Patrick recently sent me a question I’m sure others have wondered about: “The disclaimer at the end of the piece states: Jeff Reeves holds a position in Alcoa, but no other publicly traded stocks.  Is Alcoa (NYSE:AA) the only equity position in your portfolio?  That seems a tad bit odd.”

Great question.The curiosity you refer to is part of me trying to serve two masters… on one hand, I try not to hold individual stocks since I do not want to be accused of pumping up my personal portfolio. Obviously I talk about the market every day, and I want to appear like I am above the fray. I actively trade funds and ETFs, but it’s hard to pump-and-dump a fund with 30 holdings!

So why the exception for Alcoa? Well, InvestorPlace.com recently lauched a feature highlighting the Best Stocks of 2012. I thought it would be more “realistic” to actually put my money where my mouth is instead of just pulling a name out of a hat without consequences.

I hope you agree that it a bit naïve to think one balding journalist in Rockville, Md., can single-handedly move a $10 billion Dow Component… so I figured I’d make an exception for this year-long feature alone, hoping it proved the Best Stocks feature isn’t just fun and games for page views but serious investing tips.

You can find my recent commentary on Alcoa earnings here.

Obviously, it’s kind of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” A lot of folks criticize me for not having any stake in the advice I offer. Others don’t want me owning anything because it makes me look like a huckster. I hope this somehow makes sense, even if it is a rather convoluted answer.

Got a question for the InvestorPlace staff? Please send an email to editor@investorplace.com.

Jeff Reeves is the editor of InvestorPlace.com. Write him at editor@investorplace.com, follow him on Twitter via @JeffReevesIP and become a fan of InvestorPlace on Facebook. Jeff Reeves holds a position in Alcoa, but no other publicly traded stocks.