Author: Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

HOW TO MAXIMIZE INVESTMENT RETURNS EVEN WHEN EXPERIENCING SEVERE LOSSES

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

It’s always a good idea to adjust your investment strategies over time. Those of you who have been following me closely know that I’ve had a real “knack” over the past couple of months for picking losing stocks. However, I refused to let them go. And I continued buying into them because the buy signals kept getting stronger and stronger with every drop, and they became more and more attractive, with respect to all of the indicators I use to make investment decisions. And, as is usual, I refuse to sell on “buy” signals and frequently do the opposite.

As a result of all the buying I did, I moved from being a low risk investor to a higher risk investor. That can happen from time-to-time and as long as I don’t remain a higher risk investor for a lengthy period of time, then that’s probably okay. I haven’t been too concerned because I’ve liked the patient approach I’d been using. And, frequently, losing stocks become leading stocks over time and stocks that continually get clobbered usually experience a very strong reversal. So, I kept buying into them.

A couple of years ago, I would have been “all in” several weeks ago and have been deeply negative for the year using the strategies I had detailed in my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books…/). And these might still be very good strategies to use for higher risk investors. But for low risk investors, they may not be. So, I’m very thankful that I modified my approaches quite a bit since then and ended the year strongly positive.

The approach I’m presently using to buy into falling stocks is the following:

  1. If the initial position of a stock I bought drops 10%, and the stock still looks attractive based on the indicators I use to make investment decisions, then I buy 10% more shares than I did the first time (e.g., if I bought 100 shares the first time, then the second time I buy 110 shares: 1.10 x 100 = 110).
  2. If the stock drops another 10%, and the stock still looks attractive based on the indicators I use to make investment decisions, then I buy 10% more shares than I did the second time (e.g., 121 shares: 1.10 x 110 = 121).
  3. I continue this process with every drop.

The approach I am presently using to sell the gains is the following:

  1. I determine what a reasonable gain might be for the stock from the current depressed levels it is trading at (20%? 25%?). If the stock gains that amount from the lowest price I paid, then I sell that set of shares (e.g., if the stock rebounds strongly after the second buy of 121 shares in the above example, then I will go ahead and sell the 121 shares if the gain is substantial enough).
  2. I determine what a reasonable gain might be for the stock from the current level it is trading at after selling the first lot of shares (10%? 15%?). If the stock gains that amount from the most recent sell price, then I sell that next set of shares (e.g., if the stock gains the amount I’m targeting beyond the price I sold the 121 shares for in the above example, then I will go ahead and sell the 100 shares I bought the first time).

So, I am currently using the above process throughout the rises and falls in the stock price no matter what the cycles might turn out to be. If the stock is dropping, I’m buying more. And if it is rising, I’m selling more. I continue the process until I get to the point where I am either “all in” or exit the position completely.

The above strategy really worked out well during the slump I experienced towards the end of 2021. Using my previous strategy, I would have been a much more aggressive buyer on the drops which would have led to deep losses and a much longer recovery time. Back in early October, I had a 13% gain in the stock market which is an excellent gain for a low risk investor seeking to beat inflation (inflation was about 5% at that point in time). By early-to-mid December my gains had dropped to 1.5% for the year which was a pretty substantial drop – especially since it was only over a period of a few weeks. Fortunately, I was able to recover much of these losses by the end of the year with an 8.7% gain which still substantially beat inflation (inflation was 6.8% for the year). Much of the losses were probably due to investors selling losing stocks for tax loss harvesting purposes. As such, many of the stocks I’m presently holding are likely to start rising again in the new year. So, I should be positioned pretty well for at least the early weeks or months of 2022. You can read more about the above and all of my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities/

I’m happy that I modified my investment strategy back in September/October. And this something you always want to get into the practice of doing. Observe what happens and make adjustments to your investment strategies so that you can work towards improving your investment performance over time in accordance with your risk profile. I happen to presently be a low risk investor but many of you will probably be higher risk investors. So, your investment strategies will probably be a bit more aggressive than mine.

Another thing I did in 2021 to maximize my investment returns was to perform tax loss harvesting strategies to minimize my tax burden. This essentially, involves selling some of your losses to offset your gains. This really helped me because about $7000 of my investment gains in 2021 put me into the 32% tax bracket. So, offsetting this effectively represented a 32% gain on those assets. You can read all about my tax loss harvesting strategies here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/maximize-stock-market-returns-by-performing-tax-loss-harvesting-to-minimize-tax-burden/

The last thing I did in 2021 to maximize my investment returns was to avoid selling any additional gains once I came to the realization that I was in the 32% income tax bracket. So, I decided to delay any selling decisions on gains until 2022 so that I could avoid paying 32% taxes on these gains. It’s always a good idea to track all of your income and stock market gains for the year so that you’ll know whether you are entering a higher tax bracket than usual. Because, if you do, you might be able to make some adjustments prior to the end of the year to minimize your tax burden and maximize your investment returns.

What I plan to do in 2022 to maximize my investment returns will be to hold off on selling until the individual lots of the stocks I purchased passes the one year mark. I rarely do this because I tend to take substantial gains as they happen (and I might continue this practice if the gains are compelling enough). However, if I am successful in waiting a year before selling gains, then I’ll only have to pay 15% taxes on those gains instead of my typical 24% (or in the case of 2021 32%). So, the tax incentive is huge for waiting on selling your gains if you have that kind of patience. Often, I don’t. But we’ll see what happens. I know I’ll have to do some selling towards the beginning of the year since I’m presently 85% invested which is a bit too high for a low risk investor.

AN INTERESTING TWIST ON EXECUTION:

I wrote the above post over the past week and decided to leave it as such since it potentially offered an educational benefit to my readers. In actuality, however, things did not happen as expected so I am going to write about that now to provide additional educational benefit to my readers.

I had planned to execute as stated above, but always make a point to check my math prior to executing. And just as I was about to sell some of my losses, I realized that I had forgotten to subtract my standard deduction of $12,550. Once I factored that in I realized I was actually several thousand dollars below the 32% income tax bracket threshold. So, to take advantage of that new realization, instead of selling some of my losses, I elected to sell more of my gains.

I can’t tell you how many times I have executed plans by mistake due to calculation errors, faulty data, and misinformation. So, always get into the practice of checking your math, confirming your data, and checking your facts before executing your plans. Otherwise, you may not realize the benefits you are anticipating and, in fact, might make things worse.

You can be a very successful investor if you effectively use all of the tools and techniques available to maximize your investment returns. And tax loss harvesting can be an effective strategy to use.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing and gain key investing insights and skills (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books…/)

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities/

I wish you much success in creating a brighter financial future for yourself, your loved ones, and those who follow.

Happy investing everyone!

#finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #success#taxes

MAXIMIZE STOCK MARKET RETURNS BY PERFORMING TAX LOSS HARVESTING TO MINIMIZE TAX BURDEN

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

One way to maximize your returns in the stock market is to perform tax loss harvesting strategies to minimize your tax burden. Essentially, this involves selling some of your losses to offset your gains.

Typically, I fall into the 24% income tax rate category. However, due to my capital gains to date in 2021, about $6000 of my income would fall into the 32% income tax rate category. As such, it makes sense for me to look for stocks that I haven’t sold yet to see if there are any losses I can use to offset this. If I can successfully do this, then this would effectively represent a 32% gain on those assets which would be advantageous for me.

If you are the type of investor who, like me, typically adds to positions over time when they drop in price, then you will want to ensure your standard taxable investment accounts are set up to track your cost basis using “First In First Out” (this is usually the default setting). If you are more of a momentum type investor who typically adds to positions over time when they increase in price, then you will want to ensure your taxable investment accounts are set up to track your cost basis using “Last In First Out.” Note: The tax loss harvesting strategy does not apply to taxable accounts such as traditional IRAs, 401Ks, and such since they are always taxed based on your income bracket at the time any funds are withdrawn. So, this strategy can only be used for taxable investment accounts outside of traditional IRAs, 401Ks, etc.

To effectively use the tax loss harvesting strategy, you must be sure not to invoke the “wash sale” rule which occurs when a security is sold for a loss and, within 30 days before or after this sale, a “substantially identical” stock or security is bought. The reason you want to steer clear of this is because a “wash sale” will provide no tax benefit until after the point in which you exit your position entirely.

Many investment brokers track each of the lots you buy and sell for each of the stock positions you hold. This can be a very handy tool for considering which financial assets to sell to gain the benefits of tax loss harvesting. For example, Fidelity (which is the online broker I use) tracks each of the lots I buy and sell (see Figure 1 below for an example).

Figure 1: Stock Lots Bought and Sold

The first thing to check to ensure you don’t invoke the “wash sale” rule is the most recent date you purchased shares. As you can see in Figure 1, 11/22/2021 was the last time I purchased shares of stock XYZ (and if you have multiple accounts you need to check them all since the “wash sale” rule applies across investment accounts whether taxable accounts or not including Roth accounts). So, to ensure that I don’t invoke the “wash sale” rule I need to wait until 30 days have passed before selling the stock. So, to be safe, I will need to wait until 12/23/2021 before selling this stock.

Since I am trying to offset about $6000 of the gains I’ve had over the past year which would fall into the 32% income tax bracket, I would sell about 400 shares of stock XYZ if Figure 1 represents my losses at that time. Because, my taxable investment account is set up to track my cost basis using the default of “First In First Out” I would start from the bottom of Figure 1 and work my way up from there to reflect what losses I could use to offset my gains. So, starting from the bottom and going up if I sold 400 shares (160+140+100) at that time, then I would have $6092.45 ($5020.74+$625.21+$446.50) of capital losses I could use to offset my capital gains. And if I wanted to be much more precise about the $6000 figure, I could sell a couple of shares less. The other nice thing I can do with this strategy is wait to sell those lots in Figure 1 that I have gains on until after a year has passed. Because then instead of paying 24% tax on those gains, I’ll only have to pay 15%. So, this strategy can allow you to both earn a substantial “return” on your losses and and minimize the taxes on your actual gains.

Now, if you accidentally had your investment account set-up to track cost basis using “Last In First Out” then you would probably have to sell all of your shares to realize the tax benefit you’re seeking. However, the tax loss offset would be much less since you would first be selling all of the shares that had gains or were less negative in nature. So, it’s important to make sure you set up your taxable investment accounts to track cost basis using “First In First Out” unless you tend to be more of a momentum type investor.

For people who do tend to be momentum type investors who typically add to positions over time when they increase in price and have their taxable investment accounts set up to track cost basis using “Last In First Out,” then you would start from the top and move down since the newest shares would be sold first. And you would try to hold your gains until after a year has passed so that you’ll only have to pay long term capital gains taxes (typically 15% or 20% depending on your income tax bracket) instead of the short term capital gains taxes associated with your income tax bracket.

So, the above pretty much sums up how to maximize your investment returns by using tax loss harvesting strategies to minimize your tax burden. The last thing you will want to do, however, is to ensure the “wash sale” rule is not invoked going forward by refraining from buying the same stock(s) within 30 days after selling it for a loss. If you do, then the “wash sale” will be invoked again and you will have realized no tax benefit from selling your losses. So, always be mindful of this.

By using the above strategy, I will avoid having to pay about $1920 on my tax return for 2021 (0.32*$6000 =$1920). So, using this strategy can really help.

You can be a very successful investor if you effectively use all of the tools and techniques available to maximize your investment returns. And tax loss harvesting can be an effective strategy to use.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing and gain key investing insights and skills (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books…/)

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities/

I wish you much success in creating a brighter financial future for yourself, your loved ones, and those who follow.

Happy investing everyone!

#finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #success#taxes

☆°▪︎ BROODING BLUE (SHADOWS OF TRUTH) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

There

once

.

w

a

s

.

a

time

–

–

when

I

.

.

wanted

something

–

–

newer,

.

t

h

a

n

.

newer,

.

t

h

a

n

.

new . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

.

wanted

something

–

–

newer,

.

t

h

a

n

.

newer,

.

t

h

a

n

.

new . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

.

wanted

something

–

–

newer

.

t

h

a

n

.

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

.

.

wanted

something

–

–

newer

.

t

h

a

n

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

.

wanted

something

–

–

newer

.

t

h

a

n

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

now

I

paint

.

m

y

.

world

.

i

n

.

broken-hearted

blue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

paint

.

m

y

.

world . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

paint

.

m

y

.

world . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

paint

.

m

y

.

world . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

broken-hearted

blue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

where

everything

–

i

s

–

much

too,

.

.

b

u

t

.

.

fewer

.

t

h

a

n

.

few . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

everything

.

i

s

.

much

too,

.

.

b

u

t

.

.

fewer,

.

t

h

a

n

.

few . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

I

would

–

–

rather

brood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

I

would

–

–

rather

brood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

within

.

t

h

e

.

shadows

.

o

f

.

truth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

a

n

–

–

–

pursue

.

a

n

d

.

move,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

move

.

a

n

d

.

pursue

–

–

a

runaway,

–

–

rollaway

room . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ a

runaway,

–

–

rollaway

room

.

o

f

.

musical

moons

.

w

i

t

h

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

–

–

rather

brood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

–

–

rather

brood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

would

–

–

rather

brood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

within

.

t

h

e

.

shadows

.

o

f

.

truth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

yes,

–

–

there

once

.

w

a

s

.

a

time

–

–

when

I

.

.

wanted

something

–

–

newer,

.

t

h

a

n

.

newer,

.

t

h

a

n

.

new . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

.

.

wanted

something

–

–

newer,

.

t

h

a

n

.

newer,

.

t

h

a

n

.

new . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

now

I

paint

.

m

y

.

world

.

i

n

.

broken-hearted

blue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

paint

.

m

y

.

world

.

i

n

.

broken-hearted

blue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

brood

within

.

t

h

e

.

shadows

.

o

f

.

truth.

Reflection: This was a melancholy-themed poem that I wrote back in December of 2021 where the contemplator looks back on a troubled romance that he or she repeatedly considered trading for something new but was never able to. The troubled romance (although long over) still hurts and haunts, and he or she still cannot escape its reach. I came up with the opening lines and then used the song “You Said” by Fontaines D.C. to play in the background at low volume to help create the “moodset” for the poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ A BREATHLESS BOOK OF RAPTURE AND RHYME (A MAYA OF THE MIND) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

How

many,

.

many

times

.

h

a

v

e

.

I

.

wanted

.

t

o

.

feel

.

s

o

.

feverishly

fine?

–

–

–

.

.

.

How

many,

.

many

times

.

h

a

v

e

.

I

.

wrapped

.

a

n

d

.

warmed

.

myself

.

i

n

.

the

.

wistful

wish

.

o

f

.

that

.

wondrous

wine?

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ your

eyes

.

wanting

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Your

eyes

.

wanting

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Your

eyes

.

wanting

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

served

.

i

n

.

style,

–

–

with

.

a

.

candlelight

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

.

would

.

h

a

v

e

.

done

anything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

.

would

.

h

a

v

e

.

been

anyone . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

.

would

.

h

a

v

e

.

gone

anywhere . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

o

–

–

–

write

.

e

v

e

n

.

one,

–

–

lousy,

–

–

lustful

line

.

i

n

.

your

.

breathless

book

.

o

f

.

rapture

.

a

n

d

.

rhyme . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

would

.

h

a

v

e

.

done

anything . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

would

.

h

a

v

e

.

been

anyone . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

.

would

.

h

a

v

e

.

gone

anywhere . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

just

.

t

o

.

take

.

t

h

a

t

.

fanciful

flight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

higher,

.

t

h

a

n

.

higher,

.

t

h

a

n

.

high . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

went

.

higher,

.

t

h

a

n

.

higher,

.

t

h

a

n

.

high . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

.

i

t

.

went

.

higher,

.

t

h

a

n

.

higher,

.

t

h

a

n

.

higher,

.

t

h

a

n

.

high . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

maya

.

o

f

.

my

mind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

now

.

a

s

.

the

.

years

begin

.

t

o

.

slip,

.

a

n

d

.

slide,

.

a

n

d

.

glide

.

o

n

.

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

l

o

o

k

.

behind,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

come

.

t

o

.

realize . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

l

o

o

k

.

behind,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

it

comes

.

a

s

.

no

surprise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

comes

.

a

s

.

no

surprise

–

–

right

now

.

a

s

.

I

.

realize

.

t

h

a

t

.

time

.

w

a

s

.

kind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ time

.

w

a

s

.

kind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

time

.

w

a

s

.

kind

.

a

l

l

.

that

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

t

h

a

t

.

while,

–

–

when

.

I

.

w

a

s

.

blind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

 ~ yes,

.

I

.

w

a

s

.

blind

.

a

l

l

.

that

while,

–

–

when

time

.

w

a

s

.

kind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

today

.

y

o

u

r

.

eyes

r ~ e ~ a ~ c ~ h

.

f

o

r

.

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

today

.

y

o

u

r

.

eyes

r ~ e ~ a ~ c ~ h

.

f

o

r

.

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

wrapping

.

a

n

d

.

warming

me

.

i

n

.

the

.

wistful

wish

.

o

f

.

that

.

wondrous

wine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

wistful

.

wish

.

o

f

.

that

.

wondrous

wine

.

s

o

.

fine

.

a

n

d

.

divine

.

i

n

.

its

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

eyes,

.

wanting

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

served

.

i

n

.

style,

–

–

with

.

a

.

candlelight

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Eyes,

.

wanting

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Eyes,

.

wanting

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Eyes,

.

wanting

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

after

.

a

l

l

.

this

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

time

.

w

a

s

.

kind,

.

a

l

l

.

the

while

–

–

when

.

I

.

w

a

s

.

blind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

time

.

w

a

s

.

kind

.

a

l

l

.

that

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

all

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

do

.

right

now

.

i

s

.

smile

.

a

n

d

.

sigh . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

sigh

.

a

n

d

.

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

smile

.

a

n

d

.

sigh . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

sigh

.

a

n

d

.

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

smile

.

a

n

d

.

sigh . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

sigh

.

a

n

d

.

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

smile

.

a

n

d

.

sigh . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

sigh

.

a

n

d

.

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

softly

decline.

Reflection: This was a romantic-themed poem that I wrote back in October of 2021 where the contemplator looks back on a romantic infatuation with someone who awed and consumed him/her for many, many years. The contemplator meets up with the person again years later and comes to realize there is nothing left – either he/she or the person of affection (or both) had changed to the point there was no hint of a spark or attraction remaining. I used the song “Rhythm of the Night” by Corona to play in the background at low volume to help create the “moodset” for the poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ A BINGE BECOMES ADDICTION ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

A

binge

–

–

becomes

addiction . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

here

comes

.

t

h

a

t

.

feeling

again . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

.

h

e

r

e

.

comes

.

t

h

a

t

.

fleeting

.

a

n

d

.

flickering

–

–

feeling

again . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

heartbeats

skipping,

.

a

n

d

.

cartwheeling,

.

a

n

d

.

freewheeling

–

–

into

.

t

h

a

t

.

fairytale

fantasy

–

–

as

old

.

a

n

d

.

timeless

.

a

s

.

the

sea . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ as

old

.

a

n

d

.

timeless

.

a

s

.

the

sea . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Did

.

y

o

u

.

think

.

i

t

.

might

–

–

make

.

y

o

u

.

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ did

.

y

o

u

.

think

.

i

t

.

might . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ this

dance

.

w

i

t

h

.

ecstasy

.

s

o

.

serenely

sweet . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ this

dance

.

w

i

t

h

.

ecstasy

.

s

o

.

serenely

sweet

.

a

n

d

.

pleasing

.

i

t

.

seems . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

.

c

a

n

.

like,

.

a

n

d

.

lust,

.

a

n

d

.

love . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

you

.

c

a

n

.

like,

.

a

n

d

.

lust,

.

a

n

d

.

love . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

we

.

c

a

n

.

like,

.

a

n

d

.

lust,

.

a

n

d

.

love . . .

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

where

.

d

o

.

you

think

.

i

t

.

might

lead . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ just

where

.

d

o

.

you

think

.

i

t

.

might

lead . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

streets

–

–

where

naive

dreams

–

–

begin

.

t

o

.

bruise

.

a

n

d

.

bleed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

streets

–

–

where

jealousy

.

a

n

d

.

greed

–

–

breathes

.

a

n

d

.

feeds . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

breathes

.

a

n

d

.

feeds . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

breathes

.

a

n

d

.

feeds . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

breathes

.

a

n

d

.

feeds . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

infecting

each,

.

a

n

d

.

all,

.

a

n

d

.

every . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ infecting

each,

.

a

n

d

.

all,

.

a

n

d

.

every . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

streets

–

–

where

jealousy

.

a

n

d

.

greed

–

–

breathes

.

a

n

d

.

feeds . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

the

streets

–

–

where

naive

dreams

–

–

begin

.

t

o

.

bruise

.

a

n

d

.

bleed . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

A

binge

–

–

becomes

addiction . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

A

binge

–

–

becomes

addiction . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

A

binge

–

–

becomes

addiction . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

here

comes

.

t

h

a

t

.

feeling

again.

Reflection:  This poem is a reflection on those uncontrollable urges and temptations we sometimes get which can take on a life of their own. The person in the poem suffering from such urges and temptations – and the dark places they have sometimes led expresses uneasiness, anxiety, and the sense of helplessness and hopelessness that a new negative cycle is about to begin with the line: “but… here comes that feeling again.”

Anytime something consumes so much of our life that we make little or no progress, or do much of anything else, in our lives, we must take drastic, continual action in the attempt to defeat and overcome.

I heard the line “drink into addition” in the Holy Wave song “Interloper” and then came up with the line “A binge becomes addiction” and the remainder of the poem came into being after starting from that.

I played this song repeatedly in the background at low volume to create the “moodset” for the poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ LIVE A LIFE SO KIND THAT EVERYONE SMILES (AND EVERYTHING SHINES) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Have

.

y

o

u

.

ever

.

s

e

e

n

.

a

.

day

.

s

o

.

kind,

–

–

you

.

c

a

n

.

do

.

nothing

.

b

u

t

.

smile ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Have

.

y

o

u

.

ever

.

s

e

e

n

.

a

.

day

.

s

o

.

kind ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Have

.

y

o

u

.

ever

.

s

e

e

n

.

a

.

spirit

.

shine

.

s

o

.

warm

.

a

n

d

.

bright,

.

.

t

h

a

t

.

.

tears

.

o

f

.

sunshine

.

f

a

l

l

.

from

.

y

o

u

r

.

eyes ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Have

.

y

o

u

.

ever

.

s

e

e

n

.

a

.

spirit

.

shine

.

s

o

.

warm

.

a

n

d

.

bright ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Well,

.

s

u

c

h

.

beauty

.

i

s

.

all

.

around

.

f

o

r

.

everyone

.

t

o

.

perceive . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ such

beauty

.

i

s

.

all

.

around

.

f

o

r

.

everyone

.

t

o

.

perceive . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

f

–

–

–

they

.

p

u

l

l

.

the

.

ripcord . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ if

they

.

p

u

l

l

.

the

.

ripcord . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

release,

.

a

n

d

.

dream,

.

a

n

d

.

decree

.

t

o

.

be

.

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ if

they

.

p

u

l

l

.

the

.

ripcord,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

decree

.

t

o

.

be

.

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

all

.

o

f

.

those

.

tangled

.

strings . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ from

all

.

o

f

.

those

.

tangled

.

strings . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

binding

.

a

n

d

.

blinding

.

beliefs . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

all

.

o

f

.

those

.

have

.

t

o

.

do-s,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

have

.

t

o

.

be-s . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

o

f

.

those

.

tangled

.

strings . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

o

f

.

those

.

tangled

.

strings . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

all

.

w

e

.

think

.

w

e

.

have

.

t

o

.

be . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

instead

.

o

f

.

pulling

.

t

h

e

.

ripcord . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

choosing

.

t

o

.

be

.

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ instead

.

o

f

.

pulling

.

t

h

e

.

ripcord . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

choosing

.

t

o

.

be

.

free . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

all

.

w

e

.

think

.

w

e

.

have

.

t

o

.

be . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ from

all

.

w

e

.

think

.

w

e

.

have

.

t

o

.

be . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

instead

.

o

f

.

living

.

a

.

life . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ instead

.

o

f

.

living

.

a

.

beaming,

–

–

boundless

.

life . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

full

.

o

f

.

all

.

a

n

d

.

everything

.

w

e

.

might

.

wish

.

t

o

.

be . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ full

.

o

f

.

all

.

a

n

d

.

everything

.

w

e

.

might

.

wish

.

t

o

.

be . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Have

.

y

o

u

.

ever

.

s

e

e

n

.

a

.

day

.

s

o

.

kind,

–

–

you

.

c

a

n

.

do

.

nothing

.

b

u

t

.

smile ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Have

.

y

o

u

.

ever

.

s

e

e

n

.

a

.

spirit

.

shine

.

s

o

.

warm

.

a

n

d

.

bright,

.

.

t

h

a

t

.

.

tears

.

o

f

.

sunshine

.

f

a

l

l

.

from

.

y

o

u

r

.

eyes ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Well,

.

t

h

e

.

light,

.

a

n

d

.

landscape,

.

a

n

d

.

layout

.

o

f

.

your

.

life,

.

.

i

s

.

.

only

.

f

o

r

.

you

.

t

o

.

decide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

is

.

o

n

l

y

.

for

.

y

o

u

.

to

.

decide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

choose

.

t

o

.

be

.

light . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

choose

.

t

o

.

be

.

wise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

you

.

c

a

n

.

be

.

t

h

a

t

.

day

.

s

o

.

kind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

you

.

c

a

n

.

be

.

t

h

a

t

.

spirit

.

w

h

i

c

h

.

shines . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

you

.

c

a

n

.

live

.

a

.

life

.

s

o

.

kind,

.

.

t

h

a

t

.

.

everyone

.

smiles,

.

a

n

d

.

everything

.

shines . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ you

.

c

a

n

.

live

.

t

h

a

t

.

life . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

you

.

c

a

n

.

live

.

t

h

a

t

.

life . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

f

–

–

–

you

.

realize,

–

–

this

.

i

s

.

YOUR

.

life . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

only

.

f

o

r

.

YOU

.

t

o

.

decide.

Reflection: This was an inspiration/hope-themed poem that I wrote back in September of 2021 to inspire people to live their life exactly the way they want without being influenced so much by others or worrying so much about what others think. Because it’s okay to live your life your way – even if you end up on the wrong path here and there and need to adjust.

☆°▪︎ PLASTIC PAPER PARADISE (YOUR LIFE IS YOUR DESIGN) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Do

.

y

o

u

.

invest

.

y

o

u

r

.

time,

–

–

creating

.

a

.

l

i

f

e

.

full

.

o

f

.

rhythm

.

a

n

d

.

rhyme ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ do

.

y

o

u

.

invest

.

y

o

u

r

.

time,

–

–

creating

.

t

h

a

t

.

kind

.

o

f

.

life ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

r

–

–

–

do

.

y

o

u

.

wile

.

away

.

a

n

d

.

waste

.

t

h

e

.

time ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ do

.

y

o

u

.

wile

.

away

.

a

n

d

.

waste

.

t

h

e

.

time ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

trying

.

t

o

.

escape

.

t

h

e

.

life

.

y

o

u

.

designed

.

a

l

l

.

the

.

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ trying

.

t

o

.

escape

.

t

h

e

.

life

.

y

o

u

.

designed

.

a

l

l

.

the

.

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

y

–

–

–

all

.

y

o

u

.

buy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

y

–

–

–

all

.

y

o

u

.

hide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

y

–

–

–

all

.

y

o

u

.

deny . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

between

.

t

h

e

.

blind,

–

–

white

–

–

lines

.

o

f

.

momentary

–

–

magic

.

a

n

d

.

plastic,

–

–

paper

paradise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ between

.

t

h

e

.

blind,

–

–

white

–

–

lines . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ between

.

t

h

e

.

blind,

–

–

white

–

–

lines . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

momentary

–

–

magic

.

a

n

d

.

plastic,

–

–

paper

paradise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

wasting

.

a

l

l

.

that

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

wasting

.

a

l

l

.

that

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

wasting

.

a

l

l

.

that

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Are

.

y

o

u

.

running

away ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Are

.

y

o

u

.

running

away ?

–

–

–

.

.

Are

.

y

o

u

.

running

away ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

the

.

life

.

y

o

u

.

try

.

t

o

.

escape . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

instead

.

o

f

.

the

.

future

.

y

o

u

.

might

.

otherwise

create . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ instead

.

o

f

.

the

.

future

.

y

o

u

.

might

.

otherwise

create . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

well . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

instead

.

o

f

.

blame,

.

a

n

d

.

shame,

.

a

n

d

.

the

.

emptiness

.

w

h

i

c

h

.

remains . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

instead

.

o

f

.

blame,

.

a

n

d

.

shame,

.

a

n

d

.

the

.

emptiness

.

w

h

i

c

h

.

remains . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

page,

–

–

after

page,

–

–

after

page,

–

–

after

page . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

what

.

might

.

h

a

v

e

.

been

.

better

.

a

n

d

.

brighter

days . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

instead

.

o

f

.

just

.

t

h

e

.

same,

.

o

l

d

.

same,

.

o

l

d

.

same . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

ask

yourself:

What

kind

.

o

f

.

life

–

–

might

    I

create ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

What

might

    I

change ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

What

might

    I

embrace ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

What

might

    I

appreciate ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

What

kind

.

o

f

.

life

–

–

might

    I

create ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

you

.

c

a

n

.

blame,

.

a

n

d

.

complain,

.

a

n

d

.

remain

.

t

h

e

.

same . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

.

c

a

n

.

blame,

.

a

n

d

.

complain,

.

a

n

d

.

remain

.

t

h

e

.

same . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

.

c

a

n

.

blame,

.

a

n

d

.

complain,

.

a

n

d

.

remain

.

t

h

e

.

same . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

r

–

–

–

you

.

c

a

n

.

choose

.

t

o

.

change . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ you

.

c

a

n

.

choose

.

t

o

.

change

.

today.

Reflection: This was an inspiration/hope-themed poem that I wrote back in June of 2021 to inspire people to embrace positive change and live a happier life. The following thought came to mind: “Invest your time building the life that you want instead of wasting your time trying to escape the life that you have.” So, I decided to write a poem based on that. I refined the poem using the song “Old” by Starflyer 59 playing in the background at low volume to help create the “moodset” for the poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ THE TANGERINE SKY OF GOODBYE ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Sunshine

smiles

bright

.

a

n

d

.

wide,

–

–

all

across

.

t

h

e

.

tangerine

sky . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ all

across

.

t

h

e

.

tangerine

sky

.

o

f

.

goodbye . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

.

c

a

n

.

sometimes

–

–

fill

.

m

y

.

soul

–

–

with

song

.

a

n

d

.

rhyme . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

can

–

–

fill

.

m

y

.

soul

–

–

with

song

.

a

n

d

.

rhyme

–

–

sometimes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

t

h

e

.

mood

.

i

s

.

right,

.

a

n

d

.

time

.

i

s

.

kind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ when

.

t

h

e

.

mood

.

i

s

.

right,

.

a

n

d

.

time

.

i

s

.

kind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

I

see

.

y

o

u

.

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

see

.

y

o

u

.

smile

.

i

n

.

mind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

see

.

y

o

u

.

smile

.

i

n

.

mind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

see

.

y

o

u

.

smile

.

i

n

.

mind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

then

I

start

.

t

o

.

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

start

.

t

o

.

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

all

.

t

h

e

.

years

.

g

o

n

e

.

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

start

.

t

o

.

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

all

.

t

h

e

.

years

.

g

o

n

e

.

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

start

.

t

o

.

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

all

.

t

h

e

.

years

.

g

o

n

e

.

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

a

time

–

–

once

kind,

.

a

n

d

.

warm,

.

a

n

d

.

divine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

became

cool,

.

a

n

d

.

dry,

.

a

n

d

.

cruel

.

i

n

.

mind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

became

cool,

.

a

n

d

.

dry,

.

a

n

d

.

cruel

.

i

n

.

mind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

any

time

–

–

I

would

.

s

e

e

.

that

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ any

time

–

–

I

would

.

s

e

e

.

that

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Sunshine

smiles

bright

.

a

n

d

.

wide

–

–

all

across

.

t

h

e

.

tangerine

sky . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ it

smiles

bright

–

a

n

d

–

wide

–

–

all

across

.

t

h

e

.

tangerine

sky

.

o

f

.

goodbye.

Reflection:  

This poem pretty much wrote itself after the opening lines came to mind.

☆°▪︎ ARROGANCE ADORES YOU ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

How

many

times

–

–

will

you

–

–

believe

it’s

true . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

it’s

.

n

o

.

surprise

–

–

that

you

–

–

accent

every

view

.

a

n

d

.

consume

every

room . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

it’s

.

n

o

.

surprise

–

–

that

your

arrogance

–

–

adores

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ No,

it’s

.

n

o

.

surprise

–

–

that

your

arrogance

–

–

adores

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

through,

.

a

n

d

.

through,

.

a

n

d

.

through,

.

a

n

d

.

through,

.

a

n

d

.

through . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

how

many

times

–

–

will

you

–

–

believe

it’s

true . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

How

many

times

–

–

will

you

–

–

believe

it’s

true . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

How

many

times

–

–

will

you

–

–

believe

it’s

true . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

it’s

.

n

o

.

surprise

–

–

that

you

–

–

accent

every

view

.

a

n

d

.

consume

every

room . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

it’s

.

n

o

.

surprise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ No,

it’s

.

n

o

.

surprise…

–

–

–

.

.

.

that

your

arrogance

–

–

adores

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ Yes,

your

arrogance

–

–

adores

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

all

the

way

.

d

o

w

n

.

to

your

shoes.

Reflection: The line “your arrogance adores you” came to mind and the rest of the poem quickly wrote itself. I’ve seen several people in my life who fit the description in this poem – I’m sure many people have.

EARN ABOVE AVERAGE GAINS EVEN AS A LOW RISK INVESTOR

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Some people have been asking why I’ve been doing so much selling in the stock market lately when there is a strong potential for more gains to come. The reason is I’m taking a lower risk approach this year so as to build on, but not jeopardize, the record gains I had last year (a 164% gain!).

Right now my overall portfolio has earned a little over 9% in only 5 months. And although this lags some of the other major market indexes right now, my goal for the entire year was primarily my end-of-2021 projection for inflation (2.5%). My stretch goal for the entire year was two times that projection (5%). So, I have exceeded both of these by a large margin in just 5 months. So, I certainly don’t want to risk those gains.

As a low risk investor, I am primarily targeting earning at least the realized headline inflation by the end of the year (the Federal Reserve targets core inflation which strips out food and energy but I don’t think that is very realistic – so, I use the headline inflation number as my end-of-year target). Thus, the realized headline inflation would have to end the year above 9% for me to miss my expected target based on the 9%+ I’ve earned to date. And I don’t see that happening.

A secondary target I like to use as a low risk investor is the end-of-year gain of the S&P 500 (SPX) divided by 5. So, if the SPX earns 30% for the year, I would expect to earn about 6%. Likewise, if the SPX loses 30% for the year, I would expect to lose about 6%. Thus, the SPX would have to end the year above 45% for me to miss my expected target based on the 9%+ I’ve earned to date. And I also don’t see that happening.

As of yesterday:

1) the realized headline inflation was 3.5%.

2) the S&P 500 has gained 10.6% this year so far. So, at this point in the year, I would expect a gain of about 2.1%.

So, I have far exceeded both my primary and secondary targets above which means looking for stocks to sell probably makes a lot of sense for me right now.

Since I have far exceeded my annual targets for this year, I am employing a new strategy which involves selling every gain – even if that involves selling partial shares of stocks I own (i.e ., just those shares which have earned gains – those which haven’t I generally continue holding). The only exceptions to this are stocks I think still have potential over the long term given the increased probability of inflation, overheating of the economy, and interest rate increases (e.g., energy, utilities, gold, shorting of bond market, etc.). The reason for this is that investors are not going to wait for the Fed to decide whether or not they want to start addressing these issues (they’ve called much of this transitory meaning they believe these effects will fade over time). Investors are likely to start aggressively positioning themselves as soon as the economic data and other indicators signal these kinds of pressures.   

Hopefully the above helps to give you some insight into how I am performing my investments this year. Most people need to take much higher risk than me so you probably wouldn’t want to use the approach I’m using. But some might.

You’ll be a very successful investor if you observe and learn from what happens and make adjustments to your investing strategies accordingly over time. So, investing strategies can change from time to time. And they should. Especially, when your risk category changes.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing and gain key investing insights and skills (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books…/).

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities/

I wish you much success in creating a brighter financial future for yourself, your loved ones, and those who follow.

Happy investing everyone!

#finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #success