looking for your best ideas on shorting stox in Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Italy. I already made some $ buying puts on STD, since I couldn't borrow the stock to short it. Anyone know any big publicly traded banks in Portugal? thx.

I think you probably too late to the party. Financial stocks have been hammered already. IMO, it is better to find good quality stock that has been hammered badly and take a long position. Think of what happened to C, BAC, and GE in the US. I could have made a fortune, if I had the guts. I've been burned badly few years ago, and I became overly cautious.

EWP is the ETF for Spain.

You are right, they have all been hit badly already. Maybe it is better to wait for a sucker's rally to stall out before reshorting.

Try working for a living and buy real estate.

#4 If your question in the other thread wasn't a rhetorical one, and you really want to know why people think you're a prick, it's that answer right there. Maybe you're not a prick, I don't know you, but you certainly could use some work on your delivery.

If your question was rhetorical, and you like being a prick, then keep doing what you're doing.

lol... ya, nothing could possibly go wrong there..

I've always found a discount cigar forum to be the best place to get financial advice.

As long as your not a complete dumb f**k you WILL make money in real estate. It's the same as stocks, buy low and sell high, the only difference is you have an invest you can physically see and touch that is insured. It's a lot of work but the reward is two fold, good money & a sense of accomplishment making a sh*ty house nice once again.

I hope you all have good luck with stocks, but remember if we have another 9/11 or Enron which we will, just think how far you will be set back. My 60 year old neighbor is still waiting for his stuff to recover.

#8 You obviously have no idea of how the markets work.

No I don't, but I know how real estate works and I'm doing pretty good. I'm sure everyone on this cigar forum except myself are experts in the world markets. It never ceases to amaze me on how many people put their life savings into something that don't truly understand.

Not everyone here is an expert on world markets, but there are definitely a few that are.

And I agree with your last statement. It is scary. Most cold call stock brokers are slime looking to make a fast buck. And they usually do, for a while, then they move on to selling used cars.

I hate car salesman.

CE - not everyone is afraid of hard work. But not everyone is a handyman, either.

Some folks might be more than willing to work hard, but if they aren't versed in remodeling houses, what good is it to get into real estate?

Good for you for making money doing what you like to do. Most of us are not that fortunate, but I make a good living, so I ain't complaining.

As far as the OP - I am smart enough to know what I don't know and I don't know a damn thing about the financial market. I invest in a 457b and I pay 1% to have someone a lot smarter than me manage it.

Well said MACS. Have a great day.

^ Don't assume that the person/company that manage your retirement account is smarter than you..!

#15 for #13

Very well said John. Have a great day.

In my case it's not an assumption. I know to buy low and sell high, but I have no idea what stocks are going up, which are going down, or how to go about projecting that.

I can balance a check book, I can do math and I know how to live within my means.

*shrug*

My hope is that my investments make me more money than if I had just put them into a savings or CD's. I made 27% last year. So far, I look like a genius. LOL!

EPV

EPV up 14.5% today.

You're welcome.