Most-Read Blog Posts From 2024
Happy New Year! Looking back on this year, I wanted to share my three most-read blog posts in case you missed them. Below are links to the articles and a short excerpt from each.
Increasing Healthspan and Lifespan in Retirement
A few years ago, I saw this viral Christmas ad. After ridding myself of the onions nearby, I reflected on why prioritizing health and fitness holds such significance to me. As my first son turned three, I couldn't help but notice how swiftly time was passing. It dawned on me that he'll probably have his own children someday. If I want to actively engage and play with my grandchildren meaningfully down the road, what I do for my health now matters.
Around the same time, I came across the idea of a “Centenarian Decathlon” by Peter Attia. We live longer with modern medicine, but our last decade or two often have substantial physical limitations. His idea of the Decathlon is to come up with 10 functional movements that you would like to be able to do in the last decade of your life. From there, figure out what you must do now to have that ability later. For example, if you want to be able to walk around the block with your grandkids when you’re 80, you probably need to be able to run a few miles in your 60s…
Why People Were Happier in the 1950s
In the 1950s, new home builds were roughly 1/3 the size of current new home builds, and when families left those homes for vacation, they camped more often than they stayed in hotels. When they went to the grocery store to stock up, they spent over 20% of their monthly budget on food. Today, we spend only 10%, leaving far more available for discretionary spending.
The real GDP per person was ¼ of what it is today, which means the US produces 4x as much as we did in the 50s, even after adjusting for inflation. That is almost mind-bending to consider. This has resulted in countless luxuries that we consider necessities today. People in the 1950s could hardly imagine a color TV, but I’m frustrated when there is a one-second lag on the live football game I’m streaming from a smartphone…
A Fun Client Story About Poorly Timing the Market
A while back, I was reviewing a new client’s investment portfolio, and I noticed a sizable position in Microsoft stock (this is not a recommendation to buy or sell) that they had purchased long before we met. I looked at the “tax lots,” which show when the stock was purchased, and I saw January 17th, 2000. I was shocked. As most investors know, 2000 began one of the biggest market meltdowns of all time, known as the Dot-com bubble. Not only that but after doing a quick search, I found that Microsoft stock peaked in January of 2000. It was obvious they had got caught up in the internet stock craze as many investors did.
The first year of owning the stock must have been a gut punch – down 53%!…
Happy Planning,
Alex
This blog post is not advice. Please read disclaimers.