I have been accused that all I think about is finances and money. When I discuss the seemly absurd idea that most adults can self-manage their money without an adviser, the response from most people, especially from financial advisers, “not everybody is interested in money as you are…” blah, blah, BLAH!
I have heard that response so many times that I am no longer insulted. The fact is that I have some interest in money, finance, and investing because I was taken advantage of by unscrupulous insurance agents masquerading as a financial adviser. I had to learn this stuff for my protection! I despise Wall Street values and found a strategy of investing that bypasses those self-conflicting values. Interest in managing my finances and sharing with others doesn’t necessarily mean the I love this stuff. I don’t. It is an unfortunate necessity to be financially literate. I am grateful that I can manage my money without an adviser.
While I do read, blog, and write books on personal finance, I provide the following evidence that I am interested in other topics. Look at the books I have read since January 2020:
“The things They Carried” by Tim O’brian a Vietnam story by a veteran (I am a Vietnam Veteran)
“The Science of Religion” by Paramahansa Yoga (I am a Buddhist practitioner and student)
“Walking a Sacred Path” by Dr. Lauren Artress (Our Wedding destination was on a Labyrinth in the middle of the desert!)
“The Waterworks” by E.L. Doctorow (Never Read Doctorow work, happy I did because the setting was 19th century NYC)
“After Dinner Tales” by Angus Whyte (Angus was in my critique group when he suddenly died a year ago. His tales are hilarious, and he was an exceptionally good writer)
“A View from the Back of the Candy Store” by Ken White (Ken is a friend. I am so proud of him for publishing his book after five years in the making. What an interesting life of a successful interior design professional setting up shop in incredibly competitive Los Angeles. He read every chapter of his interesting and inspirational life to our critique group and gives us credit for this book by helping him in so many ways to put “pen to paper”).
“The Critical Media Literacy Guide” by Douglas Kellner and Jeff Share (Jeff is a long-time friend who teaches K12 teachers at UCLA. I want to collaborate with his work to combine media literacy and financial literacy).
I have reread parts of a book published in 1970 that is still prevalent today 50 years later! “The Greening of American” by Charles A. Reich. He predicted new ways of thinking about our culture and life that are still being worked out in 2020).
Finance books:
“The Bogleheads Guide to the Three-Fund Portfolio” by Taylor Larimore. Another simple portfolio that anybody can construct.
“The Future of Capitalism” by Lester Thurow (Scary stuff about the potential social problems caused by inequality of income may be coming to fruition today. He was prophesizing to both the private industry and the politicians to do something 25 years ago when this book was written!)
Rereading Benjamin Graham’s classic “The Intelligent Investor”. Graham was Warren Buffett’s mentor and a Columbia University Economics Professor who contribute much to the financial world. Graham died in 1973. Despite this almost half century old book, his thoughts on investing for this rank amateur is profoundly some of the most basic strategies I use today. One of the most important topics Graham professed is the investor’s “temperament.” When you are mindful, your chances of investing success will surprise you. I am profoundly surprised and grateful that I know this stuff that Graham writes about through John Bogle and the index investing revolution that is everywhere in 2020.
The major events of 2020 are unprecedented as you will read from a perspective of a retiree who has experienced many terrible times our country and the world has faced in my lifetime.
My work here is to hopefully inspire you that as we go through this mess and we are going to be OK, perhaps even stronger than before the epidemic.
Enjoy my Year-to-Date Report on all things personal and financial.