Easy Change

  The Economist writes on January 16, 2021 that "the pandemic has ushered more robots into factories, warehouses and back offices." and that "they are here to stay." The article cites information surveyed from a variety of manufacturers and shows that the increase is marked for these firms' increase in digital consumer interaction and collaboration along with Artificial Intelligence and automation. So, in short, what does that mean for society and how will that impact investing into the future? Society continues to find new and innovative ways to make our lives better with technology. The amazon effect on retail has translated into the destruction of brick and mortar. Many people are happier with this setup. For advocates of online shopping, they are spending less time doing these errands and more time on hobbies, with family, or able to do other things that they feel are a better use of their time.  Amazon continues to forge ahead with its use of technology, u...

One of the things I remember when I was in the process of getting my first mortgage before any refinances etc, is that they said that you had to plan to have about 1% of the value of your home in addition to mortgage payments set aside. This money was to handle the upkeep of such a home. Fortuntately, I have been in the position that there hasn't really been a ton of upkeep. The roof was replaced which was a pretty big expense and there were a few other minor things. However, when all is said and done, it was pretty reasonable given the quality of the space that this money had purchased. Even now, in the midst of spending a tidy sum on redoing the two bedrooms, I can't help but feel like this is money that needs to be spent; it is not extravagant and it should help the value of the place as well as the quality of life overall. So far, these have been the expenses: 2300 dollars for new carpeting (original was over 15 years old). 120 dollars for paint 200 dollars for new curtains...

This past week, the dishwasher died. I think it was original to the place (close to 25 years old) so I have no complaints with the fact that it died, but frankly, there is never a good time for something to die. Fast forward to me at the local Best Buy in order to buy a dishwasher and take-it-home-that-night. Well, I find out that there is no store in a 120 mile radius (ok I might be exaggerating a tiny bit) that has a dishwasher that I can buy and pickup in the store that moment. Feeling frustrated, I go to the store and get some sponges on a wand, paper cups, plates, and bowls and start doing my dishes by hand. Now I am stuck looking for a dishwasher, but the urgency is over because the person who could put it in for free this past saturday is no longer available. So, to add insult to injury, I have to shell-out the cash for a new appliance but also to pay for delivery and possibly even installation now. *sigh*. And all of this frustration was while I was dealing with a cold that jus...

I will admit it; I'm a tiny bit obsessive about money and money-related topics. For example, I just read this little blog entry at scottburns.com with statistics about national net worth. And in the comments someone wrote: "I have to confess I love looking at data like this. I know it’s not a race and it’s really pretty much irrelevant where I stand compared to other people but it is very fun to look at. " I love looking at this data also. I'm a data person. But this last statement in a comment to the entry is where I totally disagree. "I know its not a race...," the comment states. Well, I disagree, strongly. It absolutely IS a race. Not What You're Thinking I'm not saying I think we should all get caught up checking out our neighbor's wealth etc. because that is not what I mean. But I do believe that it makes sense to remain above the median net worth if you can. One saying that I've heard and that rings true with me is this: "He who...

If you follow financial news, you are noticing that there is tremendous focus lately on inflation and the potential impact on our economy. The fact is, with gas prices increasing and other items' prices increasing, real inflation is higher now than it has been in recent years. And (almost) everyone is starting to feel the pinch. What many people are not considering with regard to inflation is the fact that the rich are not getting hurt by it nearly as much as the average person. Most of us have under 500K in total assets. People with fewer assets are accumulating less wealth than the people who have more substantial sums. In simple terms, rich people can afford the inflation. If inflation increases from 3% to 4%, the power of the assets that are accumulated by everyone does decreases. However, the rich don't worry about it. If they have 1 million dollars, each year, if it were invested in the stock market, these people have approximately 100k in income. This 1% increase means...