Way back in August of 2019, I wrote a post called Getting Rich With A Mortgage. It was about how I could have paid cash for a house I bought in 2013, but decided to get a mortgage instead and invest the rest. I'm a big fan of debt when it's cheap and a low-rate mortgage seemed like a no brainer. I even wrote this:Rare opportunity: Today’s rates are a historical anomaly. … [Read more...] about More Mortgage Musings
Investing
Can I Win The Warren Buffett Bet? (Year 5 Update)
In December of 2017, Dividend Growth Investor (DGI) asked me if I’d like to duplicate the famous Warren Buffett bet. For those unfamiliar, in 2008 Buffett famously challenged the hedge fund industry:Can you beat the S&P 500 over a 10 year period?Buffett won as the hedge fund got clobbered by the S&P 500.But, I like fun experiments and a … [Read more...] about Can I Win The Warren Buffett Bet? (Year 5 Update)
VTSAX Won’t Go To Zero
If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know that I talk about Tesla frequently. I got lucky purchasing the stock on a whim in 2012 for $1.93 (split-adjusted). Tesla had a tremendous run up, but the stock hasn't been doing so hot lately. The stock hit $407 back in November of 2021 and has since crashed down to $163. Oof:Tesla is an interesting company to … [Read more...] about VTSAX Won’t Go To Zero
Unicorns, The Easter Bunny, And Safe Passive Returns
I was perusing the Choose FI group on Facebook last week and someone posted something that went like this:I pulled all my investments out of VTSAX in 2020 and have been sitting on cash ever since. I don't want to get back into VTSAX. I'm looking for something that is passive, has a good return, and is safe.Many of the comments were unkind.You clearly don't know what … [Read more...] about Unicorns, The Easter Bunny, And Safe Passive Returns
When The Game Doesn’t Feel Quite The Same
On a recent trip, I downloaded the book It to my Kindle. Light reading, right? The book quickly drew me in. I hadn't read fiction in a long, long time. The most recent issues of The Economist gathered dust while I plowed through Stephen King's novel.This was a change. For the past couple of decades, I've considered all of these activities to be a sub-optimal use of my … [Read more...] about When The Game Doesn’t Feel Quite The Same