As a kid in the ’80s and ’90s I remember begging my parents to buy VHS copies of Terminator and Predator. Who didn’t love Arnold Schwarzenegger?
It’s easy to forget he got his start bodybuilding. That it was only after winning seven Mr. Olympia titles he wanted to be an actor, and it was only after becoming a bonafide action-film superstar he wanted to be governor.
I’m thinking nobody has three huge careers because it’s the safe path through life, and so he must have...
In 2007 I bought shares of Berkshire Hathaway, and so I’ve read every shareholder letter from Warren Buffett, watched the documentary, read the biography. Even made it a point to vacuum up every little scrap of wisdom from sidekick Charlie Munger.
It makes sense then, that you’d attend the annual Berkshire shareholder meeting. Every May thousands of people flock to Omaha, Nebraska, for this so-called “Woodstock for Capitalists.”
A quick check of the actuarial tables —...
Ralph Wanger was founding manager of the Acorn Fund. At the helm between 1970 and 2003 he averaged returns of 16% versus 12% for the S&P 500. He wasn’t only a great investor, but a witty writer.
He once said the stock market was like a man walking his dog in New York City. The walk was always the same: start at Columbus Circle, stroll through Central Park, and end at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
If you’ve walked a dog you know they...
Everyone knows you’re supposed to have an emergency fund. You get laid off, break an arm, the refrigerator quits. These things happen, sometimes all at the same time, and so personal finance experts recommend having up to six months living expenses set aside in cash.
But isn’t this advice only for people grinding it out, working and living paycheck to paycheck? In that situation having cash tucked away is smart. There’s no need to slip into debt paying unexpected bills with a credit...
Years ago a co-worker casually mentioned to me the only reason she showed up for work was that all her friends were there. I asked, “So what happens when you retire?” It caused some nervous laughter and then we went about our day.
Just a few weeks later the company let her go. Don’t think after putting in 20-plus years you’re not disposable. She emailed me a month later asking if I knew of any open positions in our field. You could sense...
