You know, all you have to do is "limit" your exposure to it. Control the volume of noise that you intake. I have found the more one allows and pays attention to it, the more you start to think that is all there is. The "dream" can sort of be a reality, if you control how much attention one devotes to it.
Speaking of attention to the markets. Nice little, short week so far. I have no idea in regard to the financial media here lately. I have taken my own advice above and simply avoided it. We are closing in quickly on the end of 2025. Maybe, just maybe we can all hold on for the final days and book a good year.
Big decision for me this end of 2025. Finally I am concluding one idea I had on my mind for a long time, to buy a second home, a beach house that I will use both to my own pleasure (and family obviously) but also for short term renting. After some time, a big chunk of time really, I found a place that could meet my criteria. The first place I visited and trigered this idea was the last one that I finished buying, in terms that I found aceptable for me, enabling my own confort and a decent possible yield. But....there is allways a but....to conclude this I had to trim a big chunk of my holdings. Some I trimmed this year, some will be early January for fiscal optimization. I decided to keep most of the ETFs I have and sell most of shares. Some stocks were really hard to let them go, considering I have them for so long, but life is what it is. I decided to open a small mortage covering around 35% of total costs, as a strategic decision to mantain some liquidity my side. The loan has the possibility of early payment after first year, whith a penalty of 0.5% of that value, what I found fair. Mortgage duration 18 years because I getting old said the bank....ok for me. A great holiday, merry Xmas to all my friends from Stockhaolics, enjoy the season w/ your loved ones.
Sounds like an exciting move rg7803. Your investing has helped you accomplish this goal and that is something to be very proud of I think. You and your family will build many memories with the place. Merry Christmas to you!!
In addition to rg's post above. There have been other posters too, that have used some of their investment gains to purchase or do something that adds pleasure to their life or accomplishes a particular goal. I think it is important to not forget about those things. Investments often do revolve around retirement planning and the long view, but there are many other goals that also factor into it as well. It is also about giving yourself the opportunity to do some things that might not have been possible otherwise or simply enjoying some of the reward of some financial freedom to do so. Investing provides an additional pathway to enjoy and accomplish some of those things along the way.
Yes, it is Christmas Eve. So, a Christmas wish is in order today. I hope the Christmas spirit finds each of you and sends you JOY, PEACE, and GOOD HEALTH wherever you are. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Of course, we would be remiss, if we did not mention some market action today.... since WXYZ is out preparing his sleigh loaded with gifts. The market right now is as green as a Christmas tree. Maybe, just maybe, Santa Claus is coming to town!!
Well, it appears that myself, rg7803, and bigbear had the thread and market responsibility today on this Christmas Eve. Yes, we delivered a nice Christmas GREEN to the close in the big three averages. Maybe a little help from St. Nick himself.
Well done with the markets...guys. One quick post....this is peanuts for NVDA....but....a very interesting move. I love it. Exclusive: Nvidia buying AI chip startup Groq’s assets for about $20 billion in largest deal on record https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/24/nvi...p-groq-for-about-20-billion-biggest-deal.html
OK....more and more we are now seeing the people that created this stuff trying to warn us. Of course us little people have little say over any of it. For better or worse I live in the world of REALITY.....and unfortunately....this is REALITY. Is your job Safe? AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio issues stark warning on job displacement https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...splacement/articleshow/126081474.cms?from=mdr More and more of these GODFATHERS or AI are now regretting what they unleashed. BUT.....what can we do?
WELL...a few more that I just found. Only The Survivors Get Paid https://tonyisola.com/2025/12/only-the-survivors-get-paid/ "The first rule of being successful is not dying. Rolling Stone’s guitarist Keth Richards is a case in point." and "Investors should take heed. Survivability in the markets is the only thing that matters. As the old saying goes, Only the survivors get paid. In the stock market, continuance is a complex and often unpredictable process. Staying in the game is of prime importance. Short-term volatility and noise are features, not bugs, of the financial markets."
I often talk about the good old....market time machine. Looks like I am not the only one. A 30% Decline in the Stock Market https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2025/12/a-30-decline-in-the-stock-market/ "I love relating the concept of time traveling to the stock market."....... "Time traveling 30-40% to the past wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for net savers with a long time horizon…as long as you don’t experience a personal depression because of it."
I have seen this happen many times. The Quest of the Simple Life An excerpt from The Art of Spending Money. https://collabfund.substack.com/p/the-quest-of-the-simple-life "It’s astounding to witness someone gain what they thought they always wanted only to realize that happiness is more complicated than they first assumed. And, my gosh, that is so true with money." AND.....I LOVE this quote from the article....so true. We....my wife and I..... are very fortunate to be great at the art of money and life balance. After all...... I retired to resume my life as a professional musician from a very successful business..... at age 49 and never looked back. She has been able to have her beloved dogs and horses for her entire life. "In school, finance is taught as a science, with clean formulas and logical conclusions. But in the real world, money is an art." AND....I say....so is INVESTING.
YES....it really is this SIMPLE. 5 Key Investing Themes From Warren Buffett’s Early Letters As the Berkshire Hathaway CEO nears retirement, a look back at some of his first investor letters. https://www.morningstar.com/stocks/5-key-investing-themes-warren-buffetts-early-letters 1) Markets Are Impossible to Forecast 2) A Long-Term View Is Critical 3) The Market Is Tough to Beat 4) Good Investment Ideas Are Rare 5) Be Realistic About Your Strengths
@Lori Myers Living on the edge: what young people in England told us about life on the coast | Young people | The Guardian https://share.google/VxHBzufgN7m5eUVne
