Mark Gardner

Comments

• A former boss of mine once told me that he obsessed so much over his retirement planning spreadsheets that he ended up neglecting his marriage! Sadly, he didn’t invest in repairing his marriage for that and the 93% probability of success with Monte Carlo simulations meant very little after the divorce!

  Post: Certainty addiction in financial decision-making

  Link to comment from November 13, 2025

• Delaying to 70, for those who can afford it, also helps with legacy planning since it opens up space for Roth conversions.

  Post: THE REAL RETURN ON DELAYING SOCIAL SECURITY

  Link to comment from November 13, 2025

• I meant both!

  Post: The Wealth That Connects

  Link to comment from November 11, 2025

• > I can put my income into a mortgage app and it supposedly tells me how much house I can afford. No such thing exists for healthcare that I am aware of. What would it take to build such an app? Is it even possible in the US?

  Post: Affordable? Healthcare? How do you spread your risk?

  Link to comment from November 10, 2025

• In retirement, I have been spending quite some time writing software using AI tools exclusively and I really don't know what will become of the vast software engineering industry that spans the globe. The tools are already quite good if you know what you are doing and are dramatically improving with every update. A knowledgeable engineer spending $10-$20 (subsidized by venture capital) a day can produce excellent software at a price point equivalent to a team worth of good software engineers in India. How that spills over to the wider economy is hard to tell.

  Post: AI Rally Market Risks

  Link to comment from November 10, 2025

• > Do you own mid- and small-cap stocks, which carry much less exposure to these AI risks? Do you hold international stocks? Adam, it still bothers me that the same thing was said during the last tech bubble where everyone said to broadly diversify and avoid the pain. The advice initially seemed sound, but then 2/3rds of the bear mauling happened soon afterwards taking the whole market down. > Most importantly, do you hold bonds or cash which could meet your expenses in the event of a market downturn? I think this is good advice is to take inventory of your essential spending needs for the next five years and take it out of the market. Stop counting that in your "net worth" that drives many investors to feel rich in a bubble.

  Post: AI Rally Market Risks

  Link to comment from November 10, 2025

• I grew up without much, though my parents always lived within their means. Still, we were financially illiterate. We didn’t understand compounding or inflation, and I carried that discomfort with money well into adulthood. Meanwhile, my childhood friend grew up in a wealthy family—serious, generational wealth, managed wisely. Yet they lived right alongside us in our middle-class neighborhood, and most people had no idea how rich they were. They weren’t modest because of culture or values—they were simply extremely stingy. As adults, my friend and I ended up living in the same area again, and we both had successful careers. Funny enough, we each mirrored our upbringing: he struggled to spend and I struggled to understand money. Over the years, we helped each other grow. I encouraged him to give himself permission to spend and enjoy life a bit, and he taught me—early on—how to build a financial foundation and get educated. It ended up being a great trade for both of us.

  Post: Discussing money matters with friends- a slippery slope

  Link to comment from November 10, 2025

• At the start of your career, a good financial move you can make is to build a safety net — around 6–12 months of forecasted expenses. Keep it safe and accessible. The goal here isn’t high returns — it’s buying yourself options and control over your life. A reliable financial base lets you make decisions from confidence — not fear — and opens the door to bold career moves and opportunities that can reshape your financial or work life. Once that foundation is solid, that’s when investing consistently becomes a game-changer. Even small amounts invested early can compound into something life-altering over time. But first, secure your freedom. Wishing you many years of joy ahead!

  Post: Seed Money

  Link to comment from November 6, 2025

• I resist tinkering by setting a threshold I allow my asset allocation to drift with the risk portfolio.

  Post: Optimizer or Satisficer?

  Link to comment from October 28, 2025

• I do miss those DRIPs, NAIC clubs, and browsing ValueLine in the public library!

  Post: Optimizer or Satisficer?

  Link to comment from October 28, 2025