So, I have plenty of "tricks" some orthodox, some that seriously go against conventional wisdom. Today I'll go thru a very unorthodox one.
So two years ago, I was 53 with retirement savings of only $30k. Conventional wisdom was very clear for me. I'm told to play it safe, bank deposits, some bonds, a conservative retirement fund. Best case scenario, if I kept putting money into conservative retirement funds, well at best at retirement age I mite have $100k. But I'd need at least $1 million.
So I needed to be unconventional. I'm now 55, and unconventional is paying off significantly. So let me share my journey so far.
So my grown up children love to tell me I'm hopeless with technology, because I'm not on twitter or X or whatever. And I go out without taking my cell phone with me, to be fair it often goes flat, and I fail to realize that for a day or so. Actually I just get annoyed with remembering passwords, and I hate apps that bomb my email accounts.
But I digress. 2 years ago I understood that 50 odd years of business experience, university degrees, and being a professor writing and teaching in university gave me significant knowledge capital. Rather than using that to the benefit of others, I needed to apply that to me.
I taught business in several universities For over 10 years, ran my own construction business for 20 odd years and ended up working in senior management roles in other construction companies for long time too.
Then the shit hit the fan. Suffered a major head injury, broken neck, blarblarblar. but lost a significant amount of knowledge. still not able to access that some two years later. But my brain has rewired itself differently. My ability to absorb and retain new information is crazy good. very old knowledge like stuff on stock market investing in the 80's 90's and early 2000's is 100%.
So let's get back to the unorthodox. Being safe is not an option for me. I have significant knowledge of business, both academically and practically. And finely honed research skills. And a pay out from my accident with a small income going forward.
So I invested $10k with tiger, and set about analyzing great businesses. And have done well. Turned $10k into $50k, learned options trading, have had to withdraw about $30k to cover living expenses. But that was kinda the point. To see if I could live off my knowledge capital.
But what lessons can be learned here?
Well first up, a major life setback can be viewed that way. Or it can be turned into an opportunity. For me, my physical ability was and still is pretty sad. But my mental capacity to understand and retain new information is crazy good.
I have time, I can happily spend at least 40 hours a week just analyzing stocks, soaking up everything.
So I do invest in dividend stocks, safety first right? Nope wrong, 90% of my portfolio is in growth stocks, and a few that are yet to be profitable. 10% is in high yield dividend stocks. Nothing is in cash, nothing in bonds. 10 years til retirement now, but im semi retired already. My goal this year was 100k in stocks, very close, actually exceeded if I add drawings.
Next year 100k must be 500k. My unorthodox approach requires me to contemplate how every dollar must be worth $5 to achieve that.
And I will probably withdraw more profits next year to buy solar panels, cause power costs are insane. I invest in quite a few power companies but I think they will still be ok without me as a customer.
Happy trading fellow tigers
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