Mark Tier's Blog, page 2
August 19, 2018
How You Can Enter Money Heaven
Money heaven. The state where you can spend money infinitely and indefinitely, where you can forget about “spending less than you earn.”
Until recently, this state of bliss was only possible for governments: if you’re sitting in the White House, 10 Downing Street, the Élysée Palace—or even the Kremlin—the idea of spending less than you earn is—how shall put it?—just for the plebs.
Until recently, this state of bliss...
March 26, 2018
Yes, We Have No Bananas
It’s March, 2011, and I’m in Sydney, Australia. I wander into a supermarket to pick up a couple of bananas—and immediately suffer from sticker shock.
Price of two bananas: $7!
Turned out that a few weeks before a combination of floods, followed by Cyclone Yasi, had devastated the northern Queensland farms which produce some 90% of all Australian bananas.
Thanks to the shortage prices soared from...
September 14, 2017
It’s “A Dog’s Life”? Not if You’re a Dog!
Not if You’re a Dog! “A very unhappy and unpleasant life”
says the Cambridge Dictionary.
Really?
The saying, “a dog’s life,” harks back to the 16th century when dogs guarded homes and small communities, were fed scraps, slept outside, and had short lives. Its meaning: life wasn’t good.
This talented mutt can snore with his eyes open His main exercise: moving from one sleeping position to another
However . . . dogs weren’t the only mammals to have short lives. The ave...
August 11, 2017
Should You Invest Your Money in a Friend’s Business?
Should you invest your money in a friend’s business?
If one of your best mates comes to you with a great business idea he thinks will make a ton of money, should you chuck him a few bucks to help him get started?
Your mate Fred is a great cook. You’ve enjoyed many of Fred’s meals, and you’ve always come away wanting more. If it were down to the food alone, “Fred’s restaurant” would most likely be a winner.
And a winner in the restaurant business can really pay well. A good friend who has...
July 14, 2017
What to do When You’ve Hit the Jackpot
Congratulations!
You’ve just made a windfall profit―one of your stocks has just turned into a 10- or 20- bagger.
Or perhaps you’ve won first prize in a multi-million dollar lottery. Or a rich uncle you didn’t even know you had just died and left you his fortune.
Unlikely?
That’s the problem.
Come payday, you know how much you’re going to put in your wallet and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what you’...
December 16, 2016
The Conventional “Wisdom” on Market Risk is Just Plain BS
Ever had your bank, broker, or financial planner ask you to fill out one of those risk assessment forms so they can determine your risk profile?
They ask questions like:
Do you want to make a lot of money?
Well, of course. Duh.
They recommend a portfolio of high risk stocks.Are you willing...
October 30, 2016
Hark, the Herald Angels are Driving Me Crazy
are Driving Me Crazy Since when did “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
turn into four months?
Not only are they driving me crazy, they’re following me everywhere I go. Starbucks, the supermarket, malls—even wedged between Elvis and the Beatles on my favorite Golden Oldies station!
And this has been happening since September, October or November, depending on which country you’re in.
Since when did The Twelve Days of Christmas turn into four months?
Indeed:
Who, in hon...October 6, 2016
7 Investment “Tips” From the World’s Richest Investors
From the World’s Richest Investors
Warren Buffett, Carl Icahn, and George Soros are the world’s richest investors. Their investment styles are as opposite as night and day. Buffett buys companies that he considers to be good bargains; Soros is famous for his speculative forays into the currency markets, which is how he came to be known as “The Man Who Broke the Bank of England.”
But—as I have shown in The Winning Investment Habits of Warren Buffett & George Soros—they b...
September 24, 2016
Who Owns Your Money?
think again
Back in 1975 I promoted my investment newsletter in Australia with a very successful ad headlined: How To Open A Swiss Bank Account.
At the time, thanks to Australia’s exchange controls, sending or just having money overseas without the central bank’s permission was decidedly illegal.
Thanks to that ad, I had lots of fun. I was once invited onto an afternoon talk show. At one point the host asked the 99% female audience if they wanted m...
September 21, 2016
A Real-Time “Experiment” in Private versus Government Police
Private versus Government Police
Which one would you choose?
Pretty much everywhere you go in the Philippines you see uniformed men and women wearing holsters with six-shooters, often carrying a shotgun or a rifle as well.
Even the first-time American visitor is quite surprised by the number of guns he sees. Visitors from other countries are usually shocked.
The overwhelming majority of these armed guards are not police but privately-employed security guards. Yo...
