Don't Spend Your Bonus...Invest It! Here's How
When I was working as an Investment Counselor at a $40 billion money management firm, my job was to manage a book of around $150 million. It was difficult work at times - building relationships with 120 clients and making sure that their investment portfolio was working towards their long-term goals was the main task, but we also had to make sure our clients understood what was happening in the capital markets at all times. With the 24-hour news cycle, it's easy in the world today to allow fear and emotion to influence the investment decision making process, and my job was to keep emotion out. Any time there were volatile markets - which is often - it meant long hours and lots of hand-holding.
But like many hard workers out there, there's a reward for the effort. That reward came in the form of quarterly bonuses, depending on how well you performed.
Over the years I developed a system for how to deal with bonuses. When I received them, the very first thing I would do is pay down any interest-bearing debt I had. Period. I'd zero out my credit accounts faster than Usain Bolt in a track race.
Then, I'd allow myself one modest purchase - a plane ticket, a nice new kitchen appliance, maybe some new running shoes. Whatever it was, it could only be one item. That was a hard and fast rule. No exceptions!
Then, with whatever was left over, I would invest it with a long-term approach in mind. I set it in my mind that I would use my bonus money to buy stocks I really liked, companies I believed in, companies I thought would continue to do well far into the future. But here's the thing - I wouldn't invest in those companies with the mindset that I wanted to make a quick buck. I was buying stocks with the vision that 20, even 30 years from now I'd still have shares of the company, and that over the years I was constantly purchasing shares. It was my homage to Warren Buffet, who would surely back such a strategy (and has before).
So, over the course of the six years I worked there, every quarter I'd go through the same routine. At the beginning of my tenure, I chose 3 stocks I liked. They were: Costco (ticker: COST), Visa (ticker: V), and Salesforce (ticker: CRM). To this day, I own those three stocks in my portfolio (amongst other holdings), and I've owned them now for the better part of 12 years.
Here's been my return on each of them:
Costco: +268%
Visa: a little over +450%
Salesforce: +2,000%
You read that last number right. I've made a 2,000% gain on my Salesforce shares. I made a long-term commitment to a strategy and I've stuck with it, and plan to continue sticking with it as long as I'm a fan of those three companies. I still very much am today.
Investing your bonus can be a lot of fun, especially when you see your bonus turning itself into bonus after bonus after bonus with gains in the stock market. You worked for your bonus, let it also work for you!
Now that you're ready to invest your bonus or any extra cash you have, you need ideas. You can generate fresh ideas right here on Tickeron.com, by using the DivScore feature or engaging with the state of the art Artificial Intelligence you'll find on this website. Explore ideas, pick one that you like, then see it through.
COST in +1.63% Uptrend, advancing for three consecutive days on March 13, 2026
Moving higher for three straight days is viewed as a bullish sign. Keep an eye on this stock for future growth. Considering data from situations where COST advanced for three days, in of 369 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The 50-day moving average for COST moved above the 200-day moving average on March 04, 2026. This could be a long-term bullish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an upward trend.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In of 400 cases where COST Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are .
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for COST moved out of overbought territory on February 10, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 56 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In of the 56 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at .
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In of 58 cases where COST's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on March 13, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on COST as a result. In of 71 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for COST turned negative on February 19, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 40 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 40 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where COST declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 67, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. COST’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (13.947) is normal, around the industry mean (8.249). P/E Ratio (52.440) is within average values for comparable stocks, (32.466). COST's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (5.582) is slightly higher than the industry average of (2.783). Dividend Yield (0.005) settles around the average of (0.027) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (1.566) is also within normal values, averaging (1.458).
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General Information
a company which sells goods through membership warehouses
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