Welcome to The Kirk Report! To learn more about this website and the person behind it, read on...
Who I Am: My name is Charles E. Kirk and I'm an individual investor who has been investing & trading stocks for over 14 years. I currently trade stocks for a living in addition to writing about the stock market. You can view my track record online.
My Background: My educational and work experiences are varied. I have a Bachelor of Philosophy Degree from Cornell College and a Juris Doctorate degree from Hamline University School of Law. My work experiences include being the founder and operator of the stock newsletter MoneyXperts. I also worked as a private investigator for a law firm before graduating from law school.
Objectives For This Website: My primary goals for the website are to help the "little guy" investor and to provide food for thought, not blind recommendations. I've learned many things the hard way through trial and error and my intent is to share my daily thoughts, analysis, and views (as well as others who I think you should pay attention to). Ultimately, my end goal is for an individual investor who reads The Kirk Report frequently to make much more informed, intelligent, unemotional and therefore, ultimately very successful investment decisions.
My Goals: To help others invest and trade more successfully, to be a good person and husband, and to obtain complete financial freedom.
What Makes You A Pro? In my view, anyone who spends years of time studying and making money off the market, is a pro. While I don't currently run my own mutual fund, hedge fund, or trading floor - my only source of income is by trading stocks. I live and breathe the stock market every day and I do it because I love it.
Personal Achievements: The things I'm most proud of include the courage and focus to trade stocks for a living instead of working at a job that I wouldn't absolutely love; losing over 70 pounds and keeping most of it off; correctly calling a market top in February 2000 before the crash; the model portfolio I managed for the MoneyXperts newsletter gained a cumulative 323% between 1999 and 2003 with no losing years; graduating in the top tier of my class in law school; and shooting an even-par 72 at my favorite golf course.
Accolades: While it is rare that I don't receive a few emails daily from investors thanking me for the effort I put into this website, I've also been fortunate enough to receive a number of accolades from the financial press:
- Barron's: Interview (April 2006)
- Stocks & Commodities: Websites For Traders & Interview (October 2007)
- Barron's: Favorite Financial Blog (2004 & 2007)
- Kiplinger's Magazine: Must-Read Blogger (October 2006)
- Forbes: Best Of The Web Picks (December 2004 & 2005)
- American Association of Individual Investors: Must-See Website (March 2005)
- BusinessWeek: Recommended Blogs (July 2005)
- San Francisco Chronicle: Worthwhile Investment Website (May 2007)
- TypePad: Featured Blog (July 2007)
- MSN Money: Top Blogger (May 2006)
- The Wall Street Journal: Popular Investment Blog (August 2005)
What Is Your Strategy? In simple terms, I use a combination of both fundamental and technical analysis to spot opportunities in the stock market. In essence, my focus is to take advantage of low-risk/high-return opportunities whenever and where ever I see them. Although I'm a contrarian by nature, I also frequently exercise flexibility in order to identify and profit from new trends and promising sectors. While I believe in the value of short-term market timing and trading, I also harness the power of taking on long term positions when market conditions are ideal.
My Favorite Investment Quote? "There is only one side to the stock market; and it is not the bull side or the bear side, but the right side." - Jesse Livermore
What You Can Do To Help: If you like The Kirk Report, please tell others about it. Also, please email me and let me know what you like or how I am helping you (or not helping you in some manner). Words of encouragement will enable me to dedicate the time and resources that are required to build this website into something very useful for you. Also, if your financial situation is sound, I do accept donations to offset the time & costs of running the website. Those who provide financial support also have access to an exclusive members' only website which includes numerous perks including access to my favorite stock screens.
More About Me: My favorite activities away from the stock market include being with my wife, golfing with friends, watching movies from Netflix, traveling around the world, hiking, geocaching, working out at the gym, reading investment books, playing card games, and visiting with friends and family. I have been very happily married since 1993, the same year I graduated from college. My wife is a full-time high-school Spanish teacher. We currently live in a small town north of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes and very long winters. Our dream is to someday retire to the Island of Kauai, our favorite Hawaiian Island.
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