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Managing Risk
Most people are familiar with the stock market, which consists of hundreds of publicly traded companies that are all on their own,...

Nicholas Pihl
Feb 10, 20222 min read
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February 2022 Book Club Recommendation
My book recommendation this month is a little unusual (although that may be true of almost all my recommendations so far). The Power of...

Nicholas Pihl
Feb 4, 20221 min read
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The real value of advice, and what some advisors (and their clients) get wrong
The main way I make money is by managing investments for a fee. This is controversial for some people. Mostly, the pushback sounds like,...

Nicholas Pihl
Feb 3, 20223 min read
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How to lose less money in a casino, and make more money in stocks
There are many examples of faulty reasoning when it comes to money, and gambling in particular. A particularly destructive notion is...

Nicholas Pihl
Feb 3, 20225 min read
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How to invest when you are less than 10 years from retirement
Over the long term, the S&P 500 has produced total returns of around 10% per year. At least when you measure results over a given 40 year...

Nicholas Pihl
Jan 21, 20223 min read
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How to retire early without cutting back on spending
People in their late 50s and early 60s face an interesting situation when it comes to retirement. On one hand, many of them don't have...

Nicholas Pihl
Jan 12, 20224 min read
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January "Book Club" Recommendations
Happy New Year! I hope 2022 is off to a great start, and that you're taking some time to reflect on your life and your progress over the...

Nicholas Pihl
Jan 11, 20221 min read
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What does a (great) advisor actually do?
I thought it would be fun to share some of the things I do for clients throughout the year. Notice that intelligent portfolio management...

Nicholas Pihl
Jan 11, 20222 min read
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What to do when you're too good at saving money and need to start spending it
I believe the financial world can be divided into two major groups, "spenders" and "savers." All else equal, a saver, when they see extra...

Nicholas Pihl
Jan 6, 20223 min read
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December Newsletter
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and have some fun things to look forward to in the next month. I usually send a specific book...

Nicholas Pihl
Dec 6, 20212 min read
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Where Should I Put My Money?
Creating an investment strategy that works for you requires 3 basic things. One, an understanding of when you'll need to access the...

Nicholas Pihl
Sep 2, 20212 min read
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Welcome to the Digital World
If you want to understand the last 4 decades of technology, consider the following thought experiment. “Ignoring everything connected to...

Nicholas Pihl
Aug 30, 20214 min read
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How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by Ernie J. Zelinski (summary and notes)
I think this book is an antidote to the 40 year career. Not so much that it stops you from working from 40 years, although it might do...

Nicholas Pihl
Aug 30, 20215 min read
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Planning to Exit Your Business
If you're thinking of exiting your business in the next few years, you might want to consider what it will take to get your business...

Nicholas Pihl
Aug 18, 20212 min read
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August Newsletter
I hope you're having a great summer and enjoy the following recs. Getting the Goalpost to Stop Moving, by Morgan Housel: What I love...

Nicholas Pihl
Aug 5, 20212 min read
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What Most People Get Wrong About Budgeting
Budgeting is a powerful mental and psychological tool that can greatly improve your quality of life. Unfortunately, done improperly, it...

Nicholas Pihl
Aug 2, 20215 min read
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The Zero Dividend Portfolio
Returns for stocks come in two forms, dividends and price appreciation. Across the S&P 500, the dividend yield currently sits at about...

Nicholas Pihl
Jul 29, 20217 min read
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Dalio's All Weather Portfolio
Ray Dalio popularized the concept of the "All Weather Portfolio," an asset allocation strategy that is diversified enough to perform...

Nicholas Pihl
Jul 22, 20214 min read
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A Better Plan for Charitable Giving
It's well known that giving money to charity is a great way to reduce your taxable income, as well as support charitable organizations....

Nicholas Pihl
Jul 21, 20214 min read
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What Makes Costco's business superior to Fred Meyer?
The business begins where the profits (or opportunities for profit) begin. Everything else is just a collection of commodity assets....

Nicholas Pihl
Jul 6, 20213 min read
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