Madness is Fuel for Mojo

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I hope this Tuesday evening is treating you well. With March Madness in full swing, I’m in a playful spirit despite Trump’s budget cut proposals, a potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and today’s stock market dip. I’m also on a high because I got the opportunity to spend time with a group of fellow Yale alums interested in investing and setting themselves up for financial success. I was honored to speak with another Yale alum - shout out to John Caserta, ’01. Selfie time from last Thursday…

John and I both have a similar approach to investing. I also shared my Top 5 philosophies. In case you need a refresher, here they are:

  • Invest in skill set

  • Run your money like a business

  • Find low-cost product

  • Take risk with cushion

  • Create personal investing mojo

Part of my own investing mojo is to stick to an investing philosophy, take action, and get results. I suspect that the market might be a bit choppy in the coming weeks, so remember to stay the course and execute on your own investing plan.

What Caught My Eye This Week

Basing Life on What You Can Afford – I love Ron Lieber’s NYT articles. The article goes into the stories of how and why everyday people make the hard financial trade-offs. As you subconsciously do the same by the end of the day, you might be surprised by what’s unveiled. To whet your appetite, one story describes how a mother has made serious trade-offs for her two daughters – inspiring.

A New Commercial Real Estate Investing Vehicle – Innovation is always happening on Wall Street. And, now individuals will have a chance to invest in commercial real estate. Currently, individuals can invest in this sector through REITs, or Real Estate Investment Trusts, which are pools of properties that trade like stocks. In the WSJ’s article, “A New Way For Individuals to Invest in Real Estate,” a new structure will give individuals easier access to commercial investments. Interestingly, “commercial real estate returned an average of 6.93% annually over the 10 years ended Dec. 31,” which is similar to the 6.95% return on the S&P500 Index.  Keep in mind, however, that the new vehicle comes with hefty fees of close to 2%.

Boldness in Action. Several members of the Charisse Says community have inquired about getting a financial advisor in the recent weeks. Way to go! Keep on living the bold life and recognizing that a financial advisor can be the COO of your money (If this is not sounding familiar, check out my video on how to make this happen).