I’ve talked about this a lot over the years and it really doesn’t matter how many times I tell people this… a lot of people simply refuse to believe it.
I’m talking about the “myth,” so to speak, of a good investment and why they (almost) never pan out.
Here’s what I mean:
Back in… oh… probably 2007… I introduced myself to a fairly well-known libertarian-themed financial newsletter publisher.
I talked to some of the editors and they offered me a special affiliate deal (which I took them up on).
I got a lot of free investment advice and they also let me sell their newsletter for a handsome commission.
They don’t offer that deal anymore (not to my knowledge anyway).
I learned a lot just by reading about their investment ideas. They employed a special “SEAL team” of investment specialists who would physically go around to companies, speak to management, and get an “insider’s look” into the company. They spoke to employees who worked in the field and also specialists that worked for the company.
Point being, these investments were pretty solid…
They got a LOT of intel.
So… I did what any smart person would do… I invested a lot of money in their recommendations.
I made some money but… I mostly lost it all.
And mind you, the investments did eventually pay off.
So, they were profitable.
The problem was me, not the investment per se.
At the time I was living in upstate New York and renting a huge old Victorian house (you never want to buy real estate in New York by the way, but that’s a story for another time).
Now… something you have to know about most of New York… when you get outside the city, it’s mostly farmland.
I mean, a lot of people just don’t get it. I send them a pic of rolling hills and fields and they’re like, “you sent me the wrong photo, lol.”
They’re expecting skyscrapers. But, they only exist in the 5 boroughs and in Albany (the State’s capital).
Everywhere else is dotted with small towns, faux cities, and lots and lots of… farms.
Farms and farmland as far as the eye can see.
There are also a few factories and some retail.
But…
It’s a depressed economy.
The farmers are basically middle-class or poorer.
Factories come in but they can’t afford to pay a lot to workers…
And the average or median income is like… $25,000 to $30,000 per year.
So yeah.
Anyway… doing business in that area was tough because… well… people just don’t have a lot of money to save… so they don’t.
And there were times when Yours Gluteny needed to live off savings.
And so I had to cash in my investments at inopportune times.
And so I never really saw the full benefit of those investments.
This happens all the time to people I work with.
Car breaks down.
Business needs moolah to fix something or pay for maintenance.
Kid needs braces and they don’t have dental insurance.
Wife’s eggo is prego and she needs time off from work… but work offers no real paid maternity leave.
Insurance premiums keep going up and they have no more income to feed the “monster”
And so on.
It’s one of the (many) reasons people only manage to save something like $100,000 before age 70.
Now, I’m not a huge fan of retiring, but let’s face it… if you get sick or injured… you might not have a choice.
Which is why it’s nice to have some dinero stashed away “just in case.”
Everyone needs a “just in case” fund.
It’s not optional.
And if that fund is wrapped up in investments, what usually happens is… you end up needing it at a time when you DON’T want to sell those investments because the secret of investing is…
Investments are most profitable (and some investments are only profitable when..) when you DON’T sell them.
You have to buy and hold, and hold, and hold, and hold… and you can never sell them or you’ll end up losing interest on your money.
Which is one (of many) reasons I arrange things so I can earn interest on my savings while spending it.
You you want to do the same, read about my services here: