I happened to check the contact form this morning (we’re up to 1,000+ messages, some of which are really great questions or comments, that I do try to get to but my problem is time) and happened to see one from a few hours ago from a reader named Mark E. This absolutely made my…
One of the biggest dangers an investor faces when he or she decides to buy individual stocks for a portfolio is the temptation to chase something “exciting”, regardless of valuation. That’s a foolish undertaking. Valuation matters a great deal. The exact same business might be a wonderful investment at 10 times earnings but a horrible investment at 50 times earnings. It’s not enough for profits to rise, or dividends to expand; they have to offer a good return, based on what you paid, relative to a reasonable opportunity cost hurdle such as the long-term 30-year Treasury bond yield.
Playing the Sims 3 reveals both my biggest strength and one of my biggest weaknesses: My obsessive focus. I was only going to play for a few minutes today, but then got side tracked because my family bought the town art museum.
After I explained the BHP vs BBL shares for BHP Billiton, I realized I may as well dive into the complexity of the Royal Dutch Shell Class A vs Class B shares. I had originally avoided it when writing about the shares I picked up for the KRIP the other day, but there seems to…
With the discussion of me buying some shares of mining giant BHP Billiton the other day for the KRIP portfolio, there seems to be some confusion about the difference between BHP vs BBL, and how those are related to the BHP and BBL ADR listings on the New York Stock Exchange. This is one of…
I made a note to myself at Club 33 in Disneyland to learn to make a good pineapple upside down cake after tasting how delicious theirs was. I wanted to find a version with the amaretto liquor flavor that they had, but haven’t had any luck, so instead, I decided to try a very highly…
Some of you who write me need to understand something or you are going to have a lot of disappointment in your future. Just because you are smart, just because you have talent, doesn’t mean anything. Your business, your career, your efforts can be left in the dust by someone who is driven to succeed,…
Is the TempurPedic GrandBed worth the price? Do Aaron and I still recommend and love it?
A year ago, I posted a picture of my younger brother secretly flying to Colorado to propose to his girlfriend. Now, after 24+ hours in which we had a rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, photo shoot, ceremony, and reception, I am beyond thrilled to say that he and Tara are married! Both Aaron and I adore her;…
I was reading a film review by actor James Franco of the new Superman movie, which I saw at the midnight premier right before I hopped on the flight out to California for the weekend. My family wanted to go, and I’ve always like Henry Cavill’s work since the adaptation of the seminal work of Alexander Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo, so I thought it would be fun. When we were in the theater, the talk turned to the actual character of Superman.