Amazon shares

Mitch86 said:
In 1997 I placed ALL my money in Amazon stock. I never purchased any other shares and I never look back. My daughter is relying on inheriting my estate and retiring the day after my wife and I die.

I live on a six figure pension paid by a government.
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That’s quite a gamble. I’m glad it worked out for you.

but, I would not recommend all the money in one stock to anyone.
 
Mitch86 said:
In 1997 I placed ALL my money in Amazon stock. I never purchased any other shares and I never look back.
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I would never *ever* put all my money into one "basket." Nor would I even hint at advising anyone to do that. What if you'd chosen Enron instead of Amazon? Portfolio diversification... there's a good reason for it. Hope for your sake that Amazon doesn't go the way of Bud Light (lost 27B and climbing) and Target (lost 13B in a short time)... all it would take is one miscalculation of their consumer base.
 
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Six figure pension! That's a hell of a pension. What kind of work did you retire from? I agree with what others said about not putting all your eggs in one basket. But these days, any choice, even of what is considered a good stock, could wind up being a gamble. I'd be interested to know how much you paid for your Amazon stock (or cost basis, if you bought shares over time). Amazon is now $125.30. Hmmmm didn't realize it was so cheap, maybe I'll buy a few shares myself. 🤑
 
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but . . .

If Mitch were to sell his $20/share stock today for $125/share, he'd have to pay capital gains tax on about 85% of it's total value. I've heard that stock given to a spouse upon a person's death is inherited at a cost basis of the current stock price at time of death, meaning his wife would be able to then sell it with ZERO capital gains tax liability. That could amount to a huge tax savings.

Is that correct?
 
Tommy said:
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but . . .

If Mitch were to sell his $20/share stock today for $125/share, he'd have to pay capital gains tax on about 85% of it's total value. I've heard that stock given to a spouse upon a person's death is inherited at a cost basis of the current stock price at time of death, meaning his wife would be able to then sell it with ZERO capital gains tax liability. That could amount to a huge tax savings.

Is that correct?
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I think you are right about the taxes, but his stock did better than that. It's split several times:

a $10,000 investment a little over 25 years ago would now be worth (get this...) $16,454,196. For those of you keeping score at home, we're talking about an aggregate return of 164,607%, or an average annual return of around 34% for a quarter of a century.

If You Invested $10,000 in Amazon for Its IPO in 1997, Here's How Much You'd Have Now
https://www.fool.com/investing/2022...Taking into account Amazon's four,$16,454,196.
 
You folks can still buy Amazon shares, yourselves. By the way, I worked all my life for a MUNICIPALITY, not the Feds. I retired in 2005 and now collect my 6 figure pension. When my wife and I BOTH die, then my daughter can retire. After I die my wife collects 50% of my present pension from the same municipality.

I would recommend that, if anyone here is age 50 or younger, look for hiring by municipalities close to where you live.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Six figure pension! That's a hell of a pension. What kind of work did you retire from? I agree with what others said about not putting all your eggs in one basket. But these days, any choice, even of what is considered a good stock, could wind up being a gamble. I'd be interested to know how much you paid for your Amazon stock (or cost basis, if you bought shares over time). Amazon is now $125.30. Hmmmm didn't realize it was so cheap, maybe I'll buy a few shares myself. 🤑
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Well, I have a SEVEN figure pension if I get to count the two numbers AFTER the decimal point. I don't? Oh, well, back to looking for change in the sofa........
 
Mitch86 said:
You folks can still buy Amazon shares, yourselves. By the way, I worked all my life for a MUNICIPALITY, not the Feds. I retired in 2005 and now collect my 6 figure pension. When my wife and I BOTH die, then my daughter can retire. After I die my wife collects 50% of my present pension from the same municipality.

I would recommend that, if anyone here is age 50 or younger, look for hiring by municipalities close to where you live.
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Mitch, I used to tell my son "get a "gub-ment" job!" At one time, the state (N.J.) was hiring couriers. My son is like me, he doesn't like being tied down to an office. But he never did it. I think now he wishes he had listened, even though he works for a good company (J.B. Hunt). But their benefits is not like those of the state. Like you, my son will inherit most of what I leave with some going to grandchildren and honorary children (who treat me like I'm their own mothers). I want him to have that. He just may need it when he retires.

@jujube You are hilarious! Well, I have a seven figure pension too, if I use your math method. :ROFLMAO:
 
One of my former older students was able to retire due to getting in early on Netscape and selling off at its high point. Myself, I am pretty much hands-off on investments. I have them, arranged through my former employment, a diversity of diversified funds.

I bought ibm stock years ago and ended up with a 0% return after a few years as my dividends made up for the loss in price when I sold - I would have been just as well off stuffing the money in my mattress.
 
Michael Z said:
One of my former older students was able to retire due to getting in early on Netscape and selling off at its high point. Myself, I am pretty much hands-off on investments. I have them, arranged through my former employment, a diversity of diversified funds.

I bought ibm stock years ago and ended up with a 0% return after a few years as my dividends made up for the loss in price when I sold - I would have been just as well off stuffing the money in my mattress.
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ibm has been an awful investment dividends included
 


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