Samurai Reflections of October & Goals for November

Just like that, another month has come and gone. I’m determined to make November as productive a month as October. Who’s with me?  Below are my Samurai reflections from October and what’s in store for this month.

October Samurai Reflections

“We’re Ignorant Idiots!  Tell Us Why A Flat Tax System Isn’t Fair!” – Is the first post to break the 100+ comment barrier as folks argue passionately about why we are ignorant idiots! 

Thanks  Larry, Roger, Steph, Fredt, Matt, Kevin, BG, FB, Jon, Mike, Wookie and all of you for chiming in so passionately!  The key takeaways from the comments are:

1) Most are opposed to a flat tax system for some odd reason :) 2) An introduction of a “wealth tax” and/or “national sales tax” seems more equitable but frankly unfeasible 3) The really rich pay less taxes because most of their income comes from long term capital gains which is currently being taxed at 15%!

“What Renting DVD’s Teaches Us About CD Yield Maximization” – This is an original concept that slaps traditional CD laddering strategies in the face. It was interesting to see the post picked up by The Bogleheads forum and debated there since those guys are usually hardcore on financial issues. The bottom line: Regardless of the interest rate environment, one’s CD money should always be invested in the longest term duration possible.

“Party Like It’s 1999!  10 Key Takeaways From This Recession” – The recession is officially over as we grew 3.5% year over year (YoY) in 3Q09.  As we move into 4Q09 and 1Q10 results season, earnings will see a material YoY pick up partly due to low comparables from 3Q08 and 1Q09 levels. 

Accepting the economic recovery is one thing, but investing new money in the markets at these levels is another. I’m staying very defensive as I believe November is going to be another volatile month, vulnerable to a pullback.

“The Worst Seat On An Airplane Is The Best Seat In The Office” – This is a very simple but highly effective concept for those in offices who wish to increase their recognition. If ever you have an office move, or see a spot near the rest room, take it! You can buy me a beer 1 year later when you become the most popular guy in your office.

“The 30/30/3 Principle For Home Buyers To Follow” – Home buying is such an emotional decision. To counteract irrational thinking, we offer a simple guideline to follow before mortgaging your life away. If everybody followed the 30/30/3 principle, we never would have had such a blow up in the economy. 

In fact, the government should introduce a bill mandating a minimum amount of financial fitness before people can spend a multiple of their yearly income on housing.

GOALS FOR NOVEMBER & WHAT’S IN STORE

* Spend again.  After 61 days of not spending any money on anything other than food and my monthly bus pass (chicks dig it), it’s time to spend a little on others!  Going for two months without splurging on anything has been quit liberating.  I would do it for a third month if it wasn’t for the holidays.  I receive some generous things from others on occasion, and it wouldn’t be proper to not return their generosity.  Here are five tips for spending less and being ok with it!

* Get a better grasp of Twitter and the functions of WordPress. I am a complete moron when it comes to computers and the internet.  I don’t know how to write HTML code, and I don’t know why Twitter says sometimes, “URL doesn’t match story” when I attempt to Tweet stuff.  I’m going to sit down with a friendly web savvy guy for at least an hour this month to get smarter. Because of work, I can’t tweet/retweet during the day, and therefore am unable to recognize your shout-outs so I apologize to those for missing your stuff.

* Continue writing consistently. I understand why some publishers flame out because writing consistently is quite a challenge.  I’m just going to publish whenever I feel there is something to say.  My average seems to be 3.5X a week, which is a healthy amount.  It’s really the comments and the community that keeps me going (See The Ideal Reader tab). Don’t feel shy posting your comments in older posts because I see them all and will debate you to the end!

* Build three new relationships within the PF writers community. There are so many great writers with interesting angles, I figure if I can get to know at least three a month, in three years that’ll be a good 108 relationships to have!

I’m always open to receiving e-mails/comments from you on some good posts you’ve written or seen that I should read and therefore highlight here.  It’s just fun meeting new people and learning new things.  Matt Jabs, Neal Frankle,  Studenomist, Matt SF, Len Penzo, Jim, Silicon Valley Blogger and Green Panda have been six cool guys and two cool ladies I’ve recently had the pleasure to interact with.  David Ning, J. Money, Patrick from CML, Brian, and the Wise Bread crew have continued to be really great and responsive to my dumb inquiries.

* Interview fascinating people and learn from them. Finally, I’m intrigued with people’s lives and the decisions they’ve made a long the way to help them succeed.  I’m pretty certain my life would be totally different if I went to a different school for example, but it’s the only life I know right now.  Haven’t you ever wondered what your life would be like if you chose a different path? Through the interview series, we get a chance to experience other people’s adventures, which hopefully energizes us to seek our own.

Further Reading

• How Climate Change May Affect Real Estate Values
• Six Things You Should Know About a Car Lease & Insurance
• Proof Banks Caused The Financial Crash: The Cancer Of MORE
• Resolving My Insurance Company Home Premium Scam
• The State of the Timeshare Industry

Here’s to another solid month!

Keigu,

Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

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