VTI YTD is 15%

[disneysteve]

Since the thread is no longer discussing the topic, I'll go ahead and close it. Thanks.

[ua_guy]

No excuses here. You said it yourself. Your success is your own. This world has the opportunity for everyone to achieve greatness/success. No matter who they are. They just need to bust their A@@.

Why do we (you) care what poor people receive if it doesn't affect either of us, then? That's the difference....

[Atretes1]

Me too! You know what I did? I busted my @, and still do. Because I can.

The taxes I pay, and the portion that goes to helping the poor and vulnerable doesn't alter my trajectory or life goals. My success is my own and taxes don't stand in the way of my greatness. Seems to be a popular excuse for a lot of people, though.

This is one of those wastes of breath and life for both of us to argue. You do you, I'll do me.

No excuses here. You said it yourself. Your success is your own. This world has the opportunity for everyone to achieve greatness/success. No matter who they are. They just need to bust their A@@.

[ua_guy]

Am I wrong? You get a job, you work, and you pay for things. Or, you can give all of your money to the poor.

I was poor once. You know what I did? I busted my A@@.

Me too! You know what I did? I busted my @, and still do. Because I can.

The taxes I pay, and the portion that goes to helping the poor and vulnerable doesn't alter my trajectory or life goals. My success is my own and taxes don't stand in the way of my greatness. Seems to be a popular excuse for a lot of people, though.

This is one of those wastes of breath and life for both of us to argue. You do you, I'll do me.

[Atretes1]

That's what Jesus said.

Am I wrong? You get a job, you work, and you pay for things. Or, you can give all of your money to the poor.

I was poor once. You know what I did? I busted my A@@.

[ua_guy]

The poor can take care of themselves. There is this thing called a job.

That's what Jesus said.

[Atretes1]

No, not everything. This, tariffs, one of the administration's economic policies is up there, though, along with a lot of political stuff that is strictly forbidden discussion here. I stand by truth, professionalism and excellence in government, and taking care of our poor and vulnerable, huddled masses seeking freedom, among other things. What these policies are...isn't that. And that's where you lose me, unless you've never stood for those things, then I was wrong.

The poor can take care of themselves. There is this thing called a job.

[ua_guy]

No the farm has not been impacted.
It's never been a get rich, homerun business, just a steady modest income stream while the ground appreciates in value.

This is where you lose me .... The hatred for the current administration skews opinion so far one way that everything they do is made out to be a world changing disaster.
Time will tell if they are doing the right or wrong things.

No, not everything. This, tariffs, one of the administration's economic policies is up there, though, along with a lot of political stuff that is strictly forbidden discussion here. I stand by truth, professionalism and excellence in government, and taking care of our poor and vulnerable, huddled masses seeking freedom, among other things. What these policies are...isn't that. And that's where you lose me, unless you've never stood for those things, then I was wrong.

[Fishindude77]

Has your farm been impacted yet?

And yes, leadership comes and goes. Goes, or so we hope. That doesn't mean we give a pass to what is happening in the present or the ways it could irreparably damage or alter the course for our financial livelihoods. The Great Depression changed history, as did the Great Recssion, Covid, Black Monday.

No the farm has not been impacted.
It's never been a get rich, homerun business, just a steady modest income stream while the ground appreciates in value.

This is where you lose me .... The hatred for the current administration skews opinion so far one way that everything they do is made out to be a world changing disaster.
Time will tell if they are doing the right or wrong things.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

No, most US citizen voters don't actually agree with the blanket tariffs and the poorly managed/haphazard implementation of them. Not even big money people. This isn't just a periodic downturn, a market correction, this is real growth being erased through unfortunate economic policy.

The majority of "not" big money people use the stock market as a way to save for and self-fund their retirement so their money stays ahead of inflation and other factors. Because there can only be so many big money people in a capitalist economy...the cycle only continues because of the balance of have's and have not's.

And what do you think big money people who took risks and built empires who turned their ideas into high income producing machines think about having 20% of their company' s stock value wiped out in the last couple of months? Or suddenly having to spend billions to move a factory because the latest tweet just said their customers are getting hit with a 104% tariff?

Are you kidding me with this stuff?

All the big money people I know got rich in the stock market. Or from stock in a company they worked at. Did they start the companies? Nope not most. But most did save and invest and keep their company stock. Was it all tech? Nope lots of people did stuff like Costco, Boeing, Starbucks, Nordstrom, weyenhauser. But tech has minted tons millionaires. Some super young. First job out of college and they struck it rich.

Recently I was talking with a very young guy like 27 whose 10m large cashing in his snowflake stock. He didn't even start the company but he worked there pre IPO. Got it at $7.54 a share which is not cheap so he's not that early probably mid rounds. And stock worth $135/share so you see how he's been cashing in for past 5 years. What's he doing? Diversifying and bought two houses one for his peasant mom and one for him. And I've seen multitude of others in the same boat.

I figure if you hit 8 figure you are pretty hnw. 9 figures and like dh boss you are uhnw. Again sometimes things just happen right place right time.

None inherited it or made it from a business. They just happened to work for the right company and. Went a long with the ride.

[ua_guy]

Nope.

You have opinions and you are entitled to them but that doesn't make them fact. This stuff will shake out over time and we will eventually see what the facts are.
Good business people and good businesses figure out how to make money and remain successful regardless of who is in charge in DC. Presidents only last 4-8 years, many businesses have 50-100+ year history.

My own family farm has been going for 115 years and the business I retired from hits 80 years old this year. There are a whole lot more bigger, better outfits out there with equal or longer history.
That's a lot of different presidents, market swings, wars, natural disasters, etc. in that time frame.

Has your farm been impacted yet?

And yes, leadership comes and goes. Goes, or so we hope. That doesn't mean we give a pass to what is happening in the present or the ways it could irreparably damage or alter the course for our financial livelihoods. The Great Depression changed history, as did the Great Recssion, Covid, Black Monday. I'll happily admit I'm wrong about my current assessment if things really do take a turn for the better. But if they don't, would you admit you were wrong and the facts are...facts?

[Fishindude77]

Are you kidding me with this stuff?

Nope.

You have opinions and you are entitled to them but that doesn't make them fact. This stuff will shake out over time and we will eventually see what the facts are.
Good business people and good businesses figure out how to make money and remain successful regardless of who is in charge in DC. Presidents only last 4-8 years, many businesses have 50-100+ year history.

My own family farm has been going for 115 years and the business I retired from hits 80 years old this year. There are a whole lot more bigger, better outfits out there with equal or longer history.
That's a lot of different presidents, market swings, wars, natural disasters, etc. in that time frame.

[ua_guy]

I don't think any fair minded person wants to see the stock market and their investments go down, but I have been around long enough to know that it happens periodically.
The policy decisions you think are wrong and avoidable, many US citizen voters happen to agree with. A great many weren't happy with decisions made by the previous administrations either, but we sucked it up and dealt with it for 12 of the last 16 years.

That one dude in the white house every four years is not likely going to be the reason one of us is rich or poor. We get one vote and we use it the way we see fit, but the moves and decisions we make personally are going to be the difference makers in how our finances really shake out.
If the market scares someone, there are plenty of other things we could try doing to to improve our income or wealth.

If you really take a look at stock market investing, it's kind of the lazy persons "hands off" way to build wealth. We hand our money to a firm to grow it and create a nest egg to our future while we sit back doing almost nothing other than looking at statements or pulling it up on line then griping when it goes down or celebrating or bragging when it goes up. Most of the big money people I know got wealthy by taking big risks and creating a business or service, working their tail off, building it into a high income producing machine. They had more confidence in themselves than they did in an outside firm and the market.

No, most US citizen voters don't actually agree with the blanket tariffs and the poorly managed/haphazard implementation of them. Not even big money people. This isn't just a periodic downturn, a market correction, this is real growth being erased through unfortunate economic policy.

The majority of "not" big money people use the stock market as a way to save for and self-fund their retirement so their money stays ahead of inflation and other factors. Because there can only be so many big money people in a capitalist economy...the cycle only continues because of the balance of have's and have not's.

And what do you think big money people who took risks and built empires who turned their ideas into high income producing machines think about having 20% of their company' s stock value wiped out in the last couple of months? Or suddenly having to spend billions to move a factory because the latest tweet just said their customers are getting hit with a 104% tariff?

Are you kidding me with this stuff?

[Fishindude77]

We only live so long Fishindude... why throw a year of growth down the hole and just throw our hands up? Oh well? ...When both the downturn and volatility of all this tariff talk is completely avoidable?

I don't think any fair minded person wants to see the stock market and their investments go down, but I have been around long enough to know that it happens periodically.
The policy decisions you think are wrong and avoidable, many US citizen voters happen to agree with. A great many weren't happy with decisions made by the previous administrations either, but we sucked it up and dealt with it for 12 of the last 16 years.

That one dude in the white house every four years is not likely going to be the reason one of us is rich or poor. We get one vote and we use it the way we see fit, but the moves and decisions we make personally are going to be the difference makers in how our finances really shake out.
If the market scares someone, there are plenty of other things we could try doing to to improve our income or wealth.

If you really take a look at stock market investing, it's kind of the lazy persons "hands off" way to build wealth. We hand our money to a firm to grow it and create a nest egg to our future while we sit back doing almost nothing other than looking at statements or pulling it up on line then griping when it goes down or celebrating or bragging when it goes up. Most of the big money people I know got wealthy by taking big risks and creating a business or service, working their tail off, building it into a high income producing machine. They had more confidence in themselves than they did in an outside firm and the market.

[ua_guy]

Almost exactly one year ago the market was at nearly identical point where it's at now.

We only live so long Fishindude... why throw a year of growth down the hole and just throw our hands up? Oh well? ...When both the downturn and volatility of all this tariff talk is completely avoidable?