Stock Investing the 21st Century way

Review by Jason from Investment Forum:

I've been asked by a few people what my thoughts are on Paul Crewther's "Positive Gearing for Shares" course.

Rather than write individual replies, I thought it makes the most sense to simply post my opinion publically, as this not only saves me time but it also gives anyone else that's curious a chance to find out a bit more (these days I'm doing whatever I can to leverage my time!). Wink

I purchased the course from Paul on Sunday evening, 15 May 2005. (Some trivia for you: Paul told me at the time that I was the 91st person to purchase his course). It is presented as a spiral-bound workbook, currently consisting of 155 x A4 pages (there have been occasional updates to the material, which has gradually caused the workbook to grow in size).

The course boasts some 45 different strategies all up (there's a list of them all on Paul's Web Site), some of which I am pleased to say aren't your typical "run of the mill" ideas which are commonly promoted in other books/courses. The topics vary from quite basic to relatively complex, although there is enough variety that most people should be able to pickup something of interest no matter what experience they currently have.

A couple of the topics that really stood out for me as being particularly interesting were Paul's thoughts and strategies relating to:

* Taking advantage of dividend payments on shares - including an excellent study of "Franking Credits" and how useful they can be.
* Instalment Warrants - How they can be used in a similar way to a Margin Loan (i.e., leveraging your money), but with less risk and no chance of ever being faced with a "Margin Call".

One aspect of the workbook which helps to deliver Paul's ideas is that he includes plenty of relevant examples and also provides a number of exercises which should be completed as you make your way through the material. This helps ensure that you are fully understanding each topic as you progress.

I personally found that Paul's approach naturally led me to rethink some strategies which I had previously overlooked or abandoned, and it also gave me a couple of completely new ideas to think about.

Indeed, in my case the workbook has already paid for itself as it inspired me to think of a better way to manage one of my existing option positions (in relation to an upcoming dividend payment on the underlying share). In this particular instance, my additional profit from this one idea should equate to about $1,850.00. This is obviously a fantastic return on my .00 investment to purchase the course! Very Happy

The workbook might not be for everyone, though, as there is definitely going to be some effort required to understand and implement the strategies. But if you're prepared to put in the effort of studying the course and working through the examples & exercises, I'm confident that you will pick up some useful ideas and will expand your thinking as to how you may be able to invest more effectively.

I must admit that I do not agree with some of the points made in the workbook and there are a few small typographical errors (nothing too serious, providing you're using your common sense as you read!). This isn't a reason not to buy the course, as it'd be almost impossible to find a single course that's "perfect" in every way. The way I see it, as long as I achieve a tangible benefit from it which more than exceeds my cost of acquiring it, then I consider it as a worthwhile and successful investment (as mentioned above, this has already occurred for me personally!)... Smile

In conclusion, I found the course offered a great range of topics and definitely includes a lot of useful information. If you already own shares, there are some ideas you can implement virtually immediately. In my opinion, the price of the course is very reasonable, especially considering that Paul has shared a number of ideas which aren't common knowledge and clearly have come from a lot of his own personal thoughts and research into trading, psychology, taxation and ultimately ways to help his student's gain an edge with sharemarket-related investments.

Jason
http://www.number.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?t=296
 

Testimonial from: Adriane Couch, Futures Trader, Brighton, Vic:

Dear Paul,

On completing your course 'Positive Gearing For Shares', I feel that it would be an asset for anyone thinking of venturing into the world of share investing. I found it to be very informative on a great many things, and thankyou, as it has helped explained some things to me that I was not aware of. I found it excellent value for money, it has more content than one of the seminars I went to recently costing $ 2,000 and I expect to implement some of the strategies you discussed very soon. I think your course will be very popular and I will be recommending it to several friends who are thinking of buying their first shares. Good luck and best wishes.

Regards,

Adriane Couch
acouch@bigpond.net.au



Testimonial from: Lyndon Daley, Tasmania

I found your course 'Positive Gearing For Shares' to be highly informative and interesting. Your approach is refreshingly pragmatic, and pinned down with common sense. It is the guide that anyone who trades shares or who is considering investing in shares needs by their side. You thoroughly deal with the key issues and pitfalls of share investing which many other courses omit, as well as highlighting strategies that can only lead to financial success. There are many courses that claim to be of the same benefit as your course but from my experience 'Positive Gearing For Shares' flies above the rest with the added attraction of value for money. I would recommend your course to anyone looking at share investing and especially those already involved.

regards Lyndon Daley -Tasmania