The Long Term Investor

As you get older and start to accumulate financial and other assets it is a critical part of planing to consider your estate. A big part of that planing is having a will. Some people may not need a will if they dont have minor kids and use other means to pass property like beneficiary designations, joint tenancy or joint accounts, living trusts, etc, etc. Estate planing is critical to preserving and passing wealth and providing for you family and especially MINOR children.

Only one in four Americans has a will. But writing one is easier than you think
In a new survey, fewer than half of respondents said they knew their parents’ wishes for their assets.

https://www.cnbc.com/select/why-you-need-a-will/

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

(NOTE: I have edited this little article to remove sales content...if you want to see it you can click on the link)

"Dying without a will can leave a knotty financial mess for your loved ones to unravel. But only one in four Americans has a valid will, according to a new survey from Western & Southern Life Insurance.

Barely half of respondents (53%) reported being confident that they understood their spouses’ wishes. Even fewer (48%) could say the same about their parents.

Nearly a third of those surveyed (30%) admitted they’ve never discussed end-of-life financial plans with their family members.

“People don’t want to talk about a will for emotional reasons,” Mary Clements Evans, a certified financial planner and president of Evans Wealth Strategies, told CNBC Select. “They don’t want to think about their death or their spouse’s death.”

Over half (54%) of respondents admitted discomfort kept them from broaching the topic.

But the silence around estate planning can have devastating consequences: Most Americans struggle financially when a family member dies and they’re left grappling with both funeral costs and the loss of income.

While many count on life insurance to cover expenses, a quarter of respondents said they faced difficulty accessing death benefits or other critical funds.

Close to 40% turn to credit cards and personal loans to close the gap, according to the report.

Without a will, your estate could be tied up in a lengthy probate process, Evans said, “and the state gets to decide who gets your assets.”

State intestacy laws have specific rules for spouses, children and siblings that might not align with your interests.

Wills FAQs

Do I have to have a will?

You’re not legally required to have a will. Without one, however, you won’t have control over who inherits your assets or becomes guardian to your children. In addition, a will allows you to appoint an executor and can greatly simplify the probate process.

Is an online will a good idea?

An online will is an affordable solution for many people, especially those who are hesitant about the time commitment and expense involved in traditional estate planning or are uncomfortable discussing end-of-life topics with strangers. However, people with large estates, complex family dynamics or minor children may need personalized care from a qualified estate planning attorney. And even if you choose an online option, you should still consult family members and experts about your wishes.

Are online wills legit?

As long as it meets all of your state’s legal requirements, an online will is as binding as one prepared by an attorney. In many cases, you’ll need to print the will and sign it in front of two witnesses who are not beneficiaries.

In some states, the relevant parties can sign electronically. In others, it needs to be in ink and notarized.

When should I update my will?

You should review and update your will every three to five years, according to AARP. You may also want to revisit it in the wake of life changes, like the birth of a child, a marriage or divorce, or a move to a new state."

MY COMMENT

Doing estate planing is critical for your family and your children. Especially if you have minor children.

One important part of a will will designate who you would like to be the guardian or custodian of your kids if some thing happens to you. You can also designate in a will who you would want to manage your minor kids money and assets. The physical custodian of your kids (guardian) and who manages their money while minors (guardian of their estate) can be two different people or the same person.

 

I really like this new idea from COSTCO.....what an amazing company. BUT....come on split that stock....LOL.

Costco to open new stand-alone gas station
Members-only 40-pump facility coming to Mission Viejo without attached retail warehouse

https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/costco-open-new-stand-alone-gas-station

 

A good open today as the markets simply IGNORE the little.....BLACK MOSQUITO.....that tried to suck some blood out of the markets. A little spurt with some bug repellent and it is gone.

It will be a NORMAL week with NOTHING much going on. Of course the FED is going to meet......a meaningless act.....since everyone in the world knows they are just going to passive-aggressively sit and do nothing. Of course in the EU and elsewhere....rate cuts are happening. At this point the FED is simply irrelevant to the markets and the economy. They are NOT in control of anything and are just along for the ride. A good thing since in reality they are NEVER actually in control. It is all hindsight action.

 

YES.....I know for some it feels like a lifetime. BUT....in reality is has only been 2.5 months since the big TARIFF announcements on April 2. Talks with many countries are moving along and are close to final deals......the EU....China......India....etc, etc, etc.

We should see most of these issues resolved within the next few months. They will either resolve by a deal or we will simply announce our final terms and move on. In fact the markets and investors have ALREADY moved on.

 

Here is the market today.

Stocks rebound as oil falls, investors bet Israel-Iran conflict will remain limited

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/15/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"Stocks rebounded on Monday as investors were optimistic that the conflict between Israel and Iran may remain contained. The spike in oil prices due to the escalating conflict also eased.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 282 points, or about 0.7%. The S&P 500 advanced 0.7%, while the Nasdaq Composite surged almost 1%.

WTI crude oil futures fell more than 1% to $71.87 a barrel after trading above $77 earlier in the overnight session.

Traders have been closely watching the Middle East after Israel’s strike on Iran Friday. Iran launched missiles in retaliation, increasing the severity of conflict in the region.

“The market is taking comfort from the prospect that the conflict could stay in the limited war mode,” Krishna Guha, Evercore ISI’s vice chairman, said in a note Monday. “We assess this is possible but continue to anticipate the conflict will last for a few weeks in the base case and still see elevated risk of escalation that envelops energy and draws in the U.S.”

The attacks continued for a fourth day Monday, with the two countries targeting each others’ energy facilities, an escalation which could rattle the global economy and markets further in the new week. Iran said it is considering shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for the global oil market. Israel claimed on Monday to have achieved “aerial superiority” over Iran, according to a military spokesperson.

The conflict prompted a sell-off in stocks on Friday, with the Dow tumbling more than 700 points and all three of the major indexes dropping more than 1%. The Dow finished the week down 1.3%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite lost 0.4% and 0.6%, respectively.

Oil prices initially surged following Israel’s attack, weighing on risk assets. Gold prices also rallied, as the metal is considered a safe haven trade that investors flock to in times of market volatility.

“Magnificent Seven” stocks were higher Monday as the pullback in oil prices caused investors to take on more risk again. Tesla was up more than 1%, and Meta Platforms increased more than 2%. Additionally, other stocks like Palantir
, which is viewed as a beneficiary of increasing global conflict, moved more than 5% higher.

Investors also digested weaker-than-expected manufacturing survey data Monday morning, which came ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision on Wednesday.

Fed funds futures are pricing in a nearly 100% likelihood of the central bank keeping rates unchanged, per CME Group’s FedWatch tool, even as President Donald Trump has been pressuring Fed Chief Jerome Powell for a rate cut. Higher oil prices from the Middle East conflict likely further reduce the odds the Fed will ease monetary policy anytime soon."

MY COMMENT

Sounds like we are all set for a...."POTENTIALLY"...very good week. Nothing much going on and the issues that were thought to be scary like IRAN are turning out to be nothing. Fine with me......I like to make money.

 

PLTR is on fire again today....up over $6 or +4.5%.

The stock is regularly blowing past previous all time highs. LOVE IT.

At the same time.....the professionals....are still trying to continuously bad mouth the company. ALL of the boom in the stock is benefiting the little retail investors that hold the shares. The experts just cant get past the raw numbers of the company fundamentals. They dont see the company being able to grow into the current HIGH numbers.

At this point little PLTR......thank you ZUKODANY.......is NOW.....number 23 in market cap in the SP500. Like it or not PLTR is now one of the largest companies in the world.

With this stock I am certainly.....RIDING THE WAVE. OR......along for the ride.

 

I like this little article.

Very Bad Advice

https://collabfund.com/blog/very-bad-advice/

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)


"A boy once asked Charlie Munger, “What advice do you have for someone like me to succeed in life?” Munger replied: “Don’t do cocaine. Don’t race trains to the track. And avoid all AIDS situations.”

It’s often hard to know what will bring joy but easy to spot what will bring misery. Building a house is complex; destroying one is simple, and I think you’ll find a similar analogy in most areas of life. When trying to get ahead it can be helpful to flip things around, focusing on how to not fall back.

Here are a few pieces of very bad advice.

Allow your expectations to grow faster than your income

Envy others’ success without having a full picture of their lives.

Pursue status at the expense of independence.

Associate net worth with self-worth (for you and others).

Mimic the strategy of people who want something different than you do.

Choose who to trust based on follower count.

Associate engagement with insight.

Let envy guide your goals.

Automatically associate wealth with wisdom.

Assume a new dopamine hit is a good indication of long-term joy.

View every conversation as a competition to win.

Assume people care where you went to school after age 25.

Assume the solution to all your problems is more money.

Maximize efficiency in a way that leaves no room for error.

Be transactional vs. relationship driven.

Prioritize defending what you already believe over learning something new.

Assume that what people can communicate is 100% of what they know or believe.

Believe that the past was golden, the present is crazy, and the future is destined for decline.

Assume that all your success is due to hard work and all your failure is due to bad luck.

Forecast with precision, certainty, and confidence.

Maximize for immediate applause over long-term reputation.

Value the appearance of looking busy.

Never doubt your tribe but be skeptical of everyone else’s.

Assume effort is rewarded more than results.

Believe that your nostalgia is accurate.

Compare your behind-the-scenes life to others’ curated highlight reel.

Discount adaptation, assuming every problem will persist and every advantage will remain

Use uncertainty as an excuse for inaction.

Judge other people at their worst and yourself at your best.

Assume learning is complete upon your last day of school.

View patience as laziness.

Use money as a scorecard instead of a tool.

View loyalty (to those who deserve it) as servitude.

Adjust your willingness to believe something by how much you want and need it to be true.

Be tribal, view everything as a battle for social hierarchy.

Have no sense of your own tendency to regret.

Only learn from your own experiences.

Make friends with people whose morals you know are beneath your own."

MY COMMENT

ACTUALLY.....I like the entire list....but I did not want to just BOLD the whole thing......so I hit some of the highlights.

 

I will add to the above:

Do EVERYTHING with a short term focus. Dont plan anything.....live for the moment and worry about the future later.

AND....of course......long term investors is for SUCKERS......you can make more money trading and using market timing.

 

More ammunition for a rate cut.....which will not happen.

"New York region manufacturing survey falls more than expected
Factory activity in the New York region slipped further in June though company managers grew more optimistic about the future, according to a New York Federal Reserve survey released Monday.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey posted a reading of -16, representing the percentage difference between companies reporting expansion against contraction. That was down 7 points from the prior month and worse than the Dow Jones consensus forecast for -6. It also was the fourth consecutive month in negative numbers.

New orders, shipments, unfilled orders and inventories all saw declines. The prices paid measure declined but was still elevated, while prices received increased. Employment also increased.

On the positive side, most indexes rose, with the general business conditions gauge at 21.2, up from -2 in May."

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/15/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

MY COMMENT

NO......I dont see much inflation happening right now. BUMMER......for those that would like to see the economy do poorly to push their agenda. Right now we appear to be doing very nicely....at least if you are an investor in the companies that represent the USA....economically..... around the world.

 

A very strong open for me today. I would be happy to just call off the rest of the market day and stop right now. BUT....alas....that is not going to happen so I will have to ENDURE the rest of the day and hope that the big opening gains continue and grow from here.

I have not looked at my account yet....but I see from the good old ticker that ALL of my nine stocks are very nicely in the GREEN.

I think I will bow out for a while and simply BASK IN THE GOLDEN GLOW.....of the current markets for a while.

As "they" say....whoever "they" are:

The futures so bright.....I gotta wear shades........and.....so is the short term present right now.

FREE MONEY FOR EVERYONE......well not exactly free....you have to be willing to put your assets and money at risk in the markets and have the guts and discipline to be a long term investor. You have to have the ability to see the future and grab it with your present actions. You have to have the ability to actually DEFER some short term gratification.

With the markets moving quickly toward ALL TIME HIGHS.....CELEBRATE.....ENJOY THE MOMENT.....you earned it with your actions as an investor. It is a GOOD THING to enjoy the markets when good things are happening.

 

i still ended with a big gain today....but not as strong as earlier. I had three stocks RED.....WMT, COST, and HD. COST has now totally squandered their great earnings report from a few weeks ago. I also beat the SP500 by 0.38% today.

A nice start to a boring and slow week.

 

YES....it is and PLTR seems to hit a new all time high every other day.

Nvidia stock jumps with record high in sight again

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nvidia-stock-jumps-with-record-high-in-sight-again-200916184.html

About 3% to go for NVDA.

 

As I was saying.....not exactly a shocker since the all time high that it beat today was set last Friday.

Palantir Stock Sets All-Time High Monday

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/palantir-stock-sets-time-high-204217705.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"Key Takeaways

• Palantir Technologies shares climbed to an all-time high Monday, topping Friday's record.
• The move came amid broader gains for U.S. stocks, with the major indexes rebounding from losses Friday as investors monitored the conflict between Israel and Iran.
• Loop Capital analysts last week called Palantir stock a “runaway freight train never coming back."

Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares climbed about 3% Monday to close at an all-time high of $141.41, topping Friday's record.

The move came amid broader gains for U.S. stocks, with the major indexes rebounding from Friday's losses as investors kept close tabs on the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Iran. (Read Investopedia's live coverage of Monday's market action.)

One Firm Calls Palantir Stock 'Runaway Freight Train'

Last week, Loop Capital analysts called Palantir a “runaway freight train never coming back,” raising their price target for the stock to $155, well above the Wall Street consensus of $95, according to Visible Alpha.

“We acknowledge that PLTR is not for the faint of heart," Loop said. “We think the key to owning PLTR here is that you need to buy into the big picture.”

Shares of Palantir have rocketed nearly 90% higher this year, thanks in part to the company's expanding role with the U.S. government under the Trump administration. The federal government has deployed a Palantir software platform called Foundry at at least four agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Health and Human Services Department, according to reports."

MY COMMENT

YES PLTR is a big picture stock and company.

It is pretty easy to talk yourself out of buying this company based on the PE side of their fundamentals. BUT if you look at what they have achieved and their management and the TECH ROYALTY that founded the company....I think it is a pretty special stock. GOSH.....I am sounding like ZUKODANY.

BEST case....which I think is possible....they leverage themselves into being one of the BIG TECH MONSTER companies using this big run up in the stock and especially their now TOTAL recognition in the business world. It reminds me of NVDA and in the old days MSFT.

I will certainly continue to RIDE THIS WAVE......until something happens that causes me to jump off......hopefully many, many, years from now.

I saw NVDA as being an ICONIC company when I first got into it. PLTR I kind of LUCKED into it......with ZUKODANY constantly talking about it on here.......with a short term trade that netted me about 104 "free" shares.....than a number of very small additions when I had a few extra bucks.....and eventually....making it a FULL position.

AMAZING company with a very bright future if they can take advantage of what they have been given with all the free PR and with their business model.

 

I dont know if they make a big enough life vest for PLTR. Safety of the beach? Yeah.....that is ancient history. Those of us riding this wave are way out there from the beach.

The question is....can ALL the rest of the PLTR story....good business model, good management, most of the fundamentals, booming name recognition, etc, etc, etc.....the BIG PICTURE.....survive, thrive, and out last the fundamental PE issue.

Would I push this stock on anyone else.....no. This is one of those companies where you have to make your own personal decision if you want to accept the risk inherent in the BIG PE number.

Here is the negative:

"......among the 28 analysts covering the stock, the average 12-month price target stands at $107, which points toward a 22.6% slide from current levels."
What's more, only 21% of those analysts recommend it as a buy, while 61% have a hold rating on the stock.".......

....."Palantir stock has gone from expensive to extremely expensive. Its trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 574 and forward earnings multiple of 238 are far from value territory. By comparison, the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 index -- a useful proxy for the tech sector broadly -- has an average earnings multiple of 30.
The company's sales multiple of 105 is also well above the U.S. technology sector's average of almost 8. The reason why Palantir is so expensive is that the company's sales and earnings growth, while respectable, have been overshadowed by its stock price surge,...."......

HERE is the positive:

....."Investors are buying Palantir stock hand over fist based on its growth potential. The good part is that the company's recent results make it clear that it could indeed deliver on that front.

Its revenue pipeline is growing at a faster pace than the company's actual revenue. This is evident from the 45% year-over-year increase in Palantir's remaining deal value (RDV) in the first quarter of 2025 to almost $6 billion. That exceeded the 39% growth in its actual revenue that quarter. This led management to raise its full-year revenue guidance to almost $3.9 billion, which would be an increase of 36% from 2024.

Moreover, the pace at which Palantir is signing new contracts suggests that it could further raise its guidance as the year progresses, and that could lead the market to bid the stock higher. After all, in Q1, Palantir's RDV jumped at double the pace of the prior-year period, and that was driven by a 66% year-over-year increase in total contract value booked by the company last quarter.

Palantir signed $1.5 billion worth of new contracts in Q1. In all, the rates of increase in Palantir's revenue, RDV, and contracts were well above the pace at which the AI software market is expected to grow. So, Palantir seems to be in a terrific position to continue crushing Wall Street's growth expectations.".......


https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wher..._ZpgayLm0O7keRbuvCY7W7301sfwsUkMALmerPsuyQrQh

MY COMMENT

The main thing for any investor is not be be rushed into buying a stock by peer pressure....or in this case extreme MOMENTUM. Dont try to jump on a speeding train....until or unless...you are sure you are committed to ride that train.

 

YES.....more evidence that the FED is NOT doing their job. They are way behind the curve on where the economy is and what it is doing. Considering that their 2% inflation target is made up BS and does NOT reflect the NORMAL historic level of inflation here in the USA of 3-4%......there would be NO HARM in doing one little quarter point cut now and wait for a few months to consider further cuts.

Retail sales slide in May on lower gas, auto sales amid tariff uncertainty

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/reta...-sales-amid-tariff-uncertainty-124552230.html

(BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content)

"Retail sales fell in May, dragged down by declines in gas and auto purchases during the second month that a wide array of President Trump's tariffs were in effect.

Headline retail sales declined 0.9% in May, surpassing economists' expectations for a 0.6% decline month on month. By comparison, sales decreased 0.1% in April, according to revised Census Bureau data. A 2% decline in gasoline sales, a 3.5% slide in auto purchases, and a 2.7% decline in building materials drove the May headline number lower.

"The weakness in retail sales in May was mostly due to temporary drags from the end of tariff front-running and the unseasonably wet weather in the east of the country, so should reverse in June," Capital Economics North America economist Bradley Saunders wrote in a research note Tuesday morning.

There was some positive news in the release: The control group in Thursday's release, which excludes several volatile categories and factors into the gross domestic product (GDP) reading for the quarter, rose 0.4%. That compares with a 0.1% decrease seen in April. Economists expected a 0.3% increase. The largest increase in May was seen in miscellaneous store retailers, where sales rose 2.9%.

May sales excluding auto and gas declined 0.1%. Economists had expected a 0.3% rise. In April, sales excluding auto and gas rose 0.1%.

Saunders added that the increased sales in the control group suggest that "overall consumption continues to look healthy."

The data comes as investors have been closely watching how the implementation of President Trump's tariffs will impact data. The survey month encapsulated Trump's recent tariff rollbacks, including the 90-day tariff pause between the US and China. To date, the increased duties have overall done little to push up inflation, while labor market data has shown gradual cooling."

MY COMMENT

MUCH of this reflects the FACT that the experts and economic elites have.....so far....been totally wrong in their predictions of the impact of Tariffs. All the fear-mongering in the financial media by the FED and others is turning out to be....unrealized and untrue.

Personally I DONT BUY....in the slightest....arguments that retail consumers front ran the Tariffs and loaded up on purchases. I dont see any evidence of that in the....REAL WORLD....at all. I see this story line as complete.....FANTASY. The average real person and actual little retail consumer.....does NOT operate on this much of a micro level at all.