I like to think that music has and will always be my true passion.
And yes, I have been thinking about buying some turntables and the whole shebang for the longest time now.


I want to brand myself as an independent entertainment/event planner: DJ/bartender/events.
Signing up for bartending classes might do the trick?

I've always liked the phrase: Mental Block.
How does Mental Block Enterprises, LLC sound????

Ashford Hospitality Trust (AHT) traded at a peak of almost $13 pre-recession and paid a decent quarterly dividend to boot.  At the height of the recession it tanked to around $1-$2 and I figured I would jump on the chance to get a lot of shares and bought over 70 shares. 

My hope was that when the recession ended, the price would return to at least near its $13 high. 
Ideal scenario: Sell about 70 shares at $13 a pop, and get a net profit of about $800 less commissions and taxes.

It's now trading around $9 and no longer pays a dividend.
I decided to sell about 35 shares at the new $9.

At least it's still a profit........

Now that BRK-B, Berkshire Hathaway Inc's Class-B shares are much more affordable, one can now invest in the great "Oracle of Omaha's" famous stock.  Though Buffett did not intend for everyone to be able to buy his highly touted stock, it really is much more affordable now with the 50:1 split.  (Basically, a drop in price from about $3500 to $70ish).  Compare that to his Class-A, BRK-A, running in at a whopping $119,000.  Meant for the average investor?  Most assuredly not.

So I recommend the next best strategy: buy the same set of stocks his fund does and follow his buys and sells (if he ever does) and their percentages.

What better way to copy his Buffett's successes than to mirror his strategies.

Realty Income Corporation (NYSE: O) touts itself as the "Monthly Dividend Company."  And indeed, it does pay a dividend every month: typically around the 15th.  Additionally, it has pretty consistently increased that monthly dividend.

As an REIT, it is required by law to pay out 90% of its income to its shareholders as dividends.  Most of this income comes from commercial and retail rent. 

At a current dividend rate of $0.14/share, that's a meaty $15 plus change per month with only about 109 shares.  Currently trading at around $28, that's an initial investment of approximately $3000. 

Buying stock in O beefs up a portfolio with a constant stream of dividends and ideally fits into a ROTH IRA or ROTH 401K.
Steady income you can withdraw when you retire, tax free!  Can't beat that! 

Highly recommended.
Again, not for the capital gain, but for that nice monthly flow of dividends.

"Paying mortgages should be illegal" - a radio ad placed by a "wealth guru/adviser" states.  He can "show you how to pay off a 30-yr fixed rate mortgage in only 5 more years!"

Really, all it entails is paying more than your monthly mortgage payment and applying it to principal.
But to pay off a 30-yr mortgage that quickly means you would have to pay at least, if not more, than double the nominal monthly mortgage every month.

Let's say you are a single homeowner, have one source of income, and have a ridiculously overpriced kitchen to pay off.  Oh, and you have to pocket away at least another 300-400/month to pay property taxes.  It's pretty much elementary that you will not have enough left over from that single source of income to pay off the mortgage that quickly.

So, does one really need to fork over thousands of more dollars to get this "wealth guru" to tell you that?  Other
"advice" includes paying off the debt with the highest interest first.  Seriously though, is it necessary to spend that much on this kind of "program"?  You can find books on topics like these for less than $50.

Well, since "paying mortgages is indeed illegal," I think I've found the solution to my dilemma of not being able to double my mortgage payment:

1)I'll stop buying groceries every month
2)I'll cut out everything I "need."  (I'll live in the dark and take water from a freshwater well)

How about, stuff that is more tolerable:
3)Double my income. 
I guess it's time to either do jobs on the side or start a business on the side.

I'll start tomorrow!
 

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT's) are required by law to dispense 90% of their income as dividends to shareholders.

Were they a good buy in the late 2008/2009 Great Recession?

Analysts have stated that most, if not all REIT's, have already accounted for this decrease in income in their stock prices.

But don't buy REIT's to try to make a quick profit.
They were created for the sole purpose of providing investors with a steady, solid stream of income in the form of dividends.

Don't look for that quick capital gain.