There was an article three weeks ago in The New York Times that began with the following paragraph: Nobody likes unpleasant surprises, but when Allison Brooke Eastman’s fiancé found out four months ago just how high her student loan debt was, he had a particularly strong reaction: he broke off the engagement within three days.…
In Surprising Facts About America’s Population, I pointed out that the top 25% of people in China – the gifted students who out-test 3 out of 4 of their classmates – exceeds the entire population of the United States. This raised some concerns about my enthusiasm for the rise of China. I thought it would…
A lot of times, people convince themselves that if “they just had a little more money” they wouldn’t be in the financial dire straits they are. Their bills would be paid. They wouldn’t have financial stress. The problem is, everyone else with any sense in their life is likely thinking, “Yeah, you’ll be right back in this situation in a few years” but no one wants to say it aloud.
From the time I was a kid and had only a few thousand dollars in the bank, I have wanted a Bosendorfer Strauss model grand piano, probably in a 7 foot size (which is comparable to a Steinway & Sons Model B semi-concert grand). Yet, the list price is $111,080 plus you’d be looking at sales tax of roughly $8,331 for a grand total of $119,411. The time value of money opportunity cost of buying a Bosendorfer Strauss grand piano, then is enormous.
Here’s how you can find investment ideas using an example from my own family’s experience running a successful sporting goods store.