Businesses, Stock Markets & the Economy

Think Investing Is a Game? Stop. (David Booth, Executive Chairman and Founder of Dimensional)

“Indexing has turned out to be a good solution for many people. I was involved in the creation of one of the first index funds early in my career, and I’ve enjoyed watching the positive impact indexing has had on the industry. For those who want more customization and flexibility, there are ways to build on the strengths of indexing while correcting for some of its weaknesses. At Dimensional, we’ve been working on improving upon indexing for the past 40 years.”

“If you’re looking to become a long-term investor, commit to a long-term strategy that takes your own personal goals, situation, and risk tolerance into account. (A financial advisor can help with this part.) And remember that although the US stock market has returned about 10% a year on average, returns for individual companies and individual years can vary wildly. (We call these uneven distributions “fat tails.”) It’s always important to look at the big picture. A huge win on a stock bet today doesn’t mean much if you lose it tomorrow.”

“Investing is a lifelong journey. Making money slowly is much better than making—then losing—money quickly.”

A Short History of U.S. Stock Market Corrections & Bear Markets (Ben Carlson, CFA)

The Biggest Difference Between Now & the Dot-Com Bubble (Ben Carlson, CFA)

Stop Stressing About Inflation (Barry Ritholtz)

Your Finances & other Wealth Management links

A Bigger Risk Than GameStop? Beware the Ponzi Scheme Next Door. “Experts have seen an increase in the frauds, many of which are preying on investors who feel they lost out on the market gains of the last few years.” (The New York Times)

In ‘Do-Over,’ Enrollment in Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Reopens. “The new three-month sign-up period begins Feb. 15, as millions of people have lost their jobs and insurance in the pandemic.” (The New York Times)

The Environment & ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) Investing

The frightening link between climate change and the pandemic. “Forcing animals into new habitats means the viruses they carry move with them. It could mean more pandemics in the future.” (Fast Company)

COVID-19 & Your Health

Excerpts from: Coronavirus links: elementary common sense

• Four things we can do right now to get more people vaccinated. (theatlantic.com)
• Researchers are learning more about how viruses replicate and recombine into variants. (nytimes.com)
• The CDC says that those who are fully vaccinated don’t need to quarantine. (washingtonpost.com)
• When is it safe to visit someone who has been vaccinated? (npr.org)

Your Physical & Mental Well-being

This is the COOLEST. A Google Earth-type representation of the planet. Every green dot is a radio station. Click any dot to listen in. It’s like cultural teleportation. You could spend hours with this thing… https://t.co/rdEHUUfgvk pic.twitter.com/VJgyzVClJD

— David Pogue (@Pogue) February 14, 2021

The power of habit tracking (J.D. Roth)

An unofficial ranking of the 10 most annoying kids’ toys — let us know which ones haunt your dreams.