Greetings from paradise, Reader! Well, my version of paradise, anyway. 😉 I'm currently writing to you from the sunny shores of Fort Myers, where I've escaped for a glorious guys' weekend. Think: pristine golf courses ⛳, a constant stream of Masters coverage 🏌️♂️📺, and enough laughter to cure any amount of burnout. It's been exactly what the doctor ordered (pun intended!). But even amidst all the fun and relaxation, the real world has a way of creeping in. You can't really escape the economic undercurrent, can you? Chatting with the locals here, the conversation keeps circling back to one thing: tariffs. They're the elephant in the room, the topic everyone's buzzing about. And it got me thinking...
"This week, while Robin was perfecting his short game under the Florida sun, I took one for the team and attended the Your
Life Your Terms event hosted by Rockstar Real Estate and the ever-energetic Nick and Tom Karadza. And let me tell you—it was a financial rollercoaster in the best way possible. We dove into everything from the current state of Canada’s economy to what the upcoming election could mean for your wallet. There was talk of tariffs—because what’s a good financial chat without some global tension—and how AI might turbocharge productivity in the years ahead.
The highlight for me was Francis Pouliot from Bull Bitcoin. Picture this: a man who lives entirely off Bitcoin, doesn’t touch fiat, and somehow still manages to pay rent and buy groceries without spontaneously combusting from volatility. His talk was a mix of hardcore crypto conviction and minimalist money philosophy—basically, Robin’s financial spirit animal. Did I mention he lives in Costa Rica?
All in all, a jam-packed day of learning, inspiration, and me realizing that though a lot of these topics are way over my head maybe I should crash more of Robin’s events."
Thank you, Katie, for the guest post! So you know Reader, I had no hand in writing that (you can likely tell because it was well written) It was all her (queue the replies saying the FFP community wants to hear more from Katie and less from me). reality we can't ignore), but we'll also be zooming out and focusing on the long game. Because just like a good golf game requires patience and strategy, so does investing. Let's tee off! 🏌️♀️ (Okay, I'll stop with the golf puns now... maybe.) You've likely seen the news cycles spinning. As that CNBC article I read highlights, these tariffs aren't just abstract economic concepts. They have real-world consequences. They're going to impact prices on certain goods, from furniture to electronics, and that can send ripples through the entire economy. And when the economy gets shaky, the markets get jittery. It's like a financial domino effect, and we're all standing at the end of the line, wondering if we're about to get knocked over. It's easy to get sucked into the drama, right? To start obsessively checking your portfolio every five minutes, wondering if you should pull everything out, stuff it under your mattress, and embrace a simpler life of bartering for goods. (Tempting, I know. Imagine trading a killer massage for a year's supply of coffee.) But here's the thing I want to drill into your heads today, and I want you to really let it sink in: A lot of this stuff, in the long run, is just noise. Yes, tariffs have consequences. Yes, they can create short-term volatility. They can disrupt supply chains, impact corporate profits, and even lead to job losses in certain sectors. But in the grand scheme of things, for long-term investors, they're often just blips on the radar, bumps in the road on the journey to financial independence. The market, in its long and storied history, has weathered countless storms. We're talking wars, recessions, political upheavals, pandemics, technological revolutions, you name it. And while each of those events felt like the end of the world at the time, the market, in its resilient way, has historically come out stronger on the other side. It's like a phoenix, constantly rising from the ashes of economic destruction. That's where the "time in the market" vs. "timing the market" concept comes in. It's something I touched on in a blog post a while back, and it's more relevant than ever in times like these Trying to "time" the market is like trying to predict the exact moment a patient will have a breakthrough in their recovery. You might get lucky once in a while, you might make a good call based on solid analysis, but more often than not, you'll be wrong. You'll miss the sudden upswings while you're sitting nervously on the sidelines, waiting for the "perfect" moment to jump back in. And you'll end up far worse off than if you'd just stayed the course. "Time in the market," on the other hand, is about consistent, disciplined investing over the long haul. It's about letting compound interest do its magical work, slowly but surely turning your small contributions into a mountain of wealth. It's about accepting that there will be inevitable ups and downs, but having the fortitude to ride them out, knowing that over time, the trend is upward. Think of it like this: You wouldn't stop a patient's treatment plan because they have a bad day, right? You wouldn't abandon their rehabilitation because they hit a plateau. You'd stick to the plan, monitor their progress, make adjustments as needed, and keep your eyes on the overall goal of recovery. It's the same with investing. Your long-term financial health is the goal, and market volatility is just a temporary setback. So, what does all this mean in practical terms? What can you, as a busy healthcare professional with limited time to obsess over the markets, do to stay sane and secure during these chaotic times?
Look, I get it. It's unsettling to see red in your portfolio. It's frustrating to feel like your hard-earned money is at the mercy of forces beyond your control. But remember why you're investing in the first place: for your future, for your family's security, for your own freedom to live life on your terms. Don't let short-term noise distract you from that long-term vision. Let's stay focused, stay disciplined, and keep building those financially fulfilling lives, even if it feels like we're rowing against the tide of market volatility. We're healthcare professionals; we're used to facing challenges with resilience and determination. Podcast Spotlight! While I'm enjoying some much-needed downtime here, I also had the chance to connect with Karen Litzy on her Healthy Wealthy & Smart podcast a few weeks ago. We had a great conversation about breaking free from the traditional healthcare mold and building a life on your own terms. If you're looking for some inspiration to take control of your career and finances (and maybe even your time!), you can check out the episode here 🚨 ERROR ALERT 🚨 Here's a sneak peek at my portfolio (I've blurred out the company name, though – you'll have to join me on Blossom Social to see what it is 😉) Robin Valadares, Do you get value from these weekly emails? |
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