MONTHLY DIGEST #29 | SWEAT YOUR ASSETS

Enjoy this curated list of Sweat Your Assets monthly content.

KEY INDICATORS – MAY

For Charles Ellis, “benign neglect is the secret to long-term investing success”. However, paraphrasing Howard Marks, while trying to forecast the future markets is silly, it is wise to know where you stand in today’s market cycle.

To do that, I add to my monthly newsletter some simple Stock Market Indicators and their % changes over the past 5 years to give some perspective.

On May 25, 2023: 

• • VIX (volatility index) – the fear gauge: 19.32 (+43.54%)
  • S&P 500: 4,151.28 (+51.80%)
  • VTSAX – Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund: USD 100.09 (+45.31%) 
  • BND – Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund: USD 72.23 (-8.67%)
  • VNQ – Vanguard REITS – Real Estate: USD 78.40 (-1.06 %)

QUOTES

• DO WHAT YOU LOVE. LOVE WHAT YOU DO. If we exclude prodigious and single moments that fate can give us, loving one’s work (which unfortunately is the privilege of a few) constitutes the best concrete approximation to happiness on earth” (Primo Levi)
• WORK-LIFE BALANCE. 20 years from now, the only people who will remember that you worked late are your kids. (anonym)
• CURIOSITY, RISK AND INNOVATION. Curiosity killed the cat but also cured polio. (Patrick Jane)
• ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MOTIVATION AND PASSION TO FIGHT MEDIOCRITY: It is easier to adjust ourselves to the hardships of a poor living than it is to adjust ourselves to the hardships of making a better one. (E.N. Grey)

ARTICLES ON

MINDSET / PERSONAL FINANCE

Are you Sweating your Assets? You have definitely heard the business slang term “Sweating Your Assets“.  I love it. Sweat Your Assets is my call to action in life and business. No wonder I have named my platform after it. But what does it mean and how can you benefit from sweating your assets? Let me share a definition and some practical examples. Read more.

INVESTING

Invest like a Farmer. Discussing investments, it is tempting to overload the conversation by quoting statistical models and technical terms. In this fast-paced financial world with its focus on trading trends, online platforms and market movements, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds and lose sight of the grounding principles of managing your money that are essential to long-term success. However…

PERSONAL FINANCE

Financial discipline places you in a better position. You need Financial Discipline to be the best version of yourself. Period. If it is not properly addressed through financial education and good judgment, the consequence of a poor financial outlook goes beyond financial matters. Read more.

VIDEOS ON

INVESTING

Invest Like a Farmer. In this Youtube video tutorial, Buffett relies on the timeless analogy of the wise long-term investor with the same mindset as a farmer.

Until Next Month…Keep it Real and Sweat Your Assets.

Alessandro BARONI