Investing is an argument between what we think an investment is worth—and what the market says. It’s an argument the market usually wins.
I’LL NEVER FORGET my first interaction with Wall Street. I was in my early 20s and just getting started in my career, when I was introduced to a stockbroker—let’s call him Eddie. He was a pleasant fellow with a good reputation and all the trappings of success, including a DeLorean in the driveway. He seemed like a safe choice.
My interactions with Eddie were straightforward. He would call from time to time with stock ideas.
IN THE FINANCIAL world, making money is the most popular pastime—but having a good argument is a close second.
What do folks argue about? HumbleDollar’s online money guide has always included a handful of sections labeled “great debates.” I decided to expand that collection to 12—and gather them together in their own chapter. Below you’ll find one of the new sections, plus links to the other 11.
Debate No. 8: Is Indexing Dangerous?
THERE ARE AREAS in my life where I’ve spent too much money and time trying to be cheap. My reward: steady aggravation—until I spent a bit more to get the right solution.
Which brings me to home networking technology. Most of us spend some $500 a year or more for internet broadband service. The problem: Many families are still living with old networking gear that’s slower than it should be, sometimes unreliable or provides poor wi-fi coverage in parts of their house.
I HAVE BEEN accused of being too critical of America’s spending habits. I’m not in touch with families who live paycheck to paycheck, or so I’m told. I was roundly attacked by folks on Facebook, who claimed I lacked sympathy for the federal workers who ran out of money during the government shutdown—even before they missed a payday.
We all know there are Americans who struggle to get by on very low incomes. But that’s the minority.
SOME YEARS AGO, I had a health scare—and it taught me an important lesson about my relationship with money. My primary care physician wanted me to see a hematologist. “Your white blood cells have been trending lower for the last five years,” he opined. “We need to find out what’s causing it.”
After a number of tests, the hematologist thought I might have a rare blood disease. He said the test results were inconclusive,
IN DECEMBER, I fell head first onto the bathroom floor. The doctors agreed I had a mild concussion. These typically heal in four-to-six weeks, but it’s now been five months. In March, I dislocated my left knee cap during an afternoon stroll. I was suddenly unable to put any weight on my left leg.
These two unrelated injuries have required me to see an array of medical professionals and undergo multiple tests, including two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans,
THOSE AGES 45 to 59 typically say they’re on track for retirement if they have at least $250,000 saved—but only 27% of this age group have that much socked away, found a Federal Reserve survey.
NO. 33: WE HAVE two great financial advantages: time and our income-earning ability. To grow wealthy, we should take a slice of each month’s earnings—and invest it for as much time as possible.
NO. 76: TAX DEFERRAL lets you use dollars that’ll eventually go to Uncle Sam to earn extra gains for yourself. An example: If you invested $1,000 at 6% a year and paid 22% in taxes every year, you would have $3,944 after 30 years. But if you put off the 22% tax bill for 30 years by funding a retirement account, you’d have $4,700.
SET UP TWO-FACTOR authentication. If a thief gets online access to your financial accounts, your life’s savings could be at risk. What to do? If your bank, brokerage firm or fund company offers it, set up two-factor authentication. The firm will text you a special access code every time you log on or when you log on from an unrecognized computer.
IMPUTED RENT. Folks love to boast about their home’s price appreciation. But after deducting maintenance costs, property taxes and insurance, we might barely break even on the price gain. Instead, often the biggest return comes from the imputed rent—the fact that we get to live in the place. Each year’s imputed rent might equal 6% or 7% of a home’s value.
I’LL NEVER FORGET my first interaction with Wall Street. I was in my early 20s and just getting started in my career, when I was introduced to a stockbroker—let’s call him Eddie. He was a pleasant fellow with a good reputation and all the trappings of success, including a DeLorean in the driveway. He seemed like a safe choice.
My interactions with Eddie were straightforward. He would call from time to time with stock ideas.
IN THE FINANCIAL world, making money is the most popular pastime—but having a good argument is a close second.
What do folks argue about? HumbleDollar’s online money guide has always included a handful of sections labeled “great debates.” I decided to expand that collection to 12—and gather them together in their own chapter. Below you’ll find one of the new sections, plus links to the other 11.
Debate No. 8: Is Indexing Dangerous?
THERE ARE AREAS in my life where I’ve spent too much money and time trying to be cheap. My reward: steady aggravation—until I spent a bit more to get the right solution.
Which brings me to home networking technology. Most of us spend some $500 a year or more for internet broadband service. The problem: Many families are still living with old networking gear that’s slower than it should be, sometimes unreliable or provides poor wi-fi coverage in parts of their house.
I HAVE BEEN accused of being too critical of America’s spending habits. I’m not in touch with families who live paycheck to paycheck, or so I’m told. I was roundly attacked by folks on Facebook, who claimed I lacked sympathy for the federal workers who ran out of money during the government shutdown—even before they missed a payday.
We all know there are Americans who struggle to get by on very low incomes. But that’s the minority.
SOME YEARS AGO, I had a health scare—and it taught me an important lesson about my relationship with money. My primary care physician wanted me to see a hematologist. “Your white blood cells have been trending lower for the last five years,” he opined. “We need to find out what’s causing it.”
After a number of tests, the hematologist thought I might have a rare blood disease. He said the test results were inconclusive,
IN DECEMBER, I fell head first onto the bathroom floor. The doctors agreed I had a mild concussion. These typically heal in four-to-six weeks, but it’s now been five months. In March, I dislocated my left knee cap during an afternoon stroll. I was suddenly unable to put any weight on my left leg.
These two unrelated injuries have required me to see an array of medical professionals and undergo multiple tests, including two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans,
THOSE AGES 45 to 59 typically say they’re on track for retirement if they have at least $250,000 saved—but only 27% of this age group have that much socked away, found a Federal Reserve survey.
NO. 33: WE HAVE two great financial advantages: time and our income-earning ability. To grow wealthy, we should take a slice of each month’s earnings—and invest it for as much time as possible.
SET UP TWO-FACTOR authentication. If a thief gets online access to your financial accounts, your life’s savings could be at risk. What to do? If your bank, brokerage firm or fund company offers it, set up two-factor authentication. The firm will text you a special access code every time you log on or when you log on from an unrecognized computer.
NO. 76: TAX DEFERRAL lets you use dollars that’ll eventually go to Uncle Sam to earn extra gains for yourself. An example: If you invested $1,000 at 6% a year and paid 22% in taxes every year, you would have $3,944 after 30 years. But if you put off the 22% tax bill for 30 years by funding a retirement account, you’d have $4,700.
IMPUTED RENT. Folks love to boast about their home’s price appreciation. But after deducting maintenance costs, property taxes and insurance, we might barely break even on the price gain. Instead, often the biggest return comes from the imputed rent—the fact that we get to live in the place. Each year’s imputed rent might equal 6% or 7% of a home’s value.