TMFCanuck

Jim Gillies

Following (102) Followers (1458)

General Information

Name:
Jim Gillies
Fool Since:
October 26 1998
Aliases:
jimgillies (2/15/2006)

Investing Basics

Investing Experience:
High
Risk Tolerance:
High
Investing Style:
Motley (i.e. Anything goes!)
Portfolio Size:
Large (12 or more Stocks)
Types of Investments:
Stocks, ETF's, Options, Debt securities.
Stocks I Own:
ALV, BH, BPI, BRK.B, CMG, FORM, JPMWS, NVDA, PRAA, RPXC, RRGB, SSW, WINA, BCE, BMO, RY, JLL, TSX:CIX, TSX:MTY, TSX:PSD, TSX:SCP, Short Jun 2013 $26.80 puts on GES, Short Jun 2013 $27.80 puts on GES, Short Jun 2013 $60 calls on BMO, Short Jun 2013 $25 puts on LUK Short Jul 2013 $12 puts on BKS, Short Aug 2013 $17.50 puts on SSW, Short Aug 2013 $47 calls on AIG, Short Sep 2013 $95 calls on BRK-B, Short Sep 2013 $90 calls on JLL, Short Sep 2013 $7.50 puts on GTI, Short Sep 2013 $45 calls on BCE, Short Sep 2013 $14 calls on NVDA, Short Sep 2013 $72.50 calls on LULU, , Short Sep 2013 $18 puts on ASNA, Short Oct 2013 $29 calls on MSFT, Short Oct 2013 $60 calls on RY, Short Oct 2013 $34 puts on GRMN, Short Nov 2013 $22.50 puts on SSW, Short Nov 2013 $22.50 calls on SSW, Short Dec 2013 $45 calls on RRGB, Short Dec 2013 $49 calls on JPM, Long Jan 2014 $25 calls on MSFT, Short Jan 2014 $25 puts on MSFT, Long Jan 2014 $25 calls on ORCL, Short Jan 2014 $20 puts on ORCL, Long Jan 2014 $38 calls on UNH, Short Jan 2014 $38 puts on UNH, Long Jan 2014 $75 calls on BRK.B, Short Jan 2014 $75 puts on BRK.B, Long Jan 2014 $23.80 calls on GES, Long Jan 2014 $35 calls on NKE, Short Jan 2014 $35 puts on NKE, Long Jan 2014 $35 calls on AIG, Short Jan 2014 $30 puts on AIG, Short Jan 2014 $42 calls on AIG, Short Jan 2014 $32 calls on ORCL, Short Jan 2014 $30 calls on VXX, Short Jan 2014 $25 calls on SRS, Long Jan 2014 $25 puts on SRS, Short Jan 2014 $55 calls on NKE, Short Jan 2014 $55 calls on UNH, Long Jan 2015 $35 calls on AIG, Short Jan 2015 $35 puts on AIG, Long Jan 2015 $45 calls on AIG, Short Jan 2015 $40 puts on AIG, Short Jan 2015 $12 calls on FAZ, Long Jan 2015 $12 puts on FAZ, Long Jan 2015 $35 calls on COH, Short Jan 2013 $22 puts on LUK, Long Jan 2013 $22 Calls on LUK, Short Jan 2015 $50 puts on COH, Long Jan 2015 $50 calls on COH, Long Jan 2015 $65 calls on LULU, Short Jan 2015 $62.50 puts on LULU,

Investing Favorites

Stocks:
Campbell's Low-Sodium Chicken

Education And Work Information

School(s) Attended
U of W (B. Engineering), U of G (M. Engineering), WLU (MBA - Finance), CFA - Lvl III
Job Title
Advisor - Motley Fool Options

Interests

Personal Quote:
"Doubt, and find your own light." - Buddha
Person(s) I'd Like To Meet:
Warren Buffett (Mission Accomplished! May 7, 2006, and again May 6, 2007)
Favorite Vacation Spots:
British Columbia - Any Ski Resort, New Zealand, Banff, South of France, Costa Rica
Favorite Sports or Teams:
Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders (apparently, I like lost causes...)
Favorite Music or Musicians:
Chris Brown and Kate Fenner, and their progenitors, The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir....
Great Books Read Recently:
"The Omnivore's Dilemma" - Michael Pollan

An Interview with TMFCanuck

Last updated: 6/7/2012
The Fool:
What's the best advice you've ever received?
TMFCanuck:
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Polonius, Hamlet (Act I, Sc. III)
The Fool:
Speak to the dead. You must have something to say. They may be listening.
TMFCanuck:
Can I have your stuff?
The Fool:
Given a second chance, what financial decision would you like to do over?
TMFCanuck:
I'd have saved more when I was younger.

I had a great job all through high school and university (a decade working in a unionized grocery store chain in Canada). I started at the right time so as to have considerable seniority (basically could choose my hours), and made great money (to put in perspective, when I took my first engineering job out of university, my hourly rate was less than my grocery store job).

And I also went to a 'co-op' university for my undergrad, where I would go to school for four months, then work for four months (in an engineering co-op position...this is in addition to the grocery store job), and earn enough (and then some) to pay for the next semester of school.

Yet, I put literally nothing away (although I did graduate university debt-free, so there's that). Moreover, I had rung up my credit card through school and was making the minimum payments.

I mean, sure, my university girlfriend had expensive tastes, but we can't blame her for all of it.

First rule today - pay yourself first! Minimum 10% of gross income goes to investments...ideally more...ideally MUCH more!
[Read the full Interview]