I got myself a super cool new toy: a laser engraver! It allows me to create incredibly professional-looking orchid tags. I use black aluminum dog tags, and the results look straight out of a conservatory. These things excite me. 🙂
I don’t express it often enough, but my wife is truly incredible, and I feel very lucky to have her in my life. Considering the challenges she has faced, including battling breast cancer eight years ago and enduring a year of nonstop migraines, I’m constantly amazed by her strength. Recently, I discovered Etsy and found a unique Christmas gift for her that I’m excited about.
Senay is coming home for Christmas and we are very excited. We are planning on going to the Florida Gator Bowl game (The Gasparilla Bowl) on December 20th. Her presence usually draws the three teenage boys out of their holes.
None of the boys have given us a Christmas list so my wife has a very easy job: A three-pack of plain white underwear and an economy-sized pack of tube socks
Scene: Greg’s office. Jim and Nancy, both in their 60s, sit on a couch facing their financial advisor, Greg. Nancy’s arms are crossed while Jim nervously fiddles with his watch.
Greg: Alright, let’s recap. Last year, you didn’t invest because the market looked too uncertain. Now, it’s up 26%, and you don’t want to invest because it’s too high.
Nancy: (nodding) Exactly. You’re not supposed to buy when it’s high.
Greg: Got it. So, just so I’m clear: if the market’s low, it’s scary, and you won’t invest. And if it’s high, it’s too expensive, and you won’t invest. Are there any scenarios where you would actually put money in?
Jim: (pausing) Well... I mean, there’s got to be a sweet spot. Right?
Greg: Ah, the mythical Goldilocks market. Not too hot, not too cold. You know when that happens?
Nancy: (leaning forward, hopeful) When?
Greg: Never. You’re chasing a unicorn.
Nancy: (defensive) Okay, but what if we invest now, and the market tanks? We’d lose money.
Greg: Sure, that could happen. But what if it goes up another 26%? Or 10%? You’re stuck in this loop where the market’s always "wrong." If it’s not too risky, it’s too expensive.
Jim: (shrugging) Well, it’s hard to know the right time.
Greg: That’s the point. You can’t. If I could predict the market, I wouldn’t be sitting here—I’d be on a yacht somewhere, probably eating something with truffle oil. Timing the market is a fool’s game. And right now, you’re trying to win it while refusing to play.
Nancy: But doesn’t waiting for it to go back down make sense?
Greg: Sure, in theory. But here’s the thing: if it drops tomorrow, you’ll say, "We can’t invest yet—it might go lower." Then, when it starts climbing again, you’ll say, "We missed the bottom; now it’s too high."
Jim: (laughing) That does sound like us.
Greg: It’s not just you. Plenty of people talk themselves out of investing with this logic. But think about it: if every excuse keeps you out, you’ll never actually invest. You’re stuck on the sidelines, holding cash, while inflation quietly eats your savings.
Nancy: So, what’s the solution?
Greg: Get out of your own way. Invest gradually over time using a strategy known as dollar-cost averaging. This involves spreading your investments over months. While your cash is waiting to be invested, place it in a money market account to earn interest. Some months, you may buy at a high price, and other months at a lower price, but over time, these fluctuations tend to average out.
Jim: (nodding) And if the market drops after we invest?
Greg: Then you’re buying more shares at a lower price.
Nancy: (smiling reluctantly) You make it sound so simple.
Greg: That’s because it is. You’re the ones making it complicated. If you keep waiting for the "perfect time," you’ll never invest, and we’ll still be having this conversation five years from now. Only then you’ll also be complaining about missing even more growth.
Jim: (grinning) Alright, Greg. You win.
Greg: No, you win—if you stick to the plan and stop trying to outsmart a system that doesn’t care about your feelings.
Be Blessed,
Greg (Dave)