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No-look November 2018

Posted: September 30th, 2018, 8:56 am
by Itsallaguess
Yep, it's nearly that time of year again folks....

Just over 12 months ago, some of us here had a try at going through the whole month of November 2017 without looking at our investment portfolios.

Now it's true that those of a more Doris-like nature will shrug their shoulders at that suggestion, and ask what the fuss would be about, but I know there's many other posters and readers, like me, who find it difficult not to keep a watchful-eye on things, especially when online portfolios and Excel spreadsheets make it so easy to do so....

This is why 'No-Look November' is such an interesting experiment. We're not only testing our ability to stay away from the hourly or daily investment-related figures, but I can say without a doubt that simply going through last year's test has helped me tremendously in both lowering the frequency that I now need to see how my investment are doing, and also in allowing me to generally just keep an eye on my overall portfolio status when I do so now, and avoid the need to delve into any real detail about individual holdings, unless it's really warranted by external events.

Hand on heart, I went into last year's experiment as someone who habitually pored over their investments on an almost daily basis, even when I can count the number of actual market-activities that I carried out over the whole of 2017 as a really very small number of actual interventions.

I couldn't really justify that position, and I really wanted to do something about that, as I simply didn't see the need for me worrying too much about my portfolio either so often, or at such a level of detail, and I can honestly say that my attitude to both of those aspects is very much improved as I sit here now, compared to how I was before last year's experiment. It really did do me the power of good in trying to overcome what was a constant 'itch' to constantly check things out...

So, if anyone would be interested in joining me in the 2018 'No-Look November' Challenge, here's your chance to do so....

Here's the 2017 thread to see the really quite arbitrary rules we came up with, and how people got on -

https://www.lemonfool.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=7999

Having just re-read the above thread, it was really interesting to see how others taking part saw the benefit of it too, especially at the end where we were comparing portfolio-performance against market-performance over the self-imposed 'closed period'.

It was that single set of figures that gave me the real confidence to act on the experiment and lower both the frequency that I felt I needed to check on things, and also on the level of those checks, and I urge anyone who feels any affinity with the type of 'constant-checking' issue that we're trying to manage here to have a read of the above thread, especially the latter sections, and see how the portfolio performances over that 'closed period' can really help us see that all we're really doing by constantly checking all the time is following the market noise, and nothing more...

Nowadays, I might take a quick look at my overall portfolio and portfolio value a couple of times a week, and I habitually take some figures at the close of play every Friday night, just for record purposes really. That's a huge improvement on my previous habits, and is something I don't have any problem maintaining nowadays....

I should add here that when we carried out the experiment last year, it was acknowledged that there may always be valid reasons for having to check things out, and things like corporate-actions and purchase/sale-events that need to be processed will always be unavoidable no matter what we're trying to do with things like this, but what I think we all agreed on when this was discussed, was that we were just trying to test ourselves on those really quite frivolous checks that we carry out almost habitually - it's those that we're wanting to try to get ourselves weaned off, so it's fully acknowledged that the test should only be against those types of 'Looks', rather than anything more serious that we all may quite rightly still need to carry out.

If the above rings any bells for anyone, and you'd like to test yourself against the 'No-Look November' challenge this year, then it would be great to hear from you.

We've got the month of October to steel ourselves to the task - do you think you'd be able to do it?

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: September 30th, 2018, 9:03 am
by OLTB
Is it a year already? I couldn't quite manage last year, so am determined to do it this year.

OLTB is in...

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: September 30th, 2018, 9:11 am
by Raptor
Almost a year on from "No-look November 2017". I can say that the time I spend on "following" my portfolio has stayed low. I tend to update figures only when dividends arrive or I purchase/sell a share. I also run an update monthly to see what shares are paying dividends that month (although that has recently been a bit hit or miss, but IAAG provides the data to fill the gaps). Other than that I have spent some time "updating" spreadsheets to make it "easier" to update them and to see those that need to be worked on or are update candidates. Going forward I see the time spent staying the same but will be joining "No-look November 2018". Will still be keeping an eye on divis though as am "saving" up to replace my Car....

Raptor.

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: September 30th, 2018, 9:54 am
by tjh290633
I've just had a month's abstinence from spreadsheets, although I have been checking prices and RNS posts daily. It's time to get back to work, as a fair bit has happened in the meantime.

I don't think I could cope with another month off right now.

TJH

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: September 30th, 2018, 2:26 pm
by Gengulphus
tjh290633 wrote:I don't think I could cope with another month off right now.

A good thing it isn't Omitted-look October then! ;-)

Gengulphus

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: September 30th, 2018, 4:10 pm
by vrdiver
I didn't participate last year, but I followed the thread and tried to reduce the amount of time I spent with my financial s/sheets. Previously, I would have been looking to update numbers multiple times a day, especially in a rising market! I find it easier to not look when the market is either moving sideways or down...

Nowadays, I try to limit updates to once a week, when I record dividend payments either received or announced.

Good luck to those taking the challenge: I shall follow with interest.

VRD

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: September 30th, 2018, 6:10 pm
by Arborbridge
Having spent two months on our boat this summer, I didn't indulge in any trading activity and very little in the way of checking or even of thinking about things. As Gengulphus pointed out, I didn't quite manage to keep away from LMF for the period, but my involvement was much reduced.

However, one problem with abstinence is the volume of work and potential mistakes which can happen with regard to admin., particularly of dividends and surprises such as corporate actions and unitisation thereof. For the rest of the year, I like to write up dividends once a week to do the work in bite sized portions which also reduces errors through boredom or interruptions.

Arb.

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 6th, 2018, 1:43 pm
by BrummieDave
I'm just back from spending over a week in one of the very few parts of the world that isn't connected at all (directly or via wifi) and I didn't miss having access to anyone or anything (no phone calls to make or receive, no share prices to check, no Brexit news, no nothing). This is very different from voluntarily not looking when access is available of course, so it was 'easier' if that's the correct description.

I didn't miss any of it tbh and may adopt the approach proposed in November, although I will be in the connected world all month.

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 6th, 2018, 1:55 pm
by RececaDron
vrdiver wrote:Previously, I would have been looking to update numbers multiple times a day


:shock:

Seek help :lol:

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 10th, 2018, 4:19 pm
by Itsallaguess
Given the state of the markets, I'm wondering if I may as well start early this year....

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 10th, 2018, 8:29 pm
by kempiejon
With the markets the way they are I need to keep an eye open for new picks, I've a good slug of last months dividends still around, I have had Vedanta taken over for cash and shortly I expect the Sky money to come through, so that's possibly 4 or 5 top ups.

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 11th, 2018, 4:27 pm
by spiderbill
Itsallaguess wrote:Given the state of the markets, I'm wondering if I may as well start early this year....


You could always rename it "Hide behind the sofa season" ;-)

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 11th, 2018, 5:10 pm
by Breelander
Itsallaguess wrote:Yep, it's nearly that time of year again folks....
...Now it's true that those of a more Doris-like nature will shrug their shoulders at that suggestion, and ask what the fuss would be about, but I know there's many other posters and readers, like me, who find it difficult not to keep a watchful-eye on things, especially when online portfolios and Excel spreadsheets make it so easy to do so....


It's not the looking that does the harm - it's the touching :)

This 'Doris' can look but not touch, so I don't think I'll be joining your experiment.

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 12th, 2018, 3:22 pm
by Hariseldon58
It's an interesting idea, the not looking as opposed to the not doing anything. I tend to check prices infrequently and adjust the portfolio in April and October, except this year I have been making major adjustments over the last couple of months.

Whilst I am not tinkering, I must admit to following the financial news pretty much daily !

I didn't do it last November but was away for 11 weeks at the beginning of the year touring around South America with limited Wi Fi and I found I had mostly lost interest in Financial activity and news generally and suspect the presence of wifi and the smart phone does leave us permanently connected and addicted !

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 14th, 2018, 6:40 pm
by Itsallaguess
Well, just over two weeks to go, and I'm wondering how we might best go about benchmarking any portfolio capital changes over the month of No-Look-November.

Would taking the level of the FTSE on Wednesday night, the 31st of October, be a good enough benchmark to compare capital changes to at the end of November, or would some additional indices also be worth measuring against?

I was thinking of things like the FTSE All-share too, but I thought I'd ask here so I can get a bit more organised before kick-off.

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 14th, 2018, 9:17 pm
by Raptor
My preference is FTSE250.

Raptor

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 15th, 2018, 8:58 am
by tjh290633
Itsallaguess wrote:Well, just over two weeks to go, and I'm wondering how we might best go about benchmarking any portfolio capital changes over the month of No-Look-November.

Would taking the level of the FTSE on Wednesday night, the 31st of October, be a good enough benchmark to compare capital changes to at the end of November, or would some additional indices also be worth measuring against?

I was thinking of things like the FTSE All-share too, but I thought I'd ask here so I can get a bit more organised before kick-off.

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

What about the FTSE350 High Yield, if you are following an HYP path?

TJH

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 15th, 2018, 12:54 pm
by EssDeeAitch
I thought I would practice for No-Look November by having a No-Look October 15th.

Fail.

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 15th, 2018, 4:04 pm
by Itsallaguess
Thanks guys, I'm happy to take a snapshot of a number of indices, and I don't see any reason to limit it so all these suggestions are helpful.

So far then, we've got -

FTSE100
FTSE250
FTSE350 High Yield
FTSE All-Share


I think it'll be interesting in isolation just how those particular indices perform against each other anyway, completely separate to the real portfolio-comparison we're wanting to perform here.

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

Re: No-look November 2018

Posted: October 20th, 2018, 2:48 pm
by mickeypops
Well, I lasted about a week last November. I've retired since though, and my portfolio is now settled so I reckon I can do better this year.

We shall see!