Greatest Hits: Volume 30 (Two Lives)

Happy Saturday all!

The piece of news that touched me the most this week has nothing to do with personal finance.

Well, nothing and everything at the same time.

You see, it’s the story of Bruce Willis and his retirement from acting as a result of aphasia.

By all objective measures, Bruce is still young.  Just 67 years old.

But… time is ruthless.  The only certainty in life is that time WILL sneak up on all of us, movie nobility and mere mortals alike.

And by the time it does, most people will fall into one of two camps.

The majority will have lived a “default” lifestyle.  The 9-5 for 45+ years in a row.  The two holidays a year (if you are lucky).  No control over your time or attention.

Perhaps not a bad life, all things considered.  Many folks have certainly seen worse.

And yet, there will be a minority who won’t be waking up in their bed every day asking “What if?”

The people who chose to design a different life for themselves – one full of health, wealth, and meaning.  Even if it meant some short-term sacrifices and a whole lot of hard work along the way.

I know which camp I’m in.  Which one are you?

Have a wonderful weekend all – and enjoy these top-quality reads for a better, richer life.

From Yours Truly

Pain and Pleasure

The Most Expensive Mistake You Can Make

A Banker’s Net Worth

Building Wealth

Keeping It Simple – AVC

Imposter Syndrome Cost Me Thousands Of Dollars – Here’s How I Learned To Fight Back – Success Magazine

Fund Marketing And The Science Of Magic – The Evidence-Based Investor

Why Some Men Pretend To Work 80-Hour Weeks – Harvard Business Review

The next read is a little nerdy, but it’s very well-written and serves as an excellent explainer of what’s going on in the economy today.

Now, I’m not as bearish as the author, and I would DEFINITELY not pause any investments you are about to make waiting for his investment thesis to play out.

That being said, it’s a good mental framework for how the various pieces of the economic puzzle fit together:

The Fed Gets Serious – The Next Economy

Finally, a good chart from Scott Galloway (click on the pic for a video explainer):

Early Retirement

Is Your Early Retirement Under Threat From An Unlucky Sequence of Returns? – Monevator

Testing The 4% Rule Today And With Longer Withdrawal Periods – Time In The Market

Lifestyle Design

The Future Is Unknowable: Spend It All Or Sock It Away? – Physician on FIRE

All Around

Possibly one of the best blockchain explainers I’ve ever read:

WTF Is The Blockchain? – Hackernoon

Also, did you know that Mr. Financial Samura is about to publish a book?  You can find out all about it here.

Have a wonderful weekend all!