This is going to sound harsh, but that bad investment advice for most people. US Bonds and Cash appreciate less than inflation, so you're actually losing money. The same is true for gold, which has historically underperformed vs. S&P500 (for example) by thousands of percent (http://www.longtermtrends.net/stocks-vs-gold-comparison/). Meanwhile the stock market has more than doubled in the past 10 years. 25% is almost definitely not enough equity exposure unless you are in your golden years. If you're investing for the long term (which you should be), it is much better to use a simple index funds or Robo-manager which will buy a variety of index funds with broad exposure according to modern portfolio theory.
If you put all of your money into the S&P500 only at the absolute, single worst possible day (the market top on May 16th, 2008 at $1,425) you would still be up about 100% today, 10 years later at $2,779 (So about 2X, just checked).
If you put money in "after the plummet," as you suggest, which is the best case scenario, (buying at the low of $735 in January of 2009) would put you up approximately 300% (4X).
The average investor would get somewhere between these two just by ignoring the market and investing biweekly.
I'm not even advising to go 100% for the S&P500 Index Funds. However that's an infinitely better idea than a portfolio that is 75% of Gold (Dumb), T Bills + Cash (Losing money everyday), and Bonds (Which are paying at near-historic lows). It's just bad advice.
OmniFocus for all actionable items
Pinboard for tagging links
Google doc listing quotes I like
Instapaper for reading later
YouTube for watch later
Overcast + huffduffer for listen later
All of these work/sync cross my desktop laptop and iPhone.
In progress is a wiki type system for potentially typing it all together. Dropbox Paper has been great for the wiki part.
HB's Permanent Portfolio consists of 25% each cash/gold/stocks/long term bonds
25% stocks (index fund) Stocks – for profit during periods of general prosperity and/or declining inflation.
25% Gold – for profit during periods of bad inflation; during inflationary episodes gold bullion provides protection against a falling currency and other potential problems.
25% Long Term Bonds (30 year) – for profit during periods of declining interest rates; and especially during a deflation. Bonds also do reasonably well during prosperity.
25% Cash – During a recession, no particular asset class is going to do well. The cash in a Treasury Money Market Fund offers stability when portfolio asset classes fall in price. It also protects purchasing power during a deflation.
That percentage has been and will be debated forever, even by proponents of the Browne PP model, but 4x25 has done well as recently as the past two decades.
Also the exact number is not all that critical. Earlier versions of Browne’s portfolio were more complicated and he simplified it to 4x25 later on, still allowing that people could tweak it if they must. But 4x25 is simple and works.
* You can collapse your commute and exercise in to one activity.
* You either pre-cook meals on the weekend, or utilize a meal substitute like Soylent (or both)
* Most chores involve cleaning things that just get dirty as part of their normal use, if you shower and spend most of your "toilet time" at work, you automatically have someone who's going to clean up after you.
In what possible way? Biking or walking to work is "dreary and sad"? Spending less time cooking so you can spend more time doing exciting and fun activities is "dreary and sad"? Pooping at the office is "dreary and sad"?
What kind of life do you lead where being stuck in traffic, daily meal preparation, and shitting on your own toilet is a constant thrill ride?
My commute to work is 10 minutes. I poop and shower at home, in my own lovely bathroom. I cook elaborate meals at home and serve them to people I love.
I guess I'm just surprised when people don't share the same joy of cooking. Or, for that matter, taking an excellent bowel movement in one's own toilet.
eating - I think that's why Soylent was so popular. People liked the idea of drinking a meal while working/multi-tasking. I'm not 100% into it, especially since I'd prefer something with a better ratio of protein, but I see the appeal.
