It always good to catch up with old friends. Recently, I got a friend on the phone that I hadn’t spoken to in a while. He had reached out because he had a question about investing. He was considering leveraging his investment portfolio. He sent me the data for his proposition. What did I think […]
Investing
Should I Invest in Alternative/Direct Lending (LENDX)?
Having read of two of Larry Swedroe and Kevin Grogan’s books in a row, I have twice been presented with the same argument for using the Stone Ridge Alternative Lending Risk Premium Fund (LENDX). (Swedroe argues for it online, as well.) This is an alternative (direct) lending fund, where investments are made in consumer loans, […]
Direct Real Estate for Cash Flow in Retirement
In a previous post, I discussed how stock market investing was superior to California real estate investing. This conclusion was based on the investment returns available with each strategy; in a flat out annualized returns vs. annualized returns comparison, the stock market outperformed. (Even in a successive analysis that considered leverage, stock market investing was […]
#COVIDlife is the New Value Investing
I’m surprised at our country’s current state of the coronavirus pandemic. We – as Americans – are obviously doing something very wrong: we’re not wearing masks; we’re not social distancing. Yet those two things are very impactful in slowing the spread of the coronavirus: using masks in public; staying six feet away from others. The […]
Rental Real Estate Investing Across the United States
Previously, I wrote that stock market investing has historically outperformed rental real estate investing in California. (This is even the case when considering leverage: California rental property underperforms the stock market.) This conclusion applies not just to real estate in California, but anywhere with dense populations. This is because high population density creates a high […]
Reinvest Dividends and Capital Gains Distributions or Not?
In Larry’s Swedroe’s latest book, Your Complete Guide to a Successful and Secure Retirement, he briefly touches on the issue of reinvesting dividends and capital gains distributions. His suggestion? Don’t do it. Here’s his reasoning: Rebalancing. Cash from dividends and capital gains distributions can be used to (partially) rebalance an investment portfolio. This means deploying […]