Investing

[Tiger337]

I thought about investing in an energy etf about a week ago, but I decided against it.  It would have driven me crazy.  The buy and hold index funds plus lots of CDs has done well for me and keep me sane.  

[Screwball]

The popular ETFs are for the most part pretty good if you are an active trader. Stay away from the levered ones. I read a thing the other day when crude was up big, the levered ETF was getting about 60% return on the price of crude itself (we can't buy crude). Another way those things **** you over along with overnight re-balancing. 

Any ETF will have shrinkage. But so does everything else. We are up against the pigmen of wall street who live for separating us from our money, and are very good at doing so.

[Deleterious]

I'm skeptical.  I don't think tossing a little money at some out of the money calls would be the worst idea.

[Screwball]

7 minutes ago, Deleterious said:

I'm skeptical.  I don't think tossing a little money at some out of the money calls would be the worst idea.

Not at all.

It probably depends on who you (or anyone) follow and believe. Then again, who DO you believe? Like my point above, all this on headlines? Things are fixed? What to believe? I don't know. Wish I did. We are not alone. From WolfStreet:

Crude Oil WTI Plunged by 24%, Back Below $88, from $116 Overnight. Gasoline Futures -16%. Manic Speculation Unwinds by Wolf Richter • Mar 9, 2026 • 8 Comments The Futures Market is where the Imbeciles go nuts.

I was hoping he had something about where all this might go from here, but he doesn't unless I missed it. But his point is valid.

[gehringer_2]

49 minutes ago, Screwball said:

(we can't buy crude)

My FIL used to buy shares of well outputs. Mostly little spit things out west that did a few bbl/d/. IIRC they were a pain to unwind after he passed. 🛢️🛢️🛢️

[Screwball]

15 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

My FIL used to buy shares of well outputs. Mostly little spit things out west that did a few bbl/d/. IIRC they were a pain to unwind after he passed. 🛢️🛢️🛢️

I would have to dig, but I have a stock certificate from the early 1900s of some energy company in West Virginia. Might have been coal. I searched and couldn't find anything. You never know...

Like I said up-thread, there were small pumps around here. Only needed maybe 500 sq/ft. close to the road. The farmer loved it too. I thought they smelled neat.