Model Portfolio timbo56:SSOF1

My name is Timothy Siegel, and I was born in 1956, as you have probably guessed from my logon, "timbo56." I grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where my father was a biochemistry professor at the University of Arizona. I come from a very bookish family and have always had wide ranging interests, myself. I love to read, with my particular favorite being the business section of the New York Times. Sometimes I wish that I lived in a universe with even more financial news.

I have been interested in the stock market since at least the 3rd grade. I can remember, at that time, discussing the prospects for Fiat with my mother. We would talk after school and I remember her laying on the couch with the Wall Street Journal, commenting that Fiat ADRs might be a good buy, because they were inexpensive. I started investing in the 5th grade, but I made the mistake of investing in a stock that had gone down a lot in hopes that it would go up again. It didn't. It went bankrupt. But that was a good lesson. I learned to be skeptical. And I learned what I think some people have a hard time learning, that a perceived need to make a lot of money has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with what will be a good investment.

After obtaining a bachelor of science in electrical engineering I worked in the defense industry for ten years, helping to design radar systems and earning a master of science in electrical engineering along the way. When the Berlin Wall fell, I felt that the defense industry might not be the best place to continue to build a career, so I went to law school and am now a patent attorney. Being a patent attorney can serve as a great window onto the world of commerce. I am constantly fascinated not just with the inventions that my clients originate, but also with the business enterprises with which I come into contact.

Except for the period of time directly after law school, when all of my investment money was depleted and I was starting a family, I have always actively invested. In 2003, as part of my research into Vista Gold Corporation, I stumbled across the Marketocracy website. I was immediately fascinated. I felt strongly that I could do very well establishing a long term portfolio track record and signed up right away. I also scoffed at the idea that I could use the website to learn more about investment strategy, feeling that I had little to learn. Nevertheless, I have learned a lot from running my virtual portfolios.

Since that time my Marketocracy portfolios have all handily beaten the market. But the portfolios I started first had a lot of volatility. I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to have good returns and yet low volatility. I started the Siegel Sector Opportunity Fund 1 on September 30, 2004 with the object of putting my thoughts in this area into action. I am proud to say that the SSOF1 has achieved strong returns, but with far less volatility than my other funds.

In my spare time I like to hike, read and participate in online discussions with fellow Triple Nine Society members. I am currently in the process of gaining my investment adviser license. After that I plan to become certified as a Chartered Financial Analyst.

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