Here is an example of a K-shaped chart for you. This shows the long time divergence of the amount of financial assets held by the top 10% versus those held by the bottom 50% of wealth percentiles. The graph has different axes, so sit and look at it for a while. In a nutshell, the share of financial assets held by the bottom 50% has declined from 71% in 1989 to 2.3% in … [Read more...] about Sign Of The Times: Massive Divergence Of Financial Assets Of Top 10% Vs. Bottom 50%
James’ January Wealth Update – Up $63,000
Thought I'd update all of you on what I've been doing to build wealth in the new year. I've been focusing on the basics (paying down debt, investing, etc.). However, since my attempts to build passive income by utilizing my unused computing resources haven't yielded much, I decided to pivot and invest in real estate and small business bonds to build up more revenue flow. The … [Read more...] about James’ January Wealth Update – Up $63,000
The Costs of Riots
Editors note: In light of the protesting today at the US capitol building - this article is being republished. Unless you've been away from the internet in the arctic, you're probably aware of recent events following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The country has been gripped by the largest wave of civil disorder since 1968. The costs of riots are substantial. … [Read more...] about The Costs of Riots
Poverty is Due to Individual Traits
I've been seeing a lot of news articles talking about how wealth is owned in the United States. The main idea is usually centers around a statement such as "the rich are getting richer" or "only a few people control a disproportionate amount of wealth". The main idea behind much of these news stories is that only a few people control most of the money in our country. This has … [Read more...] about Poverty is Due to Individual Traits
Friend Tip Monday
Friend tip: If someone tells you about an important upcoming date in their lives, write it into your calendar and send them an appropriate text on that day. It’s a quick and easy way to improve your relationship. … [Read more...] about Friend Tip Monday
James’ December Wealth Update
So, I wanted to update you all on what's been going on with my personal finances. Last month my truck died on the way to a hunting trip - it needed a new engine. The repairs ended up costing around $4,200. I ended up selling some of my gold and silver to cover the bill. When I was figuring out how to pay for the cost, I was kicking myself for not having an emergency … [Read more...] about James’ December Wealth Update
James’ November Prosper Update
For those of you who are interested in prosper, here is a quick update on what is going on with my account. I've been pretty consistent with investing in Prosper since 2006. For the last couple of years, I was paying off a ton of credit card debt and was drawing down the account. However, I've got the debt under control, so I've been gradually easing back into the platform. … [Read more...] about James’ November Prosper Update
Oregon Is On Fire, Ten Percent Of The State Under Evacuation Order
For those not in Portland, Oregon, here is the view from my balcony this morning around seven AM. Oregon is on fire. The haze in the air is heavy smoke from wildfires in the Cascade Range mountains. … [Read more...] about Oregon Is On Fire, Ten Percent Of The State Under Evacuation Order
More Rioting. Don’t Worry, We’ll Get Through This.
I got up this morning and started reading the news. Evidently there was another round of riots in Minneapolis, Oakland and aggressive protests in Portland, Oregon last night. This comes on the heels of civil disturbances in Chicago and Denver earlier this month. Here is the latest from Portland. … [Read more...] about More Rioting. Don’t Worry, We’ll Get Through This.
Better Models for Building Wealth
One challenge with blogging is the more you post, the less useful and relevant things you have to say. In the rush to continually generate content, sometimes the relevance of many postings for building wealth falls by the wayside. In an effort to stay focused on generating useful information, I wanted to make our readers aware of two great resources on the net. … [Read more...] about Better Models for Building Wealth