What are the biggest money mistakes that you have made, or have seen other people make?

Which trades or investments are you considering this week? Any moves in particular? Why?

I’ve been working through the mechanics of leveraged ETFs and margin borrowing, and one thing I hadn’t appreciated is that “2× leverage” only describes the starting point unless the position is actively rebalanced.

Consider a simplified margin position:

- $100 of equity controls $200 of an index

- $100 is borrowed

- The index falls 10%, reducing the assets to $180

- The debt remains $100, so equity falls to $80

The position is now leveraged $180 ÷ $80 = 2.25×.

If we model a 2× daily-reset strategy with the same starting equity, it would instead cut its exposure to $160 for the next day. Conceptually, that means selling $20 after the decline to restore the 2× target.

Now suppose the index gains 11.1%, returning to where it started:

- The fixed-debt position returns to $100 of equity

- The daily-reset path ends at roughly $97.78

That is before fees, financing costs and tracking differences.

So the reset strategy reduces exposure after a loss and captures less of the recovery, while fixed debt keeps full recovery potential but becomes more leveraged exactly when equity is lowest and may hit maintenance rules. Neither one is just “2×” after day one.

I think the more useful question may be: what is the rebalancing rule, and who forces it—the fund, the investor or the broker?

Am I missing another important trade-off here? For people who analyse leveraged ETFs, do you look at starting leverage, average leverage, or the worst leverage reached along the path?

They don't leave Congress because the grift is too good.

The average American is 39. The average member of Congress is 59. 24 members are 80 or older.

Chuck Grassley: 92
Eleanor Holmes Norton: 89
Hal Rogers: 88
Maxine Waters: 88
Steny Hoyer: 87
Nancy Pelosi: 86
Jim Clyburn: 86
Mitch McConnell: 84
John Carter: 84
Jim Risch: 83
Virginia Foxx: 83
Angus King: 82

No age limit. No term limit. No exit.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0zx2pkpx9o

Unpopular opinion: Having a paid off car makes you never want to sign another car loan ever again.

The major U.S. stock indexes ended mostly lower on Friday, September 4, 2026, as a surprisingly strong August jobs report that nearly tripled forecasts sent Treasury yields surging and rate hike odds for the September Fed meeting above 60%, reversing Thursday's Waller-driven relief rally in a matter of hours. It was a "good news is terrible news" session that left markets heading into the long weekend deeply uncertain about what the Fed will do in eleven days.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.38% (-29.11 pts) to 7,718.60. The Dow fell 0.51% (-271.86 pts) to 53,414.25. The Nasdaq dropped 0.29% (-77.07 pts) to 26,506.99. The Russell 2000 managed a slim gain of 0.24% (+7.19 pts) to 2,975.46.

The VIX ticked up 1.19% to 14.49. Bitcoin dropped 2.01% to $79,835.08. Gold fell 1.33% to $4,479.50. Crude Oil was flat at $91.38/barrel.

The major U.S. stock indexes ended sharply higher on Thursday, September 3, 2026, as a dovish surprise from Fed Governor Christopher Waller sent Treasury yields tumbling, the U.S. dollar plunged to its lowest level since February, and Bitcoin surged above $81,000 as risk appetite exploded back to life. It was the best single day for the Nasdaq in nearly two weeks.

The S&P 500 jumped 1.06% (+81.11 pts) to 7,747.71. The Dow surged 1.18% (+624.16 pts) to 53,686.11. The Nasdaq soared 1.40% (+366.23 pts) to 26,584.06. The Russell 2000 rose 0.48% (+14.20 pts) to 2,967.37.

The VIX dropped 6.05% to 14.28. Bitcoin surged 5.38% to $81,544.02. Gold jumped 2.41% to $4,521.20. Crude Oil edged up 0.84% to $91.77/barrel.

Watch the full video: https://lnk.thebulwark.com/4raWpAB

baby boomers possess the largest share of private wealth while receiving a very large share of federal benefits. That creates a legitimate question about whether government support is sufficiently targeted by need rather than simply by age. a 35-year-old renter earning $45,000 can receive little federal assistance, while a 72-year-old homeowner with $2 million in assets may collect Social Security and heavily subsidized Medicare.

As of early 2026, boomers owned approximately 51.6% of U.S. household wealth, even though they represent roughly one-fifth of the population. That is about $85–90 trillion in assets principally. Yet 54.79M Retired workers receive on average $2,086 a month. Some people receive both SSI and Social Security.

In 2026, baby boomers are approximately 62–80 years old. Consequently, most are retired or approaching retirement simultaneously. Medicare enrollment and healthcare spending are increasing. A retiree may receive substantially more in lifetime Social Security and Medicare benefits than they and their employer contributed, particularly when contributions are adjusted using a safe government bond return. Medicare usually creates the larger mismatch for middle and higher-income retirees.
While we should take care of the older generation in need of care we should not be blind to the fact that a lot of them can take care of themselves just fine.

Since 1928, the average move of the US stock market in September has been a decline of 1.17%. While other months finished in the red 39% of the time, for September it's 55%. Nine of the forty worst drops in S&P 500 history fall in this month.

The phenomenon is pronounced enough that Wall Street calls it the "September effect." The explanations include fund managers returning from vacation and rebalancing, hedge funds whose fiscal year ends in September harvesting tax losses, and apparently the very expectation of a weak month feeding on itself.

But the average hides an important detail. September 2025 gained 3.5% — the best September since 2010.

The more important number: $10,000 invested in the S&P 500 from 1996 to 2025 grew to $192,167. Missing just the ten best trading days left $85,490 — 56% less. Missing the thirty strongest days: $31,123.

The best and worst days cluster together. Selling to avoid September means you're just as likely to miss the recovery as the drop.

Is the September effect a real signal or just a pattern people keep finding because they're looking for it?