I Won't Rent a Short Term Option

I know people rent a Short Term Rental (STR) and have good experiences.  Personally, I won't rent a Short Term Rental, not because of a bad experience, but for the reasons below to avoid a possible bad experience.

• The STR owners are not licensed nor professional to do temporary lodging.
• Renters are usually charged cleaning fees.
• Rental issues may not be solve quickly.
• I like knowing I will get good service from known hotels.

Personally, I don't see enough benefit, financially or accommodation wise, for renting STR.  Maybe if I need to rent a place to hold 10 more people, but I only need accommodations for 4.  So, I stick with hotels, and I usually can use points from credit card rewards. 

I have stayed with with people who rented a STR.  Often there are small issues (like dishwasher not working), that are resolved, but I don't want to personally deal with handling such issues, when traveling on my own. Thus, I continue to rent from hotels when needing short term lodging.

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

This is not financial nor short term rental advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Selling Memory Stocks Last Week was a Good Decision

Last week, I did some vibe selling since I felt AI stocks have reached a plateau, at least, and maybe a near term peak.  I decided based on a feeling to sell my recently purchased memory stocks, which are AI related, for a profit.

Turns out that was a good decision, based on today's closing price of $927.60, which is lower than every of my MU sales prices last week. 

Yes, I'm not brilliant, just lucky having the right feeling at the right time.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Medical Insurance Unexpected Coverage

I recently checked on surgical procedure and was told by my medical insurance customer service the procedure would not be covered by my insurance policy.   To note, I only described the procedure and did not submit a CPT code.

I decided to do the surgical procedure, which was medical and not cosmetic, to have the issue corrected.  The provider then submitted to cost to my insurance company right after procedure.   After a month, the insurance company approved the claim and paid for the procedure.  Woohoo!

Lesson learned: 

• Medical insurance claims can be very complex, to the point that some customer service representatives may not give an accurate answer.
• If the provider accepts insurance, always have them submit a claim for payment.

I may need this procedure again in the future. I will definitely use the same provider so that a claim is submit which my medical insurance will cover.

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

This is not financial, medical, nor health insurance advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Gold, Oil and Silver, Oh My!

With inflation and war risks, I plan to hodl gold, oil and silver investments we currently own.  However,   I'm not adding more since my goal is to simplify our investment holdings.

Here's what we own:

• Gold and silver ETFs and stocks in gold and silver miners..  Inherited from spouse's parents' IRAs.  I sold some near the recent peak.   Although, I've committed to hodling and not selling positions in my spouse's account, these were inherited after 2019 and must be liquidated before 10 years.  
• Junk silver coins.  I purchased these in 2011 when silver was at or near a low.  I was teaching my the 7 year old daughter about coin collecting and invest.  We visited a monthly coin and stamp show and bought a few items each month.   We bought 90% junk silver coins and some collectible silver proof sets.
• Gold bars.   A couple years ago, I was walking into Costco and the greeter pointed at the gold price sign and said, "We're selling below spot price, right now," and showed me spot on his phone.   I couldn't resist getting a deal, which include a 2% rebate for my executive membership and 2% reward on my credit card.  I only bought 1 bar. In hindsight, I should have bought the limit of 5.
• Oil stocks.  I own a few oil stocks: CRGY, HP, HAL, RIG and NBR.  RIG and NBR will likely not/never break even.   CRGY is profitable or underwater depending on the account.  HP and HAL have a good chance to be profitble.

We had previously owned gold miners and ETFs in our taxable accounts, but as usual, I sold them for a small profit after being underwater for many years since I bought near a previous peak in 2011.

Here is my plan:

• As gold and silver rise, I will take the opportunity to begin scaling out as it gets closer to previous ATH.  I will also sell some jewelry for scrap.
• As oil rises, I will sell HP and HAL as they become profitable.   I will sell RIG and NBR immediately if they break even.  I will hodl CRGY in the taxable account since it is already profitable and scale out of CRGY in the IRAs as they become profitable.

Of course, gold, oil and silver may not rise, which means we will continue to hodl.  I am prepared to sell if the should rise significantly.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

HIghly Viewed Posts in August 2026

Here are the most viewed posts in August 2026 from My Wealth Builder:

Historical

These the three posts from the archives that received the most number of views in August 2026.

Financial Lessons from my Parents' Generation Re-Learned

Not Buying Things I Don't Need

Achieving Financial Freedom - I've Retired In My Forties

Current

These are the recent posts from August 2026 that received the three highest number of views:

Oh No, I Felt Brilliant This Week

Stock Market Warning Articles. What to Do?

Using AI to Cure Cancer

I hope you enjoy these posts as much as other readers have.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

What to Expect in the Second Half of 2026

"It's hard to make predictions, especially about the future." ~ Yogi Berra

Weather forecasters and stock market pundits get paid whether they are right or wrong.  LOL.   Here's a rare, if not the only,  positive 2026 forecast for the stock market based on historical returns.

The S&P 500 returned 10% in the first half of 2026. Here's what history says happens in the second half.

 The table below shows results since 1991:

Year	1st half return	2nd half return	Full-year return
1991	+12.4%	+12.4%	+26.3%
1995	+18.6%	+13.1%	+34.1%
1997	+19.5%	+9.6%	+31%
1998	+16.8%	+8.4%	+26.7%
1999	+11.7%	+7%	+19.5%
2003	+10.8%	+14.1%	+26.4%
2013	+12.6%	+15.1%	+29.6%
2019	+17.3%	+9.8%	+28.9%
2021	+14.4%	+10.9%	+26.9%
2023	+15.9%	+7.2%	+24.2%
2024	+14.5%	+7.7%	+23.3%
2026	+10.2%	?	?

Source data: Yahoo Finance.

If history rhymes, 2026 will be another positive and banner return year.  

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Expecting Higher Long Term Interest Rates

Recently, I was thinking that buying 20 year treasuries yielding 5% was a good option to lock in a good interest rate.  After TLT, the 20+ year treasury ETF, was at it's all time low.    However, TLT was initiated in 2002.   I decided to look back further on 20 year and the interest rate hit 15.8% in 1981. Yikes, maybe 5% is that great of an option based on long term data.

Source:  https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DGS20#

With the uncertainty of oil prices and inflation, which both have a high probability of going higher, I stopped buying 20 year treasuries and TLT for now.  For now, I will own short term money market funds to earn interest.

Will interest rates go higher?   We shall see.

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

This is not financial, investment, bond, nor interest rate advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Temporary Repair to Rusted Bathtub Leak

Periodically, we've had a leak from our second floor bathtub.  Typically, the leak shows up as a stain on our dining room ceiling.  Typically, I make some measurements which show it's likely coming from around the bathtub drain, overflow and faucet.  

In the past, I have re-caulked the bathtub wall tile interface that that seemed to work for a while.   When that stopped working,  I put a silicon funnel/spout on the overflow, since I thought the seal was leaking.  I also put a silicone funnel/spout on our master bath jacuzzi.   Both of these overflow solutions worked and solved the leaking tubs.

This recent leak, did not seem to be associated with caulking, since I just re-caulked to get rid of mold.   I checked the over flow drain and the seal was fine.   Finally, I checked the rusted area by the drain. I put a small amount of water in the area and it "disappeared" without going down the drain.  For reference, I had been painting the rusted area with acrylic refrigerator paint to improve the cosmetics.

I decided to buy an epoxy repair kit.  As I poked at the rusted area, chunks came and revealed a small how about 1/4" round.  I then used a drill to wire brush the area, which made the hole bigger and revealed another gap.

Rust around drain with touch up refrigerator paint removed:

I tried the white epoxy that I bought, but it was not viscous enough to effectively fill the hole.  I then used some gray JB Weld, which is slightly more viscous to fill the hole with 3-4 layers.   Then I covered the area with the white epoxy

Taped off to apply JB Weld and white epoxy:

Repaired:  Using JB Weld and white epoxy

While the repair is noticeable and not blended in, it is sufficient structurally to allow showering, and maybe even a bath.  However, the rust will continue and therefore, the bathtub will need replacing.  We're choosing to do it earlier, before another leak occurs.   In addition, we may choose to do a full bathroom remodel since replacing a bathtub requires replumbing, and retiling the walls.

Disclosure:  I was not compensated by JB Weld for this post.

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

This is not financial, repair, or do-it-yourself advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Keeping Oil and Precious Metal Stocks

With Iran claiming that they are willing to wait until 2029 to end the war, I'm hodling (for now) my oil and precious metal stocks for now.  Oil reserves are very low, the dollar is weakening, and there is no end in sight for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

However, I am not buying more oil or precious metal stocks. I feel I have enough holdings already.  However, I plan to sell some holding into strength, especially if they rise to new 52 week highs.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Website Upgrade Complaint Miraculously Solved

Recently, I decided to give regular feedback to customer service about their website, rather than just put up with the issue.   Maybe it's working.

Over the weekend, my broker did a significant update to their website. I tried to login to a brokerage account website.  It wouldn't allow me to login.  I called tech support and their solution of clearing the cache worked.   When I logged in, the brokerage had updated the website.  Unfortunately, the website only showed 1/3 of the stock positions and there was no way to scroll down.  I reversed the alphabetical order and it only showed he bottom 1/3 of holding, but didn't allow view the first 2/3's.   

I called tech support again, but hung up after waiting 53 minutes.  I called a different number which was answered right away.  I explained the problem but was told that "the back office" was not in on the weekend and needed to be contacted Monday to Friday during business hours.  I said, "Please inform IT of the issue before Monday, if you can."

I hung up expecting to wait until Monday.  I tried logging in again and miraculously the "problem" was solved.  I was able to access all the stock positions.   

Finally, I admit that I'm often the first customer to report a website issue.   Maybe, IT was already working on it or maybe, my call in got some attention. 

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

This is not financial, IT nor customer service advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Pot Filler Leaking - An Annual Maintenance

We love having a pot filler on our counter top the stove.  It is so convenient to fill a pot with water while it is on the stove, instead of carrying the pot to the sink and back.   When remodeled our kitchen 5 years ago, we put a pot filler next to the stove.

It worked great for about a year.  Then, the pot filler started leaking at the post.   Turns out there are silicone o-rings that allow the pot filler to swivel.   As it turns out, the o-rings wear out about once a year for us and require replacement.  Fortunately, the pot filler manufacturer has a lifetime warranty on the items.   They will replace the o-rings at no cost to me.  I just have to install themselves myself.

Fortunately, I had the installer add a shut off valve for the pot filler, which means I can shut off the pot filler individually when it is leaking, instead of shutting off the whole house water.   There are 4 o-rings that need to be replaced.   It took me a couple hours the first time.  Nowadays,  I can do it in less than 30 minutes.   There are another set of o-rings on the swivel arm.  They last longer, needing change about every 2 years, which I've done 2 times.

When I bought the pot filler, I had no idea it needed such frequent maintenance.  I was surprised since plumbing fixtures, e.g. faucets, need maintenance infrequently, perhaps once every 5-10 years.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Launching Early and Modifying Doesn't Work When Cutting Metal

My career was with a company that manufactured a product.  Since we had to create and install machinery, we also were diligent and to time to make sure the product was right.  We were "cutting metal" and would be committed.

However, for software manufacturing, companies are now launching early and modifying on the fly in market. This makes sense since software updates are fast, cheap, and low cost to do.  This works as long as no hardware is involved, which is cutting metal.

Lately, some software firms are moving into hardware by creating data centers. This is cutting metal, and is difficult to adjust on the fly.   We've seen this issue as some software firms are now selling compute to companies that need data centers instead of using the hardware themselves.

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

This is not financial, business, manufacturing nor software advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

A Power Washer Is Must Have Tool for Me

One of my best tools is a power washer.   We have used it to clean our wood deck multiple times.  The power washer has also been useful on concrete (driveway and porch) , and brick (porch and veneer).  Finally, we also power wash our outdoor pots for our plants.

The best part is that we don't use any chemicals, just tap water.  Thus, there is no ecological issues with washing.

This is my second power washer, which I researched before buying.  The best advice I got was to buy one that had a kink resistant hose.   Kinking was an issue on the first power washer that I bought.

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

This is not financial, maintenance, nor do-it-yourself advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Freezer Not Cold Enough - Fixed

A couple weeks ago, I noticed the ice cream was softer than usual.  I thought it was because it was moved to a different section in the freezer. Then my son noticed the freezer temperature was 10F instead of the target 0F.  Ah, the real cause!

In the past, the usual solution was to clean the condenser coils.  Our fridge is 23 years old and I've done this two times in the past, with success.  However, our condenser coils are underneath the fridge and are not easily accessible.  I decide to check for other possible solution.  

According to the Internet, there were two possibilities:

• Condenser coils are caked with dust and need to be cleaned.
• Freeze is too packed and blocking cold air from the vents.

In our case, I expect one or both possibilities could be the cause.  I decided to go with cleaning the condenser coils first, which involves unplugging the appliance,  removing the lower grill on the front, pulling the refrigerator out, taking off the lower access panel in the back.  With a narrow brush, I removed dust near the opening.  Using a leaf blower, I blew out dust from the front first.   Then I blew out dust from the back.    As an added benefit, I vacuumed the space underneath the refrigerator, while vacuuming all the blown out dust.

Reassembled and plugged back the refrigerator.   The indicator started at 16F and slowly declined to 8F.  I stopped watching and checked back after an hour.   Success, the freezer was at 0F and we avoided a charge for a service call.

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

This is not financial, maintenance, nor repair advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Brush Reuse Hack for Several Days Painting

In the past, when painting over several days, I would clean up the paint brush with soap and water every day.  The next day, I would use the slightly damp brush.  

I learned a hack for reusing a brush from watching painters do our indoor rooms last time.   At the end of the day, the painter wrapped the brush in a damp paper towel and put the brush in a ziploc bag.  The next day, the painter took out the brush, unwrapped the paper towel and used the brush.  After finishing the job, the brush was cleaned with soap and water.

I've done this a few times now.  It works well and I can use the brush over a couple week project without cleaning it before I'm finished. Big effort and time saver.  

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Writing Down Ideas

I used to have a very good memory; not photographic, but accurate and long term.  I also would remember numbers, especially those related to data and prices.  Recently, my memory skills have declined.  Sometimes, I forget where I put the something a few minutes ago.   Worst of all, I will forget a thought, concept or idea that I had.

I used to write items down on small pieces of paper.  Unfortunately, sometimes these would be misplaced or I would forget where I put them.  My solution is to write things down in a small notebook.  That way, I will remember the ideas and thoughts.  

Now, I just need to remember where I place my notebook and not lose it.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

TIL about Cunningham's Law

Cunningham's Law states "the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer."   The reason is that people on the internet prefer to correct wrong answers that to answer a question.   LOL

I already have seen Cunningham's Law effect when I have discussion with people that have opposing views.  Rather than listening, they spend 100% of their comments correcting my incorrect POV.

The Super Saver Corollary to Cunningham's Law is that the responses still need to be sorted and evaluated since not every answer is right, and some answers will definitely be wrong.  This is especially true on Social Media like LinkedIn and Reddit where 100% of poster believe they are above average in intelligence.

Still, IMHO, it is important to remember Cunningham's Law and the Super Saver Corollary when interacting with most people.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Just Hodl

Currently, there is lots of volatility in the stock market.  Earnings beats, earnings miss, disappointing forward guidance, ceasefire ending, ceasefire extended, President Trump TACO, ceasefire broken, stocks go up, then down, then up again.   What's an investor to do?

The approach I used to follow was to react to the volatility.   Sometimes it was sell; other times it was buy the dip.   Usually, this resulted in a whipsaw effect, sharply up, sharply down and a roller coaster. When the stock went up quickly,  I would sell with small gains of 5-15% and watch the stock go up much further.  When it went down, I would hold hoping to get back to even to sell and exit the position.  I would sell the one's that went above breakeven, but, unfortunately, there were ones that took forever, or never, to recover.

My new strategy now is hodl through the volatility, since I'm no longer depending exclusively on stock gains for our retirement income.   Hodling has significantly reduced my anxiety of owning stocks, since capital gains are no longer the main source of retirement income.  Thus, I am more comfortable hodling though the corrections that inevitably happen.   Of course, the real test will be if I hodl through a bear market, which has not happened since I started this investment strategy.

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Need a TACO

My "buy the dip stocks" rocketed yesterday.  Today, they gave it all the gains back by 10:30AM this morning.

Here's a list of my "buy the dip stocks:" MSFT, NOW, TSLA, CRM, TEAM, HUBS, ADBE, ACN, NFLX, UNH

I've disciplined myself to hodl and I will again this time.   However, I'm hoping/expecting a President Trump TACO since it's Tuesday. 😎

Disclosure:  I still own MSFT, NOW, TSLA, CRM, TEAM, HUBS, ADBE, ACN, NFLX, UNH

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Diamond Handing Memory Stocks

I bought MU and STX on May 11, 2026. The stock crashed on May 11, 2026 and then rebounded before crashing again on May 19, 2026.  The price dipped way below my purchase price.   However, I decided to hodl.   By May 29. 2026 they recovered an reach new highs.

Lucky me.  I will continue to hodl for a while.  It works every time, 60% of the time.😎

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

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

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC