Jim Cramer
That guy has always annoyed me. If he appeared on my television screen, I always hit the remote and sent him away.
But a couple of weeks ago he started showing up on those early morning shows, and I looked. And at first he was acting all confident. Well, sort of. But I noticed that he was starting to get that wild look in his eye, like a horse gets right before it stampedes. Sure enough.
I have no credentials for professional financial advice. I have been trusting my gut for years. I win some. I lose some. But dancing around with that bubble a little in the 90's sure made me wary of REIT's when they came calling. That tech bubble sure taught me a lesson.
I just cannot manage to relinquish control to an adviser. Some of them even want to buy me dinner first. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) It's just that I cannot let go of the decision making process. I must admit that I have gone through times when I fear that someday I will go stark raving mad and start putting it all into Beanie Babies or Pez Dispensers or Plates with Pictures of Elvis.
But for now, my adviser is still just me. Oh, I do have one client, Mr. Boomer. He keeps asking me where that woman went that used to make him all that money.
I remember one time in the wonderful days when a good friend was going to a family event where his cousin would be there and would be sure to try to sell him investments. Well, he did not like his cousin very much. And he, himself, did not know much about investments. But he knew he did not want to buy them from his cousin.
So I told him that his cousin would say to him, "Hey, I can get you 35%."
And then I told him that he could say, "Hey Cousin Fred, my dog could get me 35%."
And you know what happened when he met up with his cousin?
Well, those were his cousin's exact words, percent and all. And my good friend had his line all ready. And he did buy some stuff, but not from his cousin.
So anyway, I wish I could predict the market like I predicted those long ago words.
These are uncharted waters I do think.
No matter who is talking on television. No matter how cool they are trying to sound. I see that wild horse look in the eye. And sometimes I look in the mirror to check to see if that look is in my eye, too. But I am thinking about doing a little, just a little, shopping soon. It is going to have to be for long term though I think. But what do I know?
Boomer