Kevin: March 2004 Archives

First stop is trying to figure out how we can afford going back to school. Well, not really how we can afford it (there are always ways to get money, especially for education) but more how to limit the cost.

First stop is Uncle Sam. The easiest way to get started (as far as I can tell) is to sign up for the US Department of Education PIN number. From the PIN site:

PIN Frequently Asked Questions
The PIN serves as your identifier to let you access your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. It's like the Personal Identification Number that you get from your bank that enables you to access your account. Because your PIN serves as your electronic signature, you should not give it to anyone.
...
You need a PIN in order to perform any of the following tasks:

* Electronically sign the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the Web, Renewal FAFSAs on the Web, or FAFSA Corrections on the Web.
* View the status of a submitted FAFSA application on FAFSA on the Web's Status Check.
* View the results of a processed FAFSA application on FAFSA on the Web's Student Access.
* Access your Federal Student Aid information on the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Web site.
* Use your PIN to access Direct Loan Entrance Counseling.
* Make address corrections to a Direct Loan account, calculate a repayment schedule, and get interactive counseling on deferment or forbearance for any Direct Loans on the Direct Loan Servicing Web site.
* Track the processing status of your online Consolidation Loan application throughout the entire consolidation process from application receipt to booking with Direct Loan Servicing.
* Make updates to the e-mail or mailing address where your PIN can be sent.
* Print a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR).

Sounds good to me. It takes a few days to process. In the mean time, I'm going to start working through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Pre-Application Checklist so that when my PIN gets here, I can get going. Fun, fun, fun.

I'm also planning to swing by our local Community Foundation to see what ideas they have. (what a nice website!)

This page describes the whole process: Financial Aid for Adult Students

In what we hope is a wise choice, I'm preparing to work towards a masters in Secondary Education from (I think) Ball State University. I went to BSU yesterday afternoon and met with an advisor who -- :) -- advised me against doing a transition-to-teaching program. He based that recommendation on the fact that I don't really want to teach, but rather that I'm working toward an administrative position. My goal is to be a superintendent within 8 years, unless the Lord steers me otherwise.

So, what does that mean? Well, it means that over the next few years Jill and I will be busy -- as if we aren't already. It means that I'll be spending some time on the road going to and from classes. It means Jill and I (and Hale and Addi) need your prayers!

I think we'll know soon enough if this is God's will for us. The decision came because I could only take so many people telling me that I would make a good superintendent -- including a man that knows a thing or two about that job: Ralph Bailey. I've asked him time and time again if he seriously thinks that Jill and I can pull this off and the answer continues to be, "Yes!" Our prayer is that God is using Ralph, and will use us to allow His will to be done in all of this.

Hale and Daddy look out over Ross Aide Stadium, Purdue University

In terms of stocks, it is sometimes hard to know exactly when to pull out of a stock (I am coming to realize). Greed gets in the way. "If I've already made X today, how much more will I make tomorrow?" The answer to that question will eventually be -- without a doubt -- "nothing; you lost money today." So the important thing to do in your mind, I think, is to set clear boundaries and just stick to them. Don't look back, and don't second guess.

An interesting quote I read the other day, when someone was pulling out of a stock that still had some upside potential, but had already given fair returns:

Bank Visit via Clearstation

As I step up to the teller window, I discipline myself to not reach over and grab everything I can out of the till. I speak politely, take what is owed to me, and recognize I am not The Donald.

A big red wall that used to be green,
is now a part of the Jordan machine.

If you come to the house be prepared to find,
a warmer atmosphere -- I hope you don't mind.

Jill and Hale like it, and Addi and I too;
come see us soon -- oh yes, please do!

One of the charts I like to look at from ClearStation is the percentage change in volume -- basically, which stocks are much more active right now than usual. Today, one stock in particular stuck out: M-Wave, Inc. M-Wave deals in microwave-frequency components and high-frequency circuit boards through a subsidiary named Poly Circuits Inc.

Based on no news since early February, when the company announced restructuring and a retirement of debt, as well as an agreement to sell a few properties in order to free up cash, the stock has more than doubled. I think something is going on, and I look for a news release sometime soon. Regardless, trading volume is up 1,786.77% today and the stock price is fluctuating over a 20% range. I good opportunity to grab a little profit perhaps.

I didn't get in near the low today, but I'll put this $700 I have sitting around in my mock portfolio into play and see what happens. I don't expect to own this one too long. I'll set my stop at $3 and sell order at $6. I'll reevaluate the sell price based on what happens over the next day or two.

I made the front page of The Post & Mail on Monday -- in their Friendly Faces column. A few mistakes in the article, most notably the "Family in Whitley County" question, of which I have more than just my immediate family. Problem was, she never asked that question! Mom jabbed me a couple of times for herself and Randy's family, but I survived.

You can read the article here.

Not only did I get interviewed for the paper, but I also got to tour the newspaper offices and printing area. It was a lot of fun! They have a rather ancient looking press that was moved from the downtown building a few years ago. That must have been a job! I tried to compare it to the press at the Indianapolis Star -- which I'd also like to tour -- and it came up just a bit shy. (Can't find a link to an article about Gannett's new facility... )

The Post & Mail has a circulation of about 9,000 Wednesday through Monday; 27,000 on Tuesday (free paper).

[knock on wood] I've been doing fairly well with my mock portfolio this year -- I attribute that to the fact that I had a good reason for choosing the particular companies at the time of each purchase or short: Disney due to the Comcast offer; SGI because of their new products, niche, and recent contracts; and Anthem because of their (recently approved) acquisition of Wellpoint. And that leaves JetBlue -- the one stock I chose on gut instinct. Let's see where that got me.

I added JetBlue to the portfolio on February 17th, at a little over $25 a share. After reading through their recent Annual Report I was fixiated on not their numbers, but the fact that they have television monitors and satellite radios for each seat. "That's awesome!" I remember thinking. And my gut said that others would think they were awesome too. My gut didn't say anything about rising fuel costs. Let that be a lesson to me: never buy a stock based on wow when there is no valuation to back it up, or when I haven't thought through the near term risks that could adversly effect the holding.

Since I added JetBlue, it is down $586.50, or over %15 of the original investment. At this point, I'm setting a bottom of $20 -- if the stock reaches down that far I'll mark this down as a lesson learned and move on.