Joshua Kennon is a Managing Director of
Kennon-Green & Co., a private asset management firm specializing in global value investing for affluent and high net worth individuals, families, and institutions. Nothing in this article or on this site, which is Mr. Kennon's personal blog, is intended to be, nor should it be construed as, investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell a security or securities. Investing can result in losses, sometimes significant losses. Prior to taking any action involving your finances or portfolio, you should consult with your own qualified professional advisor(s), such as an investment advisor, tax specialist, and/or attorney, who can help you consider your unique needs, circumstances, risk tolerance, and other relevant factors.
You know that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie You’ve Got Mail? It is one of my mom’s favorites. (Aaron and I love it, too.) In the movie, Ryan’s character, Kathleen Kelly, is supposed to meet her soul mate, with whom she has only conversed online, at a little place called Cafe Lalo on the…
Time to grab some club soda and other beverages from a local grocer (the in-room dining bar charges $8 per can, I believe. That will drive me nuts.) Then, of course, we came across another cupcake place and so my mom wanted to see it. We left with our basic supplies and on the way…
We have arrived in New York, settled into the hotel, and are trying to get some store browsing in before business closes today since it is late on a Sunday afternoon. We checked into The Palace Hotel. I know we said we were going to be staying at the Waldorf Towers but my mom got…
The house sitters have moved into my townhouse for the next month, the security system has been upgraded, and we are off to New York. It is 9:54 a.m., Central Standard Time, and I am flying somewhere over the Midwest on an Express Jet bound for Newark, where a driver will pick me up and…
You have to think independently and make up your own mind. That is the responsibility each of us has. That doesn’t mean you can’t look for input from others but you cannot outsource the obligation to rationally think, decide upon a course of action, and live with the results of your decision. Apparently, Munger hasn’t…
Over the past few years, I have become more and more convinced that the single biggest challenge most people face when it comes to achieving financial independence is the interest expense they pay on credit card debt, student loan debt, home mortgages, consumer debt, and other liabilities. [mainbodyad]Think about it like this. If all you…
Tonight, we had dinner at Aaron’s parents house to celebrate some birthdays in his family. His dad made fried catfish and his mom an angel food cake, both of which were good.
In 1977, Berkshire Hathaway invested nearly 25% of its net worth into Buffalo Evening News. For years, the investment was a disaster, causing significant losses and underperformance.
There is considerable academic evidence that one of the major drivers of income inequality in the United States is the difference in family formation, and assortative mating habits, between the upper and lower classes. Stated plainly, the upper class is more likely to get married, stay married, and have children within that marriage, while the lower class is more likely to have children out of wedlock or divorce. The results to net worth and income can be enormous over a lifetime.
One of the things I keep in my office is a set of files detailing things I like. I’ve always said that in another 7 years or so when I reach my mid-thirties and probably have kids, I will switch my primary residence to an estate or high rise in a tax-free state like Florida,…