Times must be good - displaying those tail feathers

[GravitySucks]

The last French Canadian song I listened to was "Belleville Rendez-vous". .

Triplets of Belleville is a great cycling film. Second only to PeeWee's Big Adventure

 

[walkinwood]

I'm inspired. I'm thinking of using some of my tailfeather money to buy a laptop. Anybody have any WinTel favorite laptops?

(Not really joking either!)

Look at Ultrabooks - a loosely defined Intel spec for light, compact notebooks. All the major vendors make good notebooks these days.

I own a ASUS Zenbook UX303 which I bought 2+ years ago. Sleek, light, a 13" high def screen, solid state drives. Good battery life. I love it and take it along on all my travels.

 

[Sunset]

Was this me bragging about $6,000 worth of checks sitting in my mailbox? Because that happened when we got back from 9 weeks in Europe and it took me many days to get around to depositing them (just didn't really need the money so it was low priority).

So $6,000 AND 9 weeks in Europe AND it took days to deposit the checks (because the butler had the week off ??)

Who is showing the feathers now.

 

[Sunset]

What a great treat to give to yourself! So, if not a truck, what kind of car are you thinking of buying? ...
I would buy a new car too, but I am struggling to figure out which one to buy. My Venza only has 27K miles on it and there is nothing wrong with it, so there is no rush and I have a few years to decide. That's a good thing, because when I try to select one I am torn in at least 67 different directions. But I am very interested in what cars people are choosing, and why. Moemg's brand new Rav4 sounds like a terrific choice so there's one to consider.

I bought a new van 2 years ago, so if the market tanks like 1929, I'll still have a place to sleep
I've slept in it 6 times when traveling long distances.

 

[Sunset]

I have come to appreciate how I can show the tail feathers here, just a few weeks ago, I told my older cousin (who I figure gets a big gov't pension and will get 1/3 of a very large estate $MM) about our Viking river cruise we took in June.
Just how much we enjoyed it, and seeing Europe for the first time, etc.
My cousin reacted as though we had thrown $$ on a fire and wasted it...

So DW and I agreed we would not tell anyone else at this time.

It is largely due to folks here, that we took that river cruise, and similarly we just returned from a 30 day trip to Canada, where we used 2 Airbnb's for 6 days, which literally saved us $500 and was great.

So everyone keep on bragging as perhaps you will inspire us to try another new thing

 

[pb4uski]

I always believe your posts. If Im not permanently banned by then , I would definitely enjoy your success.

You'll still be able to read his posts, just not reply.

 

[pb4uski]

I'm inspired. I'm thinking of using some of my tailfeather money to buy a laptop. Anybody have any WinTel favorite laptops?

(Not really joking either!)

I bought a Lenovo Mixx back in January and love it. The Mixx is Lenovo's
answer to the Microsoft Surface.

Also got a great deal.... $580... I can't find any for that now.

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-IdeaP...=UTF8&qid=1504359765&sr=1-2&keywords=mixx+700

 

[Hopeful]

I guess I enjoy that this is one place that I can talk about finances and money. Most people I know would not be receptive to talking finances, and probably live paycheck to paycheck. Certainly wouldn't want to display tail feathers in front of them. Heck, even the DW doesn't want to talk finances half the time. It is nice to come here every once and a while to discuss these things. The pat on the back from others here every once and a while doesn't hurt either.

 

[Ready-4-ER-at-14]

I've been somewhat of a "contrarian investor" for some time. For me this just means doing what is uncomfortable and contrary to what prudent logic might suggest based on info I have available (always dated, always incomplete, always just what is available to the casual observer). And I try to look at time frames the stock market fast guns will not operate in. They seem to always win in milliseconds, hours, days, and quarters. Turning economies around happens in years and decades.

Because the base investments are pretty solid and not entirely stock market based, I guess I can handle the market ups and down without panic. I try to concentrate on any portion of my holdings that are gaining and hope these offset the others. I've noticed huge sector rotations many quarters for some time but that money just jumps back into another sector, vs all buying say the Australian coast line, or bitcoining it all. This observation keeps me invested.

Taking money out systematically but not reducing investing principle by my self made pension using annuities (that many here dislike for some valid reasons), allows dividend reinvestments. Hey it's playing with the houses money, in gambler parlance.

I'm nervous too at times when I white knuckle it and keep buying more. In fact the week after the N. Korean missile went over Japan I bought some more Japanese financials.

I've also learned that it is more important to make choices and try things than to always be right.

It is good that people here do harvest money and enjoy life. Frugality has a time and place and so does excess.

Re strutting and tail feathers, I would be embarrassed to tell my brother my net worth,
so it is nice to have a place to at least hint of wealth not having to fear others will feel lessened.

 

[haha]

I think we might assume that people who post here are unusually focused on money. So naturally some of us like to brag about how rich and clever we are.

I would not be surprised if many other people with different values and interests might find our focus to be unnatural, or pathological, or at least unattractive.

Ha

 

[googily]

The last French Canadian song I listened to was "Belleville Rendez-vous".

Back on the current good times, my portfolio just set another new high. My own stocks are up 0.85% today while the S&P is up 0.2%.

What can I do? I already sold plenty of out-of-the-money covered calls, and currently have about 50 contracts out on different stocks and ETFs. And they are now in-the-money, and if this holds up the other side of the trades will get my shares at below market value.

What do I do? Keep on selling? Too much money can get one worried you know? Not scared as I have been through all this before, but just a bit worried.

I've skimmed a bit from the good profits of the past year or so (kind of like being at the blackjack table and starting to put a chip or two in your pocket after every few hands, to preserve winnings). Have also rebalanced toward being a little more conservative in my pot of dough that has to get me to 59.5. The 401k can fly high for another 8 years.

I do remember 2008-09, but I was far away from the notion of retiring and had had Buy and Hold drilled into my brain, so I just looked at every 401k monthly buy down at the bottoms as buying on sale. Probably won't be so sanguine on the next go-round.

 

[Bir48die]

I think we might assume that people who post here are unusually focused on money. So naturally some of us like to brag about how rich and clever we are.

I would not be surprised if many other people with different values and interests might find our focus to be unnatural, or pathological, or at least unattractive.

Ha

That's true but there's plenty of weird subjects out there that do not deal with money posted on the forum. I usually ignore the bravado and am focused on being thankful to be one that should be able to retire comfortably.

My only gripe is those who criticize some methods of financial management. If you're not a self investor then you're an idiot. If you adhere to the bucket strategy (which I don't) then you're an idiot. But those are rare and I enjoy the majority of subjects that are brought up.

 

[kcowan]

I think we might assume that people who post here are unusually focused on money. So naturally some of us like to brag about how rich and clever we are.

I would not be surprised if many other people with different values and interests might find our focus to be unnatural, or pathological, or at least unattractive.

Ha

I thought the focus here was on dryer sheets? That suggests to me LBYM and an obsession with SWR.

 

[cooch96]

I guess I enjoy that this is one place that I can talk about finances and money. Most people I know would not be receptive to talking finances, and probably live paycheck to paycheck. Certainly wouldn't want to display tail feathers in front of them. Heck, even the DW doesn't want to talk finances half the time. It is nice to come here every once and a while to discuss these things. The pat on the back from others here every once and a while doesn't hurt either.

+1 with two thumbs up!

 

[Ready-4-ER-at-14]

My only gripe is those who criticize some methods of financial management. If you're not a self investor then you're an idiot. If you adhere to the bucket strategy (which I don't) then you're an idiot. But those are rare and I enjoy the majority of subjects that are brought up.

Hey Bir48die I view investing as a journey where we all start with some insights and build our skills based on our interests and abilities. I've met much smarter people than myself who perceive the world in a wider context, and much more limited thinking people than myself.

Since you believe your views on these topics strongly, could you at least indicate why? I suspect you are viewing total returns. Others might be willing to trade some total return for things that make them comfortable.

Trying to understand vs challenge your view. I often learn the most by views that differ than some of my own.

 

[JoeWras]

Hey Bir48die I view investing as a journey where we all start with some insights and build our skills based on our interests and abilities. I've met much smarter people than myself who perceive the world in a wider context, and much more limited thinking people than myself.

Since you believe your views on these topics strongly, could you at least indicate why? I suspect you are viewing total returns. Others might be willing to trade some total return for things that make them comfortable.

Trying to understand vs challenge your view. I often learn the most by views that differ than some of my own.

Ready-4-ER: I *think* Bir48die was putting up a strawman discussion that others may hold. I don't think Birdie holds those views.

I appreciate your honesty about your annuities. I mean, that's what does make this board great. We don't all do the same thing and I think we've learned quite a bit.

I started this post only because I saw a few instances of: "Check this out, my investment method will blow you away" kind of posts. Fortunately, we mostly don't call each other idiots for an opposing view. Mostly...

(Although I feel like an idiot for not buying a laptop earlier. I think the memory price thing has increased the prices. Maybe I can come up with a "memory futures" scheme of investing. We seem to go through cycles like this from time to time.)

 

[NW-Bound]

I am one who may be a bit obsessed about money, or rather investing. I am not a miser, as I have given plenty to charities and relatives through my life, but up until I was 45 did not spend much time and effort in managing my finance, and missed out some on the greatest bull run in history.

So, now that I am retired, tracking investments is one of my hobbies. I like to see what trends develop, and try to understand what drives them. It's an effort to understand how the world works. And I can make the same return or more using indexing or MF, but without owning individual stocks or at least sectors, one does not know what is going on inside his portfolio.

Some people like to eat sausage, others want to know what goes into a sausage and can stand it. It's a hobby no different than people following spectator sports, and star players.

 

[NW-Bound]

We have read several cases in law school that illustrate how the government wastes lots and LOTS of money. I recently read a case where the USG was suing to recoup costs when a warehouse burned to the ground. What was destroyed, you ask? "Surplus" butter...yep, that's right. To prop up the price of butter, the USG would buy up the surplus and store it (and I assume eventually rot). I knew this occurred w/ corn and soybeans, but I had no idea that there were so many mechanisms in place to control so many commodities.

Case summary: "The United States commenced this action...to recover damages for commodities destroyed in a warehouse fire. The United States under a federal price-support program had acquired the destroyed commodities, including millions of pounds of surplus butter."

https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-crown-equipment-corp

OK..back to your regularly scheduled post...

We cross-posted and I just now read yours.

The case of raisin was worse than government waste. It was about private property being confiscated, in this case part of a farmer's crop. Why? Because he was more successful than his peers, and overproduced. His raisins were taken with no guarantee of any compensation.

PS. To tie in with the thread, I will have to ask if this farmer bragged about his bumper crop.

 

[Ready-4-ER-at-14]

I wonder if this was like tobacco crops? I believe the farmers agreed to a lowest supported price but were not to grow more than a certain amount on their land. It was called the Transitional Tobacco Payment Program and limited how much a farmer could grow to control supply and demand, and farmers profited. That ended in 2004

 

[NW-Bound]

In other industries, if the producers scheme to control prices, they face big penalty and jail time.

If I recall correctly, a Samsung executive was sent to prison in the US and the company was fined for fixing DRAM prices in the 2005-2006 time frame. The US government said it took action to ensure free market.

Apparently, we need no stinkin' free market for raisin and some other food stuff. Isn't our law wonderful?

 

[FUEGO]

Thanks Fuego. That's exactly what I'm looking for. Does it come with a lot of bloatware? And did you get it online? I don't do lines on Black Friday.

Heck no I don't do black Friday in person! I'm crazy and a risk-taker but not that crazy.

I found it at B&H Photo (a bricks and mortar NYC electronics/photo store but they have a website too - just watch out - they're Jewish owned and observe the sabbath and close Friday PM and reopen Sat. PM). Last I checked the price wasn't as good as when I got mine.

Minimal bloatware was far as I can tell. A few HP utilities to keep things running but nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[FUEGO]

Look at Ultrabooks - a loosely defined Intel spec for light, compact notebooks. All the major vendors make good notebooks these days.

I own a ASUS Zenbook UX303 which I bought 2+ years ago. Sleek, light, a 13" high def screen, solid state drives. Good battery life. I love it and take it along on all my travels.

Other than high def screen (mine's a 720p-ish screen, so still technically high def ) that's what the probook I got for $350 is. DW and I packed one each on our backpacking through Europe trip this summer.

 

[JoeWras]

Other than high def screen (mine's a 720p-ish screen, so still technically high def ) that's what the probook I got for $350 is. DW and I packed one each on our backpacking through Europe trip this summer.

This is my target too. Active use. I've tried the tablet thing and it doesn't work for me. I need the keyboard.

Tail feather strut alert: I just got a small award at w*rk and I'm going to use that money to buy this.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[rayinpenn]

Joe

This post got me to thinking about those feathers - peacocks are pretty rare. From investopedia

"A 2015 Government Accountability Office study found that: 29% of Americans 55 and older don’t have any retirement nest egg or even a traditional pension plan. Those who do have retirement funds don't have enough money: 55 to 64-year-olds have an average of $104,000 and those 65 to 74 have $148,000 in savings. If that money were turned into a lifetime annuity, it would only amount to $310 and $649 respectively per month."

There is a mass of people heading for or at retirement age that can never retire. Some never made any real money, some just had bad luck others failed to exercise restraint and fell to the allure of the shinny f150 red pickup time and time again.

I wouldn't flaunt those feathers too much peacocks are easy prey to hawks. All this brings to mind the excesses of the 20s. The higher you fly the greater the fall. Humility and stealth wealth should be the order of the day. I've been tempted to buy that convertible jaguar but in the end the Toyota stays.

Party pooper? Perhaps but all this back slapping makes me real nervous. Let's talk about strategies to short the market...

 

[Danmar]

I thought the focus here was on dryer sheets? That suggests to me LBYM and an obsession with SWR.

Yes, the biggest discussion is usually around who is spending the least. Not much (any?) criticism for LBYM which is certainly the dominant culture here. Makes sense because that is how most people get to ER.

Also, SWR discussion goes on and on. Award goes to the guy who takes out the least.

There does seem to be a lack of understanding of why or how other people may have more means and therefore spend more. Everybody thinks their spending level is right in the sweet spot. This also makes perfect sense because to feel otherwise just would cause grief.