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Non-Tech : Kirk's Market Thoughts -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: robert b furman who wrote (24066)	4/17/2025 10:57:41 AM
From: Kirk ©	2 Recommendations Recommended By robert b furman Texas Jack Respond to of 26770

Good points Bob! Except my first mortgage was a 14% 30-year variable rate mortgage that I continued to refinance as I built equity and got raises. After 10 years of high inflation between 1984 and 1994, the payments small compared to my income. Then I partnered up with my fiancé to qualify for a 30 year variable on my current home that I again converted to better terms after I sold my first property to pay off a bridge loan and the remaining loan (I had three loans at the time!) then had better credit scores to get better terms. I kept refinancing every time I could get better rates that would pay off the costs in 2 years or less with a friend who was a loan broker. Eventually I FINALLY got a 15-yr fixed to lock in at 3.375% and eventually put the money to pay it off into iBonds and savings that are paying over 4% now... so why bother paying it off? The iBond portfolio is large now and was paying over 7% for awhile. Anyway, not only skip fancy coffee out, but I also didn't eat out much but for work lunches and I took sandwiches to work for lunch 3 or 4 days a week. I loved to get the subsidized burger and fries once a week at the cafeteria and maybe out with coworkers on Fridays for inexpensive lunches. It really helps to have quit drinking and smoking as those bad habits are a real consumer of resources. Today you want to teach kids not to gamble online as it is all designed to hook them into giving up all their excess cash (and then some) so they can never afford saving for a better life. I love watching sports and the NBA on TNT show is fantastic, but I fast forward or turn it off when they come to the gambling part that is a cloaked advertisement. I'm not a Mormon or even religious, but I sure respect how the Mormons have put their savings on alcohol, smoking, gambling and drugs into better things to help their membership despite all the discrimination they've faced. You wish other "groups" would follow a similar path rather than expect the government to provide it all as they blame racism and other issues for their poor choices. <off the soapbox> <rant off>