Thoughts on holding 3-5 years BP-ARCO

or BP PLC ... I discovered a no load, no commission way of purchasing their stock.  I would like to throw my intent to purchase their stock out to this forum, to hopefully extract any pros and cons on their value and future. 

Comment MOST WELCOMED. Thanks 

What Does This Company Do? London-based BP is one of the largest international oil companies on the planet, along with ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell. Formed by the 1998 merger of British Petroleum and Amoco, BP boasts proven reserves of 17.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent; in 2006, it produced 3.9 million barrels per day. BP has refining capacity of 2.8 million barrels per day, operates petrochemical plants, and sells petroleum through 24,600 service stations around the globe.

I have never been a tout, just trying to stir up some discussion about this stock, if you want to purchase it commission free, and almost transaction free go to BP.com and figure it out for yourself ..

Let me know, I bit, trying to fish for bass year round. =)

So you are going to do the stock purchase through the company right?

Problem is that you give up the ability to buy based on your price..the company buys on certain days of the month so you are hostage to them as to the price you purchase.

Me I will pay the 8 bucks and place my own orders.

That's the perspective I was chirping for, thank you WallStreet, yes, I find myself again at the mercy of the middlemen.  Trying to find the personal mgmt style of investing, that I obviously lack in personal experience. Lingo, and sign the line.  How do I opt out of this "mess" and go it my financial way without reading up for the next 5 years??

I thank and I am grateful for this forum, because the bark is louder than the bite, as long as what you have invested, you already assumed would be gnawed off.  Thank you again WallSt. for responding, forces me into a question of if I have $XXX to invest where should I invest it and how?

I already psychologically feel I need to offer you a cash advance ,, for your pro bono advice. However, I am still focused on, finding affordable real estate in AZ.

It was a simple thread I swear!

wiz,

How have you been looking for housing down here? It is a BUYERS market for sure..foreclosures are very high and if you have cash and move fast you can get great deals.

As for stocks, I am not saying BP is a bad investment, rather buying through the company is not smart. Open an acct at Scottrade and buy it that way..

I love Arizona:

Avondale, Goodyear, Glendale, and even Buckeye...

WallStreet, the housing market is in shambles as we know .. but even before that, one could purchase a 2500 squarefoot home in the PHX area, which would be worth at least a million in Cali .. How do WE capitalize on that?

I don't know.  In all honesty I don't understand or respect these real estate appraisals for Southern Calif.  Not qualified, but common sense tells me something is amok.  Still looking at AZ housing.  200K gets you there what 900k gets you here.  Hmm .   Just watching the loan rates for now..

Regards and humbly yours,
-Wiz

Still a member, just looking for an out on the game.

wiz,

Its supply and demand..more demand and less supply in Calif than in AZ in general.

If you want to buy that stock, just open an acct online at Scottrade and fund it, then buy the stock...  

btw..outside Glendale those areas are where I would NOT suggest you look..especially not Avondale, Goodyear and Buckeye. If you are considering it, come down here and drive it during rush our IN and rush out OUT..then you will see my point.

Wiz,

Are you living down here and are you able to move FAST on a house?

I am on a listing for a site that buys auction houses and flips them and I found a great house in a decent location, a definate entry level house for a great price..but these guys move fast so you would need to be able.

The location is Tatum Ranch which is about 40th St and above the 101..

Let me know if you are serious about it..if not then that is fine too. If I were liquid I would buy it just based on value actually.

Hey wallstreet,  thanks for the investment vehicle advice, I will look again at Scottrade. Problem with them is I might tinker too much and too often, or perhaps this is my personal problem.  =)

I am currently not able to move FAST on a house (don't have that kind of liquid), moving fast on a house would kill me.  I am trying to figure out the depth of the abyss the housing market is in, let alone the sub-prime mess, what a true real estate price is, bottom-line there is nothing truly affordable in CA.  AZ looks affordable, but hell so does TX for that matter.

I was just out in the Phx and surrounding area last weekend, scoping out things, I didn't get to experience the traffic congestion you speak of, but I can easily see how the two-laned 10 freeway has LA prodigy written all over it, in regards to the West Valley regions at least.  I was looking at all the new homes, and planned community developments out there, really amazing how many homes are built, in the process of being built, Buckeye has a Walmart distribution center there, Buckeye has an underground water aquifer that is untapped, etc.....

Wallstreet, maybe join me in early February, for the Maricopa County property tax lien sales?

Hmmmm

I dont know to what you get on those tax liens, I havent checked out AZ..isnt it just a set flat interest rate and no ownership or leverage on title?

Tell me more...so far I think 12% isnt worth it given the hassle to collect and time value of money.

C'mon man, a little help, yes?  From another post in this forum topic: 

"I do remotely recall in my research that the state of AZ, sells tax lien certs (auction, they do this on-line even) in the first week of February, they pay 16% on your invested tax liens, one may want to look into it."

wiz..

I thought it was 12, but you are right.

I am not sure even 16% is worth the hassle because of low denomination and difficulty of collecting..

Plus, what about forclosure, how does that effect these liens?  

12% or 16% no harm no foul .. Those are pretty darn good rates from what I keep reading.  What do YOU recommend? 

I currently rent a ROOM in a house in California, and just deposited 1K to the T-Bill theory which pays me maybe 3$ over the next 30 days. 3.66 interest is phenomenal, for a renter. =)   3$ I can save over the weekend, by not driving to my favorite hiking spot.  Actually save about 9$.

As far as foreclosures and tax liens, I am not certified nor qualified to respond to that.  However, I think there is room for WIN-WIN situations surfacing across the nation.  Let me buy your mortgage, save you the CREDIT DEFAULT, etc.

wiz,

Yeah I know quite a bit about what you are discussing..about "assuming" someones loan via contract for deed..that is what you are referring to right?

I dont know enough about the details either, but me thinks the state is SOL on foreclosures..if there is a deficit minus the owed principal balance I dont see how the state gets the payment, thus the holder of the tax lien is screwed..maybe I am wrong there.

Given the high ROR there has to be some risks we dont know about.

Also, someone can not pay taxes for a very long time before the state does much about it...

I dont know...need more info I guess.

<packing tabs and notepads Wiz is going on an another excursion this weekend, Public Library>  

Still need to find a decent tax return guy come this April ..

Sheesh!

Thanks wallstreet for your comments ..

p.s. also looking at INC rights, (incorporation)  Nevada is good with them so I hear, get incorporated, take a loss, that's a business write off .. still learning for sure ..

I do appreciate your responses, granted tonight I go asleep grateful for the employment I have, but lets continue to help each other become truly "debt free."

I am overhearing my neighbors this evening discussing housing affordability, -took a short smoke break-

Find a way to break the Debt Cycle, you will be free.

Is a concept I can offer to everyone, and then your are FREE.

Tax lien default, I think you win interest there, but I need to reread their info!  That's AZ.

Regards-
Wiz

Dividend interest TAX is lower than Interest Tax.

That is true, but who really can quantify the difference unless you have some SERIOUS coin in either one?

I am a little fish..the difference between div tax and regular interest income doesnt influence my decisions much..

Maybe when I hit the lotto later in life..

So let's build some SERIOUS COIN.