Fixed Income Principal Declining Not Worrying...Yet

With the increase in long term interest rates, my bonds, CDs and bond mutual funds have been declining in value. As result, the value of my portfolios are stagnant or declining.  This doesn't worry me yet.   

Why not?

My fixed income investments are expected to deliver relatively stable annual income, even if the market declines, at least theoretically.   I haven't been through a major decline since implementing this strategy.

This may be the first real time test of my "retirement paycheck" strategy.

Will the strategy deliver?   We share see in the monthly payments continue to hold or not in the next few months.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor fixed income advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Distributing Billionaires' Wealth Isn't A Solution

When I was younger, I don't remember any discussions about distributing the wealth of millionaires, even though millionaires were relatively rare.   In fact, people aspired to be millionaires through working or investing.  Nowadays, there seems to be disdain for billionaires and discussions about distributing all or part of their wealth. 

The following article If America’s top 5 billionaires split their wealth evenly, here’s what you’d receive discusses what would happen with options of distributing billionaires wealth to Americans.  Basically, each person would receive $4629.78 one time.  

While not a small number, it probably doesn't solve the major financial problems of many people with medical debt, student loan debt or even credit card debt.  To me, distributing billionaires wealth doesn't solve personal financial issues for most people.   Also, it seems to distract from the real issue of individuals not learning how to do good management of personal finances.

Maybe personal finance courses need to made part of a good high school education going forward.  A good basis would be Financial Lessons from my Parents' Generation Re-Learned

For more on Crossing Generations, check back every Thursday for a new segment.

This is not financial, wealth distribution, nor education advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

The Market Rewarded my Patience with Enjoyment, Excitement and Profit

I've been holding my "buy the dip" stocks since February 2026, through the ups and downs.  I was convinced they were oversold by the AI hype, and that gave me conviction to hold even when the positions went significantly negative.

The stocks were mainly SAAS software stocks, which the Situational Awareness hedge fund was shorting.  Recently, Situational Awareness closed out all their shorts, which may be partially responsible for the recent rebound in SAAS software stocks. I believe there is more room to run for the SAAS software stocks and continue to hold.  I'd like to see them reach about 80% of their previous all time highs before selling significant amount of shares.  

Since I am moving towards simplicity, I will keeping moving towards fewer individual stock positions as the "buy the dip" stock become significantly profitable. This is likely the last time I will purchase "buy the dip" stocks in multiple positions.  While it is an adrenaline rush when the positions go up significantly, there is also more anxiety with the likely volatility, that causes me to be more engaged on a daily basis, which is the opposite of simplicity. 

For more on The Practice of Personal Finance, check back every Wednesday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor stock investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Panic Selling Winners Reduced My Investment Returns

I must confess that I the owned the following stocks before they were big winners:  GOOGL, AMZN, AAPL.   200 shares of each.   If I had kept them through today, I would have $900K ,  $1.3M and $1.5M respectively today.  The gains would have been 12594% , 2398%, and 14346% respectively. Yeah, but I didn't hold.  They all dipped significantly after I bought.  When they recovered many months later, I sold them for a small profit of about 15%.  Would've, could've, should've.    

20-30 years later, in retrospect, I believe I know why.  Simply, my investment mentality was to maximize growth which led to me being overly concerned about stock declining and a 1929 like crash always being greater than my investment conviction. In addition, I judged success by an increase in account value. Therefore, I would lock in gains by selling previously declining stocks once the price crossed the breakeven point by a small margin.  Of course, in some cases declining stocks never recovered, which would have enabled to me to sell.  Such stocks are still in my accounts.

I read this comment on Wall Street Bets over the weekend:

"I hold my losers.

I cut my winners.

We are not the same."

LOL, describes me exactly.

For more on The Practice of Personal Finance, check back every Wednesday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Federal Tax on AI Tokens or AI Subscription Costs

Mark Cuban has proposed a tax on AI tokens of $0.50 per million tokens.  I think taxing AI is a great policy idea for the following reason:

• AI is expected to replace human jobs that would have paid income taxes.   Purchasing AI should incur tax to replace the lost revenue from taxing humans.   I expect this would be acceptable to business since AI would replace more workers than it costs and therefore, the tax impact would still be a cost savings.

I would expand the tax to cover subscription services/costs for AI also, if these are other forms of payments other than for tokens.   In addition, an estimation of lost tax revenue from human job replacement should be made to determine the "income tax" revenue from AI usage.

If I were running for public office, I would make this a key element of my policy platform.

For more on Ideas You Can, check back every Tuesday for a new segment.

This is not financial, policy, nor tax advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Fixed Income Vs. Equities In a Crash

With long term interest rates at 5%, I am increasing the amount of funds invested in fixed income. It makes sense to based on a previous analysis I did.

I wrote Fixed Income vs. Equities after a 40% Decline in November 2008 after a 40% in the stock market.  The analysis showed the equities needed to return between from 7-16% annually in order to beat a 5% CD during the same time frame, with higher returns needed for shorter holding periods.

I've already started buying some 20 year Treasuries yielding over 5% with a 5% coupon.   Now, I'm leaning towards TLT and GOVT ETFs as options, since I don't need to manage reinvestment at maturity.

For more on Strategies and Plans, check back every Monday for a new segment.

This is not financial, fixed income, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Situational Awareness Status

Last week, Leopold Aschenbrenner's letter to investors said that despite a 67% decline in July, Situational Awareness is still up 80% YTD.   The fund has taken steps to stop the decline and preserve fund assets. The fund has survived to see another day.

However, based on what I've read in different articles, it doesn't compute.  For example, one article described the fall from $45B to $10B which is greater than 67%.  I guess there must be other funds besides Situational Awareness in this decline.

Oh well, I expect more details will be share in the coming weeks or months.

For more on  New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock investment, margin, short/long strategy, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

A Black Swan Omen?

The hedge fund, Situational Awareness, had a partial liquidation last week via Citadel.  The fund was overleveraged and on the wrong side of memory chip (long)  and SAAS software stock (short) trades.  It was the perfect storm this last week.

Leopold Aschenbrenner is the wunderkind hedge fund manager.  Here is more info about him in Fortune, Daily Mail, and CNBC.

Initially, Leopold made all the right decisions, turning $150M into $25B for his investors.  Until last week, when all his purchases and shorts went against him.  Fortunately for his investors, the fund was not wiped out, at least not yet.

The looming question is if this is a one off event or the first of many cockroach events to come.

We shall see.

For more on Reflections and Musings, check back every Saturday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Dumping TSLA due to Possible Muskman Shenanigans

Although TSLA was one of my buy the dip stocks, I'm considering selling TSLA once it become slightly profitable.  My reason is that I have lost confidence in TSLA due to SPCX rumors of a TSLA merger or buyout.   Since Muskman is a majority shareholder in both, he controls whether is will happen or not.  I expect Muskman will want all his companies under one corporate structure.  

After seeing Muskman's shenanigans with DOGE, I fully expect more shenanigans with a SPCX merger with or buyout of TSLA.  I don't like the possibility, despite Muskman's success with TSLA.   I believe a merger or buying is merely financial engineering instead of actually creating incremental value. 

However, Muskman is way smarter than me.   After all, he was the first trillionaire, although now a half trillionaire after the 50% decline in SPCX and 33% decline in TSLA.  

We shall see whether I can get out of TSLA for a small profit or become a longer term bag holder.

For more on Reflections and Musings, check back every Saturday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Not Worried About Declining Market - Yet

Even though the market is falling, I'm still hodling and not selling.    I'm not buying the dip either.   I believe there may be more further downside for longer, which will provide a real time test of my "retirement paycheck" strategy.

Right now, it seems the declines are rotating through different sectors.  Some of my stock sectors seem to have "balance."    When semis go down, software stocks go up.  When software stocks go down, semis go up.   I know this form of volatility my be transitional and eventually every position will go one direction, up or down.

In the meantime, I'm monitoring how my interest and dividends "retirement paycheck" is delivering.  As long as the amount remains relatively stable on annual basis, I won't be worried.  So far, the payments have been as expect for the first half of 2026..

For more on  Reaping the Rewards, check back every  Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial, retirement, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC