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Conference nyoss1::market_investing

Title:Market Investing
Moderator:2155::michaud
Created:Thu Jan 23 1992
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1060
Total number of notes:10477

128.0. ""Profitable Investing" - comments?" by BUNDY::LONG () Thu Mar 26 1992 21:02

I just received the "typical" 20-page or so ad for yet another person's 
investment tout-sheet (I guess they call it a magazine ...) called 
"Profitable Investing", Richard Band, editor.  Has anyone else received
this recently?  What did you think of this one compared to other of these
things you see from time to time?

I have no intention of subscribing, although the idea of cancelling after
3 issues (and thereby being guaranteed a 100% refund of subscription cost)
did actually cross my mind.  I was intrigued just a bit though.  I thought
it was more specific, and gave more examples, than any of these other things
I've read before.  Proctor and Gamble is one he talks about for a while, 
and even implies that you can buy it directly from P&G (either that, or
he's got some other neat trick up his sleeve ...)  He also likes the
EuroDisney idea - and specifically mentions a zero-coupon bond available
from Disney here in the US.  It's tied to the EuroDisney share price - 
cash due at maturity = cash value of 19.651 shares of ED stock.  (No mention
of price of bond ...)  But only after going into a dissertation on why
ED is destined to succeed.  Then he goes on that these bonds have "puts"
on them; you can cash out in June '95 for about $550, and in June '00 for
about $750, no matter the stock price.  He claims that this $550 guarantees
a profit.

There were others, not quite so spelled out.  Also, his primary thing was
safety.  Most of it was rhetoric, but he pushed the concept a lot more and
a lot harder, and, again, he had specifics beyond what I'm used to seeing in
these things.

anyway, I was just kind of surprised by the lower percentage of rhetoric
in this thing compared to others like it.  

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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128.1for what its worth....BIG::SCHOTTFri Mar 27 1992 14:524
Is this the guy from Londonderry, NH??  I seem to recall an issue I got that
talked about safety rankings of insurance companies that was followed by
a retraction issue apologizing for misleading information in the previous
issue.  
128.2yep, that's him ...BUNDY::LONGFri Mar 27 1992 16:144
Yes, that's the guy ... from Londonderry NH.


128.3You could do a lot worseVMSDEV::HALLYBFish have no concept of fire.Fri Mar 27 1992 16:1518
    Yeah, this is the guy from Londonderry.
    
    Hard to believe, but I actually attended a presentation he gave at an
    investment convention last year.  I was actually pleasantly surprised.
    He discussed how to forecast interest rates and mentioned the CRB Index,
    the futures put/call ratio and one other technique (M2 maybe).  He was a
    very good speaker, explained how to actually get the data and do the
    arithmetic, and what the various thresholds are.  He did not talk down
    to the audience, something easily done at such cons.
    
    He is into conservative, long-term investing and I would conclude
    market timing as well (as in, "move money into/out of bonds") though
    his data suggest he does not "switch" often.
    
    This is not an endorsement, I'm just being fair:  if he had been a jerk
    I would certainly use this opportunity to ridicule him.
    
      John
128.4contact info to come soonBUNDY::LONGFri Mar 27 1992 18:3414
Interesting observation, John.  Thanks.

I have already received a few requests for more info on "Profitable
Investing".  I will try to remember to bring it in on Monday, and 
post some contact info.

Again, not endorsing/recommeding/whatever.  I thought this was the
most intriguing of these types of things I've received and was soliciting
comments from others who may have seen this thing.


Dan

128.5contact infoBUNDY::LONGMon Mar 30 1992 14:4619
"Profitable Investing" can be reached at 1-800-777-5005.  The address is:

	Profitable Investing
	Philips Publishing, Inc.
	7811 Montrose Road
	Potomac, MD  20854

Cost is $99/year, $179 for two years.  Each deal saves xx% off "regular"
price, and has "bonuses" - more of them for the two-year deal, and also
another one if you act within 30 days .....

The "guarantee" is full 100% refund of total subscription price "if you are
not satisfied for any reason", for up to 3 issues.  You keep all issues and
bonuses ...  After that, 100% refund of the balance of your subscription.

Once again, this is *not* an endorsement or recommendation.


128.6HAMRAD::DONADTTue Mar 31 1992 16:1621
    I have subscribed for 2 or 3 months now and have been relatively
    pleased. Will take at least a year before I will decide whether
    to stay with him or now.
    
    He is rather conservative, you won't make many big killings with
    his recommendations but on the other hand there is not much risk
    with his picks either.
    
    He does come up with some good deals like buying stock directly
    from the company (only a few companies allow this) with no commission.
    I have bought some Texaco this way but have yet to see it move,
    however, the downside risk is very low so am not concerned that
    it is trading about a point below where I bought it. Would have
    been worse if I paid a commission.
    
    He looks for solid companies that are historically below what they
    should be selling for, buys and then waits for he market to realize
    that it is a bargin. Sounds to me like a good long term philosopy
    to me and I'm willing to give him my money for a year or 2.
    
    Ray
128.7See Note 124CGOOA::DURNINThu May 07 1992 18:586
    Hi,
    
    I've added comment in 124.*
    
    Good Luck
    
128.8An endorsementASDG::HORTONMon Jul 27 1992 18:5952
And now for an unambiguous, unadulterated endorsement:

Richard Band is a steady performer who hits lots of singles and
doubles, a few homeruns, and strikes out very infrequently.  Over 
the past seventeen years I've made a lot of money on his advice.

Prior to starting his own newsletter, Richard Band was editor of 
Personal Finance, a biweekly newsletter that was started back in
the high inflation 1970s.  When Band left PF to start Profitable
Investing, I followed.  I'll keep my PF subscription only until it
runs out next spring.

Band looks for solid, no-nonsense **investments** (as opposed to
speculations) to support longer-term, low risk growth.  I'd rate him
80 percent value investor, 20 percent market timer.  His "Total Return
Portfolio" doesn't have a whole lot of turnover (to the consternation
of my stock broker).  His recommendations are very clear and specific
(e.g., "switch the 5 percent of your portfolio now in convertible stocks
over to cash if the Dow closes above 3400").  He recommends individual
stocks, but also endorses specific mutual funds as alternatives for
smaller investors.

In the July '92 issue of Profitable Investing Band suggests the
following weightings:

   Utilities            25%
   U.S. Growth Stocks   15%
   International Stocks 10%
   Bonds (short term)   25%
   Cash                 25%

Recently Band has adopted a careful, "let's go slow" attitude with
regard to U.S. stocks, and this is manifest in his current weightings.
Even so, he feels good about a few.  His picks for buying now are:

   Utilities:     Bell Atlantic (47), Bell South (52), GTE(32)
   U.S. Growth:   Bristol-Myers (72), Merck (50)
                  Fund alternative: Vanguard Specialized-Health (35.00)
   International: Fund alternative: Japan Fund (10.00)
   Bonds:         Fund alternative: Benham Adjustable Rate Govt. (10.15)

Figures in parentheses are "best to buy below" targets.

You won't get rich overnight following Band's advice, but you will
eventually.  Furthermore, you won't lie awake worrying about that
leveraged buyout of a jojoba plantation that your friendly financial
advisor talked you into.

I think Band is one of the best.  Give his newletter a try for a
year ($99); you'll see.

    --Jerry