The Third Pig

Every now and again we are presented with a choice to buy a new something or buy into a new idea. Often times these decisions are not the easiest to make. Do I buy the silver coupe or the red convertible? Sometimes the decisions are slightly easier. Do I accept the job working long hours for minimum wage or accept the million dollar inheritance from Uncle Ralph?

We at Brick Financial are often faced with the decision to add new positions to our clients’ portfolios. But our decision of whether to buy or not is often made easier by utilizing a simple technique. We simply compare the new position under consideration to what we already own. If we find after this comparison, that the new investment does not make our clients better off, we pass. This mental exercise saves of tons of time and effort. It eliminates 99% of the investments in the marketplace. Most just will not be up to snuff.

The beauty of this technique is that it can be applied to every day life. In managing your “life portfolio” you simply compare the new thing to what you already have in your possession. If you have children in a good school it might not be worth taking them out of the school they’re in unless the new school you’re considering produces Rhodes Scholars left and right. If you’re married, it’s probably not worth the headache and expense of divorce for a short-lived affair with the new office hottie. Well, maybe if it’s Angelina Jolie. Even then it’d be a close call.

The point is, your decisions become substantially easier to make if you are thinking about how they will improve your life. If it’s close, why bother. Your time is better spent relaxing with a Mai Tai than worrying about all the choices and decisions you need to make in life. Life is too short. Enjoy it.