I solved this problem 30 years ago when I learned that stock splits, on average, out performed the market by up to 12% over the two to three years after the split announcement. I like index funds and have much of my retirement in the standard Vanguard funds, but my 2 for 1 portfolio has out performed the rest of my portfolio to the tune of 11% annualized, 13.7% over the last 5 years. Beating the market is not impossible.
My definition of retirement was when I no longer received a W2. After that my wife and I bought and restored several vintage houses. The houses were bought with cash and the work was done at a relatively easy pace, so I never considered myself a "flipper". At 78 years old, that phase is over now but I continue to do projects for friends and neighbors. I keep track of the hours spent and "charge" by asking "clients" to donate to my favorite non-profit at the rate of $50/hr for my time. It's a win-win for everyone and I get to keep my tools sharp.
As Jason Zweig, one of your WSJ colleagues once wrote. "My job is to write the exact same thing between 50 and 100 times a year in such a way that neither my editors nor my readers will ever think I am repeating myself." I certainly appreciate the way you and your Humble Dollar contributors manage to do it.
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I solved this problem 30 years ago when I learned that stock splits, on average, out performed the market by up to 12% over the two to three years after the split announcement. I like index funds and have much of my retirement in the standard Vanguard funds, but my 2 for 1 portfolio has out performed the rest of my portfolio to the tune of 11% annualized, 13.7% over the last 5 years. Beating the market is not impossible.
Post: Harder Than It Looks
Link to comment from August 16, 2025
My definition of retirement was when I no longer received a W2. After that my wife and I bought and restored several vintage houses. The houses were bought with cash and the work was done at a relatively easy pace, so I never considered myself a "flipper". At 78 years old, that phase is over now but I continue to do projects for friends and neighbors. I keep track of the hours spent and "charge" by asking "clients" to donate to my favorite non-profit at the rate of $50/hr for my time. It's a win-win for everyone and I get to keep my tools sharp.
Post: Not What I Expected
Link to comment from November 8, 2023
As Jason Zweig, one of your WSJ colleagues once wrote. "My job is to write the exact same thing between 50 and 100 times a year in such a way that neither my editors nor my readers will ever think I am repeating myself." I certainly appreciate the way you and your Humble Dollar contributors manage to do it.
Post: News You Can’t Use
Link to comment from October 29, 2022