[blahblahblah]

Totally agree. Many of our highest paid people are just filling out forms, sending emails, and taking up space in silly meetings. The people that actually keep things running aren’t making jack squat for the most part (plumbers are an exception as are good auto technicians). I have no idea how to fix this, and I wouldn’t have time even if I did because I have too many emails to send, too many forms to fill out, and too many silly meetings to take up space in.

[blahblahblah]

Totally agree. Many of our highest paid people are just filling out forms, sending emails, and taking up space in silly meetings. The people that actually keep things running aren’t making jack squat for the most part (plumbers are an exception as are good auto technicians). I have no idea how to fix this, and I wouldn’t have time even if I did because I have too many emails to send, too many forms to fill out, and too many silly meetings to take up space in.

[blahblahblah]

I have considered it because I think there’s a good chance that at least some of that money will get confiscated in the future. Also I’m starting to suspect that it is a little naive to give your money to Wall Street thinking that it will magically grow and you’ll retire on it some day. After nearly 20 years of having a 401K, I’ve seen it’s balance take a huge hit a couple of times (2000 and 2008). So it looks so far to me that every 8-10 years I’m going to lose a ton. Yes I’m probably a crappy investor and yes everyone here on piggington is a super-genius and doesn’t have this problem. But with these big shocks every decade or so, it becomes difficult to imagine being able to retire on this money. Sometimes I think it might be smarter to just pull it out, pay the penalties, and buy a house or a business something close by that I can keep an eye on. I’m sure this is a very bad thing to do according to all the financial experts, which is another reason I suspect that I may need to do it.

[blahblahblah]

I have considered it because I think there’s a good chance that at least some of that money will get confiscated in the future. Also I’m starting to suspect that it is a little naive to give your money to Wall Street thinking that it will magically grow and you’ll retire on it some day. After nearly 20 years of having a 401K, I’ve seen it’s balance take a huge hit a couple of times (2000 and 2008). So it looks so far to me that every 8-10 years I’m going to lose a ton. Yes I’m probably a crappy investor and yes everyone here on piggington is a super-genius and doesn’t have this problem. But with these big shocks every decade or so, it becomes difficult to imagine being able to retire on this money. Sometimes I think it might be smarter to just pull it out, pay the penalties, and buy a house or a business something close by that I can keep an eye on. I’m sure this is a very bad thing to do according to all the financial experts, which is another reason I suspect that I may need to do it.

[blahblahblah]

I have considered it because I think there’s a good chance that at least some of that money will get confiscated in the future. Also I’m starting to suspect that it is a little naive to give your money to Wall Street thinking that it will magically grow and you’ll retire on it some day. After nearly 20 years of having a 401K, I’ve seen it’s balance take a huge hit a couple of times (2000 and 2008). So it looks so far to me that every 8-10 years I’m going to lose a ton. Yes I’m probably a crappy investor and yes everyone here on piggington is a super-genius and doesn’t have this problem. But with these big shocks every decade or so, it becomes difficult to imagine being able to retire on this money. Sometimes I think it might be smarter to just pull it out, pay the penalties, and buy a house or a business something close by that I can keep an eye on. I’m sure this is a very bad thing to do according to all the financial experts, which is another reason I suspect that I may need to do it.

[blahblahblah]

I have considered it because I think there’s a good chance that at least some of that money will get confiscated in the future. Also I’m starting to suspect that it is a little naive to give your money to Wall Street thinking that it will magically grow and you’ll retire on it some day. After nearly 20 years of having a 401K, I’ve seen it’s balance take a huge hit a couple of times (2000 and 2008). So it looks so far to me that every 8-10 years I’m going to lose a ton. Yes I’m probably a crappy investor and yes everyone here on piggington is a super-genius and doesn’t have this problem. But with these big shocks every decade or so, it becomes difficult to imagine being able to retire on this money. Sometimes I think it might be smarter to just pull it out, pay the penalties, and buy a house or a business something close by that I can keep an eye on. I’m sure this is a very bad thing to do according to all the financial experts, which is another reason I suspect that I may need to do it.

[blahblahblah]

I have considered it because I think there’s a good chance that at least some of that money will get confiscated in the future. Also I’m starting to suspect that it is a little naive to give your money to Wall Street thinking that it will magically grow and you’ll retire on it some day. After nearly 20 years of having a 401K, I’ve seen it’s balance take a huge hit a couple of times (2000 and 2008). So it looks so far to me that every 8-10 years I’m going to lose a ton. Yes I’m probably a crappy investor and yes everyone here on piggington is a super-genius and doesn’t have this problem. But with these big shocks every decade or so, it becomes difficult to imagine being able to retire on this money. Sometimes I think it might be smarter to just pull it out, pay the penalties, and buy a house or a business something close by that I can keep an eye on. I’m sure this is a very bad thing to do according to all the financial experts, which is another reason I suspect that I may need to do it.

[blahblahblah]

If you google “unemployment rates by state” you’ll see that the healthiest ten states, all with unemployment rates under 7%, are inevitably low tax, business-welcoming states (with the exception of Hawaii). That’s where I’d put my money.

That is good in theory but can be difficult in practice. Investing in companies that do business in those areas is probably a very good option. Going back to Texas (a place I know well), investing in property can be very tricky. Property taxes are very high in any good neighborhood (yes, even in “low tax” Texas), maintenance costs are high (lots of rain, lots of wind, lots of termites, plants and weeds grow unbelievably fast), and since homeownership rates are high, renters are often subpar citizens. Add to this the problem that few geographic boundaries exist to stop sprawling development, and investing in houses becomes a losing proposition. As I wrote earlier, the sprawl grows towards the farmland of the politically well-connected. Any property that will become developed anytime soon is already priced accordingly. And since all things being equal, people always prefer new homes to older ones (especially in Texas), any homes you own are at a disadvantage. This is compounded by the problem that employment centers constantly shift over time towards the property holdings of the good old boys network. Today’s “good” neighborhood in most parts of Texas is likely to be a marginal one in 20 years. There are a few exceptions, notably those areas near the top universities (UT in Austin, Rice in Houston, SMU/TCU in D/FW). However those properties already command a premium, and in high-property-tax, high-energy-cost, and high-maintenance-cost Texas, that makes carrying costs prohibitive in many cases. Caveat emptor.

Again, I do agree that business investments in the southeast are a good area to look into. But I also expect this for states that border Mexico, especially business catering to the lower middle class which is growing by the day as the rest of the middle class shifts downward.

[blahblahblah]

If you google “unemployment rates by state” you’ll see that the healthiest ten states, all with unemployment rates under 7%, are inevitably low tax, business-welcoming states (with the exception of Hawaii). That’s where I’d put my money.

That is good in theory but can be difficult in practice. Investing in companies that do business in those areas is probably a very good option. Going back to Texas (a place I know well), investing in property can be very tricky. Property taxes are very high in any good neighborhood (yes, even in “low tax” Texas), maintenance costs are high (lots of rain, lots of wind, lots of termites, plants and weeds grow unbelievably fast), and since homeownership rates are high, renters are often subpar citizens. Add to this the problem that few geographic boundaries exist to stop sprawling development, and investing in houses becomes a losing proposition. As I wrote earlier, the sprawl grows towards the farmland of the politically well-connected. Any property that will become developed anytime soon is already priced accordingly. And since all things being equal, people always prefer new homes to older ones (especially in Texas), any homes you own are at a disadvantage. This is compounded by the problem that employment centers constantly shift over time towards the property holdings of the good old boys network. Today’s “good” neighborhood in most parts of Texas is likely to be a marginal one in 20 years. There are a few exceptions, notably those areas near the top universities (UT in Austin, Rice in Houston, SMU/TCU in D/FW). However those properties already command a premium, and in high-property-tax, high-energy-cost, and high-maintenance-cost Texas, that makes carrying costs prohibitive in many cases. Caveat emptor.

Again, I do agree that business investments in the southeast are a good area to look into. But I also expect this for states that border Mexico, especially business catering to the lower middle class which is growing by the day as the rest of the middle class shifts downward.

[blahblahblah]

If you google “unemployment rates by state” you’ll see that the healthiest ten states, all with unemployment rates under 7%, are inevitably low tax, business-welcoming states (with the exception of Hawaii). That’s where I’d put my money.

That is good in theory but can be difficult in practice. Investing in companies that do business in those areas is probably a very good option. Going back to Texas (a place I know well), investing in property can be very tricky. Property taxes are very high in any good neighborhood (yes, even in “low tax” Texas), maintenance costs are high (lots of rain, lots of wind, lots of termites, plants and weeds grow unbelievably fast), and since homeownership rates are high, renters are often subpar citizens. Add to this the problem that few geographic boundaries exist to stop sprawling development, and investing in houses becomes a losing proposition. As I wrote earlier, the sprawl grows towards the farmland of the politically well-connected. Any property that will become developed anytime soon is already priced accordingly. And since all things being equal, people always prefer new homes to older ones (especially in Texas), any homes you own are at a disadvantage. This is compounded by the problem that employment centers constantly shift over time towards the property holdings of the good old boys network. Today’s “good” neighborhood in most parts of Texas is likely to be a marginal one in 20 years. There are a few exceptions, notably those areas near the top universities (UT in Austin, Rice in Houston, SMU/TCU in D/FW). However those properties already command a premium, and in high-property-tax, high-energy-cost, and high-maintenance-cost Texas, that makes carrying costs prohibitive in many cases. Caveat emptor.

Again, I do agree that business investments in the southeast are a good area to look into. But I also expect this for states that border Mexico, especially business catering to the lower middle class which is growing by the day as the rest of the middle class shifts downward.

[blahblahblah]

If you google “unemployment rates by state” you’ll see that the healthiest ten states, all with unemployment rates under 7%, are inevitably low tax, business-welcoming states (with the exception of Hawaii). That’s where I’d put my money.

That is good in theory but can be difficult in practice. Investing in companies that do business in those areas is probably a very good option. Going back to Texas (a place I know well), investing in property can be very tricky. Property taxes are very high in any good neighborhood (yes, even in “low tax” Texas), maintenance costs are high (lots of rain, lots of wind, lots of termites, plants and weeds grow unbelievably fast), and since homeownership rates are high, renters are often subpar citizens. Add to this the problem that few geographic boundaries exist to stop sprawling development, and investing in houses becomes a losing proposition. As I wrote earlier, the sprawl grows towards the farmland of the politically well-connected. Any property that will become developed anytime soon is already priced accordingly. And since all things being equal, people always prefer new homes to older ones (especially in Texas), any homes you own are at a disadvantage. This is compounded by the problem that employment centers constantly shift over time towards the property holdings of the good old boys network. Today’s “good” neighborhood in most parts of Texas is likely to be a marginal one in 20 years. There are a few exceptions, notably those areas near the top universities (UT in Austin, Rice in Houston, SMU/TCU in D/FW). However those properties already command a premium, and in high-property-tax, high-energy-cost, and high-maintenance-cost Texas, that makes carrying costs prohibitive in many cases. Caveat emptor.

Again, I do agree that business investments in the southeast are a good area to look into. But I also expect this for states that border Mexico, especially business catering to the lower middle class which is growing by the day as the rest of the middle class shifts downward.

[blahblahblah]

If you google “unemployment rates by state” you’ll see that the healthiest ten states, all with unemployment rates under 7%, are inevitably low tax, business-welcoming states (with the exception of Hawaii). That’s where I’d put my money.

That is good in theory but can be difficult in practice. Investing in companies that do business in those areas is probably a very good option. Going back to Texas (a place I know well), investing in property can be very tricky. Property taxes are very high in any good neighborhood (yes, even in “low tax” Texas), maintenance costs are high (lots of rain, lots of wind, lots of termites, plants and weeds grow unbelievably fast), and since homeownership rates are high, renters are often subpar citizens. Add to this the problem that few geographic boundaries exist to stop sprawling development, and investing in houses becomes a losing proposition. As I wrote earlier, the sprawl grows towards the farmland of the politically well-connected. Any property that will become developed anytime soon is already priced accordingly. And since all things being equal, people always prefer new homes to older ones (especially in Texas), any homes you own are at a disadvantage. This is compounded by the problem that employment centers constantly shift over time towards the property holdings of the good old boys network. Today’s “good” neighborhood in most parts of Texas is likely to be a marginal one in 20 years. There are a few exceptions, notably those areas near the top universities (UT in Austin, Rice in Houston, SMU/TCU in D/FW). However those properties already command a premium, and in high-property-tax, high-energy-cost, and high-maintenance-cost Texas, that makes carrying costs prohibitive in many cases. Caveat emptor.

Again, I do agree that business investments in the southeast are a good area to look into. But I also expect this for states that border Mexico, especially business catering to the lower middle class which is growing by the day as the rest of the middle class shifts downward.

[blahblahblah]

In hindsight, I should have picked Texas or some other non-bubble state that had good demographics and a business-friendly government. Many come to mind.

Ho ho ho, Texas. Yes, take all of your gains and invest them in Texas real estate. There is money to be made there by the bucketloads. Since I’m such a nice guy, I’ll even tell you how to do it. So here’s how you make money in Texas:

1) Buy farmland 20 miles outside of suburban D/FW, Austin, or Houston. Put some cows on it so that you can claim it’s a farm and pay low property tax.

2) Use your buddies in the city, county, state, and federal good old boy networks (I do hope you have some) to make sure that new roads and business districts get put near your land. Be prepared to hold your investment a while, this may take 10-20 years.

3) Once the new metro area starts springing up around your land, subdivide it and turn it into a housing development. Again, your buddies in the city and county governments will be needed here to help you out with permits, new roads, utilities, etc… Make sure you’re prepared to scratch their backs (or grease their palms) in exchange for their help.

There you go! You’re an instant Texas real estate tycoon. Note that if you don’t have the prerequisite connections in the good old boy network, you’ll just end up with a bunch of land in the middle of nowhere full of fire ants and weeds. But you can always park a trailer on it and live there, although you might have to drive a while to get to Wal-Mart for groceries.

[blahblahblah]

In hindsight, I should have picked Texas or some other non-bubble state that had good demographics and a business-friendly government. Many come to mind.

Ho ho ho, Texas. Yes, take all of your gains and invest them in Texas real estate. There is money to be made there by the bucketloads. Since I’m such a nice guy, I’ll even tell you how to do it. So here’s how you make money in Texas:

1) Buy farmland 20 miles outside of suburban D/FW, Austin, or Houston. Put some cows on it so that you can claim it’s a farm and pay low property tax.

2) Use your buddies in the city, county, state, and federal good old boy networks (I do hope you have some) to make sure that new roads and business districts get put near your land. Be prepared to hold your investment a while, this may take 10-20 years.

3) Once the new metro area starts springing up around your land, subdivide it and turn it into a housing development. Again, your buddies in the city and county governments will be needed here to help you out with permits, new roads, utilities, etc… Make sure you’re prepared to scratch their backs (or grease their palms) in exchange for their help.

There you go! You’re an instant Texas real estate tycoon. Note that if you don’t have the prerequisite connections in the good old boy network, you’ll just end up with a bunch of land in the middle of nowhere full of fire ants and weeds. But you can always park a trailer on it and live there, although you might have to drive a while to get to Wal-Mart for groceries.

[blahblahblah]

In hindsight, I should have picked Texas or some other non-bubble state that had good demographics and a business-friendly government. Many come to mind.

Ho ho ho, Texas. Yes, take all of your gains and invest them in Texas real estate. There is money to be made there by the bucketloads. Since I’m such a nice guy, I’ll even tell you how to do it. So here’s how you make money in Texas:

1) Buy farmland 20 miles outside of suburban D/FW, Austin, or Houston. Put some cows on it so that you can claim it’s a farm and pay low property tax.

2) Use your buddies in the city, county, state, and federal good old boy networks (I do hope you have some) to make sure that new roads and business districts get put near your land. Be prepared to hold your investment a while, this may take 10-20 years.

3) Once the new metro area starts springing up around your land, subdivide it and turn it into a housing development. Again, your buddies in the city and county governments will be needed here to help you out with permits, new roads, utilities, etc… Make sure you’re prepared to scratch their backs (or grease their palms) in exchange for their help.

There you go! You’re an instant Texas real estate tycoon. Note that if you don’t have the prerequisite connections in the good old boy network, you’ll just end up with a bunch of land in the middle of nowhere full of fire ants and weeds. But you can always park a trailer on it and live there, although you might have to drive a while to get to Wal-Mart for groceries.

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