Wednesday, November 26, 1997


The Daily Dow
by Robert Sheard

LEXINGTON, KY. (Nov. 26, 1997) -- My Thanksgiving Top Ten List (or why I'm Thankful to Be a Fool)

10 -- I haven't worn a necktie since donning my belled-cap (the beauty of telecommuting).

9 -- I've met people from around the world as readers have written me from China, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Wales, England, even California! All are people I'd never have had cause to chat with were it not for Folly.

8 -- I've learned more about financial planning and investing from talking to readers than I ever might have in poring through books and magazines (many of them Worldly Wise) on my own. We have an amazing investment club here.

7 -- I keep my neighbors endlessly confused. They still don't believe I have a real job and keep wondering when the bank is going to repossess my house and car.

6 -- Ditto for my parents.

5 -- Being a Fool has taught me to ignore my portfolio to a large degree. I can leave town for a holiday and not turn on the cable business station to obsess over every stock movement. I can even forget the exact holdings in my portfolio from time to time (don't quiz me; I probably couldn't tell you the precise holdings in my portfolio right now without looking at my spreadsheets). This leaves me free to have a life apart from the investing world.

4 -- By not having to commute to work, I've had time in the evenings over the last year to cut my golf handicap by three strokes and read some 50 or 60 books.

3 -- I know not to pay for brokerage "services" I don't want or need.

2 -- I like being self-sufficient when it comes to my financial future and know how to measure my results against the proper benchmarks. Accountability is Foolishness in a nutshell.

1 -- I'm not going to lose to the market indices year after year like I would in more than 80% of all stock mutual funds.

Happy Thanksgiving Fools. I'll be with you again on Monday.

TODAY'S NUMBERS
Stock  Change   Last
--------------------
T    +1  5/8   55.94
GM   -  15/16  60.13
CHV  -3  1/16  79.81
MMM  +1  9/16  97.25

           
                  Day   Month    Year
        FOOL-4   +0.53%   5.15%  25.69%
        DJIA     +0.35%   4.74%  20.88%
        S&P 500  +0.52%   4.05%  28.47%
        NASDAQ   +0.47%   0.06%  23.51%

    Rec'd   #  Security     In At       Now    Change

   1/2/97  479 AT&T          41.75     55.94    33.98%
   1/2/97  153 Chevron       65.00     79.81    22.79%
   1/2/97  120 3M            83.00     97.25    17.17%
   1/2/97  179 Gen. Motor    55.75     60.13     7.85%


    Rec'd   #  Security     In At     Value    Change

   1/2/97  479 AT&T       19998.25  26794.06  $6795.81
   1/2/97  153 Chevron     9945.00  12211.31  $2266.31
   1/2/97  120 3M          9960.00  11670.00  $1710.00
   1/2/97  179 Gen. Motor  9979.25  10762.38   $783.13


                             CASH   $1409.35
                            TOTAL  $62847.10