Greatest Hits: Volume 1 (Christmas Edition)

Over the past few days, the lead-up to Christmas is finally proving to be a reprieve from what has been a very busy 2020.

Thus, I have finally gotten around to doing something I’ve long had in mind – publishing a summary of what I’ve been reading in my (limited) spare time.

Going forward, I will try to publish this reading list of sorts on a regular basis. In the meantime, I hope you find some new – and entertaining – reads to enjoy with your glass of mulled wine over the next few days.

Enjoy!

The financial independence community is supposed to consist of a bunch of hard-core adherents of passive investing.

That being said, we all know that many of us have sinned when it comes to active investing. In particular, one fund manager’s siren song seems to be particularly sweet.

The Evidence Investor explores the pros and cons of investing with Terry Smith.

After a record run, investors are asking themselves whether US equities are in for a long stretch of underperformance starting in 2021. Memories of the 1960s and 1970s abound, when the market seemed to be going sideways forever.

It’s a good time to brush off a near-classic from Ben Carlson: Was the 1966-1982 Stock Market Really That Bad?

Regardless of how the stock market performs over the next year (or decade), remember that there are lots of overnight tragedies, but no overnight miracles. This is Morgan Housel at his best.

I’ve long made the point that your 9-5 represents a guaranteed way to get rich. And in an earlier post this week, I argued for taking a long, hard look at your career – and deciding whether it is time for a change.

If you still aren’t convinced, here’s how to waste your career, one comfortable year at a time.

Remember – in this day and age, there are no jobs for life.  If you aren’t careful, your career may well go missing.

You’ll struggle to find a more polarizing figure in personal finance than Dave Ramsey. Here’s a great feature The Guardian did on him not too long ago: The Man Who Wants To Help You Out Of Debt – At Any Cost.

In what is likely to become another timeless post, Monevator explores stress management.  And the Irrelevant Investor thinks that it will likely come in handy to help you wait until the dust settles.

SPACs (Special Purpose Acquisition Vehicles) are the equivalent of the Gold Rush, version 2020.  The Financial Times explores why in The SPAC Sponsor Bonanza.

And to wrap this inaugural edition up, a good one on how to make 2021 your most productive year yet.

Hint – it’s not always about working harder. More often than not, it boils down to simple and effective time management. A good one to digest as you prepare to hit the ground running in January.

Wishing you a relaxing and enjoyable pre-Christmas weekend.

Happy reading!