Simon Shares

• Aspen (JSE code: APN) being vice squeezed.
• Woolies* (JSE code: WHL) trading update, "impact of a potential re-assessment of the carrying value of the David Jones assets". Watch out for the "goodwill write downs are not cash", true but they were paid for with cash.
• Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP) update seemed lighter then I had expected, good but not awesome. That said market liked it and stock is up over 6% since the SENS.

* I hold ungeared positions.

New year resolutions for investors

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face" Mike Tyson

• Stop watching the prices. These are long term investments, check them every so often if you must but certainly not even weekly never mind intra-day.
• Only own stocks that you have at least three strong reasons for owning and revisit these reasons at least once a year.
• Sell the dogs in your portfolio, sell them now (I'll wait).
• Sell anything that is not the best management and be very careful about what qualifies as best management (think Steinhoff).
• Careful of complexity (again Steinhoff).
• Miners and other cyclical stocks are never long term investments.
• ETFs are best and easiest way to create wealth, always have a core of at least 50% ETFs in your portfolio.
• Your first R33k invested every year must go into a low cost ETF tax-free account.
• If you not regularly beating the market over a 1 and 3 year period. Stop trying and just buy ETFs.
• Cost are a big killer.
• Keep it simple.
• Keep it diverse.

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