Coping With The Guilt Of Losing Money

By  THE INVESTOR 

I accept it’s normal to feel frustrated, angry, or even downright stupid when you lose money on your investments.

But what about guilt?   My portfolio’s fall from its peak value in summer 2007 to a low in October 2008 represents a big loss for a 30-something private investor like me: at least a couple of years of after-tax income in cash terms.  More importantly, the losses meant I had fewer options in October 2008 than the year before. I’d originally begun investing to build up a house-buying war chest for when the over-valued housing market corrected itself.

After several years waiting, house prices were finally falling, but my investments had fallen further.  It was my sister who put it simplest and best, when I explained to her my fate:

8 Insights Only the Self-Made Super Wealthy Understand

Billionaire Ken Fisher Shares 8 Insights Only the Self-Made Super Wealthy Understand

Wonder what it's really like to strike it rich? Billionaire Ken Fisher explains the perspectives of the self-made wealthy.

 BY KEVIN DAUM  Inc. 500 entrepreneur and best-selling author@KevinJDaum

Not all entrepreneurs are in it for the money, but gaining wealth is certainly among the top motivators for company building. Not surprisingly, having great wealth brings it's own unique responsibilities and circumstances that few get to experience first hand.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing billionaire Ken Fisher, founder, chairman, and CEO of Fisher Investments, best-selling author, Forbes magazine columnist, and No. 225 on the Forbes 400.

What You Should — And Shouldn't — Do If You Win The Mega Millions Jackpot, According To An Expert

Kate Murphy·Producer  Updated Fri, August 4, 2023

There’s still a chance — 1 in nearly 303 million – for a lucky winner to score the Mega Millions jackpot, which climbed to an estimated $1.25 billion this week. If won, this jackpot would be the fourth largest grand prize won in the game's history, according to the Mega Millions website.

While securing the golden ticket is all a matter of luck, holding onto one’s newfound fortune after such a windfall requires some strategy. In fact, compared to the average American, lottery winners are more likely to declare bankruptcy within three to five years, due to a lack of financial planning.

Why an Accountant Is Worth the Money

By Max Wong WiseBread

 Anyone who is at all familiar with me knows that my yearly earnings put me squarely in the economic category commonly referred to as the Working Poor. So when I mention that I pay $550 a year for an accountant to help me with my finances, people typically give me that sad look that they reserve for mediocre subway violinists and ugly babies.

And then there's the thick pause in the conversation when the other person decides against asking this question out loud: Um, don't you write about personal finance?

In answer to the silent, questioning looks, and in defense of my financial decisions, there are so many reasons why my accountant is worth the money.

Magnitude Matters

Rand Spero  |  HumbleDollar

WHY DON’T WE spend our time and energy on financial issues that have the greatest impact? We’ll drive to a more distant gas station to save 10 cents a gallon, but fail to do all the maintenance needed to extend the life of our car. What lies behind this sort of behavior? The savings from getting the best price per gallon is concrete and immediate, while maintaining our car is long term and abstract. It’s simply easier to focus on the 10 cents. I have a relative who stayed at a $500-a-night luxury hotel in downtown Boston. He emailed me to bring him water when I visited, because the hotel charges $5 per bottle.

Yes, the hotel is pushing the envelope with its water bottle charge, but my relative claiming he won’t pay “on principle” seems like a stretch. Such “injustices” occur when we have concrete price expectations, while we happily tolerate other, much higher costs.

Stop Budgeting Like the Middle Class and Do What the Rich Do Instead

Angela Mae Wed, August 2, 2023 

A lot of people believe all they need to do to become wealthy is to earn more money or to save what they do have. This isn’t all that surprising, considering how many people subscribe to the idea that their income directly corresponds to their wealth.

But what many people who are considered “middle class” don’t realize is that earnings are just one part of the bigger picture. The people who achieve true wealth are those who know how to spend and invest the money they earn in ways that will benefit them in the long run.

Rich People Do These 4 Things to Stay Wealthy (& So Can You)

Wola Odeniran, CEPF® Thu, August 3, 2023

Advisors often work with high-net-worth clients and are able to understand the expectations wealthy clients have about managing their finances. The good news is that some of those takeaways can be applied to clients who are not high-net-worth individuals.

Read on to understand four lessons advisors can take from high-net-worth clients – and how they can be applied to any client.

Ten Rules for Asset Protection Planning

By Jay Adkisson

Start early, keep it simple, and don’t try to hide stuff from your creditors.

There’s a gambling saying that goes something like, “If you want to be a winner, you have to walk away from the table a winner.” One time-honored method of reaching this result is to systematically take your chips off the table as you win them, so that your potential for losses stays small.

Asset protection planning is all about taking chips off the table in good times, so that you still can walk away from the table a winner no matter what happens in bad times. Those who worry the most about asset protection are those who are the most likely to get sued; think obstetricians and, more recently, real estate investors here.  But average folks often get caught up in difficult situations, and thus if you have something to protect then the topic of asset protection should at least cross your mind. ...

The Biggest Truth In Personal Finance

By J.D. Roth Get Rich Slowly

I believe strongly that you need a clear personal mission statement in order to find success with money (and life). I also believe that the most important number on your path to financial freedom is your personal profit, the difference between your income and your spending. (Most people refer to this number as saving rate. I prefer the term “personal profit” because it's, well, sexier.)

That last point is important.

Too many people want magic bullets. They want quick and easy ways to get out of debt and build wealth. They believe (or hope) that there's some sort of secret they can uncover, that somehow they've missed. Well, there aren't any secrets. Money mastery is a combination of psychology and math. And the math part is so simple a third-grader could understand it. Wealth is the accumulation of what you earn minus what you spend.

Financial Goals: Your Prioritization Guide

Beth Braverman

 You already know the most basic principle of personal finance--spend less money than you make. Once you’ve got that covered, however, figuring out how to achieve all your financial goals at once can feel overwhelming.

 Should you direct any extra cash toward paying off your student loans or saving for retirement? Building an emergency fund or chipping away at credit card debt?

 As you grow your family and advance in your career, there may be even more competing goals, such as buying a house, saving for your kids’ college education or taking a dream vacation.

 In general, this is how you might think of prioritization for your financial goals, from the most to the least important.