Thursday, September 29, 2022

Trading Update

Sold the platinum eagles I bought at $1083.74 on 8/24/21 for $904.34 ($40 over spot) today. Fairly hefty loss, with nearly half of it coming from transaction fees (counting both the buying and the selling). In hindsight, not ideal. It was a very small position, but painful just the same.

I intended to hold for many years, but what a difference a year makes. When I bought, the 10-year TIPS yielded -1.01%. Today, it yields +1.39%. I must admit that I never saw that coming. It's a game changer, at least temporarily, if nothing else.

That's not the main reason why I sold though. I needed to sell something in order to pay ongoing expenses. My choices were TIPS outside my retirement account, I-Bonds, EE-Bonds, and these coins.

I don't want to sell anything that would push up my income this year, because I still qualify for the health insurance subsidy of the Affordable Care Act. I also don't want to sell things that are generating inflationary gains with inflation running so hot.

So, as much as it pains me, the coins had to go (and some I-Bonds too, soon). At least I can put the capital loss to very good taxation use thanks to my other investments tied directly to inflation.

Not the first difficult selling choice I've had to make. Won't be the last. TIPS generate plenty of inflationary gains but not all that much current income, savings bonds generate no income until cashed out, but the ongoing expenses continue to mostly come at night, mostly.

6 comments:

Who Struck John said...

Needs must when the demons drive.

Stagflationary Mark said...

Something like that, lol.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/blackadder/epguide/two_money.shtml

Needs must when the devil vomits into your kettle.

From the Blackadder episode titled Money. Perfect! Hahaha!! :)

Anonymous said...

You call that a loss? That’s not a loss…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0TGTT3aci0

Anonymous said...

My general philosophy is that if it doesn’t generate income, then it’s the first to go. So wise decision!

Stagflationary Mark said...

Hahaha!!!!

Credit Suisse shares hit record low after report bank is looking to raise cash

https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/credit-suisse-shares-hit-record-low-after-report-bank-is-looking-raise-cash-2022-09-23/

That’s a loss! ;)

Stagflationary Mark said...

Your general philosophy also works in reverse.

When TIPS and treasury bills have a negative real yield (generates a loss), then toilet paper, canned goods, and other hard assets are the FIRST to be bought, at least for me.

The beauty of canned goods over precious metals is that I can literally eat my losses in the rare case that canned goods actually get cheaper. And literally eating them is easier to stomach than trying to find a greater fool!

Badum ching, not that I’m really joking. At best, half-joking.