My Wealth Builder

Using the Good Stuff Right Away

2026-06-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

When I was younger, I used to "save" my best purchases to use sparingly so that they would last a long time. I also did that with my kids when bought them new toys. I realize now that was a bad strategy. I've now switch to using the best stuff, as soon as I purchase it.

Here are my reasons:

Things get worse when not being used.
I forget about things being saved and don't use them for years.
Kids out grow things quickly.
As I get older, I have lots of things saved, but not used much.

My philosophy now is to use the good stuff as much and as fast possible. That goes for clothing, tools, food, special items and amenities. Enjoy all my stuff, before it goes bad or I get too old to enjoy using them. My first move is to regularly wear all the special t-shirts from the vacation spots we visited, the city wide events I organized, and the gifts from my kids and spouse.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Inflation and Interest Rates Like the 70s-80s Again?

2026-06-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Inflation and interest rates in the late 70s and early 80s grew rapidly. I remember gas prices doubling, interest rates rising, and gold and silver hitting new highs. Inflation reached 13%. Mortgage rates reached as high as 17% in my area. When mortgage rates dropped, I felt lucky to get a mortgage at 12% in the early 80s. I was also able to get a 5 year CD at 14%. The 20 year treasury bond yielded 15%.

The stock market suffered also. The Dow hit 1000 in 1972, fell 50% and didn't reach 1000 again until 1982.

Will the 70s - 80s happen again? Right now, it looks probable but not certain. To reduce market risk, I'm keeping a large proportion of our investments in short term money market funds. I'm holding back on buying additional stocks and bonds to wait for the direction of interest rates.

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Annuities - Good or Bad?

2026-06-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here's an balanced article on annuities from MSN.com which does a good job of covering the pros and cons of annuities. Basically, annuities guarantee certainty in payouts, and usually at a higher cost.

For reference, I am biased against having an annuity. I feel the loss of control and costs aren't worth the guaranteed payments provided. Therefore, we currently do no have any annuities. However, an annuity can be good option for some people.

For more on The Practice of Personal Finance, check back every Wednesday Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial, investment, nor annuity advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Our Kids Have Found Their Own Path

2026-06-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Many years ago, I once commented to someone that my kids aren't like me. I was hoping they would follow the same path that I did since I feel I have been relatively successful. Other than working hard on education, they chose their own path, which has turned out well.

As background, I was a four year varsity letterman and starting fullback in football. I was the starting fullback on the state runner-up team my junior year, and on the state championship team my senior year. I was also one of four valedictorians.

Both kids did well in school and continue to do well. Outside of education, they followed their own path and I'm glad they did.

My daughter did horseback riding, soccer and flute when she was younger. Flute stuck and she achieved mastery and excellence in flute. Me... I'm completely inept and tone deaf when it comes to music. Good thing my spouse had music skills and could help guide my daughter. Playing the flute as become a great anchor for my daughter in college.

My son, who is younger, tried all the sports: soccer, T-ball, flag football, golf and tennis. He was not a star in any of these, but tennis stuck. He works hard at tennis and plays with heart, which is all that I ask. Also, whatever he achieves, I've counseled him that the number one test is that he enjoys playing. I think tennis will be a great anchor for my son in high school and, maybe, college.

My kids have done well. I am glad they found their own path and I am proud of them.

For more on Ideas You Can Use, check back every Tuesday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor education advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Working Through Lunch was Not a Good Choice

2026-06-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Before I retired, I constantly worked though lunch, often skipping having anything to eat. I thought I would be more focused and productive by continuing to work. Now that I'm retired, and eating regularly with several snack, I realize that skipping lunch was a bad choice.

Here's why it was a bad choice:

I was less healthy. Being hungry, eating more junk food at meals, and drinking much more coffed.
I was more stressed. I should have taken time for lunch, and perhaps a couple breaks in the morning and afternoon.
In hindsight, I wasn't more productive. I just spent more time doing the work and stretching it out.
I extended skipping meals to skipping dinner at times. Again, not a good choice.
Even though I was skipping meals, I gained weight. Hmmmm.

Now, I make sure I have breakfast everyday. I split lunch time up in the 2-3 segments, usually a large salad without dressing, a vegetarian burger, and sometimes a soup. Dinner is a little more random, but I always eat healthy, another salad and/or a bean dish. I avoid fried foods, and high fat foods. Also, 80-90% of our meals are home made. We rarely eat out nor have frozen meals.

Looking back, I should have eaten regular meals while working. I expect I would have had a healthier lifestyle and been more productive.

For more on Strategies and Plans, check back every Monday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor health advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

End of Cardiac Rehab

2026-06-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last month, I completed my cardiac rehab sessions. This is my third time in cardiac rehab. I pushed it a bit harder this time to confirm that the procedure was successful. I achieved the same of METS that showed an anomaly on the treadmill stress test without any issue.

In addition, I spent the last two weeks adding weight training to my exercise routine.

After the last two times, I didn't continue my exercises after rehab. I didn't do any weight training the first two times.

Over the past 13 years, I thought managing my diet was the most important factor. I guess I was wrong. This time, I plan to continue doing the aerobic exercise and do the additional weight training. Hopefully, that will decrease my propensity for blockages in the future.

We shall see.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor health advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Dick Tracy and the Jetsons

2026-06-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

"It's difficult to make predictions, especially about the future." ~ Yogi Berra

When I was a kid, I watched Dick Tracy and The Jetsons cartoons. The tech was amazing to me at the time. Dick Tracy had a watch phone. The Jetson had flying cars.

Well, the watch phone became reality, while the flying car (looking at you Muskman) is not a reality yet. Cool that these things have happened in my lifetime.

Oh, and Lost in Space, which aired in 1967, took place in 1997. Still waiting for that to happen.

For more on Reflections and Musings, check back every Saturday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor future advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

SpaceX or ScamX?

2026-06-12T20:00:00.000-04:00

Let's just say, I didn't buy any of the SpaceX IPO shares. I didn't buy any SpaceX in the open market today. I have no interest in buying SpaceX in the near future. The valuation doesn't make sense to me and is way to high.

However, I'm not going to bet against Muskman, who has been doing masterclass in financial engineering and corporate finance to maximum valuations for his companies. I'm going to watch from the sidelines for now.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock picking, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Inspirational Movies for Me

2026-06-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here's my list of recently watched movies that I found inspirational:

Remarkably Bright Creatures - About aging, finding connections, and making peace with the past and narrated by an aquarium octopus. Great plot twist.
Hacksaw Ridge - About Medal of Honor winner medic Desmond Doss at Okinawa, who was a conscientious objector that refused to carry arms in the battlefield and save the lives of over 100 men.
Miracle - About the underdog US Olympic hockey team road to the Gold medal in 1980 at Lake Placid, which included defeating the USSR 4 time Olympic Gold medal team.
You Gotta Believe - Underdog team makes it to the Little League World Series to honor their coach who has terminal cancer.

These films moved me and brought tears to my eye. I tend to root for the underdog, which I have experienced being many times.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for posting about these movies.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor movie entertainment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Saved by TACO Thursday

2026-06-11T20:00:00.000-04:00

President Trump cancelled the Iran strikes scheduled for this evening. The markets reacted by reversing on going up significantly.

At this point, I am no longer buying the dip in anticipation of a TACO. I'm just hodling what I have already. Some are up and some are still down from my buying the dip in February 2026. Most of the stocks are SAAS software stocks that are down 50-70% from their highs.

Although each succeeding TACO has less impact, I expect President Trump to continue TACOing up until the midterm election. It may be hopium to hodl and we shall see.

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock picking, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Aspire to Be a Hundred Millionaire or Billionaire

2026-06-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore." ~ Yogi Berra

A million ain't what it used to be either.

When I was growing up, becoming a millionaire was considered an aspirational financial goal. Very few people had a million dollars and my parents bought a new house for $28,000. A million dollars seemed very unattainable. In 1965, there were 100,000 millionaires in the US. I thought becoming a millionaire was a stretch goal.

Today, a million dollars seems much more achievable. In 2020, the there are over 18 million millionaires in the US. That house I grew up in is valued at $421,000 on Zillow. Many families have dual incomes, leading to over a million dollars salary over their lifetime.

$100 million would have been a better aspirational financial goal. In 2020, there were about 80,000 households with over $100 million, which is close to the number of millionaires in 1965. $100 million would have been a appropriate inflation adjusted goal.

Maybe ambitious kids today should set $1 Billion as a stretch goal to achieve in their future.

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

I'm Awful at Stock Picking

2026-06-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

I initially thought I could beat the market by buying specific stocks. I did this for many years, and had some big wins, but I also had big losses. Recently, I did an evaluation of my stock investments in the last 10 years. The good news is that I had a gain overall. The bad news is that I would have had higher gains from owning an S&P index fund or ETF. In addition, I would free up the time that I spend evaluating, buying and selling stocks.

Based on this learning, here the actions I'm taking:

Scale out of owning most individual stocks. I am avoiding starting new positions. I will add to some existing positions that are negative, but plan to scale out later when the entire position is positive. I am holding long term losses in a separate account to remind myself of my previous poor choices.
Going forward for stocks, invest in total market index funds and etfs, specifically the S&P, total market and growth stock index funds. This is much easier to manage since stock risk is eliminated.
For kids' accounts, dollar cost average (DCA) into their investment accounts and hodl.

I expect this to reduce my anxiety when the market declines and help me be agnostic to short term volatility, which seems to be frequent nowadays.

This approach has been helpful so far this year, but there hasn't been a major correction or bear market yet. That will be the true test on my new investment strategy.

For more on The Practice of Personal Finance, check back every Wednesday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock picking, nor stock investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Just Hodl

2026-06-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Currently, there is lots of volatility in the stock market. Earnings beats, earnings miss, disappointing forward guidance, ceasefire ending, ceasefire extended, President Trump TACO, ceasefire broken, stocks go up, then down, then up again. What's an investor to do?

The approach I used to follow was to react to the volatility. Sometimes it was sell; other times it was buy the dip. Usually, this resulted in a whipsaw effect, sharply up, sharply down and a roller coaster. When the stock went up quickly, I would sell with small gains of 5-15% and watch the stock go up much further. When it went down, I would hold hoping to get back to even to sell and exit the position. I would sell the one's that went above breakeven, but, unfortunately, there were ones that took forever, or never, to recover.

My new strategy now is hodl through the volatility, since I'm no longer depending exclusively on stock gains for our retirement income. Hodling has significantly reduced my anxiety of owning stocks, since capital gains are no longer the main source of retirement income. Thus, I am more comfortable hodling though the corrections that inevitably happen. Of course, the real test will be if I hodl through a bear market, which has not happened since I started this investment strategy.

For more on Ideas You Can Use, check back every Tuesday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock investment nor investment strategy advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

The Sky is Falling or Buy the Dip

2026-06-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, especially Friday, June 5, 2026 was dismal for the stock market. Memory and space stocks took a big hit. The S&P 500 was down over 2%. Looks pretty ugly.

I used to agonize over whether to keep my investments or sell them before they go lower, since my metric was how much assets grew to support our retirement. Last year, I changed our metric to how much monthly income our investments generate, hopefully independent of volatility. This dip will help me understand how this new strategy is working.

For now, I'm going to hodl what I own and refrain from buying the dip at the current levels. If the dip goes another 10%, I may reconsider buying into some existing positions.

For more on Strategies and Plans , check back every Mondayfor a new segment.

This is not financial, stock buying nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Need to Do Weight Exercises

2026-06-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

When I was younger, I wasn't a fan of weight training. I was the starting fullback for a State Championship football team, and I didn't do weights. In college, I didn't do weight training even though I played even though I was the starting fullback in football again. When I played, weight training was not a requirement for athletes. Thus, I avoided it. Like many of my teammates, I built strength through practice and drills.

Fast forward to now. I've been in rehab for a procedure earlier this year. Most of the exercises have been cardio, treadmills and bikes. Near completion, I started to do some weight exercises. I did ok, but I realized I am much weaker than I expected.

Needless to say, I need to be doing more weight exercises and weight training now that I'm older. I will start working weights into my schedule in the future.

Niagara Falls Vacation - Five Stars

2026-06-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

One of our best vacations was Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. We stayed in a hotel with a huge picture window overlooking the horseshoe falls. The hotel was also a short inclined railway and short walk to the falls. We did the main touristy activities: boat ride to the falls and a walk in the tunnels behind the falls. Best of all, we saw a full rainbow over the falls.

It was the fourth time to the falls for the parents, the second time for our oldest, and the first for the youngest. We probably won't be going back soon since our last visit was in 2024. When we do, we will likely stay at the same hotel again for the wonderful views.

For more on Reflections and Musings, check back every Saturday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor vacation advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Looks Like the S&P Gain Streak May be Ended

2026-06-05T13:00:00.000-04:00

Unless a miracle occurs, it appears the S&P's nine weeks of consecutive gains will be over.

Possible Miracles:

Strait of Hormuz unconditionally opens.
Iran War ceasefire extend for 60 more days.
Iran War ends.
President Trump TACO, which didn't occur this week.

Still it will only be one down week, if the decline continues for the rest of day. Yeah, we're at levels not seen since...(checks charts) two weeks ago.

Still, some folks are panicking. Losses are happening. Selling is happening. Others think it is the beginning of the end. Volatility is scary.

I'm still hodling at this time. I'll find out in a few weeks if this was the right choice.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor stock investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Hodling Hopium Stocks for 1000% Gain

2026-06-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of volatility this week for SAAS, Space and Meme stocks. Today, I'm discussing my plans for my hopium stocks.

I'm hodling my hopium stocks: Blackberry (BB), Nokia (NOK) and Sellas Life Sciences (SLS). I'm targeting for a 1000% or 10X gain. Currently, I'm up 100-200% on shares and up 300-4000% on call options.

No way (or less than .01% probability), these three stocks will reach a 10X gain when I sell. This is obviously irrational. However, no rational investor would have expected the market to be at all time highs with inflation and the Iran war. Yet, here we are

For now, I'll be hodling.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

Meme Stock Gambling Like It's 2021

2026-06-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

In 2021, there were a number of meme stocks that enabled investors/gamblers to receive big gains on certain stocks: GME, BB, SKT, SFIX, PACB, PLUG and others. I made money on a number of them and held too long on others and rode them down.

The new memes in 2026 are memory stocks (MU, SNDK, STX), space related stocks (RKLB, ASTS, LUNR, SPCE) and some old meme stocks (BB, NOK). PSA: SPCE is not SpaceX. SPCE is Virgin Atlantic.

Meme stock options can make some folks millionaires. It will make others bag holders or long term investors. The key to buying meme stocks is to sell before the inevitable decline, or rug pull. Of course, it works until it doesn't.😎

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock buying, nor stock picking advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Buying Options is Mostly Gambling for Me

2026-06-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

Options give the put buyer the right to sell a stock at specific price or call buyer the right to buy a stock at a specific price.

While buying a put is "insurance" for shares that are owned if there is a decline, buying naked put option or call options is often gambling on the price of the stock, especially if they are short term options, i.e. less that a month from expiration.

I admit I like to buy call and put options, but generally for longer term around 6-11 months from expiration. I often buy options that expire in January of the next year. For me, options are mostly gambling on the price change. 2021 was a great year in options for me. 2024 was poor year, with mostly losses. 2025 was a mixed year. Some options had up to 7000% gains and others expired worthless.

2026 started out poorly since all my January 2026 options expired worthless. Since 2025 had some bad option purchases, I decided to be less aggressive in 2026 and purchase much fewer options that were also lower in price. Right now my January 2027 expiration options on BB and SLS are returning XX% and XX% respectively. My SNDL and EVGO call and SPY put January expiration options are breakeven at this point.

All these options are just lotto tickets that I can deduct for taxes if they become worthless. I'm going to hodl these to Valhalla or zero. Hopefully, it's Valhalla. If it's zero, unlike lotto ticket, I can write off the losses on my tax return.

For more on The Practice of Personal Finance, check back every Wednesday for a new segment.

This is not financial, option, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Need a TACO

2026-06-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

My "buy the dip stocks" rocketed yesterday. Today, they gave it all the gains back by 10:30AM this morning.

Here's a list of my "buy the dip stocks:" MSFT, NOW, TSLA, CRM, TEAM, HUBS, ADBE, ACN, NFLX, UNH

I've disciplined myself to hodl and I will again this time. However, I'm hoping/expecting a President Trump TACO since it's Tuesday. 😎

Disclosure: I still own MSFT, NOW, TSLA, CRM, TEAM, HUBS, ADBE, ACN, NFLX, UNH

For more on Ideas You Can Use, check back every Tuesday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock picking, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Diamond Handing Memory Stocks

2026-06-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

I bought MU and STX on May 11, 2026. The stock crashed on May 11, 2026 and then rebounded before crashing again on May 19, 2026. The price dipped way below my purchase price. However, I decided to hodl. By May 29. 2026 they recovered an reach new highs.

Lucky me. I will continue to hodl for a while. It works every time, 60% of the time.😎

For more on Ideas You Can Use , check back every Tuesday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock picking nor stock investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Vibe Investing is Working Great

2026-06-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Measures such as price/earnings, dividend payout, and other technical factors don't seem to matter as much as before for stock market values. Vibes seem to be the new controlling factor.

IMHO, there seems to be multiple vibe vectors that affect movements in stock prices:

Bull vs. Bear
Positive vs. Negative
In the Market vs. On the Sidelines
Optimistic vs. Pessimistic
Reasonable Risk vs. Unsafe Risk
Trump Pump vs. Trump Dump

When the vibes move more to the left, the stock price tends to rise. The more to the left, the faster it rises. When vibes move to right, the stock price tends to fall.

My assessment of vibes is that they are solidly in the left. My vibes are slightly more to center, and I have gone full retard on equities since I'm hedging with bonds and bond funds. However, I'm still hodling what I have.

Who needs to study and evaluate the technical data. Lately, vibe investing works all the time, about 60% of the time.😎 LOL.

For more on Strategy and Plans, check back every Monday for a new segment.

Moles/Vols are Gone This Year

2026-05-31T21:00:00.000-04:00

I've spent 4-5 years trying to rid moles/vols in our yard by repelling them. We don't like to trap or kill the animal pests. We prefer to encourage them not to be in our yard.

This all started when my neighbor hire a pest control company to rid the moles/vols in his yard. The pest control company then made a bid for doing my yard too. He said, "Once we repel the moles/vols from your neighbors yard, they will do to other yards. Would you like a treatment for your yard?"

Initially, I tried the commercially available mole/vol powder repellent. Guaranteed to work said the package. Qualitatively, it reduced the mole/vol population but they returned after a short period. Then I switched to castor oil mixed with dish detergent for 2 years. I sprayed directly on the tunnels, and I didn't notice any decrease in tunneling activity. In fact, the tunnels appeared to be expanding across the yard based on the mushiness of lawn.

At the same time, I also bought some sound emitters. I tried them for a few months before my spouse complained about the noise and I removed them. Still there was no reduction in the lawn mushiness.

Over the winter, I read a post and responses on the Internet claiming success from using coffee grounds to successfully repel moles/vols. Since my spouse regularly drinks coffee, I tried spreading used coffee grounds over the lawn. In the worst case, the coffee grounds would only fertilize the lawn.

While there were still noticeable squishy mounds on our lawn in March 2026, it is now May 2026 and the mounds are gone and the lawn is firm. My assumption is the moles/vols have moved away. However, I have no idea which of the treatments had an effect nor do I know if they moved away due to lack of food sources. Either way, they appear to be gone.

If they return, I will probably try the repellents in reverse order, starting with coffee grounds, even though that seems unlikely to be the reason.

For more on Strategies and Plans, check back every Monday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor pest control advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

24 Hour Stock Trading

2026-05-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, I was checking some of the after-hours prices for my "buy the dip software stocks" and I noticed the time stamp was 12:37AM, which is after the typical close of 8PM for after hours trading. In addition, the prices were still changing, which led me to think that 24 hour trading was in effect.

I just checked a today and several brokerages now have 24 hour trading 5 or 6 days for specific index and other ETFs, and specific equities. Amazing.

I won't be trading 24 hours, but it is useful to be able to check how specific stocks are doing overnight, for the case when I plan to sell or buy the next day.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.