Readers: Happy
Jan
2024
How Govt wastes our money:
20% of us want a vengeful
autocrat as president: "sweeping raids, mass
deportations" too
NASA wastes $ to
have energy produced on Mars colony: humans
get sick living there
NASA to send
astronauts on a lunar fly-by mission $$ travel
deeper into the solar system
NASA wastes money on
6
expensive missions in anticipated further giant $B tax spend
SCAMS/SPINS:
Chase
having problems: account balances, access and declined debit cards AGAIN.
Drugmakers set to raise
prices on 500 drugs in January: Biden price cuts failed
Policy
gaps in Medigap, Medicare, Advantage, and Part D plans: read cover
carefully
COVID-19 still kills about 1,500 Americans each week: most
don’t take Paxlovid?
US Bank caught: froze
access to prepaid debit cards used to distribute unemployment
Half of Americans left
FSA health care money on the table: gone this year but next year
Your flight: check
the bolts on your Boeing plane before you walk the plank.
Ford is recalling more than 112,000 pickup
trucks due to a roll-away risk
38% of us believe Biden’s
election was illegitimate
74% of us can’t tell what’s
real or fake online anymore: we are being
mislead daily
25% of us say:
“probably” or “definitely” true FBI instigated Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack
Who is to blame for
the more than four-hour
delay in deploying the National Guard
Plum
Recall "Plum Queen" Dried ‘Life-Threatening' Reactions: sulfites
40% student loan
borrowers first Oct deadline failed
payments by mid-November
Blue Ridge Beef pet
food recalls additional “lot numbers": Salmonella and Listeria
Annuity Rule
Proposal Helps Guard
Against Conflicts: sellers hide downsides
Catholic
values group to launch 401(k) plan that is compliant with the church’s
teachings.
Will Trump have to
make deals
with foreign gov who gave him $8 million for election?
Jobs
New Free Application for Federal Student Aid is finally
here: updates done at random
jobs.interestingengineering.com/
Factory
construction spending booms: Job openings increased by 43,000
last month
Who owns your account now?
25 States Raising
Their Minimum Wage in 2024: some
to $15/hour
‘24 EV credit: dealers
can knock
off up to $7,500 off the car price: no tax deduction
Retirement
Laws Just Changed: check if you have a change of income
New
entertainment on Amazon Prime
Do
You Know the Latest Trusts
and Estate Planning Developments?
Miracles:
Happiness isn’t
something to be found; it’s
something to attract.
This year was among
the worst for climate
disasters
Snow in
Death Valley is extremely rare
Eli Lilly to sell medicine
directly to consumers: obesity market widespread
New way for removal
of Alzheimer’s trademark brain-clogging
plaque by 32%
Graphene’s tenfold
speed advantage over silicon: transistor electronics
revolution
@
We can apply for
Medicare online: https://blog.ssa.gov/apply-for-medicare-online
We can apply for Social
Security online: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/
We can apply for
health care online: https://www.healthcare.gov/
How did your money do in 2023?
Some readers use the Vanguard Top 10 funds. Here is how they did in 2023.
2023 Total Return Vanguard Fund Long-term Return Longevity
26.21% 500 Index VFINX 11.02% since 1976
8.73% Energy VGENX 9.31% since 1984
26.48% Extended
Market VEXMX 10.09% since
1987
5.50% Health VGHCX 15.17% since
1984
14.81% International
Growth VWIGX 10.04% since 1981
28.32% PRIMECAP VPMCX 13.42% since 1984
19.23% Small Cap
Index NAESX 10.6% since
1960
7.17%
15.24%
21.27%
17.30% Average 11.1%
*
*Average Annual Returns as of
https://www.amazon.com/Vanguards-Top-Ten-mutual-funds/dp/150073909X/
Do you really need to pay an advisor’s costs to reach your goal?
Warren Buffett says “NO”. When it comes to helping you reach
your financial goal, the high costs over the many years may surprise you. If
you pay their costs each quarter, you may not realize what the total will be.
If you are earning 6% gross on your portfolio, the 1% to 1.5% has reduced your
true earnings per year to 4.5%. In a 40-year-advisor relationship, you
could have earned $500,362 without your salesperson. But you only accrued $336,545
contributing $3000 a year to your account. You lost $163,817 or 48.6% of your
contributions. That means retirement income of only $19,771 per year or $1647 a
month vs. $2.449 a month or $29,395
a year. That is a big difference if this monthly income (plus Social Security)
is all you have to live on. Think about what Buffett recommends: two Vanguard
funds—one will provide cash for the coming year and the other will provide a
sound future. He says all you need is the low-cost Vanguard 500 Index fund
and the Vanguard Fed Funds fund. That is income and growth without a
salesperson. You hire a fee-only planner when you need unbiased advice.
https://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffetts-Vanguard-Funds-Retirement/dp/1496148592
Why is it so
important to start investing early?
Use the example
above. Over the 40 year illustration, you would have accumulated over $500,000
from a monthly contribution of $250. If you had started later and contributed
for only 30 years, you would have gained only about $252,000.
If you only have 20 years to invest, you end up with about 115,000. Some folks
think they can just add more money later to make up for the lack of time. But
even if you double your contributions to $6,000 per year, you still may not
have enough for retirement income. $232,000 is not even HALF of what you would
have had if you had started early. Some folks put their investment dollars into
a larger proportion of stocks because the average annual return over time is
11%. That certainly helps give them a greater nest egg (about $435,000)
but they are taking on more risk at a time closer to their retirement (20
years). You can see that the most important factor in investing is time.
Time allows our dollars to double and even quadruple due to the Miracle of
Compounding.
https://www.amazon.com/Time-is-Money-ways-maximize-savings/dp/1499692358/
How much to
save for retirement
You have to
decide when to leave work, where to live, how to spend your days—and what it
all will cost. Since we can never know the answers to those
questions, we must start investing early—and not in a bank savings account. Over
time, a low-cost stock-market index has provided 11% per year. That rate can
double your money every 6-7 years. It would take 22
years in a 3% bank account. Some folks think they must accumulate enough to
provide 80% of their preretirement income. Other people shoot for an amount
that is 10 times their salary at age 67. There is the 4% rule: accumulate
enough so that you can take 4% of the total to live on. Some people figure to
work until they reach their goal—a $ million or two. Reality: how much do we
save on our average incomes? The Feds
track this stat and more. $600,000 is the average retirement saving among
65 to 74 year olds. The median is only $200,000 so the wealthy savers are
skewing the average big time. If you earn average wages, you probably will end
up with the lower figure. If you add your SS benefit of about $1,844.76
a month, you know your later income. Add any other income and decide if you can
live on that amount. If not, now is the time to increase your contributions. It
is TIME and compounding that creates wealth. And grow your account tax-FREE.
https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Afford-Retirement-FEE-FREE/dp/1517738253
Are convertible
bonds right for you?
2024 favorite
broker product to sell may be the convertible bond. Convertible notes that
provide steady income can be turned into shares at pre-agreed prices. Convertible
bonds are most often issued by companies with a low credit rating and high
growth potential. Some folks buy the bonds and sell short the underlying
equity. If the stock falls, the bond’s downside is protected, while the short
reaps a profit. If the price goes up, the bond’s will too, flipping the result.
These swings supply the core of the profit. There are many types of
convertibles. Vanilla convertible bonds are the most plain convertible
structures. Be sure you understand the terms of your bond deal. Convertibles
may have other features, such as: Call
features—the ability of the issuer (on some bonds) to call a bond early
for redemption. Convertible bonds are mainly issued by start-up or small
companies. The chance of default or large movement in either direction is much
higher than well-established firms. Investors should have a keen awareness of
significant credit risk and price swing behavior associated with convertible
bonds. Folks buy convertibles for higher yields. They are safer
than preferred or common shares for the investor. Know
what you are buying don’t just take someone’s word.
https://www.amazon.com/Buy-Value-financial-services-groceries/dp/1489513078
********ACCOUNTABILITY**************?
Like 1776, this
period is a test
of democracy—We
rejected an "American
fascist" once
The
Path to Dictatorship: 2010-2030
Parallels of this era in the past
may hint at our future: democracy breaks apart legally
Billionaires
paid $881 million for votes in 2022
midterm elections
Nov 2020 Wealthy
discredit election process
Jan
6 2021 Direct
govt overthrow failed: guns
& bombs were ready
Trump
engaged in a "criminal
conspiracy" to stop Biden
“I
don’t f—ing care that they have weapons”
Trump was “detached
from reality”
Trump
used mafia-style intimidation on the defenseless
Trump still terrorizing
election woman
Parscale: “a
sitting president asking for civil war.”
Trump:
“Just
say the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me”
GOP fascism: “RINO
hunt armed; no bagging limit” J6
comm threat
January
6, 2021 “A
date which will live in infamy”
Trump’s Supremes END
personal rights & state
laws except for weapons
WMDs
Fascism: GOP
to stop women leaving state for abortion
It’s
not a court. It’s a junta: Two Americas
Trump: President
Biden is 'enemy of the state'
Christian
Nationalist Party (CNP) replaces
GOP
Apr 9 Illustrated
Anne Frank book removed by Florida school
Apr 21 Trump: “I
am your justice”
May 9 Trump
guilty of sexual abuse
Jun 8 Trump
indicted by the United States of America
Violation
of the Espionage Act
Conspiracy to obstruct
justice
Making false
statements
Conspiracy to defraud the
Conspiracy to obstruct
Congressional proceeding
Obstruction of and attempt
to obstruct an official proceeding
Conspiracy against right to
vote
Attempted coup
d'état by
any other name
350+ people have
been sentenced to jail or prison.
Trump and His Gang Get the Mob Treatment
Aug 4 “IF
YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!”
Mobster
#1 Enrique Tarrio gets 22 years
Mobster
Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years
Mobster
Ethan Nordean gets 18 years
Mobster
Dominic Pezzola sentenced to 10 years
VIOLATION OF THE GEORGIA RICO (RACKETEER INFLUENCED AND
CORRUPT ORGANIZATIONS) ACT SOLICITATION OF VIOLATION OF OATH BY PUBLIC OFFICER
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT INIPERSONATIN PUBLIC OFFICER FIRST
DEGREE
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT FALSE STATEMENTS AND WRITINGS
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT FALSE DOCUMENTS
FORGERY IN THE FIRST DEGREE
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT FALSE STATEMENTS AND WRITINGS
FILING FALSE DOCUMENTS
SOLICITATION OF VIOLATION OF OATH BY PUBLIC OFFICER
FALSE STATEMENTS AND WRITINGS
SOLICITATION OF VIOLATION OF OATH BY PUBLIC OFFICER
FALSE STATEMENTS AND WRITINGS
Dec 2023: Trump
using Hitler language to scare us
“Wannabe
Dictator” to
run our House of “Representatives”
Jan 2025 Dictator
pardons himself: his
Supremes agree
Miracles that made us
Our Universe is a
miracle
Light is both
a particle and a wave depending on how we look at the light.
I
don’t think that there is any such thing as a position or a velocity of a
particle.
Everything (galaxies
to stones) in universe made of subatomic
energy ‘vibrations’
A subatomic ‘particle’
is the smallest possible vibration (quantum) of a quantum field.
A ‘particle’ is an event;
not an objective thing. This event is set of complex relationships.
New theory may
finally unite
Einstein's gravity with the quantum world
Our Reality May Be a
Sum
of All Possible Realities
Mass–energy
equivalence: E=mc^2. At the smallest
level; Everything is moving
Energy into matter: scientists
converted light energy directly into matter in one step
In place of atomic
lattice, light
waves used to create an optical lattice with same geometry
Physics Nobel Prize:
“entanglement” 2
particles share info instantly at a distance
Quantum
mechanics violates local realism: two objects behave as single system at
distance
“It may be that gravity and quantum mechanics are
exactly the same thing,” Leonard Susskind
Gravity
might induce the collapse of quantum vibrations into 1 quantum state—our
world
Strange state
of physics that allows energy
to flow frictionlessly through a material.
Bending light from
extreme gravity reveals largest black hole
so far
Curved
SpaceTime: heavy masses and simultaneously quantum effects become visible
There is no TIME at this
level because of force fields come and go in all directions.
Universe expanding: events
may not come together like they did before: created our time.
Our planetary
system: rarest
system: only 1% of all systems with same number of planets
Stars fueled by the self-annihilation
of dark matter might have been spotted for the first time by JWST
Inside protons,
neutrons, it
is the fields of the virtual particles that creates its mass.
Gold
made from neutron stars: collisions produce more neutrons:79 protons,118
neutrons
The proton
is so complicated science still finds new energy entities/forces every
year.
“Empty space is a
boiling, bubbling brew of virtual
particles that pop in and out of existence in a time scale so short that you
can’t even measure them.” Space expanding.
New method to study systems
with long-range interactions: previously puzzling experts
The electricity we use comes
from the field around the wire not from electron itself.
Natural
‘missing law’ explain
how
universe evolved: functions increase in complexity over time
Scientists
build 'baby' wormhole as sci-fi moves closer to fact: inside quantum
computer
starts-with-a-bang/universe-expansion-not-accelerating/
Physicists knew black
holes eventually disappear particle by particle. Now they think everything
else does, too.
Astronomers
discover raw
materials for life are present all across the Universe: methyl cation
IAN
973.746.2014
http://www.theinsidersguides.com/
Alerts available at http://dankeppel.blogspot.com/
No AI used in these comments
