Oh man, a while back, I got hit with the joy of paying for college not once, but twice at the same time. My daughter’s just starting, bright-eyed freshman, while my son’s wrapping up as a senior. Double whammy, right?
We’d planned ahead, my wife and I, stashing away money for the kids’ education all the way from the moment we knew they were on the way. Smart? Sure. But also, a dash of luck danced on our side.
Our investments? They rode some fat bull markets, getting beefy over time. I mean, we did stumble through the Great Recession, hung tight with our saving game strong, and it worked out because, historically speaking, the stock market likes to climb.
Fast forward, kids inching through high school, I started hitting the brakes on their college funds. Shifted gears, went all conservative mode. As the big graduation days loomed, stocks became a no-go. Moved funds around to make sure they’d be there when tuition bills knocked on our door.
Yeah, I ducked out of some juicy gains. Also dodged the COVID-19 crash of 2020 and the 2022 bear market. I mean, trading peace of mind for missed gains isn’t exactly the worst deal.
With the college funds on lock, my personal stash is a different story. Still got some fingers in the stock pie, but threw in a mix of bonds, real estate, and a cache of cash for those “in case of interesting opportunity” moments. Not hoarding stocks blindly anymore.
Remember the dot-com boom? Oh, stocks were all the rage. They were like the nation’s sweetheart. Everyone was a stock hound, yapping about it day and night. Fast forward a bit, and it somehow stayed the same for ages. Kinda wild.
Think about it. Stocks? They’re thrilling, right? Big jumps, drops, and all those juicy sound bites for the media. But bonds? Real estate? Precious metals? They just hum along quietly. No big bang, just reliable clinks and clunks doing their thing in the background of a portfolio.
Sometimes, the market reminds us of these quiet warriors. Like when the S&P 500 had a dramatic dip. Bond folks? Barely a flinch. They hold steady, low default rates got their back. Real estate delivers the rent straight to the doorstep.
I’m a stock fan, through and through. Love watching them dance and write about ’em. But I’m not getting any younger. Gotta cool my jets and diversify a bit, right? Wall Street’s wild and promises zilch. Loving other asset vibes though. They’re like that stubborn friend you can count on, rain or shine.
If you’re drowning in stocks, maybe check out some other asset avenues. Could be a game changer.
Keep investing wild,
Marc
P.S. Got some wild investment tales or tips up your sleeve? Toss them in the comments. Your stories could light a bulb for someone!
