Investor watch list toe holds expose investors to opportunities and accomplish much. Watch lists enable monitoring but toe holds improve performance. Investor watch list toe holds can do much to keep you on top of investing opportunities.

Setting up watch lists or model portfolios can enable risk free monitoring. Building and checking out a new list can be interesting and informative. But there is always one more idea to test or check out.

Effective Investing & Finance Research

In my experience, soon a few ideas or watch lists can grow to dozens. Or in my case as someone passionate about markets I have hundreds of studies and watch lists. Besides being completely unmanageable, close monitoring is not possible. As a result they don't get particularly closely watched. Especially once another list or something else catches my attention!

Hmm perhaps counseling would have an answer! Still, my solution works. I take a toe hold or buy a small position in the company. With money on the line, that keeps my attention and focus. Some skin in the game does the trick.

The type of portfolio, growth stocks or an income focus based on dividend producers strongly influences how I manage any watch lists or toe holds.

Growth portfolios

For growth portfolios I like to stay with about 10 positions. To begin I put 10% in each and watch the progress. Growers must grow. Any laggards get weeded out and new positions in better performers get taken.

My growth portfolios are actively managed. I will sell losers and buy more of a winning position or shares in a new position that I have researched.

Dividend portfolios

Dividend portfolios provide income as the first consideration. Positions in large established dividend paying companies often move sideways or within a price channel. A price channel means the stock price tends to rise to a given price level and then fall back to a lower level. The pattern of rising and falling often repeats time and again.

Utilities and other companies in well established, large, secure businesses show that sort of stock price behavior. Investors in such companies accept the regular and secure dividends as their return. The stock price usually remains channel bound with limited significant moves.

Dividend portfolios are generally stable but still need monitoring. The stability is a strength but offers little or no growth. I resist changing these holdings until convinced there is a weak or under performer. They get sold.

At times economic events or developments change the outlook and may need adjustments to positions and sizes. These accounts undergo fewer changes than the growth portfolios that I manage.

Managing change

As prices move, values and portions shift. That may need making some portfolio adjustments. For now, note that be aware that market moves impact your portfolio and each stock that you hold. Another day we explore that big topic.

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Effective Investing & Finance Research:

Introducing Effective Investing & Finance Research Lesson 1

Investor homework grows profit Lesson 2

Find money making stocks Lesson 3

Money making stock issues Lesson 4

Using watch list holds Lesson 5

Oprah got it right - Aristotle got it wrong Lesson 6

Investopedia finance and investing education Lesson 7

10 Point investor checklist Lesson 8

Investing confidence, taxes and learning Lesson 9

Media exposes advisor incompetence Lesson 10

5 Key finance checks Lesson 11

Next lesson 6: Oprah got it right - Aristotle got it wrong

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