First, let's talk numbers. They're not terrible. February 19: Our net-worth hit an all-time high of $2,585,214.March 16: Less than a month later, it was down to $2,280,151, a paper loss of $305,063.March 30: It has since recovered to $2,353,069, down $232,145 from that all-time high. Roller coaster chart from Personal Capital. If we were pure index investors, our … [Read more...] about What We’re Doing With Money
Investing
The Virus and Mr. Market’s Temporary Hiatus
Most things that are worthwhile are a struggle. If you want to become great at an instrument, you're going to have to practice a lot. Yo-Yo Ma, the cello supervirtuoso, practices about 2,000 hours per year. If you want to become a great athlete, you're going to have to put in lots of time training and take care of your body. Hello, broccoli! If you want to become a … [Read more...] about The Virus and Mr. Market’s Temporary Hiatus
Stock Picking Experiment, Year 2 (Still Winning!)
In December of 2017, Dividend Growth Investor (DGI) asked me if I wanted to bet against Warren Buffett. Well, kind of. Allow me to explain... Buffett’s Big Bet Way back in 2007, Buffett challenged the hedge fund industry to a bet. All the hedge fund managers had to do was beat the S&P 500 over a 10 year period. Buffett didn’t get many takers, but he completely crushed … [Read more...] about Stock Picking Experiment, Year 2 (Still Winning!)
Funny Money Portfolio Update
Ever since JL Collins showed me the wisdom of index funds, I've been a big fan. Prior to that, I invested in individual stocks. Stocks worked out pretty well for me. I'm a tech nerd, so I was heavily biased towards geek stocks. I bought Google when it IPOd in 2004 at a split-adjusted $42.50/share (over $1,200 today). I also bought Apple back in 2007 when the iPhone was … [Read more...] about Funny Money Portfolio Update
Getting Rich With A Mortgage
I bought my last home in 2013. I could have paid cash for it, but instead, took out a mortgage and invested the rest. Today, I tell you how it's worked out. Getting Rich With A Mortgage One of the great debates in the FIRE space is whether you should pay off your mortgage. By not paying off mine, I'm in the minority: How I feel. Most would say that they like the … [Read more...] about Getting Rich With A Mortgage