Links for September 2020

Link roundup September 2020

Are we still in a recession from COVID?
https://earlyretirementnow.com/2020/08/25/the-shortest-recession-ever-my-thoughts-on-the-state-of-the-economy/

A timely topic:
https://debtfreeguys.com/racism-and-personal-finance/

What's the difference between being 'rich' and being 'wealthy?'
https://www.personalfinanceforbeginners.com/rich-vs-wealthy/

Best current laptop deals, especially for students and bloggers:
    ASUS Vivobook F512DA; $515 on Amazon (reg. $679 for this version)
    

ASUS Vivobook F512DA, a great laptop for students and bloggers

    Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14-inch; $450 on Amazon 

Lenovo IdeaPad 3, a great laptop for students and bloggers

Here's a very good question, with no easy or universal answer:
https://retirementresearcher.com/how-much-should-we-depend-on-the-stock-market/

I've planned to make a post on this myself. Drat! I've been scooped!
https://www.inspiretofire.com/hedonic-treadmill/

An outstanding explanation of why the historic CAPE ratio is not necessarily a good guide for the future:
https://thereformedbroker.com/2014/01/12/leaving-cape-town/

Jose and Tatiana from CrucialWealth were featured on MarketWatch:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-couple-is-one-year-away-from-having-enough-money-to-retire-early-heres-what-they-did-2019-04-01

An outstanding series from LivingAFI:
Pt. 1 https://livingafi.com/2014/05/09/drawdown-part-1-the-basics/
Pt. 2 https://livingafi.com/2014/05/12/drawdown-part-2-simulation/
Pt. 3 https://livingafi.com/2014/05/18/drawdown-part-3-strategy/
Pt. 4 https://livingafi.com/2014/05/28/drawdown-part-4-examples/
Pt. 5 https://livingafi.com/2014/06/03/drawdown-part-5-validation/

Somebody who worked for Lehman Brothers was smart enough to start saving at 23, and saving by choice worked out well for him during economic downswings.
     Did you get a later start than he did? He says, 'that's fine, just start now, and choose to live with an austere budget.' Good advice:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/have-nothing-saved-for-retirement-follow-the-austerity-solution-2019-03-29?mod=article_inline

What should you be afraid of in retirement? Wade Pfau spells it out:
https://retirementresearcher.com/inflation-deflation-confiscation-devastation-the-four-horsemen-of-risk/

Worried about required minimum distributions (RMDs)?
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/these-rmds-are-driving-me-crazy-what-are-my-options-2019-03-27?mod=article_inline

Blog roundup May 2020

Blog roundup/interesting links May 2020

A great summary of the FIRE movement:
https://www.thousandaire.com/its-all-about-creating-income/

I've linked this before, but it's worth including again:
https://www.wealthwelldone.com/how-can-i-change-my-life/
     -And while we're using allegorical stories:
     https://froogalstoodent.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-tale-of-two-kingdoms.html

https://pixabay.com/en/stirling-castle-scotland-stirling-202103/

A sound planning session with Inspire to FIRE:
https://www.inspiretofire.com/recession-investment-plan/

The benefits of FI:
https://www.physicianonfire.com/the-benefits-of-financial-independence

Though I don't usually condone day trading, a little information about good, debt-free companies won't hurt. To that end, this is one part of a series on debt-free companies. I like the analysis, though it's not actually influencing my own investing decisions:
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4339254-debt-free-companies-of-s-and-p-500-jack-henry-associates

Some good guidance on how to handle a dip in the stock market if you're planning to retire soon; good advice to hear if you're worried about how the COVID-19 economic slowdown will affect your ability to retire:
https://www.moneytalksnews.com/retire-even-when-the-economy-heads-south/

Jim Collins is ALWAYS worth reading and considering. This one is particularly notable for a great line by Jon Older, in his 8:54 PM comment: "Like a famous person once said, money is like a bar of soap. The more you handle it, the smaller it gets." Great stuff!

https://jlcollinsnh.com/2020/04/14/part-xvii-b-etf-vs-mutual-fund-whats-the-difference/

How does Japan deal with its extreme population density, especially in Tokyo? Micro-apartments!

https://www.nippon.com/en/news/fnn20200211001/tokyo’s-micro-apartments-see-a-surge-in-popularity-the-secret-of-living-in-a-shoe-box.html

Another dose of sanity, this time from Mr. Money Mustache:

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2020/04/02/no-you-didnt-just-lose-half-of-your-retirement-savings/

-The money quote: "But in this situation, it really helps to understand the big picture of what is actually going on. The world is not ending. The air outside your windows is not a swirling cloud of certain death. All that has changed is that we are in a self-imposed economic slowdown that has been created purely to save the lives of our most vulnerable people. Which is one of the most compassionate things our society has ever done." [emphasis in original]

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