What is going on today? - Megathread

Good evening :last_quarter_moon_with_face::full_moon_with_face::first_quarter_moon_with_face: -

As usual, we selected the best articles published in the past few days :point_down::

PORTFOLIO CONSTRUCTION
:arrow_right: Retirement Portfolios: L. Swedroe For BoW on Monte Carlo Simulations
:arrow_right: Asset Allocation: Goals-Based Asset Allocations
:arrow_right: Stock/Bond Correlations: Correlations in times of stress
:arrow_right: Returns: S&P in 2024 has been one of the strongest since 1928
:arrow_right: Equity Risk Premium: The Nine Myths

ETFs
:arrow_right: Money Market ETFs: BlackRock unveils euro cash MM ETF
:arrow_right: Tools: Our ETF Fee Calculator
:arrow_right: Risk Parity ETFs: Some more Bridgewater ETF thoughts
:arrow_right: Bond vs Equity ETFs: Differences in ETF Liquidity

ACTIVE INVESTING
:arrow_right: Factors: Great interview with Cliff Assness - not only about factors
:arrow_right: Leverage: Concept of Return Stacking with Corey Hoffstein
:arrow_right: Alternatives: Why I’m Selling Some Bitcoin
:arrow_right: Private Equity Primer: An Introduction to Basics
:arrow_right: P2P Platforms: An Introduction to Alternative Lending

PLATFORMS
:arrow_right: Inveractive Brokers: Fixed vs Tiered Plans For ETFs

WEALTH & LIFESTYLE
:arrow_right: Relationships & Money: Keys To Financial Success As A Couple
:arrow_right: Divorce & Retirement: How to Stop a Divorce From Ruining Retirement
:arrow_right: Real Estate: Building Wealth Through Rental Properties
:arrow_right: Portfolio Withdrawals: Why Your Math Might Be All Wrong
:arrow_right: FIRE: Early Retirement + Group Travel: What Works, What Doesn’t

AND ALSO
:arrow_right: Privacy: Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance
:arrow_right: Economy: How demographics can distort economic narratives
:arrow_right: Morocco: The California of the Muslim World
:arrow_right: Travel: How Berlin Wall Became 100-Mile Bike and Pedestrian Trail

Have a great saturday!

Francesca from BoW Team :biking_man: :biking_woman:t3:

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It’s happening. Albeit slowly. What’s the saying, it happened slowly and then all of a sudden.

So many investors have done so well it’s natural to begin going into wealth protection mode. Something I believe will be the story of the next 3-5 years.

Many in the group below billionaire consisting of hundreds of millions in wealth again going to go into hibernation mode & wealth protection.

I see 2030-2035 a telling era. Maybe some of this wealth will be used to fix the lack of desirable affordable property and create many new jobs with the emerging sectors happening now? For our children’s sake I hope so.

You ā€œI see 2030-2035 as telling eraā€ ?..lend me your crystal ball. Mine is the same as everyone else’s…it only sees backwards!

Good evening :last_quarter_moon_with_face::full_moon_with_face::first_quarter_moon_with_face: -

As usual, we selected the best articles published in the past few days :point_down::

PORTFOLIO CONSTRUCTION
:arrow_right: Special Report: UBS Report on diversification & correlations
:arrow_right: Asset Class Liquidity: how fragile is liquidity across asset classes & time?
:arrow_right: Currency Hedging: Should You Hedge Your Bonds?
:arrow_right: Historical Peak: US Stocks Are Now Twice US GDP - a record
:arrow_right: U.S. vs Rest: U.S. Markets Are Swallowing the Rest of the World

ETFs
:arrow_right: Avantis: Small Cap Value now on LSE. EM ETF Launching Next Week
:arrow_right: UCITS vs US ETFs: UCITS ETFs seem broken vs US ETFs for alts
:arrow_right: Vanguard: A rare peak under the hood of Vanguard
:arrow_right: Managed Futures: MF ETFs nearing a Europe comeback

ACTIVE INVESTING
:arrow_right: Small-Cap Value: Diversification or Di-WORSE-fication?
:arrow_right: Digital Assets: FED report on Bitcoin and Financial Stability
:arrow_right: Factors: Factors are global, respectable and repeatable
:arrow_right: Report on Alternatives: Returns in private & emerging markets
:arrow_right: Tether, not Bitcoin: Vast laundering for gangsters and Russian spies

PLATFORMS
:arrow_right: Interactive Brokers: Step-By-Step Account Opening Guide

WEALTH & LIFESTYLE
:arrow_right: Protecting Your Assets: Defense for a ā€˜Dangerous’ World
:arrow_right: Retirement: What is the healthy life expectancy after retirement?
:arrow_right: Early Retirement: Retired at 30 with $540,000 - no regrets
:arrow_right: Financial Advisors: St James’s Place to cut 500 jobs

AND ALSO
:arrow_right: Economy: Will Poland’s Economic Miracle Ever End?
:arrow_right: Currencies: The Decline of the Russian Ruble
:arrow_right: Food Quality: Portugal eats least ultra-processed food
:arrow_right: Health: How do I stay healthy in my 50s?
:arrow_right: Cost of Life: Annual inflation Rates in EU

And so much more!

Have a great saturday!

Francesca from BoW Team :biking_man: :biking_woman:t3:

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Anyone in quantum?

Don’t regretti not having any Rigetti

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Two articles here stating what I already called out 2 years ago (1) the middle class are absolutely growingly envious that they knew about bitcoin & disregarded its buyers as idiots and now it’s passed $100,000 and they had the option to buy at $3,000 and (2) salaries are way too low for people that thought their degree would give them status and have now increasingly realised they’ve been screwed by a lack of financial education and economics.

(Bitcoin, the envy of the educated middle class)

(Honest write up on minimum wage being the same as university graduate pay within 5 years of joining the work force)

There is a comment in the Bitcoin article above which will resonate with many and that is ā€˜it hurts that much more because you actively chose not to participate and it’s gone from $3K to $100K’.

The middle classes are now realising they’ve been in some sense screwed due to their slight entitlement that they are ahead, when in fact there is now almost no difference between the working plumbers daily life, compared to both the I.T. advisor or the person deciding to live on benefits by gaming the system. All three of these positions can be earning Ā£33K. But the person on benefits may have placed Ā£3K into bitcoin and be wildly ahead of the middle class university graduate that is 3 years into their career.

Has this situation ever happened in a society?

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Never read such trash in my life. I know a number of people on benefits, and they don’t have Ā£3K to spare on Bitcoin!! Typical Telegraph spin.

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Hey, show some respect. He predicted Covid as well as every single market top and bottom in his illustrious 6 year investing career.

He’s a visionary, a prophet, the oracle; he’s possibly the greatest investor of all time.

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I’m curious. What drugs do you smoke before you sit down and write your long winded, sanctimonious, nonsensical posts?

Do you realise how ridiculous you sound?

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I also know a lot of people who have lost money in crypto so it’s not all a one way street.

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Im interested in crypto but realise that boat has sailed better to invest in stocks that relate companies… rather than some imagenary coin that i cant see has any benefit… i think its some massive pozni scheme that will collapse at some point… then the money will come back to stocks!!! Hopefully

But I also know people gaming the system (or to be liberal they partly do actually deserve the help) and still own 1 or 2 bitcoin with… questionable money.

It’s not about 1 opinion. It’s about working people are being replaced with computers and nobody in current power is actually addressing the issue that the educated people to a large percentage are being screwed whilst many who are not contributing are living similar lifestyles. It’s simply wild and must be the first time in history this has happened.

At a rough estimate 40% of working class and 40% of middle class and 40% of benefits claimants that are clearly able to work and simply do not want to are all living not too different lifestyles.

I work flat out like immensely I’m talking sleeping in the car occasionally level of work and I’m driving a Ā£3500 car with over 100k miles on the clock and see my gf once or twice every few weeks often and I’m telling you - there are significantly more people than you think not working and driving brand new cars, new everything, dentistry paid rent paid everything and they also have their free time!

Lifestyles are wildly messed up by this strange economy yet it’s also a time to turn $3k into $100k but physically clicking one button and waiting!

How is that something you can disagree with? It’s all fact and it’s clearly history repeating - mixed with a new thing where large portions of working people are actually getting noticeably poorer to unsustainable levels.

Sure this can go on for a while and the stock market is loving it but we all know what then follows. I’m not calling a crash in fact this can bounce on for another 3 - 5 years before the severity is unavoidable.

But I agree with that telegraph article I said 2 years ago the middle class will be reeling from Bitcoin going that high (and maybe on the next cycles into the millions of dollars) and they did not buy because they thought they were smarter than the wealthy.

Bitcoin is clearly a growth store of wealth for excess money currently that’s what it’s grown into, and ignoring it is like ignoring art that sold for Ā£50million a piece.

We live in wild times. The rich are having a field day and 40% of the working and middle classes are starting to grow pretty fed up. Many choosing to just go on benefits and give up completely.

Elon, Trump, JD, Shapiro and many others are bringing to light working people’s lifestyles are at risk and Elon is 100% certain of this. You don’t want this situation to get any further than where it already is. It happens slowly then all at once…

We know how this party ends regarding the market corrections/crisis. I am now convinced to know the next 5-10 years and I think massive market growth turn to slow burning dividend growth to maintain the wealthy lifestyles and that means very very tough period for working people. Almost non existent lifestyle.

There’s no point not addressing this it’s not negative it’s reality. The top fed off the bottom for too long and now the bottom are being replaced by A.I. Anybody thinking the A.I. is not replacing working people/unskilled people is going to have a rly truly tough 1-2 decades from here.

Obviously this is how the world works I just think it’s more fair if the ones in power actually let working people know you are being extinct.

Look even at the driving ability on road now, compared to 2005… the level of driving ability is so poor and people are so angry and so entitled on the road and yet not a single work from government… why? Because they want you to have an awful driving experience in traffic on the way to work, they want you stuck behind the idiot hogging the middle lane at 51 mph or 63 mph or 39 mph whichever speed that idiot keeps changing to… the fact none of this is addressed speaks a thousand words.

Prove me wrong. I’m 8/8 for being correct since 2019.

And back to that telegraph article I even admit it does hurt writing off bitcoin even though I have a few hundred grand and still don’t buy it and have known about it since 2011… it does hurt choosing not to buy it. I would rather have not known it existed because then I wouldn’t feel that emotion haha.

Believe me

Yea I do. But I also have a soft spot for working people especially when somebody else got rich off of their efforts and then ran away to their private school cayman island lifestyle leaving the workers family with no job, no real gain.

If it’s nonsense how do I keep making market timing and how do legit educated journalists and high level people come out and say exactly what I’m saying… albeit they come to the same realisation slightly later.

That’s exactly the point your last sentence. You think it’s a ponzi and have not yet realised there’s just people in the world with far too much money who own everything already and Bitcoin has become a place to dump excess cash with zero need for it ever. Zero. They zero need that money. And at the same time there are other wealthy people with excess cash who do not need that money who trade the bitcoin markets huge swings. These people do not need the money so of course the price can continue to go up indefinitely.

It’s no different to art. Not a slightest bit different apart from it’s more efficient.

It’s proven itself to be a place for excess cash that may not even be needed in a multiple lifetimes.

I did realise this earlier this year and stated it’s becoming stupid not to own it. But it is more suited for people who already own everything, of which there are a growing number of people that own everything. House, car, stocks, trusts, art, gold, vacation property, business… they own everything what else is there to own? Bitcoin. Staked at 6%.

Actually, the demographics of people who hold Bitcoin/cryptoassets are those of the younger generations. The older someone is, the less likely they are to invest in crypto - and it’s these older folk who are generally more wealthy than the young.

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Source: trust me bro

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Lol!

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Channel 4

Seen ā€˜Britain’s Benefits Scandal: Dispatches’?

Watch it here on Channel 4: Watch Britain's Benefits Scandal: Dispatches | Stream free on Channel 4

Very disappointing from the Dispatches team, they’re going the way of Channel 5 with the benefits hate.