What You Need To Know Before You Invest In Anything
Thomas Kopelman / June 1, 2021
As a financial advisor, I get asked almost daily what I am investing in.
It mostly sounds like this “are you invested in Bitcoin? Ethereum, Apple, Tesla, AMC, etc.” The list could go on forever. I always have a hard time answering this question because what I invest in doesn’t really matter. Just because I invest in certain things does not mean you should and vise versa. The real question is “why do I invest in those things?” The why is so much more important than the what.
And for me, I have a deep why for my investing strategy.
I believe in low cost, diversified investing for most of my portfolio. About 80% of my current portfolio is in low cost index funds that have the exposure I want (the same as our RLS Wealth clients). Some to large cap, some to mid cap, some to small cap, some to international, some to value, and some to growth.
My main focus here is to get what the market offers. To hold on long term and to not touch this money till I need it in the distant future — and to keep the fees as low as possible, but also to keep the gains sheltered inside as much as possible by using ETFs.
Then, with the last 20% I take more risk. I invest in some cryptocurrencies I really believe in as well as some individual stocks. The key here is that I truly believe in them. I did my research. I found what I think will make an impact in the future — and with these investments, I still have a long term view. This belief system is so crucial when you invest, because without it, how do you continue to stick with it when times get tough?
These last few weeks, so many people I know sold their positions in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies, and if that is you, it’s probably because you never believed in the investment in the first place. You probably just invested because others were doing it and you were hoping to make lots of money off of it. I am here to tell you that investing that way rarely works.
Every time things get tough, you are going to sit there and fight yourself on whether you should sell or not simply because you have no true belief around it. This is why it is so important to invest in what you truly believe in because that long term belief enables you to hold on through short term downturns. Sure, it still won’t be easy, but it will be possible when you truly believe in the investment.
I also want to note that chasing investment returns as a millennial is not where your energy is best spent. Your energy is best spent continually investing, increasing your income, increasing your investment percentage, investing in the right accounts based on taxes, etc.
Here are some pieces of investment advice to help you out:
https://thomaskopelman.com/2021/06/what-you-need-to-know-before-you-invest-in-anything/
Note: All intel should be considered as "Rumors" until we receive official announcements ...and “Rates and Dates” could change anytime until we get to the banks/redemption centers.
RV Excerpts From the Restored Republic via a GCR Update as of Tues. 2 Nov. 2026
Compiled Tues. 2 Nov. 2026 12:01 am EST by Judy Byington
FINAL HOURS: THE BRICS SETTLEMENT RAILS ARE LIVE …Christien B. Wallace Tier4b on Telegram Sun. 1 Nov. 2026
A sovereign trade coordination office sent an internal settlement confirmation through the encrypted channel. It said: “BRICS rails live. 41 nations. First settlement cleared in Rainbow Units. 19:00 UTC.”
Reset Intelligence: Iraq Vows to Close the Dollar Gap
11-2-2026 By Reset Intelligence | @EXIT_FIAT
On Sunday Iraq’s deputy prime minister, Mohammed Ali Tamim, went on state media with a promise about the dollar. The price on Baghdad’s street, he said, “will decline and come very close to the official exchange rate.” Then he added: “I take responsibility for these words.”
His reason is cash. Washington, he said, has decided to send $3 billion over 2 months, in 6 loads of about $500 million each. By his account the first arrived on Thursday and the second is due Monday.
CBI Reserves Top 113 Trillion Dinars After Devaluation
2026-11-02 Shafaq News- Baghdad The Central Bank of Iraq's (CBI) official reserves stood at about 113.991 trillion dinars (about $75 billion) on Oct. 15, 2026, up from 101.718 trillion dinars in September, according to the bank's financial indicators.
Good Morning Dinar Recaps,
GLOBAL ENERGY RESET WATCH: OPEC+ HOLDS OIL OUTPUT STEADY AS HORMUZ SHIPPING RISKS PERSIST
Seven key OPEC+ members have agreed to maintain December oil production targets as continued disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz keep global energy supplies, shipping costs, and market stability under pressure.
KTFA
Sunday Night Video
FRANK26….11-1-26….DOLLAR DYING
This video is in Frank’s and his team’s opinion only
Frank’s team is Walkingstick, Eddie and Omar in Iraq and guests
Playback Number: 605-313-5163 PIN: 156996#
Frank Giustra: Reckoning Upon Us as Global Debt Surpasses $365 TRILLION
Daniela Cambone: 10-31-2026
“You can’t change the course of history.” Join Daniela Cambone in Rome for an exclusive sit-down with Frank Giustra, as he connects today’s debt and currency risks to the fall of empires and shares how investors can prepare.
Clif High Warns of Banking System Collapse: Could Gold and Silver Benefit?
Capital Insight: 11-1-2026
This Capital Insight episode examines Clif High’s discussion of potential disruptions to the international banking system, sovereign debt, central banks, and the future of money.
High argues that established financial institutions could face significant disruption as the existing debt-based monetary system comes under pressure.
He also discusses how these changes could affect the broader economy, including the possibility of a downturn, and why he believes gold and silver could benefit from a potential restructuring of the financial system.
High’s prediction of a new asset-backed digital currency he calls the “Treasury Dollar”
"Countdown To Cutting Off Dealings With The International Development Bank": The US Treasury Extends The Deadline For Settling Financial Transactions Until December 1st.
The US Treasury Department announced an extension of the deadline for ending financial transactions with the International Development Bank for Investment and Finance of Iraq until December 1, after imposing sanctions on it in mid-October, on the grounds of accusations of facilitating Iran’s access to the US dollar and establishing financial relations with entities linked to Tehran.
Good Afternoon Dinar Recaps,
GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY RESET WATCH: AI INVESTMENT BOOM RAISES NEW DEBT AND MARKET RISKS
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is driving enormous investment in data centers, chips, and computing infrastructure, while raising questions about borrowing, market valuations, and the financial risks tied to future growth.
Is a New Financial Order Taking Shape? | Susan Kokinda & Michelle Makori
Miles Franklin Media: 11-1-2026
Michelle Makori, President & Editor-in-Chief of Miles Franklin Media, speaks with Susan Kokinda, Coalitions Vice Chair of the Michigan Republican Party and co-founder of Promethean Action, about why she believes President Donald Trump is challenging the foundations of the global financial system and potentially laying the groundwork for a major monetary and economic restructuring.
Kokinda explains why she believes Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and monetary policy advocate Judy Shelton could play pivotal roles in reshaping the international financial order, including the possibility of a new Bretton Woods-style system and a greater role for gold in backing U.S. debt.
TNT:
Tishwash: US Chargé d'Affaires: Iraq is charting a course towards opportunity and prosperity for its people
The Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Iraq, Steven Fagin, affirmed on Saturday that Iraq is charting a course toward opportunity and prosperity for its people.
The embassy stated in a press release that "the US Embassy in Baghdad hosted a reception in honor of the Chargé d'Affaires, Ambassador Steven Fagin, with the attendance of Iraqi officials and distinguished guests."
The Chargé d'Affaires expressed his "vision for strengthening and expanding the horizons of the US-Iraqi partnership," and thanked "all the guests for their contribution to solidifying the strong relations between the two countries."
Note: All intel should be considered as "Rumors" until we receive official announcements ...and “Rates and Dates” could change anytime until we get to the banks/redemption centers.
RV Excerpts from the Restored Republic via a GCR Update as of Sun. 1 Nov. 2026
Compiled Sun. 1 Nov. 2026 12:01 am EST by Judy Byington
Judy Note: On Wed. 21 Oct. 2026 the Central Banking Structure in London (allegedly) experienced a massive liquidity drain. In reality, this was the official global roll out of the new gold/asset-backed ISO 20022 currency of our new Global Financial System. The return to the gold standard worldwide was (allegedly) taking place in 47 major banking networks – all at the same time.
CBI Denies Raising Travelers' Dollar Allowance
2026-11-01 06:17 Shafaq News- Baghdad The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) on Sunday denied reports that it had raised the dollar allowance for travelers from $2,000 to $3,500, describing a document circulating on social media as fake.
CBI Media Director Haider Ghazi told Shafaq News that the document, which purported to announce an increase in the allowance, was forged and that no such decision had been issued.
Good Morning Dinar Recaps,
GLOBAL TRADE RESET WATCH: QUAD NATIONS STRENGTHEN SUPPLY-CHAIN COOPERATION
The United States, Australia, India, and Japan are expanding cooperation on critical minerals, semiconductors, trusted technology, and reliable trade routes to reduce vulnerabilities in global supply chains.
7 Surprising Benefits of Failure
By Kentin Waits WISEBREAD
Everyone loves a success story, and the world is filled with them. But what about stories of failure? Can't they be as just as educational? Just as inspirational? Equally insightful?
After all, a single big win is often built on several losses. It's a truth perfectly captured in the words of Japanese industrialist and automaker, Soichiro Honda, "Success is 99% failure."
KTFA
Saturday Night Video
FRANK26….10-31-26….PROSPERITY
This video is in Frank’s and his team’s opinion only
Frank’s team is Walkingstick, Eddie and Omar in Iraq and guests
Playback Number: 605-313-5163 PIN: 156996#
HOLLY CELIANO: RV UPDATES! The Great Wealth Transfer & Latest Financial News | Oct 30, 2026
Chris Real World: 10-30-2026
In an insightful analysis by financial commentator Holly Celiano, recent industry developments illustrate how digital assets are no longer operating in isolation. Instead, they are steadily positioning themselves as vital components of a unified, highly efficient economic infrastructure.
This transition represents an evolutionary upgrade rather than a radical replacement of traditional systems, balancing regulatory responsibility with technological progress.
Rob Cunningham: The Global Release, Indebted to Enriched
10-3-2026
What if one day this fictional geopolitical thriller becomes a non-fictional reality?
THE GLOBAL RELEASE
from indebted to enriched
One coordinated release. Seven days of fallout.
At the same instant, designated custodians receive two words:
Basrah Heavy, Medium Crude Record Weekly Losses
2026-10-31 Shafaq News- Basrah Iraq’s Basrah crude grades ended the week down by around 0.15%, despite gains in the final trading session and rising global oil benchmarks.
Basrah Heavy crude climbed by $1.09, or 1.49%, in the final session to settle at $74.11 per barrel, but recorded a weekly loss of $0.10, or 0.13%, from $74.22 at the start of the week.
TNT:
Tishwash: Fahmi Burhan: The Kurdish regions are our strategic depth, and Article 140 is the basis for the solution.
The head of the General Authority for Kurdish Areas Outside the Region’s Administration, Fahmi Burhan, affirmed today, Sunday, November 1, 2026, that the Kurdish areas represent the strategic depth and national identity of the people of Kurdistan, stressing the need to address their issues based on the constitution, while warning at the same time of the negative repercussions of internal disputes in the region on the conditions of those areas.
During an interview on Kurdistan 24, Burhan said, "The Kurdish regions, especially Kirkuk, Khanaqin, Sinjar, Makhmur, and the Nineveh Plain, constitute the central issue and the strategic and historical depth of the Kurdish people," noting that the Kurds' struggle, revolutions, and diplomatic efforts over the past hundred years have focused on determining the fate of these regions.