3 things I'm thinking about this week...

 
1 - The Paradox of Choice. I’m a reader. And I like re-reading things to make sure the message sinks in. Or 32 times in the case of some of my favorite space program books before bed. I re-read a little bit of Carl Richards’ book The One Page Financial Plan this week. He shares an anecdote of taking his dog to the vet and getting three treatment options, which frustrated him. He asked his (now) beleaguered vet: what would you do if it was your dog? 
 

And that was from only 3 choices. This article explores the paradox of choice: more choices doesn’t mean more satisfaction. Too many choices lead to more cognitive effort and in the end regret. Why does this matter? Because overloading yourself with choices can lead you to one of the worst possible outcomes: inaction. 

In our profession, that means our job is to understand your current position, what money means to you, and where you want to go. And use our experience and knowledge to tell you what we would do if we were in your shoes. 

 

2 - Buffett on Gold.  Contrarian thinking makes sense when we hit extremes. Eras of desperation and low valuations can provide investors with unique opportunities. Conversely, when an investment sector or idea is already loved and trading at record highs, it might make sense to ask yourself “where does it/can it go from here?” This article from Warren Buffett is a good reminder on gold - spoiler alert: he’s not a fan - of owning it vs. stocks. Also, gold hobbyists are now panning for gold providing another sign of an overloved investment idea.

Created by ChatGPT

3 - Red Lobster Rebound. You might remember them from such hits as “$20 endless shrimp” – a promotion which sent them to bankruptcy a few years ago. They’ve pivoted away from such economic nonsense to “SpendLESS Shrimp” which skips the endless part while still providing abundance. They’re on a path to rationality and perhaps growth under their 36-year-old CEO Damola Adamolekun. This article is a recap of his story and plan.

...and one more thing

My wife Brooke and I have been trying out Japanese Walking – a way to get more fitness out of our nightly strolls. We ran into this guy down the street – probably the largest inflatable we’ve seen yet and that’s saying something for our neighborhood!