Its been about 2.5 months since my last post and after some consideration as to whether continue blogging or not I’ve decided to keep at it.
I was recently inspired by a recent Frontline documentary called ‘The Retirement Gamble”. You can watch it on-line here. Its well worth your time. Two things really struck me in the piece:
- How little most people know about basic investing and retirement. When you’ve been at investing for a while and build up a base of knowledge it’s easy to forget the lack of basic knowledge out there. There is such a dearth of basic knowledge out there in particular about retirement.
- The morons and/or bold faced liars that run some of the biggest investment outfits. I almost fell out of my chair during one of the interviews in the documentary where the head of investments or something or other from one huge investment shop says that she is not aware of the research that says that most mutual funds fail to outperform the market! No, really. I’m not kiding. Go watch it.
Well, these two did it for me. If I can do anything, even a little bit, to help some people learn about retirement and investing and avoid some of the biggest mistakes and traps out there then I will feel pretty damn good.
So, I’ll start writing again but with a slight twist. More of my posts will reflect what I am currently doing with my investments. You’ll see a combination of long term focused posts and a lot of shorter term, even trading type, posts.
Lets see how it goes.
34 Comments
donzidoug · April 29, 2013 at 12:54 pm
glad to hear it!
Steve Nelson · April 29, 2013 at 1:05 pm
You Guys are justThe Best ! ! Whether it is the great info of your experiences, campground ratings or investment observations, every
Thing written is invaluable to many people. We are lucky to friends
like you two who are willing to share with the rest of us. Perhaps we will see you on the road somewhere.
Steve Nelson
John Lupomech · April 29, 2013 at 1:09 pm
Just been lurking but have to say I have really missed your posts. Thanks for resuming.
libertatemamo · April 29, 2013 at 3:37 pm
I’m a frequent lurker on many blogs as well. thanks for the comment.
Vall&Mo · April 29, 2013 at 1:11 pm
Welcome back! We really missed your insightful posts, and are very glad to hear you will be writing them again. We know that writing detailed and thoughtful posts like yours are a lot of work, so we really appreciate it. Keep them coming!
libertatemamo · April 29, 2013 at 3:36 pm
Will do my best.
Lynne (WinnieViews) · April 29, 2013 at 1:48 pm
Glad you’re back Paul! I started reading your blog after following Nina’s, and I thank you for enlightening me further into the world of investing. Far too long I paid no attention to my 401k or simply left my excess funds in bank accounts. Your blog pointed me to the IVY portfolio, and other blogs that have been tremendously helpful (particularly dshort.com, and A Dash of Insight).
I still have a long way to go to understand investing better, but I feel better prepared now to manage my investments through these turbulent times thanks to you. So, thank you, thank you, thank YOU!!!
libertatemamo · April 29, 2013 at 3:36 pm
Glad to hear Lynne.
Rick · April 29, 2013 at 2:06 pm
Paul:
You make a difference. Keep at it. In my particular case your recommendations have placed me @ $42K dividends and income for 2012. 2013 look very good so far. Now we need to focus in making Cathy’s $$ work like that and making sure we don’t ever run out of $$ flow and convince ourselves that we can live under the 4% rule. Ordered the IVY book for Cathy so she can see that trading by indicator signals is not the same as The Timing the Markets game. I have not worked since September and I think Cathy can quit too.
I know you are a very ethical guy but… Can you give your opinion about personal financial advisors? We are going to visit with a group called Money Matters to see if they can reduce our chances of loss due to an adverse market swing in the future.
Please say hello to Nina. We much enjoy her photo diary.
Cathy & Rick / Houston
libertatemamo · April 29, 2013 at 3:35 pm
Rick, that’s really great news. Congratulations.
On financial advisors. I would only recommend looking at ones with the RIA (Registered Investment Advisor) designation. RIAs have to act as fiduciaries where as other financial advisors and planners do not. Acting as a fiduciary means that they are committing to putting your financial interests first and doing what is best for you. This may come as a surprise, as it does to most, but other types of advisors are not held to the same standard. Other types of planners and advisors only have to meet a ‘suitability’ requirement when it comes to financial advice. And as in every profession there are good RIAs out there and bad ones.
Paul
heyduke50 · April 29, 2013 at 2:52 pm
welcome back… now get out there and make some money…
libertatemamo · April 29, 2013 at 3:27 pm
Thanks. That’s the easy part.
Paul
Kevin D · April 29, 2013 at 3:06 pm
I second that. Welcome Back!! I was getting worried. Your Blog has been very insightful, very helpful. I look forward to every comment you post.
Kevin
01 Country Coach Magna #5982
libertatemamo · April 29, 2013 at 3:28 pm
Thanks Kevin.
Dillon · April 29, 2013 at 4:04 pm
First time poster – and I would like to start with, you are my idol and even if you leave the posts you have done have helped me and my wife with our goals to retire early and I cannot thank you enough.
I found your blog through your wife’s blog as my wife and I are 30, live in the bay area, and plan to “retire” in 5 years and travel the US by RV and hopefully the world. We love your wife’s blog and then I saw the link to your blog in the bio and I knew I found a real gem.
I read, and re-read your blog weekly/daily and I have ordered ALL the books you listed for beginners through intermediate. I have a year plan to learn and gain the basic knowledge I need to succeed at investing, and I feel I owe that to you.
I have never seen a better resource in all my years that breaks down investing and what you need to do in such a concise way. Your writing style also speaks to me in a way nothing before has.
I do not know how else to tell you how important you are to me and do not know how else to repay your selfless act of maintaining this blog, but if your ever near the bay area, Los Gatos again, drinks and dinner are on me!
libertatemamo · April 29, 2013 at 8:27 pm
Hi Dillon, that is so great to hear and gives me even more inspiration to keep going. Thanks for the comments. Sounds like you and your wife are well on your way to a great and adventurous future. I can’t recommend it enough. And keep working at building that investment knowledge. The more you learn and better you get at it the freer and more adventurous life you’ll be able to have.
Los Gatos is still 3rd place on my list of possible places to go back and live for a while. I often miss the energy of the Bay Area although not the congestion and cost of living.
Hopefully we can meet somewhere down the line.
Paul
Dillon · April 30, 2013 at 10:32 am
Yeah, im in the bay area for my job which is highly technical and I make very good money here. My wife and I live right now on 50k a year and have no debt. We are not consumers. We plan to save another 400-500k over the next five years.I have 100k right now but im still scared to invest it as I dont know enough, only 20k is with a investment guy who has done right by me the last few years and another 20k i invested into intel when it went below 21 dollars a few months ago! I just wish I knew enough right now as the market seems to be doing well, but I want my knowledge base to be much better first.
If you do move back to los gatos the hills above it on the way to santa cruz are much easier on the pocket book, get some acres too and if you keep the rv it works out well!
libertatemamo · May 1, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Sounds like you’re on a great plan. On the investment side, the biggest battle/learning is on the emotional side. The techniques/strategies of investing are not that hard especially with your technical background. We are on own worst enemy in investing, so in your investment studies pay particular focus to the emotional/psychological aspects of investing.
Paul
didi · April 29, 2013 at 5:43 pm
I’ve read all of your posts since I subscribed even though I don’t understand much of it. I’m hoping you’ll rub off on me! I’m hoping to retire and be a fulltimer too. Thank you for continuing!
libertatemamo · April 29, 2013 at 8:28 pm
Much appreciated Didi.
Kings On the Road · April 29, 2013 at 7:09 pm
Way to go Paul! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Randy
Don · April 29, 2013 at 8:21 pm
I look forward to the future posts. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights.
Don
alaw35 · April 30, 2013 at 4:55 am
I just had looked at your site to see if I had missed posts. Always read your thoughts. Glad to see you back!
Mark · April 30, 2013 at 5:34 am
That’s great news Paul! I’ve learned plenty from your posts and insights in managing my financial affairs and Nina’s tales make me feel like family travelling in your hip pockets. I’m very appreciative that baoth of you devote the time and effort to your stories. Should we meet up some day the reds or the rita’s are on me.
Mark
Wayne Fenton · April 30, 2013 at 7:17 am
I was thinking about you yesterday and wondered what happened. I use the IVY portfolio for part of my investments thanks to you. You turned on the light bulb for me. If you ever get up to Washington, stop by Camano Island, we’ll leave the light on.
There’s a lot of us that follow you. Welcome back.
Wayne
J Carroll · April 30, 2013 at 8:25 am
Paul. Welcome back. I have learned a lot from you, especially regarding the world of options; dicey but definitely worth the effort. I look forward to your future thoughts.
Rwp · April 30, 2013 at 9:51 am
Great I enjoy reading your insights
Joe · April 30, 2013 at 10:34 am
Welcome back Paul.
The program on the Mutual Fund Industry, 401ks, Financial Advisors, Index Mutual Funds… is very good and the points made likely miss those who think they are being taken care of, don’t understand compounding – positive & negative – don’t take the time to understand investing…
Looking forward to seeing your brain at work & really appreciate being a follower of your blogs.
Thanks,
Joe
libertatemamo · May 1, 2013 at 5:02 pm
Totally agree Joe.
Dave Burns · April 30, 2013 at 11:28 am
Welcome back – REALLY enjoy your posts. You’ve been an inspiration to my wife and me. We also full-time (in our Airstream) and have modeled much of our plan to attain financial independence on dividend foundations originally obtained from your blog.
Thanks, _dave
libertatemamo · May 1, 2013 at 5:00 pm
Nice to hear Dave.
Paul
LuAnn · May 1, 2013 at 3:47 pm
Welcome back Paul. I have learned so much from you so pleased that you are going to continue blogging.
libertatemamo · May 1, 2013 at 4:57 pm
Thanks Lu. Nina and miss you guys by the way.
Paul
LuAnn · May 1, 2013 at 6:17 pm
We miss you two as well. We will live vicariously through you as you head back to OR. 🙂
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