Why I'm Building a Pyramid

Why I'm Building a Pyramid

Hello again, world wide web! It's been a while!

I've been continuing to read and learn. While doing so, an analogy popped into my head that I'd like to share.

In March 2024, I read the classic business book, Barbarians at the Gate, about the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco. While thinking about the authors' description of the shenanigans taking place at company headquarters and on Wall Street, something occurred to me: the whole structure was upside-down.

RJ Reynolds built the tobacco company that was named after him, and the book credits lawyer Adolphus Green as being instrumental to the early growth of Nabisco. These men (and, of course, many others) helped to build and guide these two companies in their early days, circa 1900.

But by the 1970s, the old guard had long since perished, and the executives that succeeded them had exhibited varying degrees of quality - some did well, others did not.

New: Amazon Haul

Amazon Haul

I don't do sponsored posts, because I want full editorial control (and because I have a full-time job, so I can afford to be choosy).

But to help keep the lights on around here, I'll spotlight an announcement from longtime partner Amazon. I partner with Amazon (and use Amazon myself) because I think they do a good job of keeping prices low for their customers, as well as offering a wide, wide variety of options for sale.

Amazon probably represents the most meritocratic marketplace around, at least as far as I know of. Are they perfect? No, of course not. But they do deliver consistently on the basics - great selection and low prices, along with good delivery times and convenience.

So, here's announcing Amazon Haul, a new program available on the mobile app only. Amazon Haul only offers items priced at $20 or less. Currently, the program includes 5% off of orders of $50 or more, and 10% off orders of $75 or more (no word on how long that offer will last).

And, Amazon emphasizes (three times in one announcement!) that everything available on the Amazon Haul marketplace is protected by Amazon's standard A-to-z guarantee, which now applies in the United States, Canada, the UK, and the EU.

Amazon's full announcement can be found here.

You can use this link right here if you'd like to check out the chart-toppers on Amazon Haul.

If you don't have and don't want the Amazon app, you can educate yourself while also supporting this blog by reading a book review on this site and buying the associated book if you're interested.

from Amazon's announcement about Amazon Haul:

https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/affordable-products-amazon-20-dollars-and-under?ref_=pe_undef

Links for January 2025

 Links:

Some billionaires contribute something more tangible than law, financial engineering, or lines of code: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBKfWcPT-Ug

"Tax shelters are to democracy what pollution is to the environment. When companies spew toxic wastes in the the air and water, they are saving money by not running cleaner operations and by making everyone else bear that cost through acid rain, fouled water and diseases like cancer. When they use tax dodges like the rigged Shell stock trades, they are saving money by not paying the price of maintaining the civilization that has made their success possible."
- David Cay Johnston, Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich—and Cheat Everybody Else (2003), p. 227

I've been reading this book, and while it's not an easy or exciting book, the author does a great job detailing exactly how the very wealthiest Americans use tax loopholes and strategies of dubious ethical and legal standing to escape paying taxes.

Which, naturally, means that you and I end up paying more.

Infuriating...and a worthwhile read! Though the book is over 20 years old at this point and I'm sure a lot of strategies have changed, regulatory capture definitely has not.

"If I told you 5 years ago that there would be a global pandemic and Pfizer would be the leading manufacturer of a vaccine to combat the virus with sales of over $70 billion in 2021-22, you would probably have dumped your S&P 500 Index fund and put all your money into Pfizer (PFE). But for the five years ending Sept. 18th [2023], PFE is essentially flat while the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has gained 67%. The lesson for investors - s[t]ock picking would not be any easier, even if we knew the future.

This is why the word surprise is in the dictionary and just another example of why you should ignore all 'Stocks to Buy Now' articles."
-George Sisti, Vectors Oct. 2023 newsletter for On Course Financial Planning

I enjoy reading these 'Vectors' newsletters for their long-term-focused perspective - and the snark.

Interesting perspective to consider: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/my-dad-sacrificed-everything-to-retire-early-only-to-die-before-he-could-enjoy-it-i-ll-never-recommend-early-retirement-to-anyone/ar-AA1qBK2E?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=315decfb2ba34e63a994b34d811df50e&ei=55

Can confirm that the housing market right now is, in fact, a slap in the face: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/28-year-old-made-15-offers-went-65-000-over-asking-price-and-still-got-rejected-the-housing-market-is-a-slap-in-the-face/ar-AA1qJkWi?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=8c2e0fcf57474e72aeb5b41c2547bfc4&ei=26