HCC!Investing step in now!

Walter Wijnhoven

HCC! investing was founded in 1986 and currently has about 1,600 members. Using a computer to invest was still an exception when it was founded, but the rise of the internet in the late 1990s quickly changed that. So much for the past. After all: ‘results achieved in the past are no guarantee for the future’, is a well-known stock market wisdom. HCC!beleggen informs members The Interest Group HCC!beleggen helps novice and advanced investors to make the right investment choices. The condition is that they use the computer as a tool. The members learn from each other to invest better. From investors and for investors! therefore constantly on future developments.

MEB SOUTH HOLLAND
Because investors differ in interest and experience, HCC!beleggen has a number of working groups, such as the Computer Investors Group South Holland (CBG-ZH). Since its foundation in 2002, this working group has been helping its members realize their financial dreams with the help of computer investing. Due to corona, there have been significantly fewer opportunities for this in the past two years. The MEB-ZH working group organized meetings in Delft about nine times a year for corona and is happy to pick up that thread again.

ON THE AGENDA
In the year prior to corona, the MEB-ZH working group organized ten fascinating presentations. For example, Jan Roozenburg provided a ‘Look back at 14 years of trading with automated trading systems on the S&P-500 index’. Aad te Bokkel informed the members about ‘A simple investment strategy suitable for everyone with some practical implications’. Jos van der Berkmortel presented the ‘Results of a first study into income-oriented investments’. Fred Hendriks drew attention to ‘High Dividend, the basis even in less favorable times’. And ‘What the banks don’t tell you’ was told by Bram Voermans. Some presentations may sound a bit technical, but were interesting and supportive for (prospective) investors who want to invest independently.

FROM DIGITAL TO PHYSICAL
Chairman Bert Lamoree is happy that a physical meeting can be held again on March 17 for the first time since corona. The working group currently consists exclusively of men, but women are of course very welcome. After all, science shows that on average women are better at investing than men. They tend to be less affected by their egos than men, which means they take fewer risks and act less, which improves the results. Come by in Delft, or ask to receive the agenda for the next meeting from now on, so that you can choose the topics that interest you. The meetings are free for HCC members. Mail for more information to: bertlamoree@hotmail.com ;

WORKING GROUP COSA
Another active working group is Computer Aided Stock Selection (CoSA) chaired by Jan van der Meulen. The working group has been in existence for more than twenty years. Eppo Kooi, a member from the very beginning, is the initiator who brought the well-known NAIC investment system from the United States to the Netherlands. This method of selecting PriceGrowth stocks has been further improved over time and has been supplemented by two methods of dividend investing. The CoSA working group, which has about 170 members, does not organize physical meetings, but is mainly active digitally.

BUY, HOLD OR SELL
CoSA provides a biweekly digital newsletter with analyzes of stocks and an overview of the development of demo portfolios. Jan van der Meulen: “A ranking table is also updated with the overview and advice of all approximately 320 shares in our file. The ratios used are visible for each share and the status of the advice: Buy, Hold or Sell. We make a distinction between Price Growth, DividendGrowth and DividendHerbeleg shares. We also offer software that enables independent analyzes of stocks from our own stock of American and European stocks. There are also help files with the data from ten annual reports of the monitored stocks.” Mail for more information to: cosakontakt@gmail.com ;

INVESTING NORTHERN
The Northern Investing working group, operating from the province of Friesland, was founded in 2006 by a group of users of the Vestics investment program. They now support and inform each other in various areas of investment. Chairman Ben Rietveld: “For corona, the working group met about five times a year in Beetsterzwaag, where introductions were given about investing. These meetings were continued digitally during corona. There will be a next digital meeting on March 21, where we will exchange experiences and discuss when we will physically meet again. Although not professional investors, our members have often been active in investing for years. If you have any questions, there is always help from the group. Topics covered include selecting stocks and investment funds, experience with broker software, trading systems, indicators, operation of options, turbos and more.” Mail for more information to: Noordbeleggen@gmail.com ;

ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS WELCOME
The HCC association is supported by volunteers and those who are occasionally active on call. We cherish these qualities. Disinterested efforts in an active association are highly valued both in society and in the workplace. HCC!beleggen is also constantly looking for volunteers to, for example, fulfill board positions, edit the newsletter, act as webmaster or help organize symposia and other meetings. Who dares to sign up and join ‘the club’ after a good conversation? We will of course take your wishes fully into account.

STRENGTHEN OUR EDITORIAL TEAM
We expect editors to be willing to spend one to two hours a week submitting articles for our website and/or newsletters. This includes articles on economic topics, specific investment articles or other topics of interest to our members. Of course, that newsletter also has to be put together. If you are handy with a computer and you have about four hours a month, you can sign up for this. This is of course also possible in combination with delivering the content for the website or the newsletter. Our intention is to have at least six people in our editorial team, preferably including volunteers from the working groups. The more editors there are, the less time you have to spend per month.

Session on options by André Brouwers, Investment Institute

BOARD MEMBERS WANTED!
A complete and enthusiastic board is essential for an active community. Because HCC!beleggen has been without a board for two years, it is not possible to develop its own activities at the moment. There is therefore an urgent need for a chairman, secretary and treasurer. But if you have an affinity with investing and your managerial ambitions lie in another area, we would also like to get in touch with you. The amount of work is not too bad and besides being useful it is also a lot of fun to be a board member! In addition to the mutual cooperation, you get to know many people within and outside the HCC and you participate fully in organizing activities and developing new initiatives. Your input and ideas are most welcome. Are you an enthusiastic investor and do you have the time and the desire to help? Then register via webmaster@beleggen.hcc.nl;

HCC INVESTING SYMPOSIUM
On October 26, 2019, the 73rd and so far last HCC Investing Symposium took place in De Bilt, with the central theme ‘What Goes Down, Goes Up’. The focus here was on the interesting and again topical research question: ‘which investment decisions can I make next time to take better advantage of this?’ Since then, corona has unfortunately provided a mandatory breather. Fortunately, we can now breathe freely again and as soon as a new board of HCC!beleggen is in the starting blocks, we will start preparations for the 74th HCC Beleggen Symposium, for which a date will then be set. For this purpose, we are looking for volunteers who are willing to form a committee that organizes our semi-annual symposia. This means, among other things, maintaining contact with other investors, but also with speakers and/or exhibitors, for example.

BUSY VISIT PHENOMENON
Our national symposia last an entire Saturday and are a well-attended phenomenon. During these symposia you can meet fellow investors and the working groups, exchange experiences and/or gain knowledge. There is an information market with suppliers of services and products. A top executive of a (stock exchange) company is often asked and questions can be asked. In addition, there is a regular presentation of a (new) software package. The other sessions are filled with speakers on a current theme and there are parallel sessions with a specific theme for smaller groups.

PRICELESS
Do you finally feel a bit dizzy from all those ‘expensive’ investment terms? Investing does not have to be an expensive activity. There are usually no costs associated with opening an account with a bank or broker. And the costs that you incur when buying and selling shares are not high. Investing can get expensive if you take a loss on purchased shares and that can happen to any investor. But by being well informed about the rules of the game for a sensible, well-informed investor, you will be able to achieve a good return in the medium and long term. That is the main objective of HCC!beleggen and the working groups: to support investors in developing into good investors. And that is figuratively speaking priceless! So join investing.hcc.nl

TRADING IN CRYPTO CURRENCY
Are Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies transient or permanent phenomena that serious investors should also consider? While the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies with often exotic names such as Cardano and Dogecoin are moving up and down like a roller coaster, many investors are still on the sidelines. HCC!beleggen also notices an increasing interest in the subject, but also the necessary hesitation to get started with it. It’s not a high priority at the moment, but who knows, it might become a new workgroup one day.