Seize the Day

I "made" $500 yesterday by picking up the phone and holding Schwab to a promise that I had wheedled out of them in February.

As readers of this blog know, I decided in January to start trading again, the investment advisers having failed. (I having failed 8 years ago myself in the "little" world I set aside for trading.)

After opening my account and trading a couple of weeks in February I saw an ad on CNBC which said anyone who is an active trader who opens an account gets 50 free trades, whereas each trade is normally $8.95.

So I called Schwab then and talked to someone who, after some skirmishing over a "slippage" matter that cost me $400, agreed to give me that 50 free trades as soon as I put the minimum $25,000 into my account.

Then I lost my notes of the telephone call and nothing happened although I did put the $25,000 into the account.

Last night as I was preparing to go out I flipped on CNBC and saw the same ad. I called Schwab and explained the situation. After checking my account the good guy said "You've got it."

Pay attention to those ads. Seize the day!