
LQD
EMB
MUB

My Experian PLUS Score Update

Via American Express, I am eligible to receive an annual complimentary credit score from Experian. It is Experian's PLUS score which has a scale from 330 to 830. It is not the more widely used FICO score which ranges from 300 to 850.



This score is now 801 which is a nice increase from last year's 790.