Great post TTH. I, too, had some massive losses after the GFC and have been burnt "falling in love with stocks" and holding too much for too long (CWE, CSS...). I even had some disasters with blue chips so now I focus on speculative stocks in emerging markets. It took me a while to stop underestimating how long it takes for spec stocks to get into production and sales. It is very wise to lock in some early profits - getting to the free-carry stage is ideal. TTH, you've made some wise decisions with RFX.
There is so much hype at the start of spec stocks and then the long haul - I think they are no different to the lifecycle of a junior miner...
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I've had much more success over the past 2 years with my investments, but I'm definitely still learning. It's hard to pick the moments to buy and sell... and I still don't get it right all the time. I am better at getting out or selling down and cutting my losses quickly...and luckily, have avoided some disasters over the past 2 years. It is very painful and stressful losing money.
I'm also getting better at holding and I've picked some absolute gems... some multibaggers for me that have helped alleviate the duds (although I'm still not back to my initial worth pre GFC). I've found that if you get too much in the red, it may take such a long, long time to recover that it is better to cut your losses and use that time to invest in something better, or come back in later. Hot copper has definitely helped me and I consider all posters comments - even those everyone thinks are down-ramping. All my spec stocks were down yesterday, except one. All have come off highs in the last few months.
RFX is my smallest hold at the moment - I'm almost free-carried so I can afford to keep my toe in - but I think there are better opportunities for profits elsewhere over the next year.
Best wishes to all with your investments.
Cheers SkyDi
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