Message from sysop (47  ):
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Welcome to ValueForum! This page is a collection of messages from current members, with the goal to provide testimonials and guidance to help new and prospective members learn what's great about VF, what you should expect (and what is expected of you), and helpful hints that should come in handy as you enter this fantastic community of investors. Entering a community of investors, learning about the site and its features, and jumping into the discussions as a new member can be difficult and trying, so we hope that with the following guidance and suggestions from current members you will have an easier time as a "newbie" to VF.
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Message from adam (71  ):
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Welcome! My name is Adam Menzel and I am one of the founders and system operators of ValueForum, along with
Ben Nobel ("sysop") and Daniel Pedisich ("danielp"). My tip to you is to familiarize yourself with the Coffee Shop area
and use it whenever posting anything off-topic (i.e. not directly related to investing, like jokes, politics, etc). It is
also the area where you can post "Suggestions To Sysop" and where we make system announcements. If you ever have
any questions, you can always feel free to private post me in the Coffee Shop area (or send an email to
info@valueforum.com, or call our office at 1-866-315-6971, 9AM-5PM Eastern time,
M-F, closed market holidays).
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Message from danielp (1  ):
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My tip is to spend your first few weeks not posting anything, but simply reading and learning. This will give you
some time to get a feel for the group and where your particular ideas and expertise might fit in. A good way to make your
first post might be to reply to an existing thread where you can make a point or provide some information that has not yet
been presented by another member, and in the same post you can introduce yourself. Also, as soon as you've joined VF, fill out your user profile! Good luck, and welcome!
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Message from bonddadddy (4936  ):
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VF is literally the best web site on the Internet for investors bar none . Its a real time collection of news , experiences , data sharing , opinions that you can never get from bigger sites like TheStreet.Com or Motley Fool . It allows you to gather multiple opinions you can never get from speaking to a stock broker or their analysts . |
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Message from JamesRWhite (3556 ):
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How to get on people's ignore list.
This is a post I made back in July 2005 at http://www.valueforum.com/forums/show.mpl?keywords=1122299825.3.11898900966128&so=200507 that was pretty well received.
-=-=-=-
Since I am on the road, I have very little time to read VF, and I have been adding folks to my ignore list like crazy. When I do, I have been keeping a file of why I have been adding people. Since this topic came up, this is what my file looks like as of this morning . . .
This is a work in progress . . .
Messages That Get People on My Ignore List:
1) Anybody know anything about XXX?
Translation: I heard about this stock on {Pick One or more: a neighbor, a yahoo board, BubbleVision} and it sounded good, but I am not going to waste my time telling you about WHY I am interested in the stock, nor am I gonna waste my time doing a search on ValueForum or to check the ValueForum stock ratings. Instead I want you guys to start a long thoughtful discussion about the pros and cons of owning it so I don't have to waste my time doing my own DD.
Alternate Translation: I own a bunch of this stock, and I sure would love for some of the gurus on VF to talk it up so that it would climb in price.
2) What is the ticker symbol for ZZZ?
Translation: I am a clueless person who doesn't know how to pick up the phone and call my broker or how to use the search functions on my broker's web site, or how to use the Yahoo lookup or Google or any of a zillion other sources, but instead I want you guys to tell me what it is (never mind telling you what I want it for - to make a trade (where I would need my broker's symbol), to look it up on Yahoo (which would require a different symbol), or to look it up on the exchange where it is traded (which might be yet another symbol).
3) Why is stock YYY down (or up) today?
Translation: I know absolutely nothing about this stock and what forces influences it, and as a result, I don't know where to even start looking. If it is a commodity play, I don't understand how commodity prices influence it's future earnings and divvys. I don't know how to use Edgar to see if they made a filing about a secondary or a big insider sell. I don't know what it's competitors are, and how news of it's competitors will influence the outlook for this stock. I don't even know how to search for news on this stock. Instead, I want you guys to take your eyes off the market and clue me in.
4) Posting any and every news item about every stock traded on every exchange, in full, including the advertisements & disclaimers - especially if it contains tables and they are not formatted in such a way they can be readable. Much better is a shorter post such as:
XYZ announced [good earniings, great divvy, a merger, etc., etc.] - for the full release see
http://biz.yahoo.com/blah.blah.blah
5) Posting full articles expression from some odd-ball news source about somebody who nobody ever heard of's opinion about where {pick one or more: oil, gold, coal, the dollar, etc.} is headed. I much prefer to read facts . . . oil production is up . . . demand for copper is higher . . . inventories of something or other is at a all-time low.
Opinions are like belly buttons - every body has one. Some folks have opinions that move markets, however, and that is news, but to post every article from some gold-bug board about the imminent crash of the western economic system is just too much. |
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Message from Papaowl (1306 ):
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At "VF" I have met some of the greatest givers from all walks of life and from all parts of the world..
I thank each of them for sharing part of their life and knowledge with me.
I expect the following from new members as well as present members.
We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.
Author: Seneca 4 B.C. 65 A.D., Spanish-born Roman Statesman, philosopher
Sarcasm I now see to be, in general, the language of the devil; for which reason I have long since as good as renounced it.
None are more unjust in their judgments of others than those who have a high opinion of themselves.
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Message from glenwpeters (1192 ):
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Best place on the web to learn how to invest on your own...... |
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Message from inthegreen (796 ):
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VF is the place to be to pick up on new and proven investment ideas. |
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Message from GeorgiaDave (712 ):
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ValueForum is a great group of very smart, sophisticated investors. We have several professionals on board managing millions of dollars, and "average Joe" investors that beat the pants off of Wall Street professionals year in and year out. ValueForum will expose you to a wealth of ideas and sectors, and keep you ahead of the curve.
To get the most out of this tool we call ValueForum, there are a few pointers, many of which has already been said, but I'll repeat them for summary purposes:
1). Fill out your profile. This gives you credibility to some who would ignore you otherwise.
2). Chose to embed comments in posts. This can be done from the "My Settings and Portfolio" page. Sometimes there is better info in the comments to a post than the actual post itself (such as the answer to a question), and by adding quick comments to posts we cut down on the total number of posts.
3). Make use of the comments to a post rather than replying to the post with a separate post.
4). Bring ideas to the table. VF as a tool works because people share ideas. Not all ideas are for everybody, but the more ideas floating make for a better pool to draw from. Different ideas are OK, they prevent groupthink. Contrarian viewpoints are encouraged. Ideas are what makes VF a great tool, and without them, this board will dry up.
5). Only you can prevent clutter! Leave Off-topic stuff at home. We have a separate board for political rants, stories about grandkids, crude jokes, neat websites, etc. We call it the Coffee Shop. Before making any post, you should ask yourself if 1200 people should really spend their time reading this message, and will it make them any money?
6). We are not Pump-and-Dumpers. If you like a stock and think it will make other people money, by all means tell us about it. However, if you're going to tell us about your favorite stock, you better lay out WHY we should spend our time looking into it. Tell us the story about the stock, and lay out the case. Messages of "everyone should buy XYZ right now!" will get you ostracized pretty quick.
7). Read the VF terms of service. We take them pretty seriously here. Especially about not reposting other peoples stuff on different sites, and treating other people civilly. You can disagree with someone about something (most VFers love debates about stocks), but you must be civil. Stick to facts when arguing about a stock, leave ego and emotion behind.
8). Take advantage of the "Search" feature. We have had many debates here, so if you have a question, it's probably already been hashed out in the past.
9). Don't rely on VF to give you answers you could probably look up for yourself. Posts of things like "Whats the ticker for XYZ" when you could look it up yourself several different ways will get you ostracized fairly quickly.
I recommend lurking for about a week or two before jumping in to post. We have our own language here which can sometimes be daunting, but you will get tons of actionable ideas from them. |
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Message from samiamdj (698 ):
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Share as other will share with you. Don't be selfish. A huge ego out of the chute will only give you grief. Prove your worth and don't expect everyone to annoint you an expert without proving that you have something of value to offer. Don't get personal. Tons of years of knowledge on VF that would humble even the most sage investor if they would check their ego in at the door. Don't shoot the messenger. Wasting the boards time like promoting an investment without supporting facts will not make you friends. Be forthright in your recommendations as VF'ers trading can move an investment. VF'ers hate when a VF'er has recommend a stock, then sold it but forgot to change their recommendation. Best of luck. |
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Message from corvettekid (589 ):
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Be respectful of others and welcome dissent here. It's not to offend you, it's to educate you. |
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Message from dig4value (521 ):
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July 24 2004.
AN amazing little investment story --
I have been investing for over 30 years and up until about 3 years ago, I thought I was an average investor even though I spent a lot of time researching and trying to pick good growth stocks, via valueline and IBD, CANSLIM, stock letters, Barrons, etc. I always suspected there was a small group of people who REALLY knew how to make money in the stock market. I also thought that they probably associated with one another. I am not talking about the BIG money guys on wallstreet, I am talking about people who were just significantly savvier about investing and made very good money at it.
Then I got layed off from a tech start up and took the summer off/slowly looked for a job. During that time I decided to really try to figure out how to time the market and how to REALLY make money in the market. I discovered a couple of discussion boards, TEI and PVX, ERF, etc. I also, by chance found a guy on the cstx board who used some very accurate indicators for market timing. I met people like Bond_dadddy, xstock, RJW, jdcarter, HHill, inthegreen, bertco, etc. These were the folks I always thought had to exist. I started reading every post by BD, x, RJW etc. I did back testing on my timing indicators and determined that except in the rare occasion it would give me quite accurate bottom and top indicators. I lost about 8 months of salary but gained great knowledge. If someone had said "would you spend $120K to know how to make real money in the market?" I would have told them to get lost, but that is essentially what I did.
In the last two years, I got rid of my IBD subscription, dumped all my stock letters and spent all my spare time on a few boards reading, reading, reading. I changed my investment style completely and also my portfolio. Changed my handle to Dig4Value because that was my new process. And in the summer of 2002 I started really making money in the market. My retirement, which had been hurt by the tech crash, started to recover and then flourish. Sure, 2003 was an extraordinary year for those who were following BD, HH, x etc. But even through the volatile spring of 2004 and NFI and all, I am making much more gains then ever before. My retirement is back to where I feel I will retire comfortably, but what is better is that I know that when I am retired I will be able to manage my retirement funds quite successfully and my wife and two small daughters will be able to live well even during my retirement. This is all due to the folks of VF.
The V F board is like the huge pearl in the oyster. Once you find it, you can hardly believe it. So much market knowledge, so much generosity, so much help. It must be diligently looked after and kept from harm, unique as far as I know.
I can only hope to periodically contribute to the VF in some small ways to help others.
I want you all to know I pray for you folks often.
Thank you, ThanK YOU, THANK YOU,
Dig4Value
Update 1/1/2007
I wrote the above post about 2.5 years ago just after joining Value Forum and my sentiments have, if anything, gotten stronger. For me it has meant the difference between mediocre and stellar stock performance, peace of mind about retirement and meeting and making wonderful friends. VF is simply the BEST.
Internet boards often allow us to speak a little more harshly then we would otherwise. My suggestion to new members is this:
1. First spend a few days reading all the posts your can
2. Never, NEVER use harsh language or talk down to a VF member. Treat them like family you haven't seen in a while and want to get to know better.
3. When you recommend a stock, do your homework and DD. It will be appreciated.
4. When you get a red thumb, don't react. Do you get honked at once and a while, well that is probably because the other guy is having a really rough day. let it go.
5. Spend time looking at stock recommendations and members portfolios. You will find some diamonds just laying there.
6. As BCraft says: "Lets make some money and Have some FUN"
7. IF you can don't miss the Yearly Invest Fest conference. It is a BLAST!
8. And if your are so inclined, pray for Value Forum and its members, they are folks with needs just like everyone else.
Good investing and trading to you,
Dig4Value
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Message from craigrj (444 ):
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Value Forum has been a life changer for me. Due to the generosity of a remarkable group of people I quit work at the age of 53 to invest/trade full time. Value Forum is like having a thousand set of eyes watching the markets for you, there is no way an individual working alone could begin to keep up with all the information that as a member of this group you are able to keep up with. Take my right arm but don't take my Value Forum! |
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Message from nancy6075 (440 ):
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Welcome to ValueForum or VF as we call it. I joined almost three years ago and have never been sorry. The search features here are terrific. There is also a lot of subject matter expertise on the board with a coffee shop for political (or politically incorrect) comments and subject matter.
Some thoughts for new members:
1. fill out your profile. Unless you are prevented from doing so by your employer, this is a real good way for people to understand what you bring to the party or what you are looking to learn.
2. Spend some time figuring out what is here and how to use it. Stock ratings and contest picks are a great way to see if the stock you are looking at has been mentioned before or a great way to go "dumpster diving" for new ideas. On the upper left where it tells you how many members are on line, you can do a member sort by alpha, date joined, and feedback stars to see who the prominent posters are. Look at the "discussion by topic" for other ideas.
3. This board is a ton different from public message boards. You will see that you are expected to know where to find a stock symbol or when the ex-dividend date falls, and above all its ok to disagree, but all CAPS or flaming is not a way to do it.
good luck to you.
Nancy |
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Message from ronstaug (397  ):
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V.F. can be a great tool for either the "buy and hold" investors or traders. IMO, in the beginning it's best to lurk for a few weeks, then start posting when you can "add value". Lastly, if you ever have the chance, try to attend Investfest = you'll meet some neat folks & be able to connect names and faces. Welcome aboard, Ron |
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Message from tankerat (361 ):
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I am approaching the end of my first year on VF. I have enjoyed the exchange of information, and have made a lot of money from ideas exchanged on this forum. I would recommend VF to any serious investor, and I will never be without it.
Being polite is expected here, unlike many other investment sites, so be prepared to be polite. |
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Message from Panteradon (257  ):
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VF has been a blessing to me and my family. Even if you are not a big contributor, the information is there for you to read. It is amazing that the fine members of VF will openly help and provide ideas to enhance each others investing.
Don |
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Message from vireya (233 ):
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Welcome aboard,
Please, if you join, refer to the Terms of Service which explicitly says that what goes on here, stays here, and is not to be reposted elsewhere |
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Message from JOELSINGER (222 ):
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VF is comprised of a large & growing, diverse, knowledgeable group of investors. The attribute you should appreciate that this wonderful group makes available to you as an incoming member is Generosity. Research, firsthand sector sophistication, source references and sometimes remarkably insightful analyses are given freely by the members so you may do your own due dilligence in making informed investment decisions. Once you become comfortable in navigating your way around this wonderful site, I encourage you to participate by giving anything back to the group that you feel may help others. When you Give here you are rewarded with more value than you can imagine.
Respectfully,
Joel |
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Message from shortseller (219 ):
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Valueforum is helping investors to pick the right stocks at the right time with special weight on an equal balance of total return and current dividend income.
A balanced portfolio of opportunities can be constructed, if investors follow the guideline.
With superior market insights, correct measures can be taken to prevent substantial portfolio losses. |
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Message from Pilot (205 ):
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The search feature on the lower left of the discussion page is a great tool. If you have something to post but are unsure if it already been posted, do a search. Looking for the posts of a particular individual, do a search, etc.
chuck |
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Message from denoving (197  ):
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What I like about VF: It doesn't have the disruptive individuals present that ruined the yahoo stock boards. VF was a place for me and my friends to move when the yahoo boards became so very unfriendly a few years back. In essence, our virtual community provided the critical "intellectual mass" to help VF become an attraction on the internet for serious investors of all stripes. In return VF provided a secure, reliable place for our community to reside. It was a great partnership, and it continues to thrive because the partnership continues to be mutually benefitial. VF kept good faith with the community by continuing to make improvements and providing tools to help the investors to work and learn together. VF is a great place, and will likely continue to be a great place to learn and share knowledge to help ourselves and our friends make money in the markets.
What new or prospective members should expect at VF: Expect the opportunity to learn, share and cooperatively develop new ideas and strategies for making money in securities [primarily stocks]. Expect the opportunity to meet people who you can team up with who are interested in the same kinds of things that you are interested in such as a specific sector that looks like it has potential. We also have an annual get - together. This year [2007] it will be in San Diego.
Get the most out of VF by attempting to form small groups or partnerships with other people who want to learn about a specific sector or industry's potential opportunity for profits, and want to know the best companies to purchase. Other useful topics are which companies are the best in any sector, which are the most timely to purchase, and which have risk, how much risk, and when to avoid.
I extend my hand to any or all who wish to self teach and share knowledge about investing in a constructive and respectful manner. We can help each other to learn how to make money in the markets. Life long learning is what it's all about. |
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Message from danross70 (196 ):
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Read this stuff. Read it some more. If you find nothing of value to you, I'm sorry. I find that the best posts make me think and show me the way to very remunerative investments. I now know about subjects I never considered before, like coking coal, shipping rates, the uses of Molybdenum, and even a little bit of oil geology. Invest in things you can understand, but know that you can find the understanding here. Pay particular attention to BD, x, jbsbill, kauai gary, GWP, and Viking Fan. These guys are "helpers" who will try to show you how and why money can be made from investments. |
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Message from sandgrey (190 ):
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Collegiality and willingness to disagree agreeably is the cornerstone of a successful investing group. |
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Message from WestWFA (189 ):
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My suggestions:
1. Yes, you can post! Think about your personal experiences, geographic knowledge, or powers of observation. Don't rely on the top 100 authors to keep this place alive. Your input is important.
2. Keep posts short. Try web reference rather than cut and paste. Edit cut and paste material to delete boiler plate.
3. I encourage you to participate in stock contests and polls.
4. InvestFests are a great way to meet your fellow VFers.
5. This isn't Yahooland... no touting, no boasting, no trashing other members (flaming), and please no mindless posts about where's my divy or ZZZZ goes x-dividend today. Cutting down on clutter helps maintain the value of the board.
6. We have lots of interesting personalities here. You will get some good laughs as well as interesting investment ideas. |
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Message from northwest57 (181 ):
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This last year I have subscribed to two investment services. Value Forum and a well known income newsletter.
Value Forum costs a little over $200 per year.
The income newsletter costs abou $400 per year.
I am up 11% on investments made because I heard about them on Value Forum (of course, I do my own research on everything but the ideas came from Value Forum and there was always some discussion of the pros and cons of each investment on VF).
I am down 8% on investments made because I heard about them from the income newsletter.
I might also add that I often hear about breaking events immediately on Value Forum and a day or two later the same information is finally available from the newsletter.
Hmmm...... which service is the better value? |
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Message from Geehee (152 ):
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If you click on the "My Settings & Portfolios" setting at the top of the page you'll see on the right hand side of that page an option titled "Change my embedded feedback setting to:" If you choose the option, "Embed comments" any comments given a post, along with thumbs, will appear at the bottom of every post. Hopefully general use of this option will encourage everyone to make use of this for brief responses, additions & suggestions, rather than generating another seperate post. The larger the membership, the more difficult it becomes to read all the post.
This feature does limit the length of your comments but often that's a usefull discipline in forcing you to make your point succinctly. Starting there first should also help you decide if another seperate post will really add to the discussion or contribute further worthwhile information. |
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Message from billh (135 ):
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Since being one of the beginning members, it has been a great experience. This select group of sophisticated investors has
exceptional knowledge to share. The members come from all walks of life and have varied experiences. Many are experts in
finance and commodity related issues. Many are good money managers. This is a value oriented group where good yields on a
variety of stocks are the main focus.
You can check out background information on the posters by reading their
profiles. I encourage you to fill out your profile if you want credibility with this community. Blank profiles
are unacceptable to me and many other members. Please take the time to highlight your goals and desires as well as your
experience, or lack of it. Just be honest.
Bill Helman
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Message from tennee9899 (125 ):
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VF is a great place to learn, pick up investment ideas, and it eliminates all the issues that show up on the Yahoo board. Fill in your profile, so folks can get a feel for who you are. |
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Message from radams (123 ):
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I have recommended many old members of my old Canroy board to VF. I have doubled my net worth in the 3 years I have been a VF member, A little late in life on the road to 100 (Now 92). I have 10 grandchildren who are my favorite charity thru their 529s and in Ohio we get credit tax wise for the contributions, $2000 per account, Max of $6000) a year credit, but balance carried forward. |
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Message from husselman (122 ):
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VF is very usefull and has helped me in investing. |
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Message from Thimble (104 ):
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Keep up the good work. Park your ego at the door. Share share share. Be kind to youself first. |
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Message from brunod (73 ):
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VF is an awesome community of bright, serious, passionate and involved individual investors. Information is well organized into fine-grained topics and discussions are always on topic and relevant. People here certainly know what value is and this site itself is a great reflection of that. I feel honored and privileged to have found such a great resource and to be part of it! |
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Message from honkytonker (64 ):
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This is one of the brightest and most generous groups you will ever come across. While I firmly believe everyone has something to contribute to the collective wisdom, this is pretty much a left-brain group. Facts, evidence, and reasoned argument will earn you respect, even if some disagree with you. Political rants, emotional ventilation, and personal attacks will get you ignored or worse. Be considerate of the time of the members: don't post something unless you put some effort into it or it is something of clear interest relating to investing. This is not a Yahoo board full of morons trying to fill up their empty hours. Fill in your profile, at least to the extent you feel comfortable sharing information about yourself. It will help us get to know you.
That's about all the wisdom I can offer. As Bob says, "Let's go out and make some money." or something like that. |
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Message from investlt (57 ):
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I found Valueforum to be a safe haven in the unscrupulous world of web based financial groups and chat boards. Pumping stocks is frowned upon. Personal attacks are prohibited. All non-investment related posts are relegated to a sister site called the Coffee Shop. The current user base includes highly knowledgeable individuals, many with industry specific expertise that is hard to find anywhere else.
This is a site for sharing information about the atypical investments that the majority of investors have not discovered. It is about finding the next value/growth sector/investment before all the major houses on the Street are recommending it.
The development team responsible for this site is the most responsive to users that I have ever seen. The majority of updates are based on user recommendations and/or requests.
The beauty of the site is that it works well for all members, from the beginner to the advanced user. Various configuration options allow for customization of the site to meet specific user needs.
Advanced filtering and search features provide for quick access to posts by topics, authors and/or keywords within a specific time period. You can track your portfolio(s) on the site and share portfolio data with the other members. The stock rating features provide users with the ability to rate individual stocks and describe the reasons for the ratings. Many additional features are available to the members.
This site is a gem, and based on the posts by many members and my personal experience it is a site for learning, sharing and especially making money.
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Message from dryan12 (56 ):
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I hope to gain from some very experienced and knowledgeable people as well as share some of my insights. Update: I have been a member for over a year now. The annual fee is well worth it, read and learn. One bit of advice, read the Acclaimed Contributions tab and you will find many good posts with very worthwhile information. I have not been to InvestFest yet, but from all accounts it is life changing. I hope to go soon. Best of luck to all who read this. :-) |
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Message from gethbkp (53 ):
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Get the Edge then Hedge. Bias Kills Performance. |
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Message from hreally (51 ):
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I'm a new member myself so all I can attest to is the value of VF.
It has provided me with eye opening information on a wide scale. The collective wisdom of the membership is astounding and somewhat intimidating; but useful input is appreciated pretty universally.
Please fill out your profile so that the members reading your comments can get an idea of where you're coming from. Also be sure to add insight and analysis to your posts. Throwing out random bits of unsubstantiated information won't be much appreciated.
Most of all, cherish the opportunity to converse and learn from an extremely gifted group of investors!
jc
Stockdale,. Texas |
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Message from mlanga (51 ):
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It would be my hope that every post has something of substance in it. Even when asking a question I believe it's possible to share an insight one has about the company or show that you've made even a basic attempt to answer it yourself. For instance, "Why is ERF down today? I looked at xxxx which normally has CanRoy news but there's no postings."
I really agree with cooperation and teaching but I am dead set against handouts. The most basic effort will be rewarded 100x over with me.
It's also possible to provide constructive feedback on a posting using the thumbnail comments. I wish these were used more often.
If you read a post that someone has clearly put some time into, give them a pat on the back. Even if you don't understand what they were talking about. It takes time and energy to create a post and a simple green check is nice acknowledgement. |
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Message from beetlebomb (49 ):
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To new and prospective members:
I have been a member of VF since its beginning month: November 2003. I had been a lurker on the old Yahoo TEI board which had degenerated to almost uselessness for a variety of reasons. The operators of VF saw a need and underwrote the establishment of this board which has been a "godsend" to someone such as I who is retired and needs the skills and knowledge to generate extra income from his investments.
On this board you will find some very bright individuals, many of whom are retired or semi-retired and have held positions of considerable responsibility during their working careers. You will also find many who are still in their working careers who find time out of their busy days to contribute what they can to this board for the benefit of the group.
It is almost eerie how many securities have been "tagged" by this group long before Wall Street "catches on". As a result, if you keep up with the posts on a regular basis, you should become aware of upcoming trends earlier than if you try to do so by reading the news media. You will find opinions and recommendations not only from US-based posters, but from many who live abroad and can add challenging perspectives of their own.
The cost of VF is a pittance compared to the benefits you will receive. I highly recommend that if you are a serious investor who is tired of being fleeced by the Wall Street crowd, join VF on a trial basis and experience its benefits first hand. |
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Message from cti1usnret (42 ):
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Value Forum's membership fee is the best investment you'll ever make. |
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Message from bentsao (40 ):
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The most important thing I have learned at VF in the last 3 years reading all you smart peoples posts is money management. This is usually not taught by our parents. Money management is risk management. Two sets of skill come to mind: investment skill and money management. Money management is strategic. You examine your pot of money and determine each investment size. Is this speculation? 0.5%. Is this a company stock? 1-3%, Is this cef? 3-5% Is this ETF? 5-10% . Risk management allows you to comeback after mis-steps. If risk management is right, you will make money when investment is right. Risk management and keeping your eyes on the ball and measuring avoid ruins. Now VF has so many wonderful contributors. So cool! No other place can you see so many experienced people post their portfolios regularly. Investment usually is a very private thing. Studying other people's approach is most beneficial. It takes a community to keep it unpolluted. Let's keep it this way.
A heartfelt thank you, my VF friends for your generous help. |
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Message from Halling (40 ):
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Been with VF almost a year now and have learned a lot about investing that has more than paid for my membership. Being frugal with my money, it took a lot for me to join VF but have never regretted my decision to grow and learn from peers on VF. I enjoy the informal polls and posting articles on VF when I find something of value that is worth sharring. I don't put my own opinion on the post very offten as most people on VF don't like the process. But is is OK to post articles written by some one else presenting their opinions. A little of a double standard, but there is value in keeping the due diligence honest.
I also like that other VF members are becoming part of the family. They seem genuine in careing about other members well being. |
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Message from delrumple (36 ):
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Transparency is a good thing, and we will never have it in the investing enviroment until we eliminate Naked shorting. To sell something that belongs to someone else is wrong, just as selling something you do not own is wrong, this is not a NEW legal concept.
There is a petition to Congress to amend the naked short practice here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mrktrfrm/petition.html
Personally, In my humble Opinion, I think it should be a petition to the Courts, to compel the US Attorney General to fullfill his oath of office. |
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Message from rdixon (36 ):
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NOT Reposting VF "is the law around here" AMEN
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Message from drmrktr (36 ):
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1. The best thing about VF is the quality and diversity of knowledge and opinion.
2. We make a serious attempt to read everything posted and digest the content. We have Identied the posters who have great advice and great track records, in line with our investing style.
3. We use the information gleaned from the posts to form an opinion about long term economic issues. i.e., the price of gold will be higher in the future, or this will be a great year for companies selling fertilizer. . .
4. We then try to identify 3 to 5 companies within the favored sector and buy 1 to 3% positions. When we are very confidet in a company we invest up to 5%.
5. We look for positions that will grow over a 6 to 24 month time frame. Even though it is frequently tempting, we rarely try to time the market. Buy and hold has worked extremely well for us. Every investor should identify his or her style and comfort levels. . .
6. We have learned to try to sell too soon. After a few years of trying to hit the very top and always missing, we learned to use the 20-60-20 rule. Buy within 20% of the bottom, sell within 20% of the top and enjoy 60% of the gains.
7. Never get too far behind in keeping up with the forum. We always miss something important when we do.
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Message from oiler63 (35 ):
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This forum is the best I have come across. There is a very deep level of knowledge across all sectors. There is no hyping/pumping as seen in many public forums - here posters provide sound reasoning and rational analysis to support their positions. |
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Message from Peaceb2u (33 ):
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This is the most knowledgable board I've ever been assocaiated with (23 years). It is also the most unselfish and there is never any name calling or putting members down. This board has helped me be very successful. All the good guys are here---Peaceb2u |
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Message from jake (33 ):
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I cannot say enough about Value Forum. I am a novice investor and have limited time, tools or knowledge to research investments. Value Forum gives me the opportunity to communicate with some of the most knowledgeable people that are truly trying to help, not get a commission. This membership is the best investment I have made. |
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Message from jmfgnj (27 ):
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As a new VF'er I enjoy the uncommon insights which fellow members bring into investment situations. I also enjoy the access to reports and other information that I normally wouldn't have access to. Great website. |
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Message from donnichols (27 ):
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I have been a VF subscriber for one year and have found the members here generally to be informed, intelligent, articulate people of good will. The knowledge I've gathered has been well worth the price of tuition, and the subscription fee has been repaid many-fold in investment gains. |
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Message from danski52 (20 ):
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Welcome aboard!
No friend, no book, no broker, no advisor, no expert has ever provided a tenth what I am able to find here. The best money I have EVER spent, is for membership.
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Message from cyngrace (19 ):
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Hi,
This board has been a virtual life saver for me and my children's portfolios.
I was heavily weighted in a stk that suddenly lost almost all its value and this board has given me the confidence and the ability to start making it back quickly.
My advice to new comers is to just read the postings for awhile and get a feel for the characters on the board and the type of stks that they have expertise in. Then select a board member that you have an affinity for and read all his/her postings as a grouping to get an even better feel and then finally dip your toe in to contribute.
This board is a tough group and contributions that are not percieved to add value will be red thumbed and generally "dissed" but if you can explain your post you will get retractions if not group hugs....this is not a very group hugging type group. LOL! but it sure is a collective of smart, savy, diverse, successful and sometimes even funny and erudite group of investors. |
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Message from lynderdee (18 ):
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This is a wonderful place to get really good information about investing from very smart and generous people. This is not a Yahoo board and treating each other with respect is very important. |
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Message from dunkfrozen (18 ):
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I have been investing for 37 years, starting with mutual funds and then stocks. I have been through a long series of advisors, newsletters and an assortment of shikesters who caused me to perform poorly in the market. I have stayed too long with my former employer's stock and am now in the process of gradually weaning myself away from it through the use of covered calls. I am finding that VF is a fantastic discussion board made up of some very smart, intuitive people who have no hidden agenda in making their recommendations. I highly recommend you get involved with VF for fun and profit! |
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Message from jimbucks (17 ):
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The collective wisdom of the members and distributed in an unselfish manner is what I find do be the most valuable asset of the group.
When you offer insight and reason for added or selling an equity you will find a willing and experienced audience who will help you to disect your points. |
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Message from l8rdudez (16 ):
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There are some real smart folks here at ValueForum. The only downside is the volume of posts makes it difficult to keep up, so learn to use ignore topic feature or to click on the topic that interests you so you can see specific posts. |
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Message from poky21 (14 ):
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This is a very professionally maintained forum, both by owner/managers and members. It is advisable to lurk for a while to get a sense of the culture and to learn what is deemed valuable and what is not tolerated. Welcome! Bob
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Message from v80alue (13 ):
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Learn and watch for several weeks before sending out useless comments.
There are too much to learn from VF but reading books outside VF will help as well. |
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Message from cropcircle (10 ):
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You will find here a wealth of information and depth of experience/knowledge rare on the World Wide Web. The conditions that have allowed this to develop are privacy, mutual respect, strict censorship of yelling, screaming, pumping, and obscenity and amazing SysOps and a well designed interface.
Explore all of this first before posting and let others know you are new to the group. While there is a sincere effort to be welcoming and appreciative it takes a while to find out the customs of this tribe and not all are explicit.
The rewards are you will learn more about investing and interesting leads to new areas of investment. "Outside" reports and summaries are often reported here that can be very helpful in extending what you read and attend to.
Take strongly held opinions, wise-cracks, and political debate to the Coffee Shop or you will be gently or strongly directed to do so. PapaOwls jokes get me through bad days.
Enjoy and prosper. |
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Message from cranskin (10 ):
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VF has allowed me to re-retire by provfiding me with guidance and advise in my investments. It has given me a family I can use for backup advise. |
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Message from Ding (9 ):
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Membership in VF is unlike any you have ever experienced before.
This is a unique group that is always ahead of the market. It is compassionate, caring, friendly, and shares its knowledge of the marketplace.
New members are advised to become familiar with the board and some of the major personalities prior to posting ........ get the lay of the land first. |
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Message from buddie (9 ):
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I like discussion with other value investors to share idears and discover new ones. |
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Message from rdopkins (8 ):
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After a year of membership, I am still reluctant to post due to the enormous respect I have for the intelligence and experience I see in the information provided by others. But now I am gradually learning to begin....slowly. Unlike Yahoo, this is NOT a place where blind hype or bashing is long tolerated. Fill out your profile as soon as possible and don't brag. Be generous and respectful. |
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Message from mungar (8 ):
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Value Forum has been the most valuable tool I have ever come across when it comes to managing my investments. I can honestly say that the information shared on Value Forum has led me to retire earlier than expected. It is a wonderful community of professionals and non-professionals who share information about financial assets, including commodities, stocks, bonds, reits, preferreds, oil and gas companies, etc, etc. What I am most interested in is high yielding investments, with some growth prospects, to help me in retirement. Value Forum has filled that bill nicely. There is no agenda, at least that I can see, and you can participate or not participate. This is a wonderful investment site, period. |
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Message from jcope (6 ):
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VF makes you money! What more needs to be said. Thanks to edq882 for tipping me to VF. |
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Message from crowells (5 ):
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VF is my most trusted market diligence source for no-nonsense, no hype dicussions. I don't always agree with every message i read, but often time find myself learning from other perspectives I may have failed to consider. I appreciate the valuable input everyone shares and the VF team for keeping it real. |
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Message from swimcoach (5 ):
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The knowledge and views found here are worth every penny then some.
Rob |
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Message from newby (4 ):
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When I started with VF, I truly was a "newby". That's still my VF handle, but I no longer feel like such a "newby". The information I've learned, besides the $$$ I've made, could not have been accomplished at any other web-site. The one problem I have found is that Valueforum is addictive. This is such an excellent group of smart, investment savvy investors that I'm always afraid I'm going to miss something by not reading all the messages. Our retirement has been a financial success due entirely to VF. |
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