October Net Worth Update (+$54,269)
Distracted with our last minute trip planning I was not even aware that October was going to be a particularly strong month. It turns out it was our best month ever in terms of a net worth increase primarily driven by very strong gains in the stock market followed by our March 2010 net worth gains of $39,805.
Assets | Sep-11 | Oct-11 | Change | % |
Cash & Savings | $ 19,947.44 | $ 22,483.16 | $ 2,535.72 | 12.71% |
Taxable Brokerage Accts | $ 147,145.90 | $ 161,520.87 | $ 14,374.97 | 9.77% |
Roth IRAs | $ 72,440.76 | $ 81,195.95 | $ 8,755.19 | 12.09% |
Pre-tax Retirement Accts | $ 248,956.48 | $ 276,399.88 | $ 27,443.40 | 11.02% |
Stock Options | $ - | $ - | $ - | |
ESPP | $ 997.03 | $ 997.03 | $ - | 0.00% |
Property #1 - Rental | $ 160,000.00 | $ 160,000.00 | $ - | 0.00% |
Property #2 - Rental | $ 128,225.00 | $ 128,225.00 | $ - | 0.00% |
Property #3 - Primary | $ 300,000.00 | $ 300,000.00 | $ - | 0.00% |
Property #4 - Rental | $ 163,000.00 | $ 163,000.00 | $ - | |
Receivable (Payable) | $ - | $ - | $ - | |
Other Assets | $ - | $ - | $ - | |
Total Assets | $ 1,240,712.61 | $ 1,293,821.89 | $ 53,109.28 | 4.28% |
Liabilities | ||||
Credit Card Balances | $ (1,313.97) | $ (2,158.84) | $ (844.87) | 64.30% |
House #1 Mortgages | $ (86,851.16) | $ (85,407.57) | $ 1,443.59 | -1.66% |
House #2 Mortgages | $ (7,230.28) | $ (7,155.54) | $ 74.74 | -1.03% |
House #3 Mortgages | $ (251,777.97) | $ (251,417.75) | $ 360.22 | -0.14% |
House #4 Mortgages | $ (122,250.00) | $ (122,123.81) | $ 126.19 | -0.10% |
Rental Deposits | $ (5,902.72) | $ (5,902.72) | $ - | 0.00% |
Additional Tax Liability | $ - | $ - | $ - | |
Other Liabilities | $ - | |||
Total Liabilities | $ (475,326.10) | $ (474,166.23) | $ 1,159.87 | -0.24% |
$2million Goal Progress* | $ 717,164.48 | $ 771,073.41 | $ 53,908.93 | 7.52% |
Net Worth | $ 765,386.51 | $ 819,655.66 | $ 54,269.15 | 7.09% |
Highlights for October
- We like to take advantage of 0% APR balance transfers earning interest in my savings accounts, but that well has dried up for now. We are actively looking at taking advantage of new credit card additional arbitrage opportunities. Our latest deal got us 200k British Airway miles for $190 which we are using on our transatlantic journey.
- October is the largest net worth monthly increase since I have been keeping track on this site in 2005. Our previous record was March 2010 in which we had a significant rally in the stock market as well as some additional one time income recognition. Our increases come from a near double digit increase across the board in the stock market.
- Our properties are listed on our balance sheet based on their cost basis, not current market value. I believe real estate is too illiquid to list based on recent sale transactions.
- The only notable investment we made for the month was we picked up another 10 shares of the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) and our normal DCA investments.
- Our investment portfolio fared significantly worse than our benchmark (VTI) in October which has been consistent with previous results; dragging a bit when the general market rallies and declining at a less severe rate when the market is falling. I'll post additional details of our investment activities in October later this month.
- We deployed another $1,743 this month to payoff extra principal on Rental #1's primary mortgage as we continue our focus on eliminating this mortgage to improve our cash flow.
Related in Net Worth Archive:
May 2012 Net Worth Update (-$28,098) (Jun 10, 2012) Highlights for MayWe like to take advantage of 0% APR balance transfers and other credit card offers for free money. We are actively looking at taking advantage of new credit card arbitrage opportunities. Our properties are listed on our...
April 2012 Net Worth Update (+$2,763) (May 09, 2012) Highlights for AprilWe like to take advantage of 0% APR balance transfers and other credit card offers for free money. We are actively looking at taking advantage of new credit card arbitrage opportunities. We received $1,000+ in rewards cash...
March 2012 Net Worth Update (+$22,032) (Apr 11, 2012) Highlights for MarchWe like to take advantage of 0% APR balance transfers and other credit card offers for free money. We are actively looking at taking advantage of new credit card arbitrage opportunities. We are close to earning ~$1,000...
Comments (3)
Awesome gain this month 2million! The cost of your baby doesn't seem to be putting too big a dent in your monthly earnings. Does that surprise you?
Posted by Steve | November 7, 2011 1:58 PM
How come you always do your monthly highlights and the first line is "We like to take advantage of 0% APR balance transfers earning interest" however those haven't worked out for years. It would be great to get rid of that leadin because your other monthly highlights are great and relevant. Thanks, from a long-time reader, first time commenter ;-)
Posted by Eric | November 14, 2011 10:34 PM
for those of us new to stock investments can you give us your rationale for the stocks in your portfolio and what you look at when picking a stock? Also do you still think dividends are important?
Posted by Ryne | December 13, 2011 11:28 AM