The Cost of a YOLO Account

Core and explore. A popular approach to investing that allows for a sensible portfolio with a hint of recklessness. The strategy is simple. Keep most of your holdings in a risk-appropriate portfolio and reserve a small portion (up to 10%) to go nuts. Whether that be mushroom stocks, Bitcoin or GameStop. Your cheat meal to an otherwise healthy diet.

Trading is tempting. The thought of finding hidden gems or leveraging up your returns is exhilarating. It's the skydiving to indexing's drying paint. Having some "play money" is a good way to scratch this itch without putting your entire financial well-being at stake.

The downside is the cost of entry. It's entirely possible you'll hit a few home runs. However, odds are you'll come up short over time. These losses compound and become a huge drag on your lifetime returns.

Trading is addicting and time consuming. You'll be constantly checking your account and stressing over your next moves. It's a toll on your psyche.

If a play account is for fun, it's important to consider the cost of this "fun". Speculative investing comes with the mantra "invest only what you're willing to lose". Is this fun worth 10% of your net worth? Very few people are willing to spend that much on anything, but for some reason we see money differently when it hits our brokerage account. We detach, like it's not real money.

It is real money, money that can be spent elsewhere. Vacations, gifts, nice meals. Things that can be more fun and cost much less.

I personally don't have a play account. I find the idea of having concentrated holdings too stressful. Even watching the past week unfold from the sidelines was exhausting. If you do take the gamble, please do so responsibly and recognize the costs.

Comments

Today's Special: Humble Pie

You champion a project, fight for an idea, and then...reality sets in. That churning in your stomach isn't butterflies, it's the realization you've missed the mark. Pride will puff up your chest, and kick in the "defend at all costs" instinct. But arguing with the umpire never changed a call. Admitting you're wrong isn't a sign of weakness. It can strengthen your professional standing. In a world obsessed with the illusion of infallibility, the courage to adjust course is a breath of fresh air. It shows you're confident enough to be wrong, and adaptable enough to learn from it. Do your research, think critically, and stand behind your decisions. But when the data whispers (or screams) otherwise, don't be afraid to swallow that slice of humble pie. Be the first to acknowledge. Don't wait for someone to point out your mistake. Be open, take responsibility, and most importantly, focus on what you're going to do to address it. Don't dwell ...

The Art of Giving Feedback

Constructive feedback is an awkward affair. You don't want hurt feelings, but recognize the importance of honesty. You've tried the classic "hoping things will get better on its own" and unfortunately it hasn't played out. When giving feedback, here are a few things that I try to keep it mind. Start with empathy. Step into their shoes and understand their story. If you don't know, ask. Be genuinely curious. Feedback is a dynamic affair. Shared communication with a shared goal towards progress. Take the emotion out of it. Focus on the situation, not the person. Focusing on the person adds unnecessary weight to an already emotionally-bloated event. Be specific. Give clear examples. Vague feedback equals dismissed feedback. Doing above won't de-awkward things fully, but it will dampen it and increase the chance of better outcomes.

Negative Feedback, Positive Lessons

In the battle against plastic bags, a five-cent tax was shown to be much more successful at deterring usage than a five-cent credit for bringing your own bags. Carrots satisfy but sticks sting, and they sting hard. So we default to the less painful choice of avoiding loss. Loss aversion impacts the way we process information. A 2019 study invited participants to learn through a series of multiple choice questions. Each question only had two options to choose from. Whether guessing correctly or not, they would still learn the right answer. Despite the identical learning opportunity, participants were much more successful at recalling the answers they guessed correctly than those they got wrong. "You're right!" feels good. We savour the moment, analyzing every detail. "You're wrong!" stings. We want to quickly forget, dismiss, and move on. When we succumb to loss aversion, we miss opportunities to learn. Failure is part of the process. We'll experie...

Herman Ye

Search