RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:THIS PUPPY IS SICK!"One would have to surmise that investing as a hobby means not caring for profit or loss. Does that describe you?"
Yes. I don't care. A profit is more fun than a loss, but it's just playing- around money.
"The IRS has similar views about hobbies until one has a taxable gain or claims a loss."
In a tax-free (i.e. deferred-tax) retirement trading account (with annual mandatory minimum income withdrawals that attract tax as income every year). Gains or losses don't matter from a tax perspective; neither need be shown on an income statement. The positive news is that after 10 years of mandatory withdrawals, I'm still ahead!